triggerhorse wrote:Tax in WA. state kills the woot deals for me Goodbye WOOT or should I say Amazon!!

Exactly, this new tax thing happened because of Amazon. In truth, I can't even blame Amazon. They're collecting taxes because my state, New York, is forcing them to do so. Amazon sued NYS to stop the forced taxation and the lawsuit is pending. Amazon's reasoning is based in part on the fact that they have no physical presence in NY.

WA is a whole different story because Amazon is physically based in WA. I'm afraid there's no way to escape being taxed now that Amazon bought Woot. Actually, there's a partial solution. Texas-based Woot gives Texans to use a special coupon code ("taxsucks") to offset the sales tax by reimbursing the shipping (up to $5). Woot should now do the same for those of us who are taxed.

The disturbing thing is that Woot never warned us about the new policy. I Wooted last month and it was tax free. And even now, the initial order screen says nothing about taxes. The total cost is [No of items] x [Cost per item] + $5 s/h. Then in the final screen, the tax appears. That's pretty dishonest since most people assume that the final screen's total is identical to the initial screen's total.

Like you, the additional cost will certainly make me less iikely to buy from Woot.

I have one of these and it normally resides in my small purse--I'm not someone who carries a ginormous bag, just something big enough for a wallet, keys, and cell phone.

There's a lot to be said for having the Flip with me at all times--and it is a hell of a lot more user friendly than my cell phone's camera.

It's also saved my rump---an emailed video greeting from the grandchild was considered a pretty good substitute for a mother's day card once.

The included soft pouch has been enough to protect it from my keys in my purse.

Charger cable not included????? Fail!

I bought my Flip Video about 3 years ago for twice the price. I love the convenience because it's small enough to carry in my purse. I've used it for fun and for work (to record meetings). The biggest drawback is that it uses batteries (rather than internal recharging) and it sucks through them pretty quickly. I use rechargeables in them but remember to always have spares.

brucedoesbms wrote:Here we go with the penultimate question -- what kind of BATTERY LIFE are we talkin' 'bout over here?...

EDIT: I'm not referring to time between charges, but rather total battery life - as in how many deep cell charges?...

So what is your last question?

I saw these in target B&M for $99.88 (new) yesterday.

I'm not sure I'd be willing to take the refurb option if I can spend 20% more for a new item.

sdc100 wrote:GUYS, PLEASE BE AWARE THAT WOOT IS NOW CHARGING SALES TAX, AND IT ISN'T MADE CLEAR DURING THE INITIAL ORDERING PROCESS

The state is charging the sales tax, and they have been from the beginning of woot.com. Woot.com is now required by law to collect the tax for the state.

You have always owed sales tax on your woot.com purchases; it's just not as easy to cheat on your taxes now.

iSpoiler09 wrote:I'd like to sneak one inside of my motorcycle helmet and get some video of rides. I've seen people fit these thin digital cams in there. Anybody have any input on that?

I was able to velcro a creative vado video camera in the front of a scorpion exo 300 helmet (right in front of my mouth) and the lens would just peek up into the visor area (by my nose). The footage wasn't great because I actually lean into the wind while riding so I got a lot of shots of the speedometer and ground. But it depends on your riding style and bike (I had an sv650n).

That being said, the flip minohd is thicker than the creative vado and may not fit into all helmets. The creative vado I used barely fit into mine...it would smush my nose a bit.

Some folks are asking the same questions repeatedly (surprise!), so:

This DOES come with a composite cable, but you can't output HD over composite.

This DOESN'T come with the external charger, but you can charge through a USB port.

And you don't need a USB cable, since this has a flip-out USB arm (the photo links show this).

I own the Ultra HD Flip and ever since I bought one of these, I have not used my DSLR as much. My daughter is 20 months and this camera is such a blessing. I used to also take videos using my point and click but this device makes it easier and so much fun.
The clarity is pretty good. 720P HD in MP4 formats. USB charging. I stick in the usb of my tv and play. Or use a HDMI cable. I have taken over 50 gigs of video so far.

The only thing I dont like is it does not have image stabilization and if you do not hold it right or have steady hands you will get a headache from watching those videos. But for the price , worth the money.

kmansukhani wrote:I own the Ultra HD Flip and ever since I bought one of these, I have not used my DSLR as much. My daughter is 20 months and this camera is such a blessing. I used to also take videos using my point and click but this device makes it easier and so much fun.
The clarity is pretty good. 720P HD in MP4 formats. USB charging. I stick in the usb of my tv and play. Or use a HDMI cable. I have taken over 50 gigs of video so far.

The only thing I dont like is it does not have image stabilization and if you do not hold it right or have steady hands you will get a headache from watching those videos. But for the price , worth the money.

At the risk of being obvious, I would suggest using a monopod or even a tripod when shooting movies. An inexpensive monopod is quite portable, and no one's hands are completely steady.

I recently used a tripod to film my son's concert with a portable camcorder. One person laughed at how the little camera looked so tiny atop the tripod, but the movies did come out very steady.

craigthom wrote:The state is charging the sales tax, and they have been from the beginning of woot.com. Woot.com is now required by law to collect the tax for the state.

You have always owed sales tax on your woot.com purchases; it's just not as easy to cheat on your taxes now.

Please read my post again. The complaint is not that Woot is collecting sales tax; it's that there was a sudden change in policy and we weren't warned. Furthermore, the tax isn't even indicated in the beginning of the ordering process. The system claims that the "total price" is the [Number of items] x [Cost per item] + $5 s/h. No sales tax whatsoever even though Woot has our zipcode, thus able to indicate to us if our state is taxed. Many of us then ordered without realizing that a tax was added. I didn't realize it until I got my receipt.

In addition, unlike other online merchants, Woot has a demonstrated history against sales tax. Hence the coupon code "TAXSUCKS" for Texans, which offsets any TX sales tax by refunding shipping.

Finally, your claim of "cheating" is not so clear cut because neither Woot nor Amazon have a physical presence in NY state. Hence Amazon's lawsuit against New York, which is pending. Traditionally, sales tax has not been collected for such transactions, whether done online, by phone or mail. Neither has NYS asked people to pay. Where are the PSAs? So unless you can show me that people normally report their out of state purchases during tax time, it's hardly a case of cheating. Cheating implies a hidden action and I'm hardly secretive about my Woot and Amazon purchases. The corporate logo is right on the box -- delivered to me by the USPS, a government entity. Are you then saying that the USPS is a knowing accomplice in my crime?

It's stupid policies like this (by NY, not Woot) that make eBay sellers charge 1 cent for items, and make up the difference in exorbitant s/h, which is not taxable, i.e. video players for 99 cents and %59 s/h.

NightGhost wrote:At the risk of being obvious, I would suggest using a monopod or even a tripod when shooting movies. An inexpensive monopod is quite portable, and no one's hands are completely steady.

I recently used a tripod to film my son's concert with a portable camcorder. One person laughed at how the little camera looked so tiny atop the tripod, but the movies did come out very steady.

I bought a pocket-sized tripod for $1 (free s/h) on eBay. It's one of those with flexible legs that can be used to tie itself to objects. Works great. Here are photos of the original Gorilla Tripod, which is larger, stronger and more expensive than mine. Mine is the length of a balllpoint pen and even has pocket clip.

craigthom wrote:So what is your last question?

heh.

NightGhost wrote:And you don't need a USB cable, since this has a flip-out USB arm (the photo links show this).

I'd still recommend using an USB extension cable because plugging the Flip in directly places stress on the fragile arm. The Flip is not exactly light like USB memory or a WiFi dongle. Plus, you'd need clearance for the Flip, which is not always available on the sides of your laptop. Desktops are even worse since the USB port is not near a flat surface. IMO, the fragile flip arm, which gave Flip is name, is one of the worst features of this camera. Creative's Vado has the best solution by having a retractable USB cable stored inside the unit.

Playtek wrote:Great camera good picture and fantastic sound for the built in microphone


I recorded this with my black flip about 6 months ago.

Edit: made the link now default to HD since that is what needs to be showcased.

I don't think your shaky and choppy video will sell many of these

sdc100 wrote:I'd still recommend using an USB extension cable because plugging the Flip in directly places stress on the fragile arm. The Flip is not exactly light like USB memory or a WiFi dongle. Plus, you'd need clearance for the Flip, which is not always available on the sides of your laptop. Desktops are even worse since the USB port is not near a flat surface. IMO, the fragile flip arm, which gave Flip is name, is one of the worst features of this camera. Creative's Vado has the best solution by having a retractable USB cable stored inside the unit.

All good advice. Another solution (the one I use) is a powered USB hub on my desk.

manncarol wrote:I found it to be a big drawback not to have the option of swapping out an SD card in order to continue recording.

"4GB of built-in memory; no additional memory needed". if this were true, why would you build an 8GB model? of *COURSE* more memory is needed.

While I've only used an older model, I must say these little things rock.

My wife and I put together an excellent 25 min video, compiled from clips recorded on the flip camcorder, of our memorable vacation to San Diego earlier this year.

I wouldn't hesitate at all to buy one of these as a gift for kids or adults.

NightGhost wrote:At the risk of being obvious, I would suggest using a monopod or even a tripod when shooting movies. An inexpensive monopod is quite portable, and no one's hands are completely steady.

Yeah, because you can always tell the 20 month old kid to wait until you get the tripod set up before doing something cute.
"Ok. All set now. Ready? Action! ...I said action... Dang it! Be cute again kid! I am your director and you will listen to my cues! Oh, so now you are gonna laugh in my face, huh?... Actually, that's kinda cute...are we rolling? Aw, man! Get that tripod back over here!..."

bsmith1 wrote:Yeah, because you can always tell the 20 month old kid to wait until you get the tripod set up before doing something cute.
"Ok. All set now. Ready? Action! ...I said action... Dang it! Be cute again kid! I am your director and you will listen to my cues! Oh, so now you are gonna laugh in my face, huh?... Actually, that's kinda cute...are we rolling? Aw, man! Get that tripod back over here!..."

Or you can leave it attached to a monopod...

edit: I used to work as a nature photographer, and there are some tricks for shooting stable vid without a tripod. You can brace your arms against your body, and stand with your legs apart. Also, it helps to lean against a wall, pole, etc. Finally, you can often find something to brace the camera against.

Even a mime or a surgeon will eventually bounce the camera a little bit when just holding it "normally."

crowbite wrote:Check out the Kodak Zx1. Similar size and price, but it uses SD cards. Also, the Zx1 uses two AA cells. So with the Zx1, you can carry a few extra SD cards and a few extra AA cells, and shoot "forever." Whereas with the Flip you're limited by internal memory and battery size.

IMHO the Flip is a very bad choice, the Zx1 is much better for roughly the same price. BTW, I got my Zx1 on Woot. ;)

There are other features too like multiple playback speeds, the ability to take 3mb stills, HDMI ooutput, and a 720p 60fps mode (which makes incredibly smooth videos; greaat for fast action and slo-mo playback, i.e. sports videos and golf swing analysis).

The Kodak Zx1 is currently on sale for $47. Click here.

dliidlii wrote:Amazon reviewer says beware of older model
214 of 235 people found the following review helpful:
Video of the USB Flaw on Both Mac AND Acer Laptops, January 10, 2010
By Sidney
This review is from: Flip MinoHD Camcorder 2nd Generation, 2 Hours (Brushed Metal) (Electronics)

Length:: 1:55 Mins

We bought this camera because we lost our first generation Flip MinoHD, which we loved. I'm sad to report that the USB issues mentioned by countless others are real, and I decided it was worth posting a video that clearly shows the extent of the issue so as to help convince others not to waste their money. This simply doesn't work with Macs, and as you can see from this video it also doesn't work with an Acer Aspire One netbook (~20% of all netbooks currently being shipped). This is a fundamental flaw with the product and is completely inexcusable.

UPDATE 4/19/2010
It seems likely that Cisco has attempted to resolve this issue in the lots now leaving their manufacturing facility. Indeed, there was for a few days a carefully worded "we know this is an issue, but don't want to get in too much trouble, so we'll only partially acknowledge the problem" notice at the top of this page informing

It absolutely DOES work with MACs. That's what I own and have been using the Flip MinoHD with them for two years!

NightGhost wrote:Or you can leave it attached to a monopod...
edit: I used to work as a nature photographer

I too have spent some time traipsing through the wilderness with a camera. I retrofitted my walking staff with a camera mount atop it. I also had my assistants duct tape me to a tree for extra stability. This was crucial to getting that perfect shot of the illusive albino monarch butterfly.

I don't think these Flip camcorders are the sort of thing you would "normally" use in such situations that required a tripod. With limited zoom, you're gonna be up close and personal, so I don't see it as practical to attach a tripod to the camera with you're just hanging over your newborn baby's crib to catch his or her first sneeze. I mean, its portability lends itself to just being about to whip it out in a crowd and shoot on the fly. Lugging around a tripod everywhere you go (or even planning ahead to bring one) seems counterproductive to the point-n-shoot concept of these little portable cameras.

kidnice1 wrote:Charger cable not included????? Fail!

Um...it charges by plugging into a USB port. No cable required! Surely you have a USB adapter for some other gadget you could use if you need to charge in a wall or car socket. Right? (you missed a free one at deals.woot)

the convenience and quality of using a Flip camcorder for those impromptu situations when you'll lose the scene unless you record it RIGHT NOW is outstanding.

i have mine in my everyday-carry bag ready to go at all times, and i've recorded some great moments because of it.

how does this compare to a iphone 3gs? worth trying to keep up with two devices?

Does anyone know if I am able to hook up my microphone reciever to this little guy. As a teacher I tape alot of my lessons and would love something a little smaller and out of the way.

bsmith1 wrote:I too have spent some time traipsing through the wilderness with a camera. I retrofitted my walking staff with a camera mount atop it. I also had my assistants duct tape me to a tree for extra stability. This was crucial to getting that perfect shot of the illusive albino monarch butterfly.

I don't think these Flip camcorders are the sort of thing you would "normally" use in such situations that required a tripod. With limited zoom, you're gonna be up close and personal, so I don't see it as practical to attach a tripod to the camera with you're just hanging over your newborn baby's crib to catch his or her first sneeze. I mean, its portability lends itself to just being about to whip it out in a crowd and shoot on the fly. Lugging around a tripod everywhere you go (or even planning ahead to bring one) seems counterproductive to the point-n-shoot concept of these little portable cameras.

This topic is getting old, but...

That's why I keep suggesting a light monopod and not a tripod. The incredible portability of this camera is its most attractive feature, and it's very handy to be able to whip it out of your pocket or purse and take a quick shot of the baby. However, people will certainly want to take some longer videos of staged events, and viewers will thank you if the video is stable (look at the comment a few posts up about the shaky concert video the guy shot - although to be fair he may have been standing and helpless to avoid it).

Mostly, I want potential buyers to be aware that, although this camera is very light and small, there's a tradeoff for the convenience of shooting by hand. Hey - there's a reason this thing has a tripod mount...

Finally, I never suggested that this would be the model of choice for photographing albino butterflies.

ajreed wrote:Does anyone know if I am able to hook up my microphone reciever to this little guy. As a teacher I tape alot of my lessons and would love something a little smaller and out of the way.

It does not appear to have a mic input.

I once saw one of these under the bathroom stall... very nice looking!

NightGhost wrote:
Finally, I never suggested that this would be the model of choice for photographing albino butterflies.

No, but you did support your monopod recommendation by citing your own experience photographing in the wilderness. I wouldn't suggest that this would be the model of choice for THAT either.
You're right. This is getting old, so we'll have to agree to disagree when it comes to the practicality of carrying a monopod that is 3 times the size (when collapsed) of the camera itself. My thoughts are that it has a tripod mount for desktop or table applications where you might use a mini tripod and not for free-standing situations where a full monopod is needed.
I wish you pleasant wooting, NightGhost. May the woot be with you. Always.

It stinks that there is no memory-card slot...

NightGhost wrote:Some folks are asking the same questions repeatedly (surprise!), so:

This DOES come with a composite cable, but you can't output HD over composite.

This DOESN'T come with the external charger, but you can charge through a USB port.

And you don't need a USB cable, since this has a flip-out USB arm (the photo links show this).

Yes, you can output HD wit the composite cable.

I bought this last year for $149. It is an amazing little camera. The quality is better than the HD movie mode on most compact still cameras. It does lack anti-shake technology though, so the movies you make are very, very, shaky. The new iMovie for Mac can correct this in editing, though.

duffyb wrote:Yes, you can output HD wit the composite cable.

You're probably thinking of component cable. The maximum resolution of composite is 480i (or 576i in Euro format), or SD.

Video Cables

craigthom wrote:The state is charging the sales tax, and they have been from the beginning of woot.com. Woot.com is now required by law to collect the tax for the state.

You have always owed sales tax on your woot.com purchases; it's just not as easy to cheat on your taxes now.

" CHEAT " , hahahaha only if that business has NEXUS is your state. The constitution prohibits the collection of out of state sales taxes.... no one is ' cheating ' except the corrupt politicians who ' cheat ' the common man out of their hard earned money.

iSpoiler09 wrote:I'd like to sneak one inside of my motorcycle helmet and get some video of rides. I've seen people fit these thin digital cams in there. Anybody have any input on that?

The video will be really shaky. I love my Mino, but you must hold it very still when shooting.

Man i just bought this same refurb on amazon for what i thought was a hell of a deal(105)!! I really like the cam now that i got one that works. I had to send back 2 before i got a good one. They all had various problems with the screen. I wouldn't be surprised if at least 2:5 had the same problem. I guess these refurbs are notorious for being bad still. But once you get a good one they're definitely worth the deal. Awesome quality with lots of light but gets pretty grainy in low light situations. So perfect for summer outdoor footage. It doesn't take stills but you can pull a single frame out and make a still with the flip software included. They also have problems with the built in usb fitment. This is a problem everyone will have that's why the price has gotten so low on these. It took a little finaggling to get mine to plug into my laptop. It's pretty bad but once i threw all caution to the wind about wrecking that particular usb port i got it in and now i can plug it in fairly quick and easy. Audio's pretty good. Zoom is pretty much non existant. All and all great cam for the price.

duffyb wrote:Yes, you can output HD wit the composite cable.

No, composite cables can't transport HD contents. I think you mean component cables, which was the preferred method for connecting HD and progressive scan material until HDMI took over. Composite cables are Yellow (video), Red and White (L and R audio). Component cables are Red, Green and Blue.

Composite cables are composite because the signal is "composed" of many video factors: chrominance (color), luminance (brightness), etc. Combining all these factors into one signal degrades the video. S-Video is a bit better because it separates the chrominance and luminance. Component cables separates the video into its most basic "components," allowing each factor to retain its purity during transport (it's actually a bit more complicated but you get the idea). That's why it takes 3 cables (Red, Blue and Green) to transport the same video information as the one Yellow composite cable.


COMPONENT CABLES (for HDTV and Progressive Scan videos)





COMPOSITE CABLES