Flip Video MinoHD (black)
Manufacturer: Pure Digital Technologies, Inc. Part number: F460B
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- While it has its flaws and is a bit expensive, the ultrasimple Flip Video MinoHD produces impressive video for a camcorder of its size.
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CNET editors' review
Flip Video MinoHD (black) price range: $156.99 - $228.13
- Reviewed by: David Carnoy
- Edited by: Lori Grunin
- Reviewed on: 11/14/2008
The good: Solid 720p video, particularly for a camcorder this size; ultraslim yet functional design; easy to use; one-touch video uploading to YouTube, AOL, and MySpace; integrated lithium ion rechargeable battery; FlipShare software is compatible with both Macs and Windows machines.
The bad: Somewhat pricey; no SD/MMC card expansion slot; rechargeable battery isn't removable or replaceable; can't output HD to HDTVs.
The bottom line: While it has its flaws and is a bit expensive, the ultrasimple Flip Video MinoHD produces impressive video for a camcorder of its size.
Earlier this year, Kodak released the Zi6, a mini camcorder supplying HD resolution. The whole HD spin upped the ante for Flip Video, the current market leader in the straight-to-Web mini camcorder category. While we like the Zi6, it has some small drawbacks that make it hard to fully endorse over the smaller Mino and less expensive Ultra. Still, there's been some pressure for Flip Video to put out an HD model. And now it has: the MinoHD.
The MinoHD looks identical to that of its standard-def sibling, the Mino, and we similarly appreciate it mostly for its pocket-friendly design. (For a comparison of the various models, the company provides a comparison chart.) Both models are supercompact and weigh 3.3 ounces. Unless you buy directly from the company, the HD version is only available in black; if you order it via Flip's Web site, though, you can get snazzier custom versions at no extra cost. The USB connector flips straight up, rather than to the side, for a smaller footprint that should fit better in a crowded USB environment. It has a smallish 1.46-inch transflective LCD display that enables you to still see what's on the screen even in bright daylight. The back navigation controls have responsive touch-sensitive buttons embedded into a shiny, flush surface; we like them, but on occasion you'll accidentally touch a button you wished you hadn't.
A tripod mount sits on the center of the bottom of the camera. The port for the AV output features the Mino's same lilliputian jack--it's smaller than the standard 2.5mm jack--and while Flip includes a cable for connecting to a TV, the AV jack outputs only standard-definition video. By comparison, the Zi6's output supports HD and it ships with a cable that allows you to connect to the component-video jacks on your TV. That said, the video you get out of the MiniHD's composite connection looks sharper than that of the standard-def Mino and Ultra. Along with the cable you get a chamois-style carrying pouch that doubles as a cloth to wipe down your MinoHD.
Like its siblings, the MinoHD is designed to be exceedingly simple to use, and it is. Unlike some of its competitors, it provides virtually no settings to fiddle with apart from setting the date and time. You shoot in one resolution and that's it. There's no choice to drop to a lower video resolution to store more video, but why would you want to? Really, the MinoHD is all about pushing the red button to start and stop recording and hit the playback button to see what you recorded. That's pretty much it.
The same nonremovable rechargeable lithium ion battery as the Mino's powers the MinoHD. However, it only shoots up to 2 hours, compared with the standard Mino's 4 hours or so of juice. That's obviously a big difference. In addition, to accommodate the bigger high-resolution video files, the MinoHD comes equipped with double the memory: 4GB, capable of storing 60 minutes of 1,280x720 resolution (720p) video. The MinoHD has been upgraded to Flip Video's Pure Digital Video engine 3.0 processor from Version 2.5 and incorporates a slightly bigger 1/4.5-inch HD CMOS sensor. Additionally, it's rated for improved low-light sensitivity and uses a 9Mbps encoding rate (vs. 4Mbps for the Mino). And finally, the MinoHD uses the H.264 video compression scheme instead of Advanced Profile MPEG-4 AVI.
What does that all add up to? Well, in our review of the standard-def Mino, we concluded that the video was pretty sharp with fairly accurate, vibrant colors. But it didn't scale well; to keep it sharp you had to watch the video in a small box on your computer screen (the Mino's video looks OK on your TV via the video outputs, but it's still low-resolution video). With the MinoHD, you can play a clip full screen with no significant degradation. Again, you won't confuse the video for what you'd get from a real high-definition camcorder, but the video quality is pretty impressive for a camcorder this tiny.
Video shot in both bright and low light looked pretty good. We took some footage at an event inside the American Museum of Natural History (of Night at the Museum fame), and the camcorder was able to capture video in a very dimly lit room. It didn't look great, but the video wasn't nearly as noisy in low light as we seen from other camcorders of this ilk. The sound was also decent and improved over the Mino's, though we felt the mic could use a little more gain up.
However, there are some caveats. The MinoHD does much better when held steady (Amazon is currently bundling it with a mini tripod for a reason). The camcorder also has some focus issues, such as choosing the ground rather than the animal scampering across it, and you can't get too close to your subjects or they will be out of focus. And you'll also notice that videos don't always play with the smooth precision of a true high-def video; there's just a slight bit of jitter. (Flip Video reps says it helps to have a more powerful computer and not have a lot of applications open when you're playing back videos, but we noticed it on an 8-core Mac with nothing else running).
One of the Flip Video camcorders' key selling points is how easy it is to get videos off the camera and distribute them, and the tradition continues here. You simply flip out the USB connector and plug it into your Windows (Windows 2000/XP or later) or OS X (10.4 or later) machine and up pops FlipShare, the company's newly redesigned software. You can play back one clip, string several together to make a movie, pull a single frame (still photo) out of the video, and share your clips with selected viewers via e-mail or the Web.
When sharing via e-mail, instead of attaching a large file--even short 20-second clips can result in a 25MB file--recipients are sent a link to your compressed video. It looks worse than your raw video footage, but it doesn't look bad and Flip Video has made an effort to preserve some of the sharpness and HD qualities. Aside from the fact that it can take several minutes to process the video, sharing a file is very simple. Click on the "Share Video" button in the software interface and it takes you to a screen that asks you to select a video clip and choose to share it via e-mail, share a greeting (send a private video card), or share it online.
To publish directly to YouTube, AOL, or MySpace, you'll need to create an account for each service and log in. But once you do, you can automatically upload your videos to the Web for private or public viewing with a click of a button. If you're allied to some other video-sharing site, a click of a button allows you to prepare the video for uploading, but you'll have to manually upload the processed file from a folder on your desktop.
Overall, FlipShare's got a cleaner look and seems easier to use. But the video trimming feature is a little buried and it no longer has the Movie Mix feature, which we really liked. Previously, you could select the clips you liked, click a button, and a few minutes later, the software spat out a movie complete with transitions and special effects and even some background music (you could choose to add your own background music). However, by sacrificing Muvee, which powered the Movie Mix feature, the MinoHD gained Mac and iMovie compatibility. Now you can trim your clips, string them together, and add titles and music. But there's no press-a-button a get a movie.
Pure Digital also offers a make-your-own-DVD service. You upload up to an hour's worth of video to a special Web site to have it burned to a DVD, which then gets distributed to your family and friends at $19.99 a pop. The company also claims you can "keep your videos archived forever," but remember that "forever" doesn't mean the same thing to companies as it does to people.
In the end, the MinoHD marks another step forward for Flip Video and mini camcorders in general. The device isn't without its drawbacks: a relatively high price tag, no memory expansion slot, and a short-lived, nonremovable battery. The big question, of course, is whether the Mino is better than the Kodak Zi6. We think so: though some may like the larger Zi6, with its bigger LCD, the MiniHD's video quality is a little better and its smaller design will appeal to people looking for a camcorder that barely makes a bulge in your pocket.
User reviews
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It does what it says it will, for a great price.
Pros: You get excellent video for the money, especially in low light situations. Small, compact & lightweight. Simple to use, almost impossible to screw up, even for my 8yr-old.
Cons: Can't swap battery! If your hands tremble, use the tripod; otherwise those watching will get seasick.
Summary: Yes, the Mino HD has some drawbacks, the battery runtime and lack of image stabilization among them. But that is just nitpicking, as for $200 you get more than you ...
Summary: Yes, the Mino HD has some drawbacks, the battery runtime and lack of image stabilization among them. But that is just nitpicking, as for $200 you get more than you pay for. I shot my daughter's 10th birthday celebration yesterday, which ranged from the party @ Chuck E. Cheeses to inside a moving car, to back at home in dimly lit rooms. The video is flawless - although I cut out the car scenes because it was a bumpy ride & the Mino HD offers no way to compensate under such conditions. That quibble aside, the video is beautiful - even the in-home scenes with poor lighting. It displays just fine on my 37" display, although I can't testify how it might degrade on a truly large (50" or larger) TV.
I have no regrets whatsoever from purchasing this little beauty.4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Here's a workaround for YouTube uploads
by AbbaDad on December 8, 2008
Pros: Small, Quick, Easy to use.
Cons: Slow software and conversion for YouTube degrades quality completely
Summary: When you try to upload a video using FlipShare to YouTube (haven't tried any others) the HD quality is lost and the video is barely viewable. One thing you ...
Summary: When you try to upload a video using FlipShare to YouTube (haven't tried any others) the HD quality is lost and the video is barely viewable. One thing you can do is go to your videos directory (after moving the clips to your computer) and then upload the raw MP4 file directly from there (using the YouTube upload page). Then you will have the option to 'watch in HD' on the bottom right of the video on the YouTube page. They don't let you embed HD, but at least you can get the better quality to share somewhere.
4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Also Check Out New Creative Vado HD version Because...
by Jimro on December 6, 2008
Pros: Two nice units, BUT the Creative Vado HD version has 8 MB of memory for 2 hours of HD recording. Has HDMI output and includes the HDMI cable for superior TV quality. Has a 2 inch LCD. Has a user changable Lithium Ion batter. PC and MAC compatible.
Cons: Available Decmeber 9th 2008
Summary: Two excellent choices, but the Creative Vado HD outdoes the Flip Mino HD in a number of important areas.
Summary: Two excellent choices, but the Creative Vado HD outdoes the Flip Mino HD in a number of important areas.
4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Poor video quality cannot make up for the small size.
by evenbone on May 25, 2009
Pros: Ultra small, thin, light weight. Very easy to use.
Cons: Poor video quality. I cannot believe they are able yo market this as an "HD" product.
Summary: In hind sight, I wish I would have tried the non HD version and saved the few extra bucks. I think the CNET review on this product is accurate, but ...
Summary: In hind sight, I wish I would have tried the non HD version and saved the few extra bucks. I think the CNET review on this product is accurate, but don't under estimate the poor video quality. It looks terrible on any playback format, including playback on your computer in a small window. Anyone expecting anything even close to HD quality will be very disappointed.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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$29.00 camera at 10x the price
by fjungman on April 8, 2009
Pros: A child could use this.
Cons: Only a child should use this.
POOR:
image quality, ergonomics, viewing screen, flexibility, audio quality.Summary: My wife bought this new, used it on a week-long vacation with her family and promptly returned it after viewing the video. This is, in no way, HD quality. Yes, ...
Summary: My wife bought this new, used it on a week-long vacation with her family and promptly returned it after viewing the video. This is, in no way, HD quality. Yes, it is HD resolution, but the image is choppy, faded and the audio is out of sync. I'm sure there are settings on playback to fix some of that, but why should it be necessary at this price?
The device has no features whatsoever, terrible zoom, and is awkward to hold. The zoom is so bad that you keep holding it by your chest to shoot, since it does not go wide-angle enough to be useful. Also, the lack of built-in lens protection (they give you a bag to put it in) means it will have a scratched-up lens in a very short time.
This is not innovative. The reason other cameras like this are not out there is because real engineers would never, ever design a piece of junk like this and think anyone would buy it. This was designed by mac people for mac people, but I think mac people expect much, much higher quality for their money, they aren't just simpletons, they are smart simpletons.
I am appalled that Sun would pay $590,000,000 for this company, but I guess companies do dumb things in their death-throws...1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Not bad if you're looking for Mac Compatibility
by nic.disassembly on March 23, 2009
Pros: Sharp picture, sound is pretty clear, resolution is nice with little to no video noise/static even in low light. I actually though video had little to no blur even while doing "swinging" motion with camera in daylight...
Cons: For the price, it should have a couple of camera housed effects such as b/w and sepia shooting, negative. A lower priced Insignia model i returned for this (that wasn't Mac compatible) had this (albeit crap video in low light, so it's a tradeoff)...
Summary: Worth the price if you're looking for an ultra-portable, user-friendly, inexpensive HD DV camera that is both Windows and Mac compatible (next lowest price i saw in store was $...
Summary: Worth the price if you're looking for an ultra-portable, user-friendly, inexpensive HD DV camera that is both Windows and Mac compatible (next lowest price i saw in store was $350). Compared to other similiarly priced models (or less expensive such as the aforementioned Insignia 720p), the tradeoffs of not having instant "still" (.jpgs) or "coloring" effects (b/w or sepia tones) while you're shooting outweigh the fact that the video just looks great, and these can be remedied with any "in house" computer program from Windows Movie Maker to iMovie...the included software is in the device itself so even if you come across a computer that has nothing on it, you can still at least edit/trim your video and take stills. Just wish battery was removeable/replaceable.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Better cameras out there for a better price.
by meekeekee on January 21, 2009
Pros: Simple to use
Cons: expensive, no choices for filming, no external memory, can't change battery (battery eventually loses life and you only get 15min record time per charge making camera useless.)
Summary: Unless you have no idea how to shoot a video, this camera is a waste of money. Buy a Kodak zi6.
Summary: Unless you have no idea how to shoot a video, this camera is a waste of money. Buy a Kodak zi6.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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This is great
by opinionguy on November 26, 2008
Pros: One of my all-time favorites
Cons: Nothing at all really
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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this is great product
by test_tester7 on December 8, 2008
Pros: this is great product
Cons: none so far
Summary: this is great product
Summary: this is great product
1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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This is a cool little device.
by chad.armstrong on November 26, 2008
Pros: Very portable.
Cons: None really.
Summary: Good little device.
Summary: Good little device.
1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Pure Digital Technologies, Inc.
- Part number: F460B
- Description: Put the power of HD in your pocket. MinoHD offers stunningly crisp, HD-quality video in a sleek, simple camcorder that's designable.
General
- Product Type Camcorder - 720p
- Enclosure Color Black
- Digital Zoom 2 x
- Optical Sensor Size 1/4.5"
- Optical Sensor Type CMOS
- Analog Video Format NTSC
- Digital Video Format H.264
- Shooting Modes Normal movie mode
- White Balance Automatic
- Exposure Modes Automatic
- Widescreen Video Capture Yes
Main Features
- Color Support Color
- TV Tuner None
Memory / Storage
- Flash Memory 4 GB Flash - Integrated (soldered memory - 4 GB )
- Floppy Drive None
- Media Type Flash card
Lens System
- Type Lens - F/2.4
- Lens Aperture F/2.4
- Lens system type Lens
- Focus Adjustment Focus free
- Min Focus Range 5 ft
Additional Features
- Additional Features Auto power save, Date/time stamp, Built-in speaker, Progressive scanning, YouTube capture mode, USB 2.0 compatibility, In-camera movie editing
- Software Drivers & Utilities, FlipShare
- Included Accessories Wrist strap
Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type None
Display
- Type LCD display - TFT active matrix - 1.5 in - Color
Microphone
- Type Microphone - Built-in
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x USB, 1 x Composite video/audio output
Audio Input
- Audio input type Microphone
- Microphone type Built-in
- Microphone Technology Electret condenser
System Requirements for PC Connection
- Operating System Support MS Windows XP, Apple Mac OS X, MS Windows Vista
Miscellaneous
- Carrying Case Pouch
- Cables Included 1, A/V cable
Power
- Power Device None
- Battery type - Lithium ion
Battery
- Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery ( Included )
Viewfinder / Display
- Display Form Factor Built-in
- Display Format 70,000 pixels
- Viewfinder Color Support Color
Physical Characteristics
- Width 2 in
- Depth 0.6 in
- Height 3.9 in
- Weight 3.3 oz
Product series
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Manufacturer: Pure Digital Technologies, Inc.
Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, Flash card, 3.3 oz
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Flip Video MinoHD (spring garden)
Manufacturer: Pure Digital Technologies, Inc.
Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, Flash card, 3.3 oz
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Flip Video MinoHD (tribal inkblot)
Manufacturer: Pure Digital Technologies, Inc.
Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, Flash card, 3.3 oz
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Manufacturer: Pure Digital Technologies, Inc.
Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, Flash card, 3.3 oz
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Flip Video MinoHD (blue lightshow)
Manufacturer: Pure Digital Technologies, Inc.
Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, Flash card, 3.3 oz
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Manufacturer: Pure Digital Technologies, Inc.
Specs: Camcorder, CMOS, Flash card, 3.3 oz
Manufacturer info
- Pure Digital Technologies, Inc.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Pure Digital Technologies, Inc. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.puredigitalinc.com/
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