In this guide
This is the decision most VIOFO buyers actually face. The A229 Plus and the A229 Pro look almost identical, mount the same way and take the same hardwire kit. The difference is the front camera: 2K on the Plus, 4K on the Pro. Here is whether that is worth paying for.
The short answer
- The A229 Plus is enough for most drivers. 2K front and rear reads a plate at a normal following distance, day or night.
- The A229 Pro earns its money at distance. 4K holds detail further ahead, which matters on faster roads and when the car you need to identify is not the one directly in front of you.
What 2K actually gives you
There is a myth that anything below 4K is not worth having. It is not true. The A229 Plus records 2K through Sony STARVIS 2 sensors at both ends, with HDR, and in the situations that produce most insurance claims — the car in front stopping suddenly, someone reversing into you, a rear-end shunt — it gives you everything you need. The vehicle is close, the plate is large in frame, and 2K resolves it clearly.
When 4K is worth the money
The Pro pulls ahead when the subject is further away or moving faster relative to you. Motorway driving, dual carriageways, and any incident where the vehicle you need to identify is two or three cars ahead. It also gives you more room to crop into a frame without the image falling apart, which is what you end up doing when you send footage to an insurer or the police.
If you have ever watched your own footage back and thought the plate was almost readable, that is the gap 4K closes.
Everything else is the same
Both take the HK4 hardwire kit for parking mode, both use a supercapacitor rather than a battery so they survive UK summers and winters, both are available as 1, 2 or 3-channel kits, and both mount identically. If you buy the Plus and later wish you had the Pro, the accessories carry over.
Our recommendation
We fit more A229 Pros than anything else, but we sell plenty of A229 Plus kits to drivers who are better off spending the difference on a hardwire kit and a bigger memory card. If your driving is mostly town and commuting, the Plus is the sensible buy. If you do motorway miles or you have been let down by unreadable footage before, take the Pro.
Carrying passengers for work? Both come as 3-channel kits with an infrared cabin camera, which is what taxi, private hire, Uber drivers and driving instructors should be looking at. See the 3-channel range.
We fit both at our Beeston workshop from £100 for 2-channel, vehicle dependent and confirmed before you book. See VIOFO dash cams fitted in Nottingham, or compare the whole range in our VIOFO buying guide.
