what do you all expect for 40?
i bought a class 10 16 gb sd card to go with it
low light the quality sucks. out doors its good enough for 40$. the built in light is useless. cheaply made. can tell it will break soon. software on the camera is very limited. hope they will come out with a firmware update for it. does not skip or anything crazy on me. works very well for 40 bux. after getting it the instructions say it only supports class 4 or 6 SD card

sandbar67 wrote:I just can't get enough of these video cameras.

Thank you so much for that link. I have not laughed so hard in a long time.

Bought this on a previous woot a few weeks back. For 40 dollars I can't complain. I didn't expect a great video camera, and I certainly didn't get one. This will be perfect though for the occasions where it may be a little risky taking something much more expensive, for example the beach or a party.

I find it humorous that so many people are upset about this camera considering the price. Geeze people, did you really expect an excellent video camera for 40 bucks? I've used mine several times and it is plenty adequate for a 40 dollar video camera.

dfrommi wrote:what do you all expect for 40?

From Woot during a Launch Event and Woot-Off?????

Well I personally expected more...like a working camera let alone a HD vid camera.

No brainer.

The biggest problem with the video on these cameras is the jerkiness. Like most of the cheap "HD" cameras coming out of China now, it's because the camera can't really capture 30 fps. The output format is indeed 30 fps, but when the camera falls behind it just inserts an empty "P-frame" into the video stream, which effectively duplicates the previous frame. (P-frames specify just the changes to be made from the previous frame, so an empty P-frame is no change.) With this camera, that's seems to average every other frame (or more!), so the effective frame rate is really less than 15. It might actually look smoother if it was a constant 15 fps, but the erratic effective frame rate is what produces the random stop-and-go jerkiness.

The next problem with the video is that it appears the sensor is not really 1280x720, so the 720p is achieved by interpolation. My guess is that the sensor is really 640x360 and the video image is doubled in both directions, and this is why the video just doesn't look like real 720p. The still images are especially horrible because the "5mp" size is achieved by very heavy interpolation of an image that is nowhere near that resolution. The result is big splotches where you would expect to see details if it were really a 5mp image.

So, the best thing that can be said about this camera is that it's very cheap.

I bought on of these when it premiered.
Will get it in the mail tomorrow. I am not looking forward to getting it after reading the reviews. I make YouTube videos with a Flip camera that is just VGA and I suspect I will continue using it. The link below is taken with that flip camera.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyPl9QEBHOc


Thankfully I knew it was a gamble. My daughter wants a small video recorder for Christmas.
She will be getting the one I ordered

RogerHarris wrote:The biggest problem with the video on these cameras is the jerkiness. Like most of the cheap "HD" cameras coming out of China now, it's because the camera can't really capture 30 fps. The output format is indeed 30 fps, but when the camera falls behind it just inserts an empty "P-frame" into the video stream, which effectively duplicates the previous frame. (P-frames specify just the changes to be made from the previous frame, so an empty P-frame is no change.) With this camera, that's seems to average every other frame (or more!), so the effective frame rate is really less than 15. It might actually look smoother if it was a constant 15 fps, but the erratic effective frame rate is what produces the random stop-and-go jerkiness.

The next problem with the video is that it appears the sensor is not really 1280x720, so the 720p is achieved by interpolation. My guess is that the sensor is really 640x360 and the video image is doubled in both directions, and this is why the video just doesn't look like real 720p. The still images are especially horrible because the "5mp" size is achieved by very heavy interpolation of an image that is nowhere near that resolution. The result is big splotches where you would expect to see details if it were really a 5mp image.

So, the best thing that can be said about this camera is that it's very cheap.

Thanks. This explains a lot. I wondered why the you tube video didn't look any different at 720 than at 360.

tesla33 wrote:Pity. This is the first one I've seen with a light. I do a lot of borderline-light shooting and that would really help...

The light is a joke. It does NOTHING to brighten up anything, even within a foot of the camera.

I think it does pretty well outdoors. It is super lightweight. It captures sound well, I think. I bought this for my mother-in-law who uses her cell phone camera for taking pictures so it may be a step up for her. Still on the fence about that though.

No charger. Must plug it in to the computer to charge up.

For $40, I didn't expect much when I ordered this the last time they were available. I got a unit with a very common sound issue, though. It seems this happens on a lot of these units (just watch the test footage that was posted earlier and you'll hear exactly what it sounds like- constant clicks/pops/buzzes).

If it worked, I would have been satisfied for the price. With that issue, though, I had to send mine back for a refund, since I basically got this to record myself when doing stand-up and I'm trying new bits. If I can't hear myself and the crowd, it doesn't do me much good.

So if you order one and get it without any sound issues, I suppose it's about what you'd expect for a $40 camera.

Minimum focus distance of 4 feet. Yikes.

Don't think you're taking this on an outing w/out taking your laptop as well. Only charges the batt. w/ an USB hook-up! That's right folks-NO AC CHARGER!

tesla33 wrote:Pity. This is the first one I've seen with a light. I do a lot of borderline-light shooting and that would really help...

buffaloed wrote:The Toshiba Camileo S20 Full-HD Pocket Camcorder has a light. I picked one up about a month ago when Amazon had them for $99. Then I saw them somewhere else for $89 and got a little ticked off. Now it's $134 on Amazon so I don't feel so bad. Anyway, it's a terrific camcorder and I'm sure it'll be on sale again after Christmas. But the light isn't powerful enough to illuminate a large area. Its useful range is only about 3-4 feet. A powerful light would need a big battery pack. It's perfect for industrial espionage. You can break into an office and steal the secret egg salad recipe without giving yourself away with a flash.

For what it's worth, the Panasonic camcorder that Woot sold 3 days ago has a light. However, a review says its range is only a few feet.

Got rid of this pile o' carp and bought a couple Zi8. Love them. They're awesome for pocket video cameras. 720P/60 frames or 1080P/30 frames. Even the EIS is pretty decent on them. And the external stereo mic port is great.

grip411 wrote:Don't think you're taking this on an outing w/out taking your laptop as well. Only charges the batt. w/ an USB hook-up! That's right folks-NO AC CHARGER!

Well, that's assuming you're going to be shooting enough video to exhaust the charge.

And there are plenty of available USB charging options, including AC-to-USB, car charger-to-USB, or the Energi To Go that Woot sold.

grip411 wrote:Don't think you're taking this on an outing w/out taking your laptop as well. Only charges the batt. w/ an USB hook-up! That's right folks-NO AC CHARGER!

You can get a USB to AC converter for about $2 these days, so don't let that scare you off. Of all the problems this camera has, that's the one that is easiest to fix.

Does anybody know if you can turn off the auto-white balance and other auto features that cause the picture to constantly change contrast.

I plan on using this device on a tripod, indoors to film interview type footage, with a still (or close to still) subject.

And judging by the feedback, I'll just have to stick with independent audio capturing ; )

tesla33 wrote:Pity. This is the first one I've seen with a light. I do a lot of borderline-light shooting and that would really help...

The light is useless unless you're shooting from 6 inches away. Mainly useful for finding a keyhole in a dark doorway.

baywatchboy15 wrote:I bought three of these the first time around. I sent one to each sibling and their families for Christmas. They've all got kids from 4-16. I figured it would be an okay camera for them to have and play with. If it falls apart, it won't be a huge loss.

Gifts for VERY young kids (6 to 10) is about all this is good for (would have loved to have something like this as a kid), but that is about it. It has grainy video and buzz in sound. I bought for my 13 year old, and won't even give it to him. I'll probably just use it for a webcam.

I ordered on the first go around of this camera. Not good but not horrible for a $40 recorder (camera is useless). What I haven't seen mentioned is that it didn't work on my Win7 64bit pc. Vista recognized it with no problem (thankfully on my laptop) but my Win7 wouldn't install it.
Any tips?

Bought this last time a couple weeks ago and it is horrible. It lags every 4th second, it has 0 stability and it isn't worth even the 40 dollars I spent on it. Wish I could of returned it but I threw away the box... I guess it'll go under my bed with all the other junk I bought.

I bought 3 the last time, and used one the other night to record my nephew's first stand up comedy routine at Comic Strip Live. What a disappointment - the sound was so off-synch from the audio that I can't even share that video with anyone. The camera is cheaply made and sometimes doesn't turn on. Sometimes when it does turn on, you get a split screen fuzzy-looking image and have to start it up again. I feel like I didn't get what I paid for, I got much less.

Got one a couple of weeks ago, still not working. Dealing with tech support now

Oh my! Frosty's gallavanting!...THIS is a quality post, it even got my headache maker to laugh!!!

Ozzmosis wrote:Actually no, you don't get what you paid for or what is advertised...

It wasn't advertised to have screaming audio feedback during playback, it wasn't advertised to be made of practically 100% plastic, it did advertise a HDMI port but it is actually a mini HDMI port that requires a special cord (if you want to go to all that trouble), it also wasn't advertised to turn off at any given time for no reason, I still can't figure out where it says that image stabilization is horrid, after reading the manual I didn't see where it said it would take forever to upload a pic, let alone a vid, to your PC...Facebook upload???? Paaaaalease.

"you get what you pay for"...I can get a headache from the wife for free. This thing costs $45.

Seriously, this thing is a mess in sooo many different ways.

Buy this camera if you're planning to give it to a child with the expectation that it will be broken or lost in the next month. Do not buy this camera if you're planning to use it yourself or give it to an adult who will use it as their primary camera.

This is not a $90 camera on sale here at Woot for $39. This is a $39 dollar camera and you really do get what you pay for.

Enough with the camcorders already! Three days ago you had the Panasonic and 10 days ago the same exact item as today. L@me.

CLASS 6 SDHC!!!

If you want more than a few minute of 720p video, you'd better get a SDHC card for this cool little camera.

If you want the video to be worth a darn, you'd better make sure the SDHC card is CLASS 6 or higher. Class 6 means it can record at least 6MB per second. A low end SD card will not capture all the data necessary for that 720p high def sweetness.

I have to say my G2 takes much better HD quality video than this horrible mess. Stay Away!

tesla33 wrote:Pity. This is the first one I've seen with a light. I do a lot of borderline-light shooting and that would really help...

The light is useful if you are taking a pic of something 6 inches away. Take heed from the rest of the posts on here.

DON'T BUY IT. IT'S CRAPPOLA....

Got this on a woot! just last week. Total junk, rip off, waste of money. Grainy picture, cheaply made toy-like quality, no memory. Don't waste your money on this!!

I've been e-mailing them about how crappy this thing is and all I get back from them is their jolly, sarcastic stock answers... "sell it on E-bay" etc.etc.
Woot is terrible w/ customer service and it is starting to hurt them, whether they will admit it or not. Put me on the list of longtime customers no longer willing to put up with their holier then thou attitude. I'm done forever.
Good job Woot!

Also I see they edited this post with the word "jolly" instead of the word I wrote which is the opposite of smart

Still waiting for the "launch" event one to arrive and after reading the comments, I'm thinking it might be best to launch the thing on a model rocket...I hope the poor quality is overstated, but I'm doubting it...

How many video cameras can one site post! My call phone take better video!

I bought three (3) of these at the launching. (hey! I can hear y'all snickering) After reading all of these comments...I just want to return them to woot. I haven't tried any of them yet. Will woot refund my purchase if I return them?

NightGhost wrote:These HD vids don't look so bad:

Outdoors

Indoors (he should have put the light behind the camera, though)

For a $40 camera neither of those aren't terrible. Mine is supposed to arrive today, so we share see. I'll be happy with it for outdoor use. It's all relative. My Mini-DV $300 camcorder doesn't take decent video inside either

I agree with everyone after using this twice that it is crap. It looks nice and the rechargeable battery is a nice touch. The fact is, the video is lacking, and the sound is crackling and popping and hissing like the other folks have indicated. I plan on getting rid of this and buying the ZI8. This was going to replace my original Flip VGA camcorder.

Im glad you guys pointed out that this thing sucks, I was actually excited to see it up again and was gonna buy it for my birthday....

You saved me!

This is just a horrible product. Shame on you, Woot, for offering it right after everyone suckered the first time has realized that it's a barely-functioning turd of a gadget. Way to kick us while we're down.

Mine not only took the same buzz-filled, grainy, nausea-inducing videos as the other units, but half the time I experienced the same lock-up on boot, requiring me to take the battery out. Hopefully, if Woot has any sense of decency, my RMA will be assigned shortly.

Do NOT buy. For $40, the least I expect is grainy video WITHOUT a horrid buzzing sound that at least turns on and off when I want it to. Do NOT buy.

EDIT: if you purchased one of these and still haven't opened it, do so. If you're lucky, it'll also be defective and unable to turn on and off properly, which might allow you to get an RMA. SHAME ON YOU, WOOT.

nerdtasticalone wrote:Thanks for the warning.

You are sooooo right! I bought one the last time is was on Woot and have been using it for about 5 days now. What a piece of carp! The video image is worse than my first camcorder from the 80's. I thought there was something wrong with the settings so I tried contacting Sylvania but they haven't even heard of this unit. I e-mailed Woot for help and they sent me a link for customer support... I called them and they were not able to support this unit. I hope Woot will RMA this product for me because it is absolutely worthless. I wouldn't even give this as a gift to a three year old. Be warned... do not buy!!!

GBT wrote:Don't do it. I bought it on the last woot and the video quality is garbage.

You've been warned.

You are sooooo right! I bought one the last time is was on Woot and have been using it for about 5 days now. What a piece of carp! The video image is worse than my first camcorder from the 80's. I thought there was something wrong with the settings so I tried contacting Sylvania but they haven't even heard of this unit. I e-mailed Woot for help and they sent me a link for customer support... I called them and they were not able to support this unit. I hope Woot will RMA this product for me because it is absolutely worthless. I wouldn't even give this as a gift to a three year old. Be warned... do not buy!!!

Kind of a bummer, kind of not.

As my fiance and I are in agreement that we would not sit down to watch a professionally shot wedding video, we're skipping a videographer altogether. Instead, after having great success with a Flip camera originally purchased from Woot (I recorded "behind the scenes" footage for a friend's wedding and made an entertaining montage of it to them as a gift - they loved it!) we've decided to hand out some cheap cameras to groups of family and friends and will be telling them to record away. We're hoping to get all of the footage we wouldn't see otherwise and eventually compile it into one large, undoubtedly hysterical and inappropriate wedding video. After compiling our video, I'll be donating the cameras to other classrooms in the school where I teach. I was planning on hanging onto one to record footage in my own 6th grade classroom, but honestly, I like my Flip (and it's the non-HD version!) a whole lot more. Looks like 4 teachers will be getting crappy cameras....

So, the moral of the story is that my mother and I bought 4 of these hunks of junk for the wedding. Gonna wait the year and a half before buying the SD cards, as we all know the correlation between the price of memory over time...

The bad news is that I agree with all of the other reviews - video quality is icky and the "popping" in the audio is driving me nuts. The good news is that these cameras will be operated by my undoubtedly inebriated and entirely inappropriate family/friends. If it gets dropped, kicked, whatever.....no loss there, I suppose.

Not going to lie, though I was pleased that it was cheap as heck, I'm disappointed that Woot is unloading such a low-quality item on their site. True, it's unrealistic for $40, but I was just expecting a bit more!