[Buying Advice] DDPAI Z90 Master vs VIOFO A329S - Parking mode, power drain
Hi everyone,
I'm getting a new car soon (Skoda Octavia IV) and I'm currently torn between two flagship setups: the newest VIOFO A329 (or A329S) and the newly revised DDPAI Z90 Master. I do mostly short city trips (grocery runs, commuting), which makes parking mode efficiency a huge priority for me.
I'm leaning towards VIOFO for the video quality, but I have a few major concerns about their ecosystem:
- Power Drain in Parking Mode: VIOFO's buffered parking mode is notoriously power-hungry. Since I do short trips, a dedicated dashcam battery pack might not even have time to fully recharge between drives. Does the new A329's "Low Power Impact" mode or optimized Time-Lapse actually solve this battery drain issue in real-world usage?
- SD Card Pickiness: VIOFO seems extremely sensitive to SD cards, practically forcing the use of high-endurance models (like Samsung PRO Endurance) to avoid constant error beeps.
- Bulkiness: The physical footprint of the main unit is quite large and hard to hide behind the rearview mirror.
On the other hand, the official distributor for DDPAI recently told me about a new revision of the DDPAI Z90 Master. They claim it now features 128GB of built-in eMMC storage and, most surprisingly, Dual 4K Sony STARVIS 2 (IMX678) sensors for BOTH front and rear cameras, plus a CPL filter out of the box.
My questions for both DDPAI and VIOFO users:
- Is the DDPAI claim true? Has anyone actually verified if the rear camera on the newest Z90 Master is a genuine 4K IMX678? Most DDPAI dual setups usually have a basic 1080p rear camera.
- Parking Mode Comparison: How does the DDPAI Z90 Master handle parking mode compared to VIOFO? Since I lack the driving time to charge a dedicated power bank, which camera's parking mode is safer for a standard car battery (or a small capacity power bank) without missing crucial hit-and-run evidence?
Any insights from owners of either system would be greatly appreciated!