Real 4K vs. Fake 4K. You Asked. We Answered
VIOFO A129 Pro vs. Rove R2-4K
The VIOFO A129 Pro and the Rove R2-4K are both high-quality dash cams that offer 4K resolution video recording. The VIOFO A129 Pro has a dual-channel setup, allowing for simultaneous recording from the front and rear cameras. It also has built-in Wi-Fi for easy footage transfer and remote settings control using a smartphone app. The Rove R2-4K also has built-in Wi-Fi and a smartphone app, but it is a single-channel camera. Additionally, the VIOFO A129 Pro has a built-in GPS and a parking mode feature that automatically starts recording when motion is detected while the car is parked. The R2-4K lacks these features but is slightly smaller than the A129 Pro and much cheaper.
So, does the savings justify the Rove R2-4K? Should you invest in the VIOFO A129 Pro Duo instead? Let’s find out.
Looking for the best 4K dash cam? There are many other 4K dash cams on the market, and you might want to check out our full lineup of 4K UHD dash cams.
Quick Comparison
Rove R2-4K
Expert Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐
⭐⭐
Customer Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐
⭐⭐
Manufacturer Warranty
1-Year
1-Year
Support
Email, Phone, Live Chat
Price
💲💲💲
💲💲
Where to buy
BlackboxMyCar
Amazon
Rove R2-4K dash cam overview
While the Rove R2-4K Dash Cam has done well in several reviews and roundups conducted by consumer tech experts, it received mixed reviews from users. Some praise its clear and sharp video quality, good battery life, and parking recording with motion detection. But other users have reported poor nighttime video quality, inconsistent performance, defective app, and firmware bugs.
Some features of the Rove R2-4K include:
- Wide-angle lens with 170-degree field of view
- Built-in WiFi for easy video transfer and remote control via the Rove App
- G-sensor for automatic emergency recording
- Loop recording to automatically overwrite oldest footage
- 2.4-inch LCD display for instant playback
- Support for up to 512GB micro SD card
- Parking mode for monitoring your vehicle when parked
Some concerns of the Rove R2-4K include:
A dash cam must have an image sensor of at least 8MP To record in true 4K UHD. The VIOFO A129 Pro Duo, Thinkware U1000, and BlackVue DR900X-2CH Plus 4K models have an 8MP image sensor. On the other hand, the Rove R2-4K comes with a 5MP Sony IMX335, the same image sensor that Thinkware and VIOFO use on their 2K QHD dash cams. The Novatek NT96660 is the same image processor VIOFO uses in the A119 Pro 2K QHD dash cam.
In other words, the Rove R2-4K is not a real 4K UHD dash cam. It is capable of 2K QHD video recording at most. So, in reality, you will have a 2K video stretched to make it look like 4K UHD. In fact, many users have reported that the default recording resolution of the Rove R2-4K is 1080p Full HD. In contrast, the default recording resolution in the VIOFO, Thinkware, BlackVue and Nextbase 4K UHD models is 4K UHD @30FPS.
When recording at “4K UHD,” the recording framerate of the Rove R2-4K is 24fps - which is what movie makers use to create cinematic pictures. But we know that when recording a drive, even traveling at normal speed, 30fps is the minimum if you want to capture anything watchable.
Other resolutions you can choose from: 1920x1080P @ 30/60fps (HD), 2304x1296P @ 30fps and 1280x720P @ 30/60fps.
Thought you found a bargain? Nah, you’re just overpaying for a sub-par camera. The Rove R2-4K saves everything it records automatically in 3-minute clips and overwrites the oldest clips to make space for the newest clips - but do take some time to check their Amazon reviews, especially ones reporting missing footage.
What good is a dash cam if you can’t rely on it for the footage you need, especially if you’re caught in an accident?
VIOFO A129 Pro Overview
The VIOFO A129 Pro Duo is one of the company's flagship dash cameras. It is a 2-channel system that includes all the features of its predecessors, the A129 and A119, but with an added front-facing camera that records in True 4K UHD.
Some of the key features of the VIOFO A129 Pro include:
- 4K ultra HD video resolution for the front camera and 1080p for the rear camera
- Sony Starvis image sensor for clear and detailed video footage
- Dual-band WiFi for easy video transfer and remote control via the VIOFO app
- G-sensor for automatic emergency recording
- Loop recording to automatically overwrite the oldest footage
- 2-inch LCD for instant playback
- Support for up to 256GB Micro SD card
- Night vision for clear recording during low-light conditions
- Parking mode for monitoring your vehicle when parked
- Dual-channel recording for simultaneous recording of front and rear view footage
VIOFO A129 Pro vs. Rove R2-4K - the Differences
The VIOFO A129 Pro Duo and the Rove R2-4K are both high-quality dash cams that offer great video resolution video recording. However, they have several differences:
Difference #1: Recording channels and resolution
The VIOFO A129 Pro Duo has a dual-channel setup, allowing for simultaneous recording from the front and rear cameras, while the Rove R2-4K is a single-channel camera.
The VIOFO A129 Pro is equipped with the 8MP Sony Exmor R STARVIS IMX317 image sensor, which allows you to record clear, vibrant 4K UHD footage from the front camera and Full HD footage from the rear camera in all lighting conditions. The user can record at 4K at 30FPS or 2K at 60FPS when only using the front camera. Additionally, it can be scaled down to 1080 Full HD at 60 or 120 frames per second. However, the front camera recording is limited to 30 frames per second when using both the front and rear cameras simultaneously. The front camera captures at 130° and the rear camera at 140°, ensuring nothing is missed, day or night.
The Rove R2-4K comes with a 5MP Sony IMX335, the same image sensor that Thinkware and VIOFO use on their 2K QHD dash cams. The Novatek NT96660 is the same image processor VIOFO uses in the A119 Pro 2K QHD dash cam. In other words, the Rove R2-4K is not a real 4K UHD dash cam. It is capable of 2K QHD video recording at most. In fact, many users have reported that the default recording resolution of the Rove R2-4K is 1080p Full HD.
Difference #2: Parking Mode
The VIOFO A129 Pro Duo has a parking mode feature that automatically starts recording when motion is detected while the car is parked, the R2-4K does not have this feature. The VIOFO A129 Pro Duo protects your vehicle by recording videos when it detects movement or impact, even when you are not there. It also supports buffered recording, which records the 15 seconds prior and 30 seconds after an event is detected, giving you a complete picture.
The VIOFO A129 Pro also offers time-lapse recording, which comes in handy when parking in higher-traffic areas. You can set the dashcam to capture an image every 1, 2, 3, 5, or 10 sec and then put them all together into a timelapse video. To activate parking mode, you need to have a 3-wire Hardwiring cable or an external battery pack (such as the BlackboxMyCar PowerCell 8 Battery Pack) installed.
ROVE R2-4K has two distinct parking mode features:
- Internal Battery Parking Mode (NO additional accessories needed) - designed to last about 5-7 minutes when fully charged. If someone hits your car and if the impact reaches the set G-Sensor level, then the camera will turn ON and record a 1-Minute video, then, it will lock and save that video in the emergency locked folder, so it does not get deleted by the loop cycle function.
- 24-Hour Auto Trigger Parking Mode (ROVE Ultimate HWK Required) - you can choose between Time-Lapse and Motion Detection parking modes.
Difference #3: Design & Installation
The 2.4” LCD screen on the Rove R2-4K is enough for video playback, but the size of the dash camera may obstruct your view of the road, especially with the suction cup mount. It can be tricky to adjust the angle, and the suction cup mount is not the most reliable on warm weather days.
While the VIOFO A129 Pro Duo is also a screen dash cam, it is designed to be mounted against the windshield. And because of this design, the VIOFO A129 Pro does look more discreet. The most common complaint for VIOFO dash cams is the long, thick cables, which makes it trickier to route inside the vehicle, especially cars with tight pillars or chunky built-in accessories, like the Subaru Eyesight.
Product Comparison: VIOFO A129 Pro vs. Rove R2-4K
Rove R2-4K
Resolution
4K UHD @ 30 fps
2K QHD @ 30 fps
Image Sensor
8 MP Sony STARVIS IMX317 sensor
5 MP Sony STARVIS IMX335 sensor
Max Resolution
4K UHD Front
4K UHD Front
Parking Mode
Built-in
Built-in
Field of View
130°
150°
GPS
Yes
Yes
Operating Temperature
-10°C - 65°C (14°F - 149°F)
-30°C - 80°C (-22°F - 176°F)
Max. SD Card Capacity
256 GB
512 GB
WiFi
Yes
Yes
Cloud-Ready
No
No
Microphone
Yes
Yes
Origin
China
USA
Manufacturer Warranty
1-Year Manufacturer Warranty
1-Year Manufacturer Warranty
The VIOFO A129 Pro is better for me because…
While the VIOFO A129 Pro Duo may cost slightly more than the Rove R2-4K, it offers several advantages to justify the price difference.
The VIOFO A129 Pro features an 8MP image sensor, which is needed for a 4K UHD video resolution. The Rove R2-4K, on the other hand, comes with an image sensor that is designed for 2K QHD at most.
There is no battery in the VIOFO A129 Pro Duo . It uses a supercapacitor instead and has a built-in overheating protection system, making it more reliable than the Rove when baking in the sun in a car park.
VIOFO is the most recommended brand on Reddit and DashCamTalk and has received higher user ratings and recommendations for image quality, performance, responsiveness, build quality and long-term dependability.
But if you’re looking for similarities between the two dash cams, there is one - neither the Rove R2 nor the VIOFO A129 Pro comes with a microSD card, so you will have to buy one separately regardless of which one you choose. The VIOFO A129 Pro supports up to 256GB, the Rove R2-4K up to 512GB, but a 128GB sd card would be sufficient with loop recording.
Prefer a 1-Channel dash cam? The VIOFO A129 Pro also comes in the 1-Channel version.
Check out our 6 Signs an Amazon Dash Cam Can't Be Trusted blog for other reasons to avoid thrifty Amazon dash cams.