Flip camcorder is pocket-perfect No-frills digital device fits modern straight-to-video lifestyle

One of my favorite things to do in high school was to carry around a bulky camcorder and record my friends and my antics. I would edit the videos and put them up on my Web site, since there was no YouTube in 2001.

Now, even though sharing online video has gotten easier, recording it hasn't. One of the promises of technology has always been that devices should become easier to use even as they become more advanced. Somewhere in the past few years, companies started diverting from that road and trying to one-up prior releases with new features that take away from the main functionality of the device.

Look at many of the camcorders on the market. How many people are actually using the built-in camera functionality on their camcorder instead of an actual camera? Even though the latest cameras on the market can shoot high-definition video and have more buttons than a nuclear warhead, I don't think the process is any easier than it was when I was sitting in English class.

That was until I was introduced to the Flip.

The Flip doesn't shoot high-definition video. The Flip doesn't take still photos. The Flip doesn't have a massive viewfinder. Instead, the Flip eliminates all of the complexity that is associated with recording digital video and makes it accessible to everyone.

Recording video with the Flip is a two-step process.

Step 1: Toggle the on switch. Step 2: Press the red record button.

When you're done recording, press the button again. Press the play button to review what you just shot and the trash can button to delete it if necessary.

That's all there is to the Flip, and that is what I absolutely love about it.

The Flip is the ultimate carry-in-your-pocket device and makes it easy to capture video of stuff you never would be able to with a traditional camcorder. Since the device is about the size of a classic iPod, it's comfortable to just keep in your purse or pocket.

There are no cables to keep track of. There is a USB plug that pops out of the side of the device. Plug it into your PC or Mac and you're ready to pull your video onto the computer. The Flip will appear on your desktop as an external disk that contains not only your videos, but all of the software you need to view and edit your clips.

I found the Flip's video editing tools rudimentary at best compared with Apple's iMovie, but they should suffice for Windows users. In most instances, I just pulled the video onto my Mac and uploaded it straight to YouTube or Flickr.

The Flip comes in a 30-minute and 60-minute version for $150 and $180, respectively. If you have kids, pets or just want a no frills way to produce online video, I can't recommend it enough.

Justin Williams is a local blogger and the owner of Second Gear, a local Web and software development firm. He can be reached at justin@secondgearllc.com.

Originally published in The Evansville Courier & Press

HD video makes old camcorders obsolete

I have again become interested in digital video after finding my old digital camcorder during a move. While iMovie 08 imports the footage just fine, the camera suffers from a few fatal flaws.

First, it is bulky. While it's not so large that I have to carry it on my shoulder, it's not something I'd want to carry in my bag.

Second, it doesn't record in high definition. I purchased a HD television last year, and I cringe every time I have to watch something in standard format.

More important than the other two flaws is that the camera is old technology.

Camcorders are now smaller, more powerful and cheaper. The greatest advance is the introduction of consumer-level high-definition camcorders.

Shooting and sharing high-definition home videos are necessary now that HDTV is gaining mainstream traction. The quality difference between standard and HD video is immense. To preserve video for years to come, having it in the highest quality available is a necessity.

There are three options as to recording medium: tape, hard drive and flash memory.

Tape gives the best video quality. Manufacturers are still producing camcorders capable of recording HD to the DV and MiniDV tape formats.

Tape allows easy archiving of raw footage. Once a tape is full, it can be removed from the recorder, stored for safekeeping and replaced with a fresh tape.

Some camcorders come with built-in hard drives. The drives allow the camcorder to be smaller and lighter. Unfortunately, video quality is not as good as MiniDV tape.

The most exciting new technology is the AVCHD format, which records video onto a tiny SD memory card like the ones in digital cameras. By recording to the tiny SD cards, camera manufacturers are able to shrink the size of cameras even more. Many AVCHD camcorders fit into the palm of the hand and weigh less than a pound.

AVCHD records in a compressed format, so when you do import it onto your Mac or PC for editing, it has to decompress it into an editable format. This can cause some quality degradation.

If video quality is your biggest concern, go with a tape-based camcorder, such as the Canon HV20.

It has exceptional video quality and the ability to shoot cinema-quality video.

If you are wanting a smaller camera, I'd suggest taking a look at the new AVCHD camcorders from Panasonic or Sony. AVCHD gives you great looking HD video and Dolby Digital encoded audio in a much smaller package.

I'm definitely willing to trade video quality for size, since most of my videos end up on the Web or my iPhone.

Justin Williams is a local blogger and the owner of Second Gear, a local Web and software development firm. He can be reached at justin@secondgearllc.com.

Originally published in the Evansville Courier & Press.