Flip Video

[tutusue]

This (http://www.theflip.com/) is, simply put...COOL!!! And the coolest thing about it is it's...simplicity!

A week or so ago I received a phone call from a local director asking if I was aware of the camera. (<whisper> He thinks I'm much techier than I am! </whisper>!) I'd not heard of it so I listened to him rave on and on, all the while thinking...yah, right, mega bucks!!! Try $150.!!! When a director raves, I listen! It's certainly not 3 CCD quality but he emailed me a couple of clips and I was impressed. He uses it during a location scout to show the client the various set options and camera angles. He talked to me about possible casting uses. I have 3 mini DV camcorders and 2 digital still cameras. I don't need another camera!

Fast forward a week to today and the Best Buy circular in the Sunday paper. The Flip is on sale for $120. That was enough to push me into adding another camera to my collection! And, I'll buy one as a Christmas present for my 3 grandsons to share. By December they'll be 10, 8 and 4 and I predict even the 4 year old will master it in 30 seconds!

For those of you who love a plethora of on-screen menus with tiny touch sensitive buttons you'll be terribly bored with this aim and shoot. But for those of us who are more, say, technologically challenged, this little camera is a winner. It runs on 2 AA batteries. The USB connection is hidden within the case until it's needed. Then it "flips" up! It also comes with a cable to connect to a TV.

Maybe someday I'll have time to play with YouTube! :rolleyes:

[Mike_Lowery]

Looks cool, but no wonder I couldn't get that URL for my site! :mad: :D

[i-hungry]

I thought this was a video clip about pinoys.

[shaveice]

sounds interesting, tutusue, but what is it about the product that makes it so much better than your mini dv camcorders? the size? the price? as you know, with your mini dv camcorder, you can already do almost everything that the flip can do and with better quality: record, immediate playback, play video on tv, etc.

of course, i'm not saying it's a bad product. i'm just trying to see what you see :)

[craigwatanabe]

I thought this was a video clip about pinoys.

me too. One that comes to mind is Imeldalicious. That is one Carazy video:D

[GeckoGeek]

Fast forward a week to today and the Best Buy circular in the Sunday paper. The Flip is on sale for $120.

I didn't see the BB flier in the Sunday HA. That's the 60 minute version for the price of the 30 minute one.

One thing that bothers me is the internal flash memory. Flash is only good for so many uses. If it was external, it can be replaced.

[tutusue]

I thought this was a video clip about pinoys.
TeeHee...fooled ya!
sounds interesting, tutusue, but what is it about the product that makes it so much better than your mini dv camcorders? the size? the price? as you know, with your mini dv camcorder, you can already do almost everything that the flip can do and with better quality: record, immediate playback, play video on tv, etc.

of course, i'm not saying it's a bad product. i'm just trying to see what you see :)
The size, convenience, video quality and the learning curve!!! I tend to use the video option on my still camera more than I thought I would. The quality is such that I wouldn't use that option for work. The Flip's quality is good enough for work. I don't like taking my much more expensive camcorders on location, esp. to the beach. The new camera will be great for that.

My main casting camera is a 3 CCD Panasonic. The quality is great. But, I'm protective of it and save it for interior casting sessions only. The Flip is small enough for my purse and inexpensive enough to play with! And the AA battery usage is great...no bulky, expensive, specialty batteries or chargers to lug along!
[...]One thing that bothers me is the internal flash memory. Flash is only good for so many uses. If it was external, it can be replaced.
This is definitely something to watch for. Thanks for the heads up. I use external flash drives a lot and, so far, I've not had a problem even after using the same 2 for several years...except for one which was a problem right out of the box. I returned it!

[helen]

$120. Usually that's more what I would spend for a camera but there are times when I break that rule.

The fact that it runs on 2 AA batteries is certainly a good thing. Not having an external memory card is kind of a borderline thing with me but the fact that the small version is at least 512Mbytes seems to be a good comprise.

I was looking at the physical specs for this thing. Height of 4.125 inches with a width of 2.25 inches and a depth of 1.25 inches and a weight of 4.9 ounces. The thing could be lofted by a model rocket.

[GypsyLika]

Ditto. Filipino camcorder, not?

Amazon.com has "used" ones, $96.00.

I'm way less techno-sabe then you but I might chancem'. ;) :) :D Nice Xmas present anyway.

[helen]

By the way just for the record, the company that makes the Flip is called Pure Digital Technologies (http://www.puredigitalinc.com/).

[GeckoGeek]

$120. Usually that's more what I would spend for a camera

Ugh. You can get a usable camera, but not a good one for that price.


The thing could be lofted by a model rocket.

Mad scientist alert!! :eek:

[GeckoGeek]

OK, so I head for Best Buy to have a look at this Flip video. But right next to it is another device. Not quite as cute, but the specs look better. Up to D1 format (720x480), uses external SD card up to 2GB for 200 minutes in VGA mode and some other features. And it's under $100.

Well, it followed me home. Now to see if it will do the job I have in mind.

[helen]

This wouldn't be the Aiptek iCam?

[GeckoGeek]

This wouldn't be the Aiptek iCam?

That would be it.

[tutusue]

I saw the iCam yesterday, too! I ended up buying another Flip Video for my grandsons for Christmas.

I wonder if these new, lower end, aim and shoot cameras are targeted to the YouTube generation!

[tikiyaki]

I love the idea of the Flip...for $150 it sure sounds like a good deal. I'm going to go to Best Buy and if I like it, I'm gonna buy one. Being that I'm not much of a video camera guy, the idea of all the tapes and everything is kind of annoying, so this suits me fine....so compact too.

It WOULD be better if it had removeable storage cards in it like a camera does...I wonder why they didn't make it that way.

SO, I guess you have to dump your video into your computer and clear it off the camera after an hour. A little inconvenient, but the price is right...that's for sure.

[helen]

It WOULD be better if it had removeable storage cards in it like a camera does...I wonder why they didn't make it that way.
More than likey targetting an segment that (a) doesn't take all that much videos (b) have problems dealing with small parts (like memory cards) or (c) trying to make it as simple as possible.

From my experience cameras usually have some where from 8 to 16Mbytes of internal memory. Great for under 10 still pictures. So having one with 512 Mytes is kind of respectable. If the Flip could do still photos, that is a lot of photos to store.

[GeckoGeek]

I love the idea of the Flip...for $150 it sure sounds like a good deal. I'm going to go to Best Buy and if I like it, I'm gonna buy one.

The Best Buy I went to had them, but not on display where you can play with it. I went to get one, and ended up with the iCam instead. Cheaper and it does have removable media. (SD card).

I would like to meet up with a flip owner sometime and do some side-by-side to compare video quality.

[tikiyaki]

TutuSue...Thanx for the heads up on the FLIP...I bought one today and LOVE it...so much fun, so easy, so...Cool !

Perfect for a Vidiot like me. :p

[tutusue]

[...]I would like to meet up with a flip owner sometime and do some side-by-side to compare video quality.
The HT Christmas party...possibly?! :D

[tutusue]

TutuSue...Thanx for the heads up on the FLIP...I bought one today[...]
Hopefully you were able to get the $120. sale price! ;)

I video'd the fireworks last night and it looks great played back on the camera's screen. I haven't had time to download to the computer so don't know how it really looks!

[tikiyaki]

Hopefully you were able to get the $120. sale price! ;)

I video'd the fireworks last night and it looks great played back on the camera's screen. I haven't had time to download to the computer so don't know how it really looks!

Yes....$119...a great deal for sure.

[GeckoGeek]

The HT Christmas party...possibly?! :D

Too late to return my purchase for a flip. :D

[shaveice]

do you know how long that sale will last? and is a coupon required for the sale price?

[GeckoGeek]

do you know how long that sale will last? and is a coupon required for the sale price?


No coupon. Unless anyone knows otherwise, I wouldn't count on it beyond Saturday.

[pzarquon]

I wonder if these new, lower end, aim and shoot cameras are targeted to the YouTube generation!You can be part of the YouTube generation, tutusue! Have you been able to get any of your clips online? The fireworks show, for example? I'm curious to see sample output.

Admittedly, flash-encoding video sites like YouTube really lower video quality, but sometimes it's more than enough to enjoy the audiovisual experience of an event. You could also use Blip.TV if you want to make the original file available for download as well.

The price point is right. This is exactly the kind of video camera you could give to kids and see what they create, without pulling your hair out in anxiety.

[tutusue]

You can be part of the YouTube generation, tutusue! Have you been able to get any of your clips online? The fireworks show, for example? I'm curious to see sample output.[...]
I'm still in remodel and move mode so taking time out to figure out anything new doesn't fit into my schedule just yet. I've only viewed YouTube...never uploaded! :o

[helen]

I picked up the 60 minute version of the Flip this evening at Best Buy for just under $126 (tax included). They had 2 left after I purchased mines.

Kind of simple to operate, as far as taking a video and playing on the unit. I was able to connect it to my home desktop tower which runs Windows XP Home. The Flip shows up as a disk drive. There are 3 folders and 3 files at the top level of this disk drive. One of the folders is for Macintosh users, the second folder contains software that can be installed (which I haven't yet done) and the third folder contains the videos that you take.

There is a one minute sample video that comes with the unit. I transfered that and a couple of videos I took around my building. They look okay considering the amount of light that was available.

Will try to put it thru it's paces over the weekend.

Also the Flip has no tripod mount but it can stand on it's own. And it does fit inside an Estes BT-80 tube (the same type of tube that the Broadsword uses).

[tutusue]

[...]And it does fit inside an Estes BT-80 tube (the same type of tube that the Broadsword uses).
What goes up must come down, Helen! How soft is the rocket's...and the camera's...landing? :confused:

[helen]

I think I will wait for the price of the Flip to drop down around $50 (even the 30 minute version will do) before I start lofting it on a model rocket.

[shaveice]

This wouldn't be the Aiptek iCam?

found it at amazon (free shipping) for $89. reading the reviews is interesting...

http://www.amazon.com/Aiptek-MPEG4-Stabilization-Digital-Camcorder/dp/B000EHKWKM/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-7502512-4376054?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1183797268&sr=8-1

and the flip video at amazon for $120 (also free shipping)

http://www.amazon.com/Flip-Video-Camcorder-60-Minutes-White/dp/B000ONFQ2K/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-7502512-4376054?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1183800060&sr=8-1

lots of good comments from users....

[GeckoGeek]

found it at amazon (free shipping) for $89. reading the reviews is interesting...

http://www.amazon.com/Aiptek-MPEG4-Stabilization-Digital-Camcorder/dp/B000EHKWKM/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-7502512-4376054?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1183797268&sr=8-1

Slightly different model. The one at Best Buy is 8MP, not 6. Not sure what effect it will have on the quality.

[cezanne]

Haha me too! I even said Plip Bideo when I read it.

On to the next thread... (all I need is something else to be paranoid about losing easily... which I'm famous for)

I thought this was a video clip about pinoys.

[pzarquon]

Well, before you strap it to a rocket, Helen, could you upload some sample clips to YouTube, Blip, Grouper, Yahoo! Video, Google Video, or somewhere similar? Maybe just a long steady shot of a moving scene like a street corner?

The more I think about it, the more I think this might be a fun way to get my kids into "media making," without fearing them smashing a "real" device to bits.

[helen]

Doing it right now to YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=hrapozo). In fact test #1 is a street scene, test #2 is my breakfast.

[pzarquon]

Thanks for that, Helen!

Obviously, the Aiptek is cheaper, but the video and audio off the Flip Cam is noticably clearer and crisper, even on over-compressed YouTube.

May miss the deal at Best Buy, but the price looks right on Amazon anyway!

[helen]

All four videos have been uploaded to YouTube. The file sizes of the videos are:


test 1a - Flip - 14.8 Mbytes
test 1b - iCam - 16.9 Mbytes
test 2a - Flip - 6.49 Mbytes
test 2b - iCam - 8.83 Mbytes


For the tests I am using both cameras at the same time. The Flip with my left hand and the iCam with my right hand.

Also the resolution is different the Flip is at 640x480 while the iCam is at 720x480. While you can't change the resolution of the Flip you can with the iCam, there are two other lower settings. Maybe I should try the iCam to the 640x480 setting to see how that turns out.

Need to also say that the Flip generates .AVI files while the iCam does .ASF files.

[pzarquon]

Interesting, Helen. I'm no fan of .AVIs, but I'll take them over .ASF. And I'm surprised that the Aiptek was recording at a higher resolution (and hence also generates larger files) than the Flip Cam, because again the Flip video looks and sounds much better.

Tutusue, you're a Mac head... have you had much time to see what you can do with the videos off your Flip Cam? Can they go into iMovie or QuickTime, and get edited? Or is it pretty much "what you record is what you've got"?

[GeckoGeek]

Nice comparison.

The Flip seems to handle the high contrast better and looks more natural. The iCam seems to have more color saturation.

I'd also say the Flip has much better sound.

What does the Flip have in the way of zoom? The iCam can do up to 4x digital zoom. It's admittedly "jerky" as it steps, but it does have one. It seems the Flip emphases simplicity and I'm wondering what flexibility it sacrifices.

How about a low-light comparison?

[tutusue]

[...]The more I think about it, the more I think this might be a fun way to get my kids into "media making," without fearing them smashing a "real" device to bits.
That's exactly why I bought one for my 3 grandsons for Christmas. My daughter thinks the boys will be absolutely thrilled!
Doing it right now to YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=hrapozo). In fact test #1 is a street scene, test #2 is my breakfast.
Thanks, Helen. Like Shaveice mentioned earlier, the reviews of each camera at Amazon.com are very interesting.
[...]Tutusue, you're a Mac head... have you had much time to see what you can do with the videos off your Flip Cam? Can they go into iMovie or QuickTime, and get edited? Or is it pretty much "what you record is what you've got"?
Ummm...I'm an untechie tutu who still, after 17 years on a Mac, can't do it justice! :o I still haven't done anything with the Flip beyond recording but a friend is coming by today who is pretty well versed on a Mac so I'm going to impose on him to help me find out what can be done once the video hits the desktop. Maybe he can also help me move into the YouTube generation!
[...]What does the Flip have in the way of zoom?[...]
Only 2X. I'm wondering if that small zoom will affect the clarity. We'll see!!!

[helen]

The Flip has 2x.

The next set of test I am going to set the iCam to 640x480 mode and also add in the HP M527 (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=11664) and the Aiptek DV4100.

[tutusue]

[...]The next set of test I am going to set the iCam to 640x480 mode and also add in the HP M527 (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=11664) and the Aiptek DV4100.
Helen...you rock(et)! :D :o

[helen]

I uploaded the zoom test videos to YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=hrapozo). There are titled Test 3 and some letter.

In the attached leftmost photo are the cameras that did the test. From left to right is the Pure Digital Flip (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=13112), Aiptek iCam (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=13127), the HP M527 (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=11664) and the Aiptek DV4100. Taken these three attached photos was the Aiptek DV3100 (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=381).

Interesting notes:

I was able to fit all four cameras into that black camera bag shown in the leftmost photo
All cameras use 2 AA batteries for power
The iCam and the M527 uses a SD card up to 2Gbytes
The DV3100 and DV4100 uses CompactFlash cards up to 512 Mbytes
Externally you can't tell the difference between the DV3100 and DV4100
Video resolution are 640x480 for the Flip, iCam and DV4100. 320x240 for the M527 and DV3100
Center attached photo is the Century Center
Right most attached photo is the Pan Am building
Zooms are 2x - Flip,DV3100; 3x - M527; 4x - DV4100,iCam
The M527 uses optical zoom but when video capture is on you can't zoom in or out.

[jkpescador]

I bought one a couple months back. My MIL wanted to record our sons voice and wanted a handheld tape recorder. I didn't want to have to go from analog to digital (into the computer). I went through several ideas ... buy a digital camera and have her learn to use the video capture mode ... web cam hooked up to her Mac Mini which would probably be too complicated. Finally I chose the FlipVideo because of it's ease of use and the price. I wish it had an SD card slot but oh well.

I remember when we were at U2 someone next to us was using his FlipVideo to record the concert. I tried to check youtube to see if there was footage from our angle. :)

[helen]

I upload more videos to my YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=hrapozo) site. The test5 series was taken a couple of weeks ago from the vantage point at Ala Moana Beach Park while the model rocket launches are from Saturday's launch at Windward Community College.

[pzarquon]

Woo! I just won a free Flip Video camera through some promotion through Facebook. It arrived today. The hardest part about getting started was getting the thing out of the darned plastic coffin it came in. (Those things are a class action suit waiting to happen.) I took it to my family temple's bon dance tonight.

The good news? It's dead simple to use. Almost confusingly simple. I wasted several minutes looking for a menu. Any menu. Where are the settings? How do I turn off the cheesy beeps? Nothing. You've got the various buttons on the thing, and that's it.

It feels reasonably sturdy in the hand, and without moving parts, I knew I could be a little rough with it. The kids ran around taking dizzying video clips of their feet for a while.

I was quite honestly surprised at how well it worked in the dark... or at least, outside at night. I know my "regular" digital camera would've balked without blurry long exposures or red-tinted images, but the Flip adjusted its frame rate and white balance and got to work. Here's a three minute taiko drum performance (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RjKaxpJZ84). I uploaded the original AVI.

I got home, and plugged it in. The USB plug is built into the camera, popping out like a little arm. Convenient and cute, I suppose... but if your computer has oddly placed USB ports, it's going to be a problem. I had to lift one end of my Macbook up to fit it in.

The bad news? It's not very Mac compatible. Oh, sure, it mounts right up as a USB drive, and in the DCIM folder, there's all the videos. But they're MPEG-4 AVIs, which Macs don't read natively. It came with a 3ivx decoder that's supposed to slot right into Quicktime, but it didn't work for me. The only solution offered is, "Force Quicktime to run in Rosetta mode," i.e. PowerPC, non-Intel, slow and yucky mode.

The barebones movie editing software that lets you connect clips together and add a music track doesn't work on Macs, either.

At the moment I'm making a movie by running the Flip Video software under XP on Parallels. It's a heck of a workaround, but I'm not sure what else I can do. Obviously if I just upload the AVIs off the camera straight to YouTube or other video hosting sites, they'll work just fine.

So, as a quickie, easy video camera? Fantastic. As a tool to post the random clip to YouTube? Perfect. As a way to make some simple movies on a Windows PC? Great. It's just not a Mac-friendly option if you want to work in iMovie or Final Cut or Quicktime Pro on a current Intel-based machine.

[tikiyaki]

So, as a quickie, easy video camera? Fantastic. As a tool to post the random clip to YouTube? Perfect. As a way to make some simple movies on a Windows PC? Great. It's just not a Mac-friendly option if you want to work in iMovie or Final Cut or Quicktime Pro on a current Intel-based machine.

Exactly.....I've been turning people on to Flip, since I bought mine, which I found out about throught this very thread (thanx Tutu Sue!)

And,yes, as usual, the Mac users get screwed. When will consumer electronics manufacturers figure out that Apple is part of the world now, not some underground,subversive computer ?

that being said, I lovemy Flip, and only wish the included software allowed you to edit the clips in the movie, so you can cut out the parts of the clips you don't like.

Oh, well, maybe the next generation of Flip cams will.

[pzarquon]

Well, though it's a clumsy workaround to run the Flip Video software on Windows XP inside Parallels on my Mac, I wanted to see how the "Movie Mix" feature worked. There's no clip editing at all -- just picking and choosing which clips to include -- and I opted against the cheesy themes and soundtrack effects. Even so, again, as a basic tool that comes with a $130 camera, it's not bad at all.

Here's my "Movie Mix" from last night's bon dance (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPja3iGmufs). It's all 25 or so clips on the camera, connected together. I was surprised it did dissolve transitions at all (and it handles the briefly blended audio better than iMovie!). Not a bad record of the evening at all, impressively something I did the very first evening I had the Flip Video.

I said earlier I'd consider something like this for my kids to use, and now I know that's a perfect idea. But I'm impressed at how easy it was for grown-ups, too.

[helen]

One thing I sort of noticed is that the filenames of the videos it takes has the date of when it was taken.

I haven't tried taken videos around midnight to see if the date change happens around that time or not.

[pzarquon]

More Flip Video fun, as I whipped the little thing out of my pocket during our Big Island trip this past weekend.

Kolekole Beach Park (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkbcXqSPqcg)
Kilauea Visitor Center (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkbcXqSPqcg)
Jaggar Museum (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdWQw1pA280)
Thurston Lava Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG5LygZiz0o)Since it's such a basic, cheap gadget, I don't feel obligated to do anything particularly fancy with the video as far as editing or even clip composition goes (versus my "formal" videoblog entries). Just hit record and whatever happens, happens. It's oddly liberating.

[GeckoGeek]

:sick: Pass the Dramamine please....

Really need to find a way of dampening the motion.

[pzarquon]

Yeah, well, like I said. The stuff I'm doing with the Flip Video is pretty random and off the cuff. Walking around while shooting is something I generally avoid. Same goes for long running takes, no edits, no titles... it's as barebones as it gets. I'm enjoying this cheap camera at least in part because it gives me an excuse to not give a damn.

But, that's par for the course for online clips. I get dizzy with shaky camera work too, but them young kids these days, they eat it up! That's the 'YouTube Generation' for ya.

If you need some stable, composed, edited stuff to settle your stomach, take a stroll on the Hawaii Superferry (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEUIIDBKeEs). But that video, by contrast, took a couple of hours to assemble. Versus, you know, zero minutes. :)

[GeckoGeek]

Have you considered a SteadicamJR (http://www.steadicam.com/handheldSteadicamJR.html)?

[tikiyaki]

The best way to combat the editing issue, or lack thereof, is to just shoot shorter clips. You kinda have to use it with a short clip mentality, as opposed to a film maker mentality of "shoot everything and edit later".

Also, the one great thing is the softwares' still photo function of turning one frame into a still. That's very useful.

Funny also, is when you're using it in public, people pose when you point it at them, because they think it's a still photo camera. You always have to tell them it's video, so they don't stand there like statues. :rolleyes:

[pzarquon]

The best way to combat the editing issue, or lack thereof, is to just shoot shorter clips. You kinda have to use it with a short clip mentality, as opposed to a film maker mentality of "shoot everything and edit later".Indeed. I just went with the 'long walk' clips in that last set just because I could. Not my style, again, but... fun experimentation.

(Here's another walkthrough clip with the Flip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmcjgnBX1Sg). It's the house we stayed at in Volcano.)

But the very first night I used the Flip Video, I decided ahead of time I'd just shoot short 30-40 second clips, tops, then use the "Movie Mix" software to simply stitch them together, in sequence, end to end, no muss, no fuss. In that case, I think the end result was pretty good (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPja3iGmufs) for a push-button composition.
Funny also, is when you're using it in public, people pose when you point it at them, because they think it's a still photo camera. You always have to tell them it's video, so they don't stand there like statues.Heh. Though the Flip Video looks more like a video camera than the camera I usually use to collect video clips, a Panasonic Lumix digital still camera (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-FZ20K-Digital-Stabilized-Optical/dp/B0002R2838). I just click over to 'movie mode,' but it definitely doesn't look like I'm taking video clips when I'm pointing it at you.

[tikiyaki]

That's great. The software applies the crossfades, yea ?

So, I guess, just keeping the clips short, or the desired length, is the key.

I gave a FLIP to a good friend of mine who's wife is about to have a baby (any day now) as a baby gift, and him and his wife said it was the most useful gift they received. :)

For the price, it really IS a great baby gift for parents with a newborn. Instant documentation, no muss, no fuss, and they can hold the baby AND use the camera at the same time.

Also, it's probably great at weddings, where they usually put disposable cameras on the tables. Now they can out a flip on each table and get well wishes from all the guests, instead of hiring a camera man for that.

Wedding videographers are gonna be pissed, but oh well. :rolleyes:

[tutusue]

[...](Here's another walkthrough clip with the Flip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmcjgnBX1Sg). It's the house we stayed at in Volcano.)[...]
Love that place! How'd you find it? And, yah, the Flip does a nice job as does the Flip's operator!!!

[helen]

Also, it's probably great at weddings, where they usually put disposable cameras on the tables. Now they can out a flip on each table and get well wishes from all the guests, instead of hiring a camera man for that.
Disposable cameras run in the $5 to $10 range, so getting one for each table is not going to dent the budget but keep in mind the Flip is still running at over $100. If you had a small party with 2 tables then having a couple of Flips shouldn't hurt the budget. But if you had 20 tables, that's $2000. And what would one do with 20 Flips after the party?

Oh wait, now I remember, the Pure Digital web site had products for one time use camcorders (http://www.puredigitalinc.com/products/otucvideo.html) and digital cameras (http://www.puredigitalinc.com/products/otucstill.html). No idea on the cost of these items.

[helen]

While walking home carrying my dinner (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showpost.php?p=159990&postcount=139) with my right hand I managed to take and operate my Flip camcorder with my left hand. I could not do that with my Aiptek cameras.

I never tried it but the Aiptek iCam has a stablizer.

[pzarquon]

Love that place! How'd you find it?Just browsing the web... we'd been eyeing vacation rentals for a while, when our family grew past the "Up to 4 People" limit of most hotel rooms. I sent Jen a list of family-friendly prospects, and of course she picked the one with the hot tub!

But you want to talk about finding that house? Get this. A prior owner of "Hale Kalani" just came across my video walkthrough on YouTube today. He posted a comment (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmcjgnBX1Sg), explaining the improvements he'd made to the place (including the large front and back lanais, and now I know that large side room used to be a garage!). Small world indeed!

[helen]

Another comparsion between the Flip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFFwH-0Qi2Y) camcorder and the Aiptek DV4100 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R151TzDWo8k) digital camera taking a video of the fireworks display at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. I had the Flip in my left hand and DV4100 in my right hand when I took the videos.

[infinitypro]

Another comparsion between the Flip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFFwH-0Qi2Y) camcorder and the Aiptek DV4100 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R151TzDWo8k) digital camera taking a video of the fireworks display at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. I had the Flip in my left hand and DV4100 in my right hand when I took the videos.

I just wanted to say that I really do appreciate all of your comparison videos and pictures, it helps for someone like me wanting to purchase one, but not needing it. It seems as though the FLIP has better quality, however I'm leaning more towards the Aiptek mainly because of the ability to use memory cards for more storage.

What will I be recording that's more than 60 minutes? You never know...

I know I just missed a sale at Best Buy for the Aiptek at little less than $90, but we're on a budget, young family, etc., etc. In the meantime, I have more time to research.

[GeckoGeek]

I'm eyeing the Mustek DV520T (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2726838). No particular reason, but I suspect the additional 50% on the price brings a significantly better unit. At least that was my impression on playing with it in the store. It does sometimes get put on sale. Much smaller then the Aiptek.

[alohacandy]

I picked up the Flip Ultra Video (2 G, 60 min.) at CompUSA finally. It was $149 plus got a "free" digital keychain with it. Now...to start taking videos! I saw that the 30 min. Flip was only $79 at one of the stores (can't remember which offhand). It wasn't the Ultra..and I think it was 1 G.

[helen]

I noticed that the Sunday's CompUSA ad had then selling the Flip for $129. I did not know that CompUSA was carrying the Flip.

[kanahina]

is this Flip that you all are talking about anything like the Sony NSC-GC1 Net Sharing Camcorder?
http://www.circuitcity.com/IMAGE/product/detail/son/EC.SON.NSCGC1.JPG
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665171961&SR=sony_search_seo&SQS=NSC-GC1%20Net%20Sharing%20Camcorder

I just won one at my company Christmas party this weekend, but i returned it for a Circuit City credit! Didn't think I'd have much use for it, as I have a digital camera and a camcorder... Now, y'all are making me think i should've kept it...

[alohacandy]

We have a camcorder and cameras too....but I liked the idea of a small, easy to use video camera that could be hooked directly up to the computer for viewing. The one that is $129 at CompUSA is similar to the one I bought for $149......I think the Ultra is supposed to be a bit faster and has better quality than the regular....but haven't tested it yet. Hope to get some good videos when I go to San Diego for my brother's 50th birthday...we're hiring a limo for a wine tasting tour of Temeculah. :-)

[helen]

Just an update of the Flip Video camcorder being put through it's paces during the last 6 or so months.

Not having an external memory card is kind of a borderline thing with me but the fact that the small version is at least 512Mbytes seems to be a good comprise.

I got the 1Gbyte version which can hold to 60 minutes and I have yet to come across that limiit. I think the most I have used up is around 15 to 20 minutes of video time, but that is mostly taking videos of model rockets going up and not plays.

One thing I sort of noticed is that the filenames of the videos it takes has the date of when it was taken.

I haven't tried taken videos around midnight to see if the date change happens around that time or not.

Something to watch out for is February 29, 2008. In 2004 my SiPix SC-3300 digital camera didn't deal with the leap year correctly.

It seems as though the FLIP has better quality, however I'm leaning more towards the Aiptek mainly because of the ability to use memory cards for more storage.

What will I be recording that's more than 60 minutes? You never know...

I know I just missed a sale at Best Buy for the Aiptek at little less than $90, but we're on a budget, young family, etc., etc. In the meantime, I have more time to research.
The major minus with the Flip is the lack of a tripod mount which is way more important than having provisions for an external memory card. I don't think I could hold on to an object straight for 60 minutes at one time.

And as far as what one can record for more than 60 minutes at a time, that would be theatrical plays. I have it done it before using the Aiptek DV3100 (or the DV4100) but a normal 2 act play runs roughtly 60 minutes per act. Back in those days I had to have multiple memory cards and extra sets of AA alkaline batteries to record such a play and even then I had to use a tripod to aim the camera at the stage since I was doing something else (running lights and sound of all things).

[mel]

I was at Comp USA today just to see what they had on sale. Bought a bunch of blank CDs and one of those Flip Video Cameras (30 minute version) for $89. I think this is good for short YouTube clips. Picture is surprisingly clear for such a cheap video camera. Except for it saving to AVI mode (which forced me to download some kind of CODEC files so that the thing works on my Mac with QT Pro) and the previously mentioned, no tripod mount, I can't think of much to complain about. I don't think anyone uses this to create the next great American movie.

[U'ilani]

and the previously mentioned, no tripod mount, I can't think of much to complain about. I don't think anyone uses this to create the next great American movie.Mel, they do sell tripods for the Flip Video. I bought one for our Flip Video Ultra Series camcorder through Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Flip-ATR1B-Tripod-Ultra-Camcorders/dp/tech-data/B000VJRUKS/ref=de_a_smtd). Granted, it's a dinky little thing and looks more like a book stand.

[helen]

The tripod only works on the Flip Ultra line which is something new, but then again the Flip Ultra has a tripod mount. The original ones don't have a tripod mount at all.

This link (http://www.theflip.com/products_flip_ultra_specs.II.shtml) points to the specs page for both the Flip and the Flip Ultra. The Flip Ultra does not make use of external memory cards.

[GeckoGeek]

The 60 minute ultras are also at CompUSA. I think it was $143.

[helen]

The base price of 2Gbyte (or 60 minute) Flip Ultra is $179. CompUSA is selling them for $126. Had at least another 15 to 20 units left. The other drawback is that it's the white/silver model.

I did pick one up tonight.

[GeckoGeek]

So how do you like the Ultra? They had one out on display today. I was surprised at how thick it is.

[helen]

I haven't taken it out of the box yet. Will try it out over the weekend.

[tutusue]

I haven't had much time to play with my Flip other to record, playback and delete! Eldest spawn was given one for Christmas (by Google, of all things!) and took it on her trip to Antarctica. She handed it to me this morning and asked me to burn the footage to a DVD. I have no idea how to do that!

So, I ask you Mac-o-philes, how do I do this so that the DVD will play on any player and not just the computer? I have iMovie and iDVD, obviously but I haven't a clue because the files end in .avi!!! :o

ETA: I have the cable that came with my Flip to hook it up to the TV. The connector thingie (there I go with GeekTalk!) that fits in the camera doesn't work with my daughter's camera. The connection is too loose. Hers is the 30 min. model and mine is the 60 min. Why would the connections be different? She forgot her cable!

[helen]

That's because you have the Flip and your daughter got the Flip Ultra. Turns out that Flip's TV jack uses a sub-mini jack while the Flip Ultra's TV jack uses a mini jack (the diameter is larger). That's why your cable fits losey in her Flip unit.

[tutusue]

That's because you have the Flip and your daughter got the Flip Ultra. Turns out that Flip's TV jack uses a sub-mini jack while the Flip Ultra's TV jack uses a mini jack (the diameter is larger). That's why your cable fits losey in her Flip unit.
Aha! Thanx, Helen. I responded to your PM before I read your reply to this thread!!!

[helen]

Side by side comparsion between the Flip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1cfdS4peEo) and the Flip Ultra (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn33gmovMHk).

While I installed the Flip Ultra software on my home desktop (which runs Windows XP Home) sometime ago, it seems that my system is trying to re-install the old Flip software again.

[shaveice]

i'm not a particular fan of flip video but i did get an ad in my email box from amazon about the new Flip Video Mino:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=pe_17070_9437730_as_img_1/?&docId=1000233771

i remembered this thread and thought that maybe those interested in the flip video might want to explore this latest version....

[helen]

A comparison of all three families are at this link (http://theflip.com/products_flip_ultra_specs.II.shtml) from Pure Digital Technologies.

The Mino is smaller, lighter, uses a recharagble battery that what I thnk is can not be changed by the user.

[lensperson]

A comparison of all three families are at this link (http://theflip.com/products_flip_ultra_specs.II.shtml) from Pure Digital Technologies.

The Mino is smaller, lighter, uses a recharagble battery that what I thnk is can not be changed by the user.
Unfortunately the flip camera uses a non standard video file storage format.
Setting proprietary file standards usually dooms this sort of product.
Witness the Kodak 620 film size.

[LocalMotion]

So, I ask you Mac-o-philes, how do I do this so that the DVD will play on any player and not just the computer? I have iMovie and iDVD, obviously but I haven't a clue because the files end in .avi!!! :o

The easiest way is to use Toast. I consider Toast 9 a must have for mac users. it lets you burn, copy, etc. almost any type of disc. it even converts all types of video formats. In Toast you could choose DVD-Video and drop in your AVI's and it will create a DVD that will play in a regular DVD player.

You could also use iDVD if it will read the AVI's. If it won't you could try opening the video in Quicktime and then export it.

Let me know if i can help you with this....

[LocalMotion]

Unfortunately the flip camera uses a non standard video file storage format.
Setting proprietary file standards usually dooms this sort of product.
Witness the Kodak 620 film size.


The flip site says it uses "Advanced Profile MPEG-4 AVI" which is a common standard video format.

[Leo Lakio]

I don't have one (yet), but a musician friend of mine does (and he's already posted a few YouTube videos of us playing Hawaiian music).

New York Times Magazine did a piece about Flip (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/magazine/25wwln-consumed-t.html) a few weeks back.

[helen]

If you are using YouTube to share the videos from the Flip then you have no problem.

The problem comes if you try to play the file the Flip generates on your computer to another computer. If the 2nd computer has never had a Flip camera attached to it, it can't play the video. Something to do with the video codec (or codex) files not being on it.

[tutusue]

[...]Let me know if i can help you with this....
Thank you so much. I really need to get Toast as it seems it's the common denominator to several other DVD burning issues I have.

Off the Flip topic for just a bit...
Will Toast burn a DVD directly from iMovie (ie: drag and drop the finished project's iMovie icon into Toast)? For casting tapes I want to bypass iDVD because I don't want to use a Theme. Currently I'm exporting the tape to iMovie for the edit. Then I export the final edit back to the camera so that I can then burn a DVD on a stand alone recorder. It would be nice to eliminate a step or 2!

[LocalMotion]

Thank you so much. I really need to get Toast as it seems it's the common denominator to several other DVD burning issues I have.

Off the Flip topic for just a bit...
Will Toast burn a DVD directly from iMovie (ie: drag and drop the finished project's iMovie icon into Toast)? For casting tapes I want to bypass iDVD because I don't want to use a Theme. Currently I'm exporting the tape to iMovie for the edit. Then I export the final edit back to the camera so that I can then burn a DVD on a stand alone recorder. It would be nice to eliminate a step or 2!

i'm pretty sure it can, but i'll check. i don't use iMovie that much. I know Toast 9 has the Media browser panel like all the other apple apps to directly access your "Movies" folder. I think you still have to use some type of theme/menu in Toast as well, but you can have it autostart without going to the menu first.

[LocalMotion]

sue,

in iMovie then project you want to "share" you would click on the Share menu item, then choose Media Browser. This will pull up a screen where you choose the size, and looks like this:

http://homepage.mac.com/brianhancock/.Public/sue1.jpg


Then It will be available in the Media Browser in Toast 9, you can then drag and drop it into Toast. I also see there is a "No Menus" options in Toast. Here's a screen shot of Toast ready to burn a imovie project that was shared out of imovie's menu

http://homepage.mac.com/brianhancock/.Public/sue2.jpg

Hope this helps.

[tutusue]

Woweeeee!!!! Thank you so, so much. I'll let you know what happens!

[lensperson]

Very wise advice.
Yes tutusue , I do find old cultural artifacts and try and sprout old seeds .--------------------------
Love can flip Gravity on it's head