Aiptek GO-HD High Definition 720p Camcorder with 3x Optical Zoom
cheap wireless cameras, digital camcorders for sale
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List Price: $299.99
Our Price:
$224.99
You Save: $75
Features
• Record at 1280 x 720 resolution in 16:9 aspect ratio
• Equipped with a 5-megapixel CMOS sensor for shooting high-quality digital photos
• Use HDTV component output to display your high-definition video clips and still pictures on your TV
• Conveniently recharge your battery via USB
• Removable hard disk and SD/MMC card reader |
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Aiptek GO-HD High Definition 720p Camcorder with 3x Optical Zoom Customer Reviews
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Convert old 8mm videos Into Editable MPEG-4 Format (H.264)
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I love the concept behind the Aiptek GO-HD+ 720P and simplicity. I have not owned the GO-HD digital camcorder for more than a week, but wanted to share some additional comments I did not see in the reviews.
Pros:
- Very compact. Convenient for hiking, biking, other sports.
- HD video quality is decent. I can tell you the direct playback
(via cables) and DVD playback on my standard DVD player and Samsung HDTV is far better than my old 8mm MP videos.
- Intuitive menus
- You can record old 8mm analog videos into .MOV MPEG-4 format and edit, burn, archive.
- Relatively standard format. I am concurrently testing H.264 (.MOV files) with Nero 8. You can easily save, edit, and burn DVD or CD movies.
- MUCH smaller file sizes. About 50% more efficient encoding than MPEG-2. This one feature will save you a lot of drive real estate on your laptop and DVD media. And the quality is just as good at MPEG-2.
- Very multimedia oriented.
- SD storage is the way to go. Heads up. With any HD camcorder, you will need a lot more memory than standard definition camcorders. A 4 GB or 8 GB SDHC memory will give you all the recording time you really need. I converted 120 minutes of 8mm video onto less than 1 GB. Fantastic.
Cons:
- Form factor is cheap. You will immediately notice than the battery cover slips right off and does not snap back securely as we have become accustomed to with other electronics. Furthermore, the battery feels like it might not stay in place. So, the tolerances of the cover and battery space are not what you might expect.
- Software: I found the on board software a bit buggy. I am currently having problems getting back into my Index Mode to see the list of videos I have shot. I can see them when plugged to my laptop. However, for some reason, I cannot on the GO-HD. I have not found a reset button or sequence. I am using a PNY 8 GB SDHC card. Also, when taping (AV IN) from another device like a camcorder, the on board software will hang up when it reaches end of video or blank spot. So, you have to remove the AV plug and setup the Aiptek to record again. If you are recording old analog videos, you will end up with a series of .MOV files. Be patient, but the recording feature does work. I tried using a USB 2.0 video converter. Recording to the Aiptek and then transferring saved files to the laptop works much better. The file sizes are MUCH smaller than encoding your analog videos to MPEG-2.
- Short battery life.
- Definitely need a tripod if you plan to shoot HD videos.
- NO on board memory at all. You will have to shell out additional $$$ for SDHC card. I purchase a PNY SDHC 8 GB card.
- Although memory does not seem to be a problem, battery life is certainly less than 60 minutes.
- Everyone else has noticed the camcorder pickup the churning motor sound from the camera itself. Same with the zoom mode. The small mic will pickup any movement of your hand or clicking of your ring against the housing. My recommendation you set the camera on a tripod.
- NO stabilization.
- Only 3X zoom. So don't expect distant shots or recording your kids schools events. Perfect camera for close in (normal) shots.
SUMMARY:
I purchased this camcorder to archive my old 8mm MP tapes to a more standard and compact format. I bought into the stuff I read on the Internet about the future being H.264 MPEG-4. I learned a few hard lessons with my cheap USB 2.0 video converter and attempt to use Roxio EMC 10. Now I am seeing the advantage with going with video standards that are more compatible with HD and multimedia standards. I plan to use the Aiptek for my business to shoot videos of my seminars for my weblog and other Internet media. Based on the HD video quality and user-friendly Quicktime format, I look forward to creating some multimedia productions. I think this is a good choice for anyone who wants a compact camcorder that's multimedia friendly and compact. Based on the buggy software issues I am currently having, I am still not sure about quality and support. I'll find out on Monday if I have to ship the unit back or adjust a setting. This is definitely the right idea: relatively open format / standard; highly portable; intuitive menus - simple; very multimedia oriented.
KA
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Aiptek GO-HD High Definition 720p Camcorder with 3x Optical Zoom digital cameras, camcorders for sale