Best 4K Dashcam Video Quality? Viofo A139 Pro vs. Blackvue DR970X vs. Blackvue DR900X Plus

Time to test out the Viofo A139 Pro's video quality against the brand new Blackvue DR970X and the DR900X Plus it replaces.
Purchase the dashcams here:
Viofo A139 Pro:
1CH (Front): geni.us/ViofoA139Pro1CH
2CH (Front/Rear): geni.us/ViofoA139Pro2CH
2CH (Front/Interior): bit.ly/ViofoA139Pro2CHIR
3CH (Front/Interior/Rear): geni.us/ViofoA139Pro3CH
Recommended Memory Card: geni.us/sAbu5k [Amazon]
Blackvue DR970X:
1CH (Front): geni.us/BlackvueDR970X-1CH
2CH (Front/Rear): geni.us/BlackvueDR970X-2CH
2CH LTE (Front/Rear): geni.us/BlackvueDR970X-LTE
Recommended Memory Card: geni.us/bommrqi [Amazon]
0:00 Intro
2:26 Testing Notes
3:38 Sunny
6:14 Cloudy
9:19 Dusk
13:30 Night
19:08 Additional Notes
20:00 Takeaways
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Recommended Equipment:
Radar Detector: geni.us/UnidenR8
Laser Jammer: bit.ly/AntiLaserPriority
Dashcam: geni.us/ViofoA139Pro2CH
Dashcam battery pack: geni.us/Powercell8-A139
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Gear I Shoot Videos With: kit.co/VortexRadar/video-gear
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Website: www.VortexRadar.com
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Full disclosure: The purchase links in my videos are typically affiliate links and I may make a percentage when you buy. Whether I get paid or not (on some things I don’t), it’s important to me to ensure that I stay objective and unbiased and give you my honest opinion so you can make an educated decision as to what’s best for you. You deserve that and I wouldn’t have it any other way. :)
© 2023 Vortex Radar, LLC. All rights reserved.
#Dashcam #Viofo #Blackvue #Dashcamera #VortexRadar

[@firekite]

Man. This must have taken so much time and effort to put together. Thank you!

[@VortexRadar]

WAY more than I expected lol

[@nataliegrn17]

Another truly incredible comparison and assessment, full of excellent details, yet compact for us? Wow thank you Vortex! Great job and much appreciated!

[@kricketman12]

the flashing looks like face id

[@amzarnacht6710]

Yeah, he's definately sold me on the Viafo - especially considering the blackvue is 2x the price for 1/2 the quality... Now he needs to do a side by side with the Viafo against the thinkware u1000 (again: huge price variance).

[@TrailsNThings]

I really truly cannot thank you enough for all the work you put into these videos. You truly give us the information necessary to make a solid purchase decision. Years ago I got a Uniden R3 based on your thorough review and it’s still my daily driver. Been looking to get a dash cam and I now know that I want the Viofo A139 hands down. Could not have made an informed decision without the work you do!

[@smels23]

You're making my job of choosing a lot easier! Thanks for all the hard work.

[@aussiecams]

What a great review! Knowing how much time it takes to compile a review, you should be congratulated! We roadtested the 139 pro about 2 mths ago and i said at the time that it was the best video footage i had ever reviewed - this just confirms it!

[@alanaugust8853]

Well, I learned more about dash cams in about 23 minutes than I ever knew there was to know. Thank you for ‘building’ this video. You did an awesome job!!

[@bikebudha01]

Really appreciate the 'depth' of these reviews. The side-by-side stills really make choosing a dashcam easy.

[@1a1u0g9t4s2u]

Thank you for a very informative comparison on the two flagship dash cameras. Looking forward to the follow up on the topics you mentioned.

[@jineshthomas7887]

Truly amazing effort. Behind that smile during presentation, I can actually imagine the passion and the hours of effort you have put in to create these videos.

[@johnb2000]

I've been waiting for you to do this exact review before making a decision on a replacement for my DR900S. You are an absolute professional in the way you carry out your work. I appreciate the hard work and long hours that goes into your videos. My first dashcam purchase was influenced by you and no doubt this one will be too! Please keep the fantastic work up👏🏿👏🏾👏🏽👏🏼👏

[@MarkFunderburk]

Just ordered the 2 channel version of the a139 pro for both of my vehicles with your link. This plus your other reviews were very helpful.

[@andrerobinson4862]

I was really on the fence about getting my next cam. THANK YOU SO MUCH for this comparison video!

[@tool360kl]

I was in an accident a few weeks ago and I had a viofo a129 pro which did great showing how the accident went I'm glad now that viofo made a better version and I really appreciate the detail you took on this comparison and I will be getting this newer viofo thanks for making such a great video

[@pjpleiss]

This video was extremely helpful. I was very torn between the DR970X and the A139 Pro. This, combined with the significant price difference helped me decide. Thank you

[@luisma1161]

Great video, I saw one of your previous videos about the 139 Pro and bought one after watching it. That camera came in and it's already been installed in my daughter's car. I just bought a second one after watching this video for my Ram limited edition 1500. Thanks for the reviews.

[@Mr82C]

Thank you for your reviews really appreciate you taking the time and breaking it down

[@Steve_in_Texas]

Wow!! This amazing! I want to get a dashcam and have been doing a lot of research recently. You are definitely my "go to" for good solid, unbias, honest reviews and information!! Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to do these videos!!!

[@BebopBooper]

Informing us newbies to the car dash cam scene, beautiful work!!!

[@boogeyratt]

Probably the best dash cam video on KZbin. Thank you so much! Looks like I'll be getting an A139 Pro.

[@Obsydeon]

Thank you. The dashcam video I needed. Looking forward to the detail reviews.

[@RetroCarGuy530]

Nice job! I truly understand and appreciate the amount of time and effort that goes into this type of comparison video.

[@VortexRadar]

haha no kidding! I saw one of your videos recently where you did something similar and I liked your approach and added detail too. :)

[@AlexGonzalez-xv9ee]

Trucking for over 24 yrs in NYS & NJ.. A 1st for me on a very serious ACCIDENT.. Found it odd After observing a car circling my truck several times. Car disappeared & 20min later same 🚗 appears in front of me slamming on his brakes with no one in front of him. Yep. It was evident to me that it was an insurance job. They wanted to make sure I didn’t have a dash cam before doing their dirt. YOU NEVER KNOW. & Now I realize how important it is to own one. Greatly appreciate your time and dedication. I had doubts and was so frustrated on making a choice BUT Not anymore! Thank you so much …Ones again. Greatly appreciate your TIME AND DEDICATION. God bless!! Ps: Unless you have other options for truckers??

[@strafe777]

Excellent job on this video. Bought a DR900X plus 6 months ago and thanks to this vid won’t be not upgrading to the 970.

[@dio.ahmed3]

best review. you are actually the only one comparing these exact models. well done

[@bxp1696]

You're like the "Project Farm" of Dashcam's and Radar Detectors. Thank you for the time and effort you put into this research/test/review.

[@pitterpatterlf]

Thank you for putting this together, I can only imagine how long it takes to edit this.

[@VK4GHZ]

Excellent work. It's a long wait for my new car, so I'm keen to see the rollout of new dashcams utilizing the Starvis 2 sensor this year. From what we see already with the A139, it's looking good.

[@photoshopeandotv]

As others have already said, you must have put a lot of time both setting things up and capturing footage, and editing the videos to make the results comparable.That's something commendable, thank you so much for bringing us such meticulous and rigurous reviews. 👍

[@videoupload8230]

Exactly the comparison i was looking for. My current dashcam(iroad) had issues identifying number plates when driving past other vehicles at different speed.

[@jdemara]

Such a great comparison. Thank you for this. VERY helpful!!

[@kimt9978]

As a single mother who’s daughter will soon have her DL, I’ve been looking for a high quality dash cam. This video was so helpful and meticulously produced. Thank u for all the work put into this video-it should have ten times the views!

[@user-sz4ly6us1t]

This must have taken so long, thank you again for another thorough review

[@faisallukyamuzi279]

Great video sir. Your videos always have great insights and knowledge. Watching from Uganda 🇺🇬 . I am yet to receive my VIOFO A139 that I ordered and I can't wait to have a look at its features

[@jasonj3350]

Best reviewer ever. Excellent example of proffesionalism 💪💯

[@PaekSukis]

Dayum. Viofo is killing it. Thank you very much for your efforts in creating this video! Love your thought and analysis.

[@ruebarb1]

Thank you, looking forward to the next comparison video

[@LawrenceMarkFearon]

Truly appreciate this man. So thorough and complete. Thank you.

[@CosmetologyNFashion]

I bought Viofo A139 but when I got it I tested it and plugged it in and it was giving me problem and then the memory card would not go in then it went in and wouldn't come out. They told me to return it and decided to go with the Viofo A139 Pro after watching more videos on KZbin. I am glad I went with the A139 Pro since I was returning the front camara. Great video!!

[@steve_the_designer]

A TON of work goes into making/editing these videos. Much appreciated 👍

[@Riverguide33]

Great review….thanks for all of the effort you put into this. 👍

[@hilal3d]

Just bumped to your video and I found your entire channel quite helpful man. Thank you, keep up the good work

[@VortexRadar]

Welcome aboard!

[@StevenBanks123]

There are a few “I’m like” and ‘l mean’s, but for the most part you speak quickly and precisely, with few “um”s - Thank you

[@functionaldoc5054]

Best reviewer out there period. What detail and great video comparisons.

[@Stallzyx]

Glad to see another video confirming my decision to get the A139 Pro. Got two front units with the plan to either go front and rear both 4k, or just do front 4k and 1080p rear with the camera found in the 2 channel kit that I bought separately, or maybe I run both the rear camera setups to get the best of both :D Had the front units for nearly a month now and should be getting it all installed in the next few days but it's been nearly a 2 week wait for that. Maybe could have got it sorted sooner elsewhere but hoping all goes smooth. I set up my old A119 v2 a couple days ago just so I have something temporary and will also make for good comparison even though I have footage from years ago. Definitely feel like rear camera is a must for me

[@stevegeoff]

This confirms my purchase (based on your previous reviews). I get it tomorrow.. yay!

[@wr24_pl]

Excellent comparison! Great job! Thanks for putting it all together.

[@garyglenn3654]

Outstanding job! Great info that was interesting to watch.

[@foghornleg90]

THANK YOU... just ordered a Viofo A139 Pro today. For 3 Channels, that seems to be the best option. Though I'm not looking forward to the 'wiring' ... but the parked car and 'accident while away' options seem worthwhile.

[@dadcz]

Thank you for Test. It is obvious that doubling the bitrate on Viofo will necessarily improve the image especially when the angle of view is restricted. Now we must also compare the features, connectivity to the cloud, parking mode, wifi transfer in 5G etc. ... Both Dashcams are very good and it is important to choose the model that will be adapted to your personal use.

[@greggoode3450]

Amazing video. Thanks for all your work!!!

[@tubamanandy2]

Now thats what a review video should be like - great job

[@mytubeviewerjeff]

Hi. I agree with you 100%. Over the last 3 months I have been watching car driving/car crash channels. Whenever I see a really clear, crisp video, I check to see if the bottom of the screen has the brand of camera. If so, I log it on a running sheet. I was doing it starting in Nov of last year up until Feb. I put my impression of the quality of the video, the date I viewed it, the clip number and run time start of the specific clip, and finally, I put the URL of the clip. The majority of videos I logged were from VIOFO A119 v3, A129, A129 Plus, and A129 Pro dashcams. 1 or 2 Blackvue’s and some other 4k dashcams but the best were the VIOFO’s. The VIOFO 139 Pro doesn’t come out until the end of March this year so…. The VIOFO’s had, by far, the best clarity, and crispness overall. I have seen a lot of videos that were clear and sharp but did not have the camera identification labeled at the bottom. Maybe the GPS feature must be turned on. Just a guess. I do not have a dashcam but, I have been waiting to get a dashcam. I think the waiting is over.

[@Miami_Bad_Boy_BOSS]

I like the Nextbase 622GW. My issue with the Nextbase 622GW, is it does not offer 4/5/6 channel option. I want full 360 coverage - front / back / driver window / pass window / driver peripheral external / pass peripheral external. Basically I want ALL the bells and whistles, with 6 cam availability; I don't care the price. Do you have any suggestions? .

[@mackue8913]

I love it when u do these Comparison videos! The next time u should do parking mode while u doing it.

[@joeyhannan5294]

Already had my A139 pro but love these types of data-packed videos! Thanks for all of the effort in making these! I love my cam and haven’t had a reason to have to pull video yet, but it’s nice to know that when the time comes, I’ll be able to rely on it. Thank you for the work you put in!

[@CaptainCJ97]

Coming back to this vid and watching more dashcam clips it's crazy how clear crisp viofo dashcams are compared watching blackvue's if viofo ever joins the cloud world and is as good if not better blackvue then that would be great

[@relax-panda7]

Your set-up has got my thumbs up at 1 min in :D Brilliant test

[@geegigaga3370]

Terrific video. Just got a A139 Pro. An upgrade from my A119.

[@Billistac]

Great review, super detailed and over all great job.

[@TheAllang123]

Please do the head to head 970x vs 139A asap! Waiting before I buy and your analysis seems unbiased and overall excellent. Thanks.

[@MrKingithy]

Hi, amazing video! Did you have part two with the parking footage and other things?

[@fernandopizano6410]

Please review the new Ring dash cam! I love your videos by the way, I got the Uniden r7 because of your videos back in 2020!

[@canon4life1356]

Much appreciated video. Thank you very much for the hard work!

[@samirab5426]

For me, the Best Reviewer! 🌎 Thank you so much, from Italy 🇮🇹

[@HD2You]

Just at the beginning I saw that Viofo angled USB-C cable fits better than the original A139 straight USB-C cable. Great to see that you was looking for the best frame and not for the same frame position when doing static comparisons. ;) I observed that 970X have a little red tint color something like on old Aptina sensors on some situations. I hope BlackVue will improve this situation. Also don't be sad about new 970, I am sure they will improve the image, right now I consider 970 to be much better than 900 from what I see in your review. Maybe they will use the same idea of Auto which was used for Viofo for DOL HDR. Was a nice surprise to see the day HDR from Viofo was so close to non HDR image but unfortunately this setup decrease the night performance of reading car license numbers compared to some older firmware versions. Look at 5:45 and 5:49 on the left at the houses and you will see that 970 is much better than 900 and if comparing all 4 houses, seems that 970 have some HDR or WDR implemented. At 8:34 we can understand that light is needed to read car license plates. No sun is not OK for any dashcam. Oh, at 16:36 we can see that people are wasting money on dashcams. ;) With actual HDR implementations the Auto HDR is not so important like it was on Viofo dashcams with Starvis 1. Congratulations for this great review about reading the car license numbers even in USA is very difficult to obtain good results. Regarding reading of car license plates, in theory, Viofo should put 3 types of HDR procesing: Clear HDR from actul firmware, DOL HDR, and DOL HDR from November 2022 beta firmware. Who wants the best reading of car license plates should accept some streets lamps flickering.

[@HeadBassVTEC]

as usual great comparison was thinking of getting the new blackvues (770x or 970x) but disappointed by the results and excited for the upcoming starvis2 dashcams from blackvue blackvue seems to be better at HDR implementations and has features I miss on the viofo

[@synthwave7]

Great video - something to mention - with A.I. photo enhancement websites, low end pics of license plates can be enhanced.

[@birgirivarsson]

Wow man -- What a great review -- Best ever -- good job -- well done

[@jd415]

Amazing video, love this channel!

[@CoderGuyMan]

Very useful video, thanks. I would love to see a software comparison, i.e. how easy is it to quickly get a clip off and share it.

[@Paul-cj1wb]

Excellent video. Have you reviewed any with exterior night vision and a monitor?

[@idroveacamry]

Awesome video thank you for all your effort.

[@zzzaaalll]

Very detailed review. Used your link to purchase it . 🙌

[@gyulahorvath6069]

Perfect .... as always! Thank you!

[@pyrosrockthisworld]

Be interested in seeing that follow up! I got the old blackvue purely because of the ability to download and store the video off it over my home WiFi whenever I park at home

[@christophervieira7977]

Have a feeling blackview will make up a lot of ground in the next comparison. I'll wait for that one. Thanks for the great content

[@hmmslagathor9285]

Great video, lots of useful real world information. Not sure if we can get Viofo in the UK but I am going to look. Thanks

[@VortexRadar]

Yeah you should be able to ship to the UK when ordering direct from Viofo. Check the link in the description.

[@Draconis8888]

Amazing the progress made with Starvis 2! Thanks for the comparison. Do you see a large hit in quality with 2 or 3 channels on the viofo?

[@user-xk4nf4pf2g]

great review man thank you

[@ColinDyckes]

Just bought an A139 Pro 2ch based on your video. Finally, a good dash cam that isn't locked to their own expensive sdCards! Thanks.

[@VortexRadar]

Congrats! It’s an awesome one. :)

[@Jay_2023]

Thanks for this video! Gave you a like and a Sub from Sydney, Australia! 🇦🇺 Really appreciate it! It gave me reassurance to which dashcam to upgrade to.. 🙂

[@prodrivingtricksandtips]

Thank you for your time and effort. You’re a point of reference on KZbin…..the dash camera manufacturers are biting their fingernails when you post a video.

[@STARFIGHT88]

Great Video Vortex!

[@jd415]

Wow, I can't imagine how long it took you to create this video! You did an amazing job, definitely going to get a A139 Pro now!

[@neilwilliams4684]

With the HD switched on 🙂

[@ShowMeWhatINeedToKnow]

Great review, man!

[@Bacnow]

This is a superior video! This dude put a lot of effort into this and gave a clear and concise explanation of the results! Well done! VIOFO aside, I am curious as to which manufactures have STARVIS 2 cams in their pipeline! Which one will have a dashcam ready by summer?

[@ShotInTheDark]

Really good work. Thanks.

[@Anavllama]

The A139Pro looks like a clear winner. One SURPRIZING or perhaps PUZZLING design flaw however is the lens placement! It is located on the right hand side of the dashcam body facing forward. Smarter engineering by Thinkware (Q1000) and Blackvue (R970X) place the lens on the left hand side of the dashcam body. As you know most new cars now have a significant centre piece associated with the rear view mirror that extends down the windshield and typically houses a car safety camera. Let use a Toyota Rav4 as an example. To get the camera reasonable centred (an important factor) and to ensure the camera does not obstruct driver vision (even more important factor), the possibilities are limited. To get the lens centred, one can place the camera underneath the main centre piece body. However, this will obscure driver vision and may also be too low for the dashcam to work properly. One can have the lens somewhat centred by placing the A139 Pro dashcam immediately to the left of the centre piece (at the optimal height) but this will seriously block driver vision. The logical place for dashcam placement in NA is immediately to the right of the centre piece (at the optimal height to eliminate issues with driver vision and camera function). If one places the A139 immediately to the right of the centre piece, the lens will be not even close to centred (now unreasonable). I hope this helps illuminate the concern.

[@camilofernandez2972]

Thanks for your awesome work

[@zeris365]

brilliant job, thank you!

[@khndenmark]

Thanks for your professional job.

[@wtpauley]

I saw the Viofo A139 pro reviewed by another reviewer and was waiting for your review, before purchase. Thank you for this review as this definitely shows the Viofo is the clear winner in my book for image quality. It would be nice to see a brief video of what it looks like with the stock, or manufacturers polarizer lens filter.

[@VortexRadar]

The polarizer on/off sample I shared in this video was with the A139 Pro’s.

[@jordan2104]

I've had mine since Thanksgiving (it was on sale, yay!) and I don't really have any complaints. I wish it had the cloud capability, but for me it's not a dealbreaker. I use mine without the little polarizing cap, the video quality is really great, and the software didn't give me any issues so far. I bought the package with two cameras, front and back (no third/interior camera). I also got the separate Bluetooth button for "emergency" video capture. After all this time, I can say that I am very happy with my purchase and I would definitely recommend this dashcam.

[@ironviper3038]

Super review, bravo!

[@marcinkozlowski3387]

Imagine watching this video and you see yourself driving 😂

[@BlondieSL]

This is just THE BEST review I've seen to date! So well laid out! I've been leaning towards the Viofo A139 Pro 2 cam kit and in fact, it's in my Amazon cart right now. HOWEVER, one concern is some of the comments from owners that are saying that this model tends to "lose" or "corrupt" video files. People have relayed that they go to find a video at a specific time and THAT video isn't there, even though the time before and time after videos ARE there. They also report that some videos started to record and while the screen shows it's recording, the file is actually corrupted and/or it stopped recording part way in, again, not indicating an issue on the screen. Those are very important issues and so far, there doesn't seem to be a resolution. It COULD BE the brand of SD cards being used, but even then, the software SHOULD be able to detect a failure and at least report it. So, I'm wondering... now that you've had the A139 Pro for a while, have you experienced this (or other) problem(s)?? What brand of SD card do you use? Thanks in advance for any info.

[@VortexRadar]

Thank you! Yeah while I haven’t experienced that particular issue (knock on wood), there have been a number of reliability issues reported with this new model.

[@BlondieSL]

@@VortexRadar Do you think that it's more hardware than firmware? Do you think that it's still worth the high price? I'm so on the fence as yet. I'm spoiled by our 2 KDLINK cameras that just don't have any of those issues, except the lithium battery issue and a cable going wonky. I like stability! I also insist on the BEST image possible and those other cams, with the obvious motion blur problems and just lack of clarity are definitely out of the picture for me. Opinion please. .

[@ViofoDashcamOfficial]

This issue is mainly related to the unrecommended card actually. Most customers have solved the problem after changing the card they use. Besides, the camera may stop recording for some reason that the customers may have not noticed, then they conclude the issue as "lost" or "corrupt" video files simply.

[@BlondieSL]

@@ViofoDashcamOfficial "he camera may stop recording for some reason that the customers may have not noticed, " THAT is the problem! As long as the SD card is the recommended kind and not corrupt itself, the camera shouldn't just "stop recording" for no reason. Your comment or at least that part, now puts more doubt in me into spending so much money on the kit and accessories I have in my Amazon cart awaiting my decision. I do have 2 KDLINK cams now that only stop working due to issues not related to the cams themselves. - bad cable (which I have to fix today) - SD card written too much and is finally failing (these are high endurance cards) - the lithium batteries degrading to the point where they cause the cameras to cycle power - plug slipping out of the socket. Those are not the cameras fault. Perhaps THOSE are the kinds of things you mean. If so, then we're good. 😁

[@ViofoDashcamOfficial]

@@BlondieSL Yes, you have got what I mean. 😁

[@ME25YRS]

Great video, thank you

[@r3sid3nt3vil8]

Thanks for the great review. Its clear that its going to be a long time before we get affordable dashcams that actually capture , perfectly , the vital info required for legal cases (plates and brand badges) in all conditions with little to no image degradation. The issue is affordability . Great cams that need to capture small details at speed would be expensive to make . Capturing at 60 FPS minimum capturing at 4k minimum with very high bitrates all the while being small enough to use in a car. Currently unfeasible unless you were to create a super expensive smallish cam that does the job, but it wouldn't sell well as the high industry grade tech is thousands of pounds/dollars and isnt small enough to be usable in a car without getting in the way. Its going to be at lest 5 years before we see super detail capturing cams in the affordable price range.

[@integralcamerasolutions]

Great comparison. I hadn't got to try the 970 versus the 900 plus at night yet so I'm glad to see it at least has some improvements with that HDR and night quality. Seems obvious Viofo is better if you don't want cloud features, which is most people. But I also love the cloud features so it's hard to pick. That's why I always ran an A119 V3 along side my dr900x plus and previous blackvues.

[@coolw2k]

thanks for your work

[@baranarslan8604]

Thank you!

[@rubenramos-wp4nw]

Just imagine you‘re csually strolling down the highway just to notice some guy with 4 dashcams filming😂😂😂

[@mohsenalharhara8729]

Thank you for the review, any improvement in the Parking Mode?