VIOFO A329S 3-Channel 4K dash cam review – You’ve seen the news; you need a dash cam.

REVIEW – I recently saw a video where some unscrupulous folks cut off a driver, threw their vehicle in reverse, and rammed another car (watch the video here). It was a blatant attempt at insurance fraud, and I have no doubt the victim was very thankful to have a dash cam like VIOFO’s A329S on duty.

⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $469.99, HK4 Hardwire kit – $25.99, Rear Camera Polarizing Lens – $16.99, 64GB SD card – $28.04
Where to buy: VIOFO and Amazon (save 5% with code: GADGETEER329)

What is it?

The VIOFO A329 is a three-camera device designed to record traffic events and GPS data, capturing videos and snapshots to digital storage.

What’s included?

• Front camera with display
• GPS mount
• Car charger
• USB-C data cable
• CPL-200 polarizing filter for front camera
• Three electrostatic mounting stickers
• Spare front mount two-sided tape
• Trim removal tool
• User manual

Optional, but provided in the kit, VIOFO provided

• RC420 rear camera
• Rear camera cable
• RCC360 interior-view “fisheye” camera
• Interior view cable
• BTR200 Bluetooth remote control
• HK4 Hardwire kit
• 64GB SD card

Tech specs

Design and features

I’m not sure if it’s due to my age, imagination, or societal changes, but it seems to me that drivers are becoming more aggressive, careless, and distracted. Maybe it’s just my “those young whippersnappers” thinking, but holy crap, I’ve seen so many near misses, road rage events, and cars drifting out of their lanes to know that I need a dashcam. My vehicle never leaves the garage without recording everything, and yours should too. I’ve reviewed several, each having its own merits, and was very interested in taking a look at the VIOFO A329S.

It’s well-padded and arrived quickly.

VIOFO provided a 64 GB SD card, the HK4 Hardwire kit, a Bluetooth remote control, and a polarizing lens for the rear camera.

The front camera, screen, and control buttons form the central unit. I like the positioning and labeling of the buttons and the indicator LEDs. From left to right, the buttons are Menu/Power, Cursor Up/Record Start & Stop, Enter/Lock Video, Cursor Down/Microphone Off, and Wi-Fi On/Off.

The right side has a slot for the SD card and miniature plugs for the rear and cabin cameras. I was impressed with the small size of the connectors  – the smaller the end, the easier it is to route the cable over, around, and through the vehicle’s interior. These are the smallest dashcam connectors I’ve seen so far. Well done, VIOFO!

The mounting bracket, which features an integrated GPS antenna and 3M adhesive, is positioned to face the vehicle’s windshield. The camera pivots up and down for the best view of the road.

The camera detaches from the mount. A USB-C connector provides power and GPS signals from the mounting plate to the camera.

The left side features a recessed reset button and a USB-C connection. Nope, this port isn’t for power – It’s for attaching an SSD hard drive of up to 4TB, the first time I’ve seen this feature in a dashcam. I imagine it would be ideal for truckers, UBER drivers, DoorDash, and first responders who want (or need) to document everything. Bravo, VIOFO!

The rear and interior cameras appear identical, so be sure not to confuse them. The wide-angle camera (RCC360) has a very wide-angle “fisheye” lens that does an exceptional job of seeing everything in the car. The rear camera isn’t waterproof, so it must be securely attached to the vehicle’s rear window. If your car has a rear wiper, putting the camera in the path helps keep the view clear on rainy or snowy days when road spray obscures the window. If your needs require an external waterproof camera, VIOFO offers one, specifically the RWC400 model, priced at $99.99.

Wooo! Three cameras!

VIOFO thoughtfully provided polarizing filters for the front camera (included) and rear camera (optional). They significantly improve image clarity in the same way that polarizing sunglasses reduce glare from reflections. Excellent!

VIOFO’s sticker seems a little “big and loud” to me. I won’t be using it, figuring that it advertises a nice dash cam system and says, “break in and steal me.” The dash Cam doesn’t do much good if the data is gone. 😉

The coaxial cables are pretty thin. I had no trouble hiding excess wire in the spaces around the car.

Speaking of hiding cables, an included push/pry tool helps with installation. Thanks, VIOFO!

The power supply plugs into a power socket and features an additional USB-C port. I appreciate that the cable detaches.

With the optional HK4 cable, the A329S gains the capability to capture video even when the ignition is off. VIOFO has addressed one of my primary concerns: if left unattended for an extended period, the camera could deplete the vehicle’s battery. Their cable is equipped with circuitry to turn the camera off if the battery voltage drops below a preset level. Well done!

The “parking” mode offers a range of useful options.

I was able to install the entire system in about an hour. The small size of the cameras doesn’t impede the view of the road.

Here’s the rear camera in place. It has 2K resolution.

After powering the system for the first time, the software guides you through setting the language, time zone, speed units, and formatting the SD card using the buttons on the A329S.

Tapping the “hamburger” button takes a photo snapshot. Holding it opens the settings. Among these are video clip length (1, 2, 3, 5, and 10 minutes), microphone on/off, Parking mode, impact detection levels, time-lapse, low bitrate mode, auto event detection, HDR, exposure, timestamps, fisheye mode, infrared LED on/off, and many customizations for parking mode. Implementation is outstanding and intuitive. The manual has detailed descriptions of each function.

The A329S beeps when the buttons are pressed and speaks audio cues for many of its functions. The tiny internal speaker is difficult to hear when the car is in motion, but it’s not a significant issue because once it’s configured, there’s no need for frequent adjustments. I was also surprised that the A329S has voice command capabilities for operation while the vehicle is in motion. Slick!

The built-in screen is bright and easy to read.

Video quality is exceptionally crisp and clear. The interior audio is slightly muffled, primarily due to normal traffic noise. It’s worth mentioning that, because the camera records 4K video, the files are elephantine. For example, a one-minute file was 306MB. I cut the video to a 10-second clip, scaled down to 1080P for this review, and it’s still 32.5 MB. For reference, the 4K video is even more stunning.

There are three ways to watch video from the A329S: on the built-in screen, by removing the SD card and plugging it into a PC (not included), or through Wi-Fi using the VIOFO app.

After installing the VIOFO app, turn on Wi-Fi by long-pressing the button on the A329S’s face and use the SSID and password that appear on the screen to connect. The app can access live video from all three cameras, start and stop recording, take snapshots, configure all settings, view, save, and delete content. Very cool.

VIOFO also sent me the optional Bluetooth control, a three-button miniature control (powered by a button-cell battery) that attaches to any convenient location in the vehicle. By default, the large front button locks essential videos, and the side buttons toggle the microphone and Wi-Fi.

The buttons are configurable through the settings menu.

Final thoughts

There are only a few gadgets that I’ve reviewed that I consider essential to safety and security. Smoke detectors and dash cams fall into this category. If you don’t have one, you should get one. With car insurance and repair costs rising, it makes sense to protect your car and reputation with a quality dash cam, such as VIOFO’s A329S. It boasts an excellent combination of features, recording crisp 4K video from the front and 2k from the rear cameras. The wide-angle interior camera is also amazing at capturing everything, and the optional hardwire kit enables the cameras to monitor your car when you’re not there. It’s a winner! Brilliantly done, VIOFO!

What I like about the VIOFO A329S Dash Cam

• Tons of features
• 4K clarity from the front camera
• Top-quality video
• Optional storage to an SSD of up to 4TB!
• Three cameras for front, back, and cabin recording.
• Small connectors on cords make installation easier

What needs to be improved?

• None

Price: $469.99, HK4 Hardwire kit – $25.99, Rear Camera Polarizing Lens – $16.99, 64GB SD card – $28.04
Where to buy: VIOFO and Amazon (save 5% with code: GADGETEER329)
Source: VIOFO provided a free sample for this review, but did not provide input, guidance, or editing before publication.

Check out these other dash cam reviews!

• DDPAI Z60 Dash Cam
• Botslab G90H Dash Cam
• Cobra SC 250 Dash Cam
• Nexar Beam 2 Dash Cam
• 70MAI A510 Dash Cam
• Viofo A 229 Dash Cam