Creative Labs Vado HD 4GB Pocket Video Camcorder 2nd Generation (Black Gloss)
by Creative Labs
List Price:
Our Price: $39.95
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Category: Digital Camera
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: Creative LabsFormat: CD
Platform: Windows
Model: VF0584 BK-GL
Color: Black Gloss
Product features:
- High definition 720P pocket video camcorder with 4GB of video storage capacity
- Fits easily in your pocket purse or the palm of your hand
- One touch recording with a spacious 2 inch display
- Record up to one hours of HD video footage or up to four hours of video at VGA resolution
- Connect your Vado HD to any HDTV with optional HDMI cable
- Pinnacle Studio HD V14 [OLD VERSION]
- Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 9 [OLD VERSION]
- Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Collection V14 [OLD VERSION]
- Nero 9 [OLD VERSION]
- Adobe Premiere Elements 9 [Old Version]
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Creative Labs Vado HD 4GB Pocket Video Camcorder 2nd Generation (Black Gloss)
Customer Review: Excellent for its price but note video sync issues with lower-spec computers
Summary: 5 Stars
Selected the Vado over other pocket video camcorders (specifically the Flip Ultra Camcorder 2nd Generation, 120 Minutes) because for almost the same price(~$90) it provides up to HD 720p resolution (instead of VGA only) and has a wide-angle lens.
Received the Vado yesterday evening and charged it overnight using standard charging speed. Took it for a quick test run this morning filming three small clips (17 to 30 seconds duration) using the HD+, HD, and VGA settings. The Vado performed as expected based on the hundreds of reviews I had read and I won't rehash the specifics here.
I did encounter the same issues with out-of-sync audio/video that a number of other reviewers have noted when playing both HD+ and HD videos directly from the Vado on my laptop (VGA had no issues). To test this more fully I recorded an eight minute HD+ video, saved it to the laptop hard drive, and played it back on both Windows Media Player and WMP Classic. Both programs lost sync rather quickly.
I then recorded a five minute HD video, saved it, and played it back on the same programs. This time both WMP and Classic remained in sync. Note that, just like the shorter video, playing this HD video directly from the Vado caused the video to go out-of-sync. So for myself the best way to view videos using my laptop is to record in HD, copy them onto my hard drive, and use WMP/Classic.
Here are the various specs so potential purchasers can compare what I'm using to their computers to hopefully get an idea of expected performance:
Windows Media Player 11 Ver. 11.0.5721.5268
Windows Media Player Classic (unicode build) Ver. 6.4.9.1
1.73 GHz Intel Pentium M
MS Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 Service Pack 3
1 GB RAM
*****6 Dec 09*****
Uploaded a 40 sec HD+ video review to Amazon as a test (it's for Bob's Red Mill Old Country Style Muesli, 40-Ounce Packages (Pack of 4) if you want to take a look). This worked fine.
I then tried the proprietary Vado Central software to create some clips from three ~30 second videos shot at VGA, HD, and HD+. Editing worked fine with the VGA clip. The laptop's video lag with HD+ and HD videos made editing such clips a bit of a chore, although it could be done using audio cues or noting the time points at which you'd like to start and stop from playback on the Vado itself.
Note that Vado Central saves edited videos to the laptop by default. I saved an edited video to the Vado directly in the same directory as the original, but both Vado Central and the Vado itself refused to recognize it. This means that if you want to use clips to make movies in Vado Central you'll be working from the hard drive. It also means you can't upload videos to the Vado to watch.
Next I tested the Vado Central movie making function. It works as advertised, subject to the lag issues noted previously. Interestingly, while videos and clips are saved as .avi, movies are saved as .wmv. In addition, at least on my laptop, adding a style to a movie was a very slow process, as was saving the actual movies. To give an example, just saving a movie made from a 30 second VGA video with sepia style took about six minutes and the final .wmv file was only 4.4 MB in size.
None of this changes my five star rating for the Vado. At the price point it is still the best value for me for the reasons originally stated.
*****7 Dec 09*****
Today I encountered my first real disappointment when I worked with the Create Movie portion of Vado Central. Specifically, I tried to combine seven clips into a movie when a pop-up screen informed me this action was not possible. Apparently, Vado Central uses a program called muvee Basic (not mentioned in the product description) which, among other limitations, limits you to importing no more than three videos/clips to make a movie. Try any more and a handy pop-up suggests an upgrade to muvee Premium which would allow, among other things, unlimited videos/clips to be combined. And all for the low, low price of $19.99.
This experience enters one of those gray areas for me as the product description says nothing about making movies or muvee Basic, simply stating "With integrated Vado Central software, the VadoPocket Video Cam makes it easy to quickly shoot and edit your own short movies and capture snapshots in still and burst modes.", which it certainly does. So, on the one hand, the inclusion of muvee Basic can be considered a bonus. On the other hand, it's obviously a play to get you to spend an additional $20.
Personally, I managed to work around this restriction by combining the seven clips into three smaller movies and combining those into the final larger movie. Whether this method would also circumvent the restriction placed on music I have not tested. For my planned uses, it is really a non-issue. Your mileage, of course, may vary.
More Creative Labs Vado HD 4GB Pocket Video Camcorder 2nd Generation (Black Gloss) reviews:
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Description of Creative Labs Vado HD 4GB Pocket Video Camcorder 2nd Generation (Black Gloss)
Catch the perfect snowboarding stunt, your baby's first steps or your kid's graduation, share it online and save it for a lifetime with Creative's Vado HD Pocket Video Cam. The thin, lightweight Vado HD is small enough to fit easily in a pocket, purse or the palm of your hand, and it captures video in 720P high-definition quality with just the touch of a button. Sharing videos online is simple with built-in software that helps you post videos to YouTube, Photobucket or Box.net. The Vado HD is the only pocket video cam to feature true HDMI connectivity for a superior viewing experience on an HDTV. Take the Vado HD Pocket Video Cam with you everywhere you go and never miss a moment. Product specs include 720p high-definition video, wide-angle glass lens, 2x digital zoom, 4GB of video storage capacity, up to one hours of recording and playback per charge, up to four hours of recording time at 640x480 at 30 frames per second, HDMI and RCA connections for TV, HDMI and A/V cables sold separately, removable and rechargeable lithium battery, Vado Central software for simple video editing and sharing. System requirements include Windows Xp Service Pack 2 or Vista, Intel Pentium III or higher, 512MB of memory, USB port, 500MB free hard disk space, and 16MB of Video Memory or above. Product ships with silicon skin, and USB cable.Camcorders
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