RCA CC6373 VHS-C AutoShot Camcorder

This is my first camcorder and I think this RCA is so cool! It is extremley user friendly, excellent color, and excellent video quality. I thought I would have to spend $1000.00 to get this kind of quality. I would highly recommend this product!

Philips 7-Inch Digital Photo Frame (Clear & Black)

I'm familiar with this type of product having used a couple of others from other manufacturers in the past.

Having read some of the reviews, I will say I'm very computer-savvy, and didn't run into some of the problems others have mentioned.

The picture quality was nice; not terrific, but I'll get back to that in a moment.

There's plenty of on-board memory. According to Windows Explorer, about 8 megs. The key to using that judiciously is to size your pictures before storing them to memory, using photo software like Photoshop Elements or better, as if you were prepping them for the web. The native screen resolution is 720X480, so I sized all my pics to stay within those parameters, and I typically ended up with a file size of somewhere around 40 80 kb, and you can stick 1 or 2 hundred on this device at that file size. Further, they'll fit the screen without distortion from the frame firmware trying to adjust your pics to the display. Additionally, you won't eat up all the memory trying to store full 2-Meg Jpegs -4 of those and your memory's full -that really won't look any better here than they would on your computer display looking at a web page. Save those for prints.

The downside to this is that picture quality suffers a bit because of the smaller file size, and because this is an LCD display there's also some artifacting in shadow areas (a fact of life with LCDs). But let's face it: you're not going to use this device for professional presentations. This is so you or your Mom can see all those cool pictures you have.

Now, the biggest drawback to this is the TERRIBLE user interface. This thing isn't at all intuitive as far as operating it. There's a row of tiny buttons on the top behind the frame, and it's always pretty much guesswork as to what switch makes the device perform which action. The written instructions are totally useless in trying to figure this out. Trial and error is the only method available, for all intents and purposes.

I had no trouble copying in pictures from a folder on my Desktop using Windows Explorer (I operate in an XP environment, so I can't speak to Vista. I hate Vista). I used Edit > Select All > Copy then just pasted them into the folder on the device. They all copied in perfectly.

So, a middle of the road grade based on my experience with other brands, which seem to be easier to operate.

(Incidentally, for those who have problems deleting the sample pics that came already loaded. In Windows Explorer, I had absolutely no problem deleting all the sample photos in the folder.)

This is my first digital photo frame, even tho I've looked at them and thought they would be neat to have. I love the black and clear frame and the frame stand is classy. The whole frame looks elegant.

It took me a while to figure out the setup and how to work the controls to get where I wanted. It has settings for brightness, language, alarm clock, time and date, and auto on/off. After I got it set up I put a 1gb SD card in my PC and installed photos on it and then put the SD card into the photo frame (it also takes other types of memory cards). Fortunately all my photos are JPG and that's the format that's used. As soon as I inserted the SD card the photo slide show started; it was so cool! I ended up changing the brightness to mid way because some of the photos looked too bright. Smaller photos are framed in a letterbox and they look good to me.

I'm excited to show off our photos on Thanksgiving and Christmas when the family is here! :-)

Buy Philips 7-Inch Digital Photo Frame (Clear & Black) Now

Strange as it seems, I often find myself pricing digital photo frames when at local big-box retailers. They seem like such a great gift idea, but I'm hard pressed to spend $130+ to display my photos.

This frame, while in the $90 range, is certainly more affordable, but not quite the performance-for-bargain I was hoping for.

Though I have one digital frame at home (a Westinghouse), I was keen for a second to put on display downstairs.

For argument's sake, let's say I'm the type of person who doesn't like to read directions. That being said, I fidgeted with the frame's interface for about five minutes before I figured out how to move through all the menus, change the clock, delete the 'Philips' photos and set my photos to a slide-show mode. It was a little awkward, but not unbelievably difficult.

What I like most:

~The frame's actual design. It's very sleek looking and compact, which is a huge improvement on some of the bulkier frames out there (like my Westinghouse).

~Also, I'd have to say this frame's SmartPower feature is its one stand out feature as I'm a conscientious power user and like that this frame will only turn on during the time when someone is around to see it.

What I liked least:

~I am disappointed that the resolution isn't as crisp as my other frame, nor are the colors as vivid. This despite Philips Imagen promise for automatic photo enhancement.

In general, this frame's very basic in that ALL it does is display and play through photos, as compare to other frames out there that have additional fancy options such as video and music.

Overall, this may be on the pricey side if you simply want to have a few of your favorite digital photos cycling through when guests come over. However if you're looking for a little more in a frame you might find Philips' design and power saving feature all the extras you want.

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The Philips 6.5 digital photo frame is a great mid-level photo frame. The frame itself (I have the clear version) is attractive and does not look cheap it looks very stylish. It is of average size and would be nice for the office or a desk at home; I would not use as a wall-mounted frame.

I was able to organize some pictures onto an SDHC card and install that into the Philips. I find this method easier than connecting the frame to the computer. If you do not own a computer, you can still use this frame by inserting a memory card from your camera directly into the frame. If you do own a computer, the benefit of hooking up to the computer is you can adjust the orientations (portrait/landscape) of some photos the digital frame may display wrong. You can also take advantage of the onboard memory of 16 MB.

The LCD screen resolution (800x480) is excellent especially considering the price point. The viewing angle is very good. I was impressed with the automatic slideshow transitions that are added. You can also view your images as thumbnails or use it as a clock. Another great feature is the timer functionality, so you can program the device to power on and display photos during certain timeframes.

So why is this mid-level? Some of the newer digital frames have internal speakers and allow playback of videos that you may have recorded, or MP3 songs. The additional features of some frames are great but may not justify the higher price for a lot of consumers. The Philips is a nice, middle-of-the-road and well-priced digital picture frame with an excellent LCD screen. I definitely recommend it for the average consumer who will be happy with the basic functions. I've given only four stars because I would have liked to see a remote control included to supplement the control buttons on the back of the frame.

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I have to say I love this frame. The quality of the display is excellent. I didn't expect my pictures to look so good! I had purchased a digital frame last year from a different manufacturer and I ended up returning it because the pictures looked distorted and the color was not that great. This frame really suprised me with the quality of the pictures and the vibrant colors that it displays.

I love taking pictures with my digital camera but I am not so good about getting them printed in a timely manner. This solves my problem because I can just snap some shots and then insert the memory card into the frame and enjoy my pictures instantly! It is also great because I can bring up old pictures that I haven't seen in a while and put them on display. There are so many possibilities!

This would make an excellent gift for a grandparent you can either download photos or insert a memory card. I recommend giving the frame to a grandparent and then sending updated memory cards every so often for new pictures! It would also be great to put up on your desk at work so you can always have something new to look at.

The set up is so quick and easy you don't really even need the directions (although if you do, they are very detailed). Great buy, can't go wrong with this one!

CE Labs HA4-3 HDMI Distribution Amplifier

I have been trying to distribute HDMI from my HT setup to 3 different monitors. I started by purchasing an inexpensive HDMI splitter for $50, but I wasn't realistically expecting a successful implementation. That's exactly the case. So, based on the performance I received from my CE LABS AV 400COMP HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPONENT/HDTV DISTRIBUTION AMPLIFIER, I decided that their HA4-3 1 X 4 HDMI Distribution Amplifier was worth a try.

After installation, I was delighted to find that this amplifier was, indeed, distributing the HDMI signal to all of my monitors. However, it didn't take long to see that the content was a bit off. Preliminary indicators show that the signal being distributed is being cut off on the edges of the screens. I have not had the time to troubleshoot this issue fully, but the picture on one of the monitors compared to the same source over component is definitely NOT EQUIVALENT. I will post an update when I have more time to investigate.

While this product does perform the basic task for which it was purchased, it does not perform the task to my satisfaction. I'm hoping that this can be corrected. Stay tuned...

UPDATE 26Aug2011: I don't integrate a component into my systems until I'm fully satisfied as to its performance. I try to address all concerns with a piece of equipment, no matter how small. I had mentioned previously that "the signal being distributed is being cut off on the edges of the screens". Well, one of my monitors was displaying the picture correctly, so I determined that the issue was NOT with the HA4-3. I traced it to my main monitor (which I quickly solved), but I'm still having the same issue with the 3rd monitor. I have also observed another really annoying issue that happens simultaneously to both the main monitor and the 2nd monitor. The signal seems to drop out for anywhere from 3 to 10 seconds. I have only observed this behavior on my HD Satellite receiver, so I'll have to collect more data from my xTreamer, PS3 and HTPC and try to isolate it further. I bumped my rating to 4 stars to indicate that the device is getting closer to complete satisfaction. More later...

This HDMI amp is manufactured with a Silicon Image chipset that supports 1080p resolution at 60Hz, 36-bit color depth, Dolby True HD and DTS-HD. I had a customer that needed an hdmi amp to distribute their signal to four locations and it carried the picture quality to all locations perfectly. I highly recommend this product to anyone needing an hdmi amp.

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This device is not an official HDMI compliant device. It does not properly pass CEC controls and addressing codes to the display device.

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Professional Hard LCD Screen Protector for Nikon D3100 / D3000 Digital SLR Camera

Fits perfectly in Nikon D3100. First you need to remove the rubber eyecup that comes in the viewfinder of your camera to attach this protector. I thought it could may distort the image, but you can see it just fine. It's made of some kind of plastic and keep your LCD safe from scratches, impacts and cheek contact. I loved my purchase and I feel safe now when showing pics to those who likes to touch the screen.

Fist perfectly on my nikon 3100. good buy to protect screen from sweat or scratches. recomended for all users. g

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This screen protector is the hard shell, solid, thick plastic type like those found on the D80 and D90.

I have a D90 also and I wanted my D3000 to have a protector like that. This fits the bill.

It stays on pretty well and offers solid protection. I like the look as well.

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This screen protector is great for protecting my camera LCD from scratches and smudges. Only down side is the eye piece does not stay in place very well. Overall I am happy to have this.

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Should be standard it was on my D200. This camera was purchased as a gift and the screen is even larger and I would assume more prone to damage. Get this and don't worry about it. Its easy to clean, clear, and is easily worth the price paid

Philips 5.6-Inch Analog Digital Photo Frame

This review is for the 6FF3FP(B or W):

How purchased: Online for $30; elsewhere

Purpose: Gift for elderly parents and grandparents; setup needed to be super easy with the thought I'd attach a memory card, ship it to parents. I needed to know that they could plug in and use with no, I repeat NO USE OR NEED FOR A MENU. I am in my 40's; my mom and grandmother are in 70 and late 90s....they are as non-technical as you can get. Therefore pixels, size, were not nearly important as being literally "plug and play". My experience with many of these things as they do require some input. A second consideration as will it hold those settings with the power off. Trust me you don't want to talk your elderly grandparents how to deal with a time of 12:00 for perpetuity....you remember your VHS recorders that flashed 12:00 after every power outage.....you don't want that!

SD Transfer & Photo Prep Process for MAC USERS: Since I was formatting for a mac, remember the 5.6" model does not offer direct connection to a PC or Mac, I had to format the photos on the mac (used iPhoto). I had to reformat the SD card a few times to nail that down....trick is to format your memory card using MS-DOS Format or MDF..can do this on the mac through Disk Utility in the Utilities folder of Applications. Then create a folder in iPhoto....drag photos from various events into your newly created folder. Then you have to process the photos for export and much smaller file size. Lots of ways to do that but as many have said, trick is to save as .jpg files limiting size to the width or height...You can use export command or even email/share the photos and then drag them over from the email you will never send....you will want to use the "small" file size if composing the email on a mac. Drag the photos to the root of the SD card.

Photo Quality Performance: I would have to say the quality sort of blew me away with the brightness of the little screen....brighter than the panels of two years ago. From across the room you can see the image...not clearly mind you but also not so dark that it blends in. I was really struck by the brightness and colorful almost "popping" light of the unit. And mind you this is with photos scaled back to like 320 x 240. I thought the pictures would suck..but they did not. Again I am not looking for miracles, not for $30.

Slideshow Simplicity: I made sure I turned off the clock, ,kept the transition to random and set the sort order to sequential for 5 seconds. I powered off for about 10 minutes to see if the settings would "hold"..they did. So you plug in, turn the power on....(the one button you do have to push; the button to the EAST of the menu circle.) On power on, you look at a picture of the menu and then it goes away and slideshow starts in about 10 seconds or so...fine.

So all in all I was very pleasantly surprised and found myself looking at the $120 Sony 7" I have sitting on my desk in box and still unopened wondering....geez for $30......this is a deal. Normally I want to have the biggest and baddest but from what I can tell the technology of these photo frames is still not there......menus are getting better, wireless is still buggy, Mac compatibility is weak, and display devices are still not using organic LED's...which are stunning compared to all LCD image devices. That being said this 5.6" uses only 3 watts so your electric bills will not go through the roof.

I give it a buy if you are aware of it's shortcomings.

This newer model is no comparison to the one I bought in May 2008. The picture quality is terrible and it can't store any pictures because it has no internal memory. I guess I got suckered into buying it because it was described as the "newer model". Newer doesn't always mean better. It's going back so much for my parent's Christmas gift.

Buy Philips 5.6-Inch Analog Digital Photo Frame Now

I had the 8 inch LCD frame in the same series and it broke due to power issues in just 6 months....when i called the Philips customer service, each rep that i spoke to routed me to another saying this is not the division which handles this model....in fact the division which handles digital frames also did not handle this series....They would pass my call on even before knowing the issues with my device...And to top it all the rep was rude....

Bottom line....Not a product worth buying both because of quality and Philips itself not ready to take the responsibility.....

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This is my second digital picture frame from Philips. The first one I got as a gift and enjoy it every day. I bought a 2nd one to give to my mom for her birthday-will load it with pictures of all her favorite things. She doesn't have a computer so she cannot view digital pics that the family takes online so this is perfect for her. It is really easy to use and the picture is clear and crisp. I love all the features-it is a great little digital picture frame and would recommend Philips to everyone.

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The photo quality on this photo frame is terrible. I purchased this photo frame as a gift and was too embarresed by the picture quality to give it to my grandmother. It distorts every photo image and turns peoples eyes and lips very dark. Even worse is the high cost of the item. I ordered a 7" frame with a much higher resolution for a lower price and was amazed by the quality. Now I am left with this photo frame sitting in my house with no idea what to do with it. :-( don't buy this item.

Up Infinity Design Protective Skin Decal Sticker for Kodak PlaySport Zx3 HD Pocket Video Camera Cam

This item is a must have for hunters who use the playsport in the woods or on hunting trips. I have the playsport mounted on my bow with the the mossy oak break-up skin. The fit is really good and I would recommend getting a protective skin for the viewer before mounting the skin. My only complaint on this skin is the shinny reflective quality of the skin. I could catch the sun and send off an SOS signal into the sky or the woods. I have not had this problem yet since I am shooting downwards from a tree stand. If your just into Mossy Oak than this is the skin to have for that Kodak Playsport.

GSI Super Quality Snap-On LCD Monitor Cover Protector, Prevents Damage To Camera LCD Display Screen

This is a excellent match for the Nikon original. However, you can do better. I strongly recommend the thin glass covers, which provide better visibility, less bulk and extreme scratch resistance. I don't regret trying this plastic snap-on cover but it really is a silly design.

This fits nicely on a Nikon D80 to protect the LCD Monitor screen on the back of the camera. This is my third one. First one cracked at the tab and second one got scratched, better it than the LCD screen. Kind of expensive for a simple piece of plastic.

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Generic replacement works fine. Less cost than brand name version, but does the same job. Can keep a few on hand and swap out or replace as needed.

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JVC Everio MS120 Dual Flash Camcorder (Red)

I purchased this little camcorder about a month ago along with JVC BN-VF815US 1460 mAh battery. Overall I am very impressed with this little camcorder. I have been using a Panasonic DV Tape camcorder for 9 years and it was time to get away from those darn tapes. With the JVC there is no moving parts (no hard drives, no tapes, no DVD) just a couple of flash cards.

In addition to the camcorder, I had to upgrade my video editing software. I was using Pinnacle Studio 10.8 for my old Panasonic but I could not import the MOD file format from the new JVC. I purchased Corel Ulead VideoSutdio 11.5 plus from Amazon for only 40 bucks and I am very impressed with it as well.

Here are the pros of the JVC:

1) Low cost (under $275)

2) Solid state no moving parts records to flash memory.

3) Great color and low light performance compared to equivalent Panasonic, Canon and Sony. Check out the review on camcorderinfo.com ( Its for a slightly higher model (MG670) than the MS120 but they share the same lens, sensor, user interface and body.

4) Can see the screen in sunlight. With no view finder I was worried about seeing the screen outside but with this screen its not that big of an issue.

5) 16X9 windscreen native (can also do 4X3)

6) Auto lens cap. Lens cap automatically opens and closed with screen.

7) Auto on and off. Along with the lens cap, the power automatically turns on and off with open and close of the screen. No more videos of the ground (or my wife's feet) because you forgot to power off the camera after the last shot.

8) Instant on Once you open the screen, you can start taking video within a second or two.

9) Low power consumption No moving parts means less power and longer battery life.

10) Each video is saved and managed like a file on the camera. Its easy to delete or view these files right on the camera. No more hunting through the tape.

Cons -

1) Difficult to hold the hand strap is very thin and does not have much support. You need to use two hands to hold it still enough.

2) No optical image stabilization The digital stabilization is decent but you need to keep this one steady. Maybe that why they put that thin strap on this thing. Again two hands.

3) Like other camcorders in this range, they take decent but not good still photos. You still need to keep you digital camera near by.

4) MOD format. Works with most newer video editing SW but did not work with my 3 year old version of Studio 10.8. Words great with older version of Ulead VideoStudio 11.5

5) Low light performance while low light performance is good compared to competitors, it does not have an IR filter like my old Panasonic.

6) No hot shoe I never used the one on my Panasonic so not a big deal.

7) No viewfinder Can still see well in sunlight so not a big deal.

After my disastrous experience with Sony's HD Webbie, I was in the market for a video camera that was both high quality and user friendly. Those who've read my review for that product, or who have used the product themselves, know that Sony intentionally designed the Webbie to shut down recording after 25 minutes of footage, ostensibly to retain the integrity of the Camera's internal components. This means that footage must be recorded in 25 minute intervals, with necessary breaks in between to re-start recording. For all of its positives, this glaring drawback made the Webbie useless to me, and, I would presume, most others as well.

In my search for a new camera that was as close to the Webbie as possible without being useless, I came across the JVC Everio. I'd never owned a JVC product before, but had heard good things; formerly a "Sony Man," the Webbie debacle had left me willing to try out other brand names and see what they had to offer. With one drawback-the still camera option-it turned out to be a worthwhile decision.

IMAGE QUALITY AND RECORDING FEATURES

Image quality is probably the number-one thing people are looking for in a video camera, so I'll address it first. The Everio is definitely not HD; if one wants to use this for professional purposes, and are bereft some high-quality video editing software, the Everio is probably not for you. The Webbie does, without a doubt, create higher-quality recordings. That being said, this is probably the highest quality video available without going HD. Think of it as "semi-HD." The camera comes with multiple video quality settings, which permit for more recording time for lower quality or less recording time for higher quality. The lowest quality setting is analagous to a high-quality cell-phone camera or a middle-of-the-road webcam. The highest setting is that "semi-HD" category.

Contributing to the video quality are the image stabilization feature and the superb 40x optical zoom, which loses no video quality. The Flip, for example, will rapidly degrade in video quality the further one zooms in, and is only really useful for recording about two to three feet in front of the camera. Not so with the Everio.

In addition, the Everio comes with multiple image options-Black and white and sepia, which speak for themselves; Strobe, which simulates low-quality webcam recording (for whatever reason), and a very nifty "Old Fashioned" feature that simulates an old 1970s-1980s era film, with a grainy filter and washed out colors. For the more industrious user, JVC also makes several accessories for the camera, including a polarized filter for bright, outdoor recording, and various conversion lenses.

The Everio's primary drawback in video recording is that it has limited capabilities in adjusting for low-light recording. This is not to say that video recorded in low-light is of a poor quality, simply that it is lower quality than video recorded in medium or bright light. To offset this, the Everio comes with a built-in LED bulb that is pretty bright, and can light up a medium-sized room in the dark. It doesn't quite fix the problem, but it does a lot to make sure that one's video recorded in a darker area isn't a lost cause. That being said, there is no night vision feature, so if that's a necessity, this isn't your camera.

STORAGE MEDIUM

Like the Webbie, the Everio utilizes the SD card feature. This means that in order to record, one inserts an SD card into a slot on the camera and records onto it; it's an identical principle to recording onto a VHS. Once the SD card has filled up, one can either save it and record on another card, or transfer the footage onto one's computer or a DVD, then wipe the card and use it again and again.

Unlike the Webbie, though, the Everio has TWO SD card slots which work in tandem. Say, for example, one has an SD card with an hour's worth of recording time, but wants to record two hours of footage. Simply insert a second SD card into the camera, and when the first reaches capacity, the Everio will automatically begin recording on the second card. With two high-capacity SD cards, one could theoretically record for days without having to stop.

CONSTRUCTION/EASE OF USE

The camera is made of a medium-high grade durable plastic, and should be able to stand up to a moderate amount of abuse. At the end of the day, though, this is a piece of eletronic equipment, and isn't designed to be beaten up. It's somewhat cumbersome in construction, but definitely easier to manage than some of the older mini-DV/DVD recorders that were only slightly smaller than a 1980s VHS camera. Imagine holding a 12oz can of soda sideways and you've got the idea. Those with larger hands might find it too small, those with smaller hands too big. In either case, it's a fairly easy adjustment (I've got larger hands, my girlfriend has smaller hands) and not a hindrance to operation. A leather strap on the side of the camera allows it to somewhat rest of the back of one's hand, but it's not a terribly well thought-out feature and most probably won't put it to use.

The camera is operated via the view screen, which does double duty as a touch-activated menu screen. Options are scrolled through via a sensor to the left of the screen, identical in function to the touch-activated scroll bar found on several laptop mousepads. The Everio has a tendency to scroll through options too quickly, and can be somewhat sensitive to touch, which can be mildly frustrating. Those experienced with laptop touch pads, though, should have no problem at all.

POWER

Unlike the Webbie, which has an internal battery and can only be charged by plugging in the camera, the Everio runs on an external battery that snaps into the back of the camera. The battery can either be charged by keeping it in the camera and then plugging the camera into the wall, or by buying a separate battery charger. As of the writing of this review, JVC makes three types of batteries for the Everio; the most basic, one of which accompanies the camera, runs for about two hours on a full charge. One can purchase one of the two upgrades, which run for five and eight hours.

CAMERA

Like the Webbie, the Everio comes with a built-in digital camera. This sounds like a great feature, and was a contributing factor in my purchase-why buy a video and digital camera if one can have both in the same product? Unfortunately, here is the area where the Webbie blows away the Everio, hands down, and is what prevented me from giving this five stars. The Webbie's built in camera, although worthless in low light, produced excellent images in medium and bright light. The Everio's camera feature, quite honestly, is garbage. For the superiority of the film quality the Everio is capable of, its still image capabilities are worthless. The pictures one gets are of cell-phone camera quality: Grainy, heavily pixelated, and in need of contrast/lighting correction. Even with a great photo editing program, one will still be left with sub-par quality pictures. The camera also lacks the stabilization feature of the video camera; the tiniest movement produces an image that looks as though it was taken from underwater. The subjects, as well as the camera operator, must remain perfectly still for anything even vaguely resembling a nice picture.

CONCLUSION

This is a great piece of equipment, and for the average consumer, the best bang for your buck. It certainly isn't HD quality, and won't take the place of your digital camera, but for everyday user, and even amateur filmmakers who don't have the monetary resources for a "top of the line" camera, this is the product you've been looking for.

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When I went to the store to buy a video camera, this seemed like the best choice. The price was right and the video quality as seen through the LCD monitor seemed crisp and sharp. However, there are problems.

First, the still pictures it takes are garbage, so don't think you're going to replace your digital camera with this. That wasn't much of a drawback for me, since I mainly intended to use it for video.

Second problem: while recording video or when reviewing recorded video on the camera's monitor, it always looks great. But when you watch it on a TV or upload it to your computer, it usually looks absolutely horrible, even if the video was taken in full sunlight. The Auto settings for this thing are completely worthless, and what you see in the LCD monitor is often not what you get in reality. It took me A LOT of experimentation with the settings in order to get my video quality to be any good, but it is possible.

The third, and biggest problem is the format in which video is recorded. When you upload video to your computer, it is in MOD format. Yes, it will play in the Everio Media Browser that comes with the camera and it will even play in Windows Media Player, but if you want to edit it or put it on a DVD, you're in for a very frustrating time. I had a simple movie I needed to edit using Windows Movie Maker, and then to put on a DVD. WMM wouldn't recognize the MOD format. Yes, the camera comes with software that converts the MOD files into WMV files, which Windows Movie Maker recognizes, but the quality_really_suffers with the conversion. So, I spent a week searching for programs on the internet that would convert MOD files into something compatible with WMM, but which would retain the quality of the original MOD file. It was very difficult.

So, my recommendation is to find out beforehand whether your video editing software can handle the MOD format. As I understand it, the newer (meaning within the last year or 2), higher-end programs can do it, but not everyone wants to spend the $ for that. So, do your homework before buying this, or any camera.

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This camera has great bang for your buck.

Pros:

-Great Zoom, digital zoom still holds decent quality

-Light

-nice interface

-Quality optics

Cons:

-Light plastic construction, dont drop it

-Low light performance isn't great, not a problem for me.

-Still picture taking quality is poor

-Need to keep it rather steady

I just wanted a small camcorder for quick action movies for sports/snowboarding/rock climbing that i could upload and mix with an audio track and the everio delivers. I am happy with the product so far for what I paid.

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i love this camcorder. so easy to use, light, and the best part is the dual memory card slot. Beautiful color, light, pictures... the only thing was recording while moving, the camcorder is so light that any movement you make will ruin the video.

Aiptek 3D-HD High Definition 3D Camcorder (Black/White)

Being a big 3-D fan, I was very excited when this product was announced and, because the price was so low, I pre-ordered it right away without having seen any reviews (because no reviews yet existed). I wasn't entirely sure if I was buying a novelty gadget or a truly useful device. To save myself from being disappointed, I expected the former and hoped for the latter. It turns out that the camera is much better than a novelty gadget, but don't expect to throw away your "normal", digital, point-and-shoot camera or your "normal" camcorder. You'll still need those when you want a perfect, printable photo and a lot of extended video. However, when what you want is a 3-D picture or short 3-D video, the Aiptek 3-D camera is a great, practical, and inexpensive option.

The first question I had was: "does it really work?" I'm happy to say that the answer is a big yes! The resolution of the parallax-barrier display is pretty low, but the 3-D effect is really great and the display serves the purpose very well. I expect the Aiptek 3-D photo frame, with its higher resolution, will be much better (it's still backordered as of this writing, so I don't have one yet). Please understand that when I say "low resolution", I'm speaking about the resolution of the built-in display, not the resolution of the actual images/video, which is much higher. 5 megapixels for images (2592 x 1944) and 720p for video (1280 x 720) doesn't sound like much nowadays, but you'll almost certainly NOT want to print the images you take with this camera anyway. Doing so would require you to convert to the Red/Blue (anaglyph) format. This works, but it's far less than ideal. Rather than that, I believe you should expect to only view these images/videos on the camera itself, the corresponding 3-D photo frame, or a new, 3-D TV. When you decide those are your primary viewing vehicles for the content you create with this device, the resolution becomes far more palatable. Indeed, the resolution of the images exceeds the resolution of the camera's display and even the resolution of the 3-D photo frame (800 x 600). For this reason, I think Aiptek was smart to use a relatively low resolution in order to keep the price so low.

The image and video quality is acceptable, but as I said earlier, if won't replace your existing camera for those times when you want very high quality. The image quality is about as good as the very best cameras being put into cell phones (which also don't compete with a dedicated, "regular" camera). I'll reiterate though: the quality is completely acceptable considering you're getting images in full 3-D. Other than the 3-D feature, there aren't a lot of frills: no image stabilization, no optical zoom, no flash, etc. It makes sense though because that's the only way you're going to get 3-D at this amazingly-low price-point. The camera has a tripod mount so, if you really need supplemental light, you can pick up one of those little LED lights that screw into tripod mounts for not very much money. As for video, it does record in 30 FPS, but if the action is moving quickly, it doesn't look like it. It looks like 10 or 15 FPS (it may still be recording 30 frames per second, but I'd guess 2 or 3 of those frames happen to be identical). I've noticed the reduced frame rate is a bit less pronounced if there is more ambient lighting. FYI: I'm using a Transcend, 16 GB, class 10 SD card. That's probably not as fast as a SanDisk class 10 card, but it should be enough to accommodate everything the camera can throw at it. It may sound like I'm speaking only negatively about this camera, but it's definitely not my intention to discourage the purchase of it. I just want you to be clear on what it *doesn't* do so that you have appropriate expectations. In reality, I'm thrilled with the quality of the camera and it exceeded my expectations.

I've quickly learned a trick to taking 3-D video and photos. It has to do with framing the images; I'll try to explain it here, but it's a little difficult to articulate. If what I'm about to say doesn't make sense, just ignore my ramblingsha. First, realize that everything in the image has a position along the Z-axis (the direction toward you and away from you [as opposed to left/right and up/down]). Next, realize that the frame around the screen itself has a position along the Z-axis. What this means is, some parts of the photo appear to come "out" of the screen and more distant objects appear recessed "into" the screen. The frame surrounding the display is somewhere in the middle. If the part of the image that extends out of the screen is cut off by the frame surrounding the display, it can hurt your eyes a little and look a bit confusing. This makes sense; how could an object (the frame) block the view of a subject if that object (the frame) is more distant than the subject? That's a logical paradox that my brain translates into confusion and/or eyes that have a hard time focusing. The trick is to not allow anything "in front" of the frame to be cut off by the frame. If you adhere to this, the 3-D effect looks much more natural. I'm sure I'll continue to learn effective ways to frame 3-D images as I become more experienced. In fact, that's part of the fun!

I'll sum everything up here: The camera is really good and the 3-D effect is outstanding. I believe it to be much more than a gimmick/novelty. To keep the price low, the camera sacrifices some other "standard" features you might be used to, such as optical zoom and a flash. For me, the tradeoff is well worth it: I get to take my own, good-quality, 3-D video/images for under 200 bucks. I'm not sure what I'm more impressed with: the technology or the price. I suppose it's the combination of the two that make this a strongly-recommended "buy" in my book.

[UPDATE: October 20, 2010]

As Reynato U. Barrera kindly pointed out in his review, there is indeed a (buried) firmware update and it does indeed fix the slow frame rate! This is great news. I don't believe Amazon will allow external URLs or I would provide a direct link, but if you go to the Aiptek EU site (use ".eu" instead of ".com") you can find the firmware update within the product page. I purchased the camera in the U.S., but because the camera will let you define the refresh rate (60Hz vs. 50Hz), I wasn't worried about using the firmware I downloaded from the EU site.

[/UPDATE]

After getting over the excitement of a 3D camcorder to support my 3DTV, the disappointment began. There were few, if any, instances where the camera was shooting in the promised 30 Frames Per Seconds. Normally the camera would dip down to 15fps and at that point, I stopped taking the camera with me everywhere I went.

So why the high rating?

I stumbled upon a video on youtube shot with my camera and the title to the video was "Aiptek 3D video with new Firmware" The video looked great and was running at a steady 30fps. After asking a few questions, I discovered that Aiptek's European website had a downloadable firmware that fixed the framerate. Nothing was available in the US site, so after asking a few people who had the firmware if it was safe, I installed it into my camera, and sure enough, my usability has taken a huge turn for the better. For 200 bucks, and with this firmware, the camera is an awesome introduction to the 3D world.

Buy Aiptek 3D-HD High Definition 3D Camcorder (Black/White) Now

I've had the Aiptek HD 3D video camera for about a week and the bottom line is ... its a 3D video camera for $199.

It takes real 3D video at 720p (1280 x 720). When played on my Panasonic VT-25 3D TV, the 3D quality is excellent. The image depth I get is comparable to that of 3D Blu-Ray movies like "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" and ... well, there aren't a lot of 3D Blu-Ray movies out yet. That being said, there are several things that could be improved'

Image Quality The videos look great when things don't move around too fast. The pictures of my infant grandson are fantastic. The video I took while riding a wooden roller coaster are very jumpy. The frame update rate doesn't look like more than 10 frames per second for the coaster video. I suspect that the JPEG encoder can't keep up with that much change from frame to frame. The built-in 2.4" 3D TFT LCD display has a very limited left/right viewing angle to see the 3D effect. The glasses-less 3D viewing screen is a nice touch, but I probably would have been just as happy with a 2D display.

Ergonomics It's pretty well designed. The lenses are at the top of the unit and you naturally hold the unit from the bottom, so I've never had the problem of putting my fingers over a lens like I do on some cameras. The buttons are easy to reach and control with one hand, except for the thumb-joystick in the middle. It's one of those up/down/left/right to select and push for OK multifunction buttons. Its too easy to push or too hard to move up/down/left/right, so I often push the button when I wanted to move it left. The unit's size is small enough to easily fit in a pocket, and it feels pretty good in my hand ... although I have pretty big hands.

Documentation The Users manual is 12 4" x 6" pages per language (5 languages). The software manual is 3 4" x 6" pages per language (13 languages). The quick start guide is 2-3/4" x 13-1/2" per language (8 languages). It's a little light on the details, but I'm not sure I would have read more instructions if they were available. I would really have appreciated a book of tips on 3D videography. Things like having a foreground, avoiding a foreground that is only partially in frame and how close is too close, would have gotten me up and running with better videos faster.

Reliability The camera hasn't broken yet (I've only had it a week) and it doesn't feed flimsy, but it has locked up three times on the three days I used it for more than a few minutes. Each time I was doing something different (fast forward through a playback, turning on the camera, stopping a recording) and the unit just froze. None of the controls did anything so I had to remove the battery. One time I lost several minutes of video (which I'm sure were my best ever). I certainly hope they make firmware updates available when they work out these last few bugs.

Value for the price It's a 3D video camera for $199! (I think I mentioned that.) What more can I say? Well, you need a SD/SDHC memory card and they don't include one. I used a 2 GB card I had laying around, but that wasn't big enough for a day of home movies. I'd recommend at least 16 GB. You also probably need a spare battery (3.7v 1200 mAh NP-60 Lithium Ion Battery Pack) although I ran out of memory (with the 2 GB card) before the battery was drained so I'm not sure how long it lasts on a charge. The "case" they provide is a velvet sack which protects against dirt and scratches, but not much else. It comes with a pretty nice set of Red/Cyan glasses (plastic frames, not paper) for those without a 3D computer or TV (why would you buy this if you had neither?).

Software I haven't used the software too much, but it seems pretty intuitive. There's no CD to lose, the software is loaded on the camera. When you connect the standard mini-USB port to your computer (through the provided cable or any standard mini-USB cable) for the first time it installs the software. The software lets you organize your clips, merge clips together, convert from the side-by-side format to red/cyan format, upload to Facebook and upload to YouTube. It doesn't seem to have an editor and none of my video editors handled MP4s, so I couldn't shorten the videos to 100 MB for Facebook upload.

Bottom Line: It's a 3D video camera for $199!

Read Best Reviews of Aiptek 3D-HD High Definition 3D Camcorder (Black/White) Here

I posted a video at you-tube entitled 'AIPTEK 3D CAMERA TEST Firmware vs. No Firmware' for anyone interested in seeing the difference in this camera's performance after the CORRECT firmware is used to update the camera. Keep in mind that this footage actually looks better, but I compressed it into mpeg format for upload, so some quality was lost, but you can clearly see the improvement between the two test (no firmware vs. firmware).

I found that, out of the box, the camera's video quality is pretty worthless. I looked closely at the video footage I took before the update and found that although it was indeed 29.97 fps, every frame was simply duplicated 3 or 4 times! Furthermore, there was a lot of OBVIOUS OBNOXIOUS jagged/aliased edges to everything. With the firmware update, I did get a true 29.97 fps (it still seems a little jaggy sometimes, though).

I don't understand how this company is still in business! The firmware update is nowhere to be found on the US site and I can't imagine most people didn't send this thing back after looking at the resulting images prior to the firmware update. Why the heck aren't they updating these things before shipping them out? Mine appears to have been manufactured in October, 2010 (FW version 3607).

If you update the firmware to bring the framerate up to 29.97 fps (and you will probably want to!), MAKE SURE YOU USE THE CORRECT UPDATE FOR YOUR CAMERA'S CURRENT Firmware Version from the Aiptek European site (the camera's current firmware version is found within the menu system of the camera). The download page has several firmware versions along with several instruction manual updates, so don't get confused about which firmware update is appropriate...My first stab at it failed because I had used the wrong update. LUCKILY, my camera didn't recognize it (apparently you can damage the camera permanently if you install the wrong firmware update!). When I used the correct update and installed it according to the accompanying README instructions, everything clicked into place.

I have installed the software (it installs automatically the first time you connect the camera to your PC), but I don't expect to use it much. My Sony Vegas Pro software has a 3D function that works well with this unit's output video (mp4 format). However, the camera's included software is intended to easily convert the compressed side-by-side stereo images/video into red-cyan anaglyph for those viewing on a non-3D TV or monitor (a pair of plastic anaglyph glasses is also included).

I noticed, however, that the video output can not simply be opened using Stereo Movie Maker ('your video has no FourCC code' error), so I have to convert it in Sony first if I want to open it with SMM, but I really have no reason to.

There isn't much onboard memory, so you will need to purchase a SD memory card (I actually use a miniSD card from my cellphone with an SD adapter). It can handle cards up to 32 MB. However, it DOES come with a HDMI cable so you can plug this thing right into your HDTV for viewing in 3D if your TV is 3D-Ready. There is also a nice carrying case, and a strap for carrying, although my pet peeve for that is that the strap attaches to the bottom of the camera, so if you were to try filming with it hanging around your neck, the video would be upside-down (fixable with editing software, I know, but it would have been nice to have it hang right-side up).

I like it for the ease of use (point and shoot), the nifty 3D preview screen (which takes a getting a little used to!), the portability of it, and the quality of the video ONCE THE FIRMWARE HAS BEEN UPDATED. Again, the video quality is NOT fantastic, but it's not bad either. In 3D mode, each eye receives 640 x 720 resolution (the 640 being stretched to double its width to 16:9 aspect ratio--the camera records in half-wide side-by-side format).

As for the 3D preview screen, my particular unit requires that you rotate the camera slightly to the right to get the 3D to work...its awkward having to do that and I think it may be a manufacturing misalignment. Not a biggie--if anyone else has noticed this, please leave a comment.

The 2D mode offers a 1280 x 720 video record/output which is not compressed horizontally. It also looks pretty good, but this is my first camcorder that records at anything higher than standard definition 4:3, so i'm easily impressed at the moment.

Want Aiptek 3D-HD High Definition 3D Camcorder (Black/White) Discount?

Those who have been enthusiasts of amateur and home movie making have probably very often thought about making their private productions in 3D. Honestly, up until I started playing with this Aiptek 3D 720p 30fps camcorder, I thought 3D was a far far away possibility. But it isn't: I believe a standard for amateur/home 3D movie making is already a reality and all you have to do is experiment with this super decently priced useful not-so-toy 3D movie making. I did download the firmware from the European site, thanks to a fellow who commented about it here and a slight improvement was achieved. I have read some comments here stating the "imperfections" of the little tool/toy, and I seriously believe they are unfair. The product DOES exactly what it says it does. If you know the imperfections of the tool, you will be able to make really nice 3D movies. My recommendation, though, is to get a video editing program capable of RENDERING a final product with good quality. The video clips produced by the Aiptek are MP4's with anamorphic left and right side views. The 1280-pixel screen is divided in two halves 640-pixel wide each: you still get 720p in height. Your regular 2D editor can do the job. You will need to accept the vision of two very anamorphic pictures. The most important part of it all is, like always, at the rendering point. It seems that this way of handling 3D movies has become a "standard". It does decrease the resolution, but makes 3D possible. You will be able to upload your videos to YouTube without any special processing: simply add the tags "yt3d:enalbe=true yt3d:aspect=16:9" and they will be shown in any form chosen by the viewer: anaglyph, side by side, switch sides, etc. This little tool/toy is a very enjoyable experience. Get yourself the side-by-side viewing glasses: they represent the highest quality method of viewing 3D side-by-side, without any color alteration.

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