A229 Gen 1

Do your research. I did mine several years ago and went with VIOFO. I agree with the Project Farm link, he does a very good comparison, I was glad to see the brand that I originally researched and went with was still the best all around choice. I have 3 VIOFO cameras (119, 229, 229 Duo) setups with a 4th one (329 3-way) in transit as I type this. Not only have they been super reliable and provide the best resolution possible, but they run off a super capacitor (vs battery) so they tolerate the heat (thus adding to the reliability. Depends on what you want it to do. I just ordered the 329 3-way setup for my daughter that just recently started driving and I wanted to be as thorough as possible (night/day, outside/inside, front/back/sides) so she is protected from a "your word against theirs" type situation. I've seen too many YouTube videos where having a single camera wasn't enough, or an officer claiming a driver was on their phone when they were just eating a sandwich, etc. In the long run, a dashcam can pay for itself 1000x over if, heaven forbid, something happens on the road. It would suck to trade quality, reliability, and picture quality for a few bucks. This is just my opinion and experience.

Do your research. I did mine several years ago and went with VIOFO. I agree with the Project Farm link, he does a very good comparison, I was glad to see the brand that I originally researched and went with was still the best all around choice. I have 3 VIOFO cameras (119, 229, 229 Duo) setups with a 4th one (329 3-way) in transit as I type this. Not only have they been super reliable and provide the best resolution possible, but they run off a super capacitor (vs battery) so they tolerate the heat (thus adding to the reliability. Depends on what you want it to do. I just ordered the 329 3-way setup for my daughter that just recently started driving and I wanted to be as thorough as possible (night/day, outside/inside, front/back/sides) so she is protected from a "your word against theirs" type situation. I've seen too many YouTube videos where having a single camera wasn't enough, or an officer claiming a driver was on their phone when they were just eating a sandwich, etc. In the long run, a dashcam can pay for itself 1000x over if, heaven forbid, something happens on the road. It would suck to trade quality, reliability, and picture quality for a few bucks. This is just my opinion and experience.

I had a Viofo hardwired but kept getting a battery drain warning. Switched to Baseus Solar Panel dashcam and have been happy since.

Not sure where you are located OP but you can definitely purchase your own dashcam and bring to an auto electrician to install, they'll just charge for the labour. Decent front+rear from viofo is about $350 (give or take, they're my go to brand for value) or you can ball out for a unit from blackvue for more. If you're in Melbourne, Millenium Lighting does dashcam install only (meaning you supply) for about $170-$300 depending on vehicle size and body type if you're not confident installing yourself.

Bang for buck, you can find a viofo 2ch with hardwiring for that price and install yourself. If you have a bigger budget, I've always seen blackvue as pretty good for a premium price. I personally run viofo on every vehicle I've own and takes about 1-2hours to install depending on experience

VIOFO a229 two channel (been lazy and haven’t hooked up the rear camera though) VIOFO is super solid, and works well

Viofo A229 2-CH is considered the gold standard of features to cost in a dash cam. The downside to the design is because the dash cam has a screen on the body, the whole assembly is enormous, which needs to be installed offset if your car has a honda sense module behind the mirror. I have this on my mom's CRV and it's kinda massive. But I do like how it works out. Personally, running a Blackvue DR590X-2CH, replacing an older DR590W-2CH that lasted just north of 3 years. Things I like about the Blackvue: 1. The body is low profile, which hides behind my rearview mirror without bothering me. It's even centered. 2. The app is good, easy to learn and use 3. Recording is reliable with a good quality Endurance spec memory card. 4. There are vendors that sell Blackvue that will go out of their way to help you in a pinch. 5. The components are dead simple if you aren't afraid of soldering. Things I don't like about the Blackvue: 1. no customer support. They'll even steal your money, which happened to me. 2. Longevity is questionable, as I had to replace my first one within a few years of ownership. Other notes: Highly recommend /u/blackboxmycar and their shop https://www.blackboxmycar.com/

They go on sale if you keep an eye out. I grabbed a Viofo A229 2-Channel on Amazon for $270 last year.

I use a viofo front and rear camera combo. Can't remember the model name.