From the Manufacturer
Catch the perfect snowboarding stunt, your baby's first steps or
your kid's graduation, share it online and save it for a lifetime with
Creative's Vado HD Pocket Video Cam. The thin, lightweight Vado HD is
small enough to fit easily in a pocket, purse or the palm of your hand,
and it captures video in 720P high-definition quality with just the
touch of a button. Sharing videos online is simple with built-in
software that helps you post videos to YouTube, Photobucket or Box.net.
The Vado HD is the only pocket video cam to feature true HDMI
connectivity and an included HDMI cable for a superior viewing
experience on an HDTV. Take the Vado HD Pocket Video Cam with you
everywhere you go and never miss a moment. Product specs include 720p
high-definition video, wide-angle glass lens, 2x digital zoom, 8GB of
video storage capacity, up to two hours of recording and playback per
charge, up to eight hours of recording time at 640x480 at 30 frames per
second, HDMI and RCA connections for TV, HDMI cable included, A/V cable
sold separately, removable and rechargeable lithium battery, Vado
Central software for simple video editing and sharing. System
requirements include Windows Xp Service Pack 2 or Vista, Intel Pentium
III or higher, 512MB of memory, USB port, 500MB free hard disk space,
and 16MB of Video Memory or above. Product ships with soft pouch, HDMI
cable, and USB cable.
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Vado HD Highlights
Capture life in HD
See it, shoot it, share it - capture life’s unforgettable moments in
high-definition clarity and share them online with Creative’s Vado HD
Pocket Video Cam. The thin, lightweight Vado HD is small enough to fit
in a pocket, purse or the palm of your hand, and easily captures video
in 720p high-definition quality with just the touch of a button. The
Vado HD is the only pocket video cam to feature high quality HDMI
connectivity and an included HDMI cable that provides true 720p output
to an HDTV.
Capture high-definition video
Record all your fun moments at an HD video resolution of up to 1280 x
720p. With the wide-angle glass lens, you can also capture wider scenes
and more action in your videos. This precision-engineered glass lens
produces sharper and clearer images, giving you professional-looking
videos. Vado HD also has 2x digital zoom and works great in dim
environments.
2 hours of recording and playback
Simply start and stop recording with the touch of a button. Record up
to 2 hours of stunning HD quality video or up to 4 hours of video at
VGA resolution. The large 8 GB internal memory and four recording modes
give you the freedom to choose the video quality that’s best for you.
Edit movies and snap photos
Make and edit your own short movies, or capture snapshots in still and burst mode with the built-in Vado Central software.
Playback video on your HDTV
Connect your Vado HD to any HDTV with the included HDMI cable and enjoy your videos in full 720p HD quality.
Connect and share in an instant
Simply plug in Vado HD’s flexible USB tab and post your videos directly
onto popular web sites such as YouTube, Photobucket or Box.net with the
built-in Vado Central software. You can even save your great quality
video clips to your computer for a lifetime of memories.
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| Easily connect the Vado HD to your computer via the flexible USB arm |
High-quality video compression
The latest H.264 video compression technology provides unprecedented
video quality at ultra-efficient file sizes for the best possible
viewing experience. Record up to 4 times more videos, compared to
MPEG-4 encoded ones.
Large 2-inch antiglare screen
Set up the perfect shot, review clips onscreen or show them off to
friends. Keep the videos you like; delete the ones you don't.
Rechargeable for hours of fun
Enjoy 2 hours of recording and playback with the Lithium-ion battery;
simply recharge via USB. Need more time? The battery is even removable
so you can change out for a fresh one.
Accessorize your Vado HD
Pick up an optional accessory for your Vado HD! Choose from a
Waterproof Pouch, Mesh Pouch, Spare Rechargeable Battery and a Battery
Charger and get the most out of your Vado HD.
Requirements
- Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP (Service Pack 2)
- Intel Pentium III 1 GHz, AMD Athlon, or equivalent with MMX support
- 512MB RAM
- USB 2.0 or 1.1
- 500MB free hard-disk space
- Video Memory: 16MB RAM & above
- Other Requirements: Microsoft DirectX 9.0 or higher
Package Contents
- Vado HD Pocket Video Cam
- HDMI Cable
- USB Extension Cable
- Silicon Skin
- Rechargeable Battery
Customer Reviews
Great HD Pocket Camera, Only 1 issue for me!!!
Hi All.
I am comparing this camera to a Flip Mino HD....while it may not be
fair, it is the only way I could give an accurate review to this
product.
Box Includes:
Camera, removable battery, mini hdmi to hdmi cable (wow), usb extension cable, rubber/silicon skin, and documentation.
So it starts....the battery comes pretty charged and thus it was
easy to install and get the unit running. The first set of options you
are presented with are the setup for date, time, country. Here is where
the first issue begins....the buttons (scroll arrows up, down, right,
left) are WAY too sensitive and thus you are moving around even if you
dont want to. So I start to set the date...without paying
attention....and I quickly notice that the format for the date is
dd/mm/yy which is primarily how the eastern part of the world uses the
date. I finally figure out that my mind is lacking without coffee and I
get the date and time set.... Lets move on.
The camera notifies you that you can hit the play/pause and trash
buttons simultaneously to get back to the setup options. Works
perfectly. In the setup menu you are presented with the following
options:
Time/Date
Video Quality
Instant Record
Anti-Flicker
Tv System
Language
Most of these are self explanatory. The ones with options are as follows:
Video Quality: HD+, HD, VGA
Instant Record: On / Off
Anti-Flicker: 50hz/60hz
TV System: NTSC/PAL
Language: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portugese,
Dutch, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Bahasa (Indonesia), Turkish, and
Arabic
The main screen shows you what mode you are in (record, ready,
etc), the available recording time, the mode (hd+, hd, vga), and a
battery meter...these are at the top of the lcd screen. The bottom of
the screen shows the date (dd/mm/year) and the current time.
When looking at the LCD the mini hdmi port is on the left hand side
of the unit and the right hand side has a power button for on and off.
The usb connector is at the bottom....folded into the body with a tab
sticking out so you can pull the connector out. There is also a
standard tripod hole.
The shooting begins....I tried taking small clips of things inside
the home as well as outdoors (although with the weather up here its not
worth standing outside more then 4-5 minutes :-) ). I shot completely
in HD+ mode as there are a lot of units this size that do regular vga
and hd.... The image quality on the lcd screen was superb...even when
outside under the sun I was able to see what I was shooting. This I
like. My issue still remains that the rocker buttons are way too
sensitive and it was driving me nuts for a while until I was able to
mentally adjust the pressure I was applying to them.
The viewing begins... I plugged the mini hdmi to hdmi cable from
the camera into our 46" Sharp Aquos 1080p LCD Panel. The playback was
indeed 720p/1080i as the unit should do. It was flawless and the
quality of the video stunned me. I loved it. It was comprable to the
Flip Mino HD. Of course, I need help with my stability...since I
noticed that movement was apparent...but hey this is no image
stabilization camera... HAHA!
All that being said, Creative has created a great HD Pocket Camcorder.
What I liked:
Removable Battery
8gb Storage
Build Quality
Included accessories (cables, silicon skin)
What I diskliked (which is why its 4/5):
The buttons (right left up down) are way too sensitive for my needs.
Computer Connectivity:
MAC OS X Leopard:
No drivers needed.
Showed up as a usb Volume immediately.
iPhoto automatically detected camera and came up with import options.
Video Played in Quicktime. Awesome!
Was also able to browse to the camera and manually open AVI file.
Windows Vista and Windows 7 (32 and 64 bit operating systems tested)
Drivers installed automatically.
I did not need the Creative software on the device.
I was able to browse (windows explorer) to the Vado and open the
AVI file in Windows Media Player. I love this functionality. I dont
like cluttered software on my machine if I dont need it.
In case you are wondering...I am a cross platform user and thus I
can review gadgets like the Vado and give accurate reviews. This unit
would have earned a 5/5 but I am not quite there on the rocker
buttons...
I hope that the review above is informative and helps you make the right decision in this category.
Quick Note for MAC Users: 01/26/09
You will probably need to install Perian to view AVI files on a mac
using quicktime. You can get the software free at http://perian.org
XLNT Mini-HD Movie Camera-Best of the Bunch of Them!!
This camera is fun, easy to use, works with PC or Mac (surprisingly
good on multiple Macs!...more about that in a minute), just like the
other knowledgeable reviewers wrote, and best of all it makes an XLNT
720P/1080i HD image for viewing on 40" and larger HDTV's. There are
caveats to using the Vado HD, but they are few, and just simple common
sense would tell you these things if it weren't for reviews and
manufacturer advertising:
1) When shooting, you've GOT to hold your hand steady, and sure, or
camera shake will ruin your HD movies and clips. You can use a tripod
to minimize shake to the maximum amount, perhaps one of the "mini"
tripods that you see here at Amazon.com. RE tripods, I found that even
my Joby GorillaPod "SLR ZOOM" heavy-duty portable, flexible tripod fit
the Vado HD easily, and contrary to other reviews, the USB port on the
bottom did NOT get in the way of it one bit
2) This isn't a substitute for a full-sized HD camera, like my
Canon HG20 AVCHD camera, but it will suffice for casual, quick takes of
virtually anything your creative mind will allow, and up to a 1 hour
uninterrupted HD+ quality video in true 720P/1080i HD format, with big
depth of field, up to 2 x 1-hour videos of course, utilizing a full
battery to the limit
3) You've got to watch out, and protect the lens, otherwise it
gets to be full of dust and dirt easily, as there's no lens cap with
the camera--I carry my DSLR's lens brush and air "poof" when using Vado
HD which solves the problem...give the lens a quick brush off a couple
times a day during shooting, just to be sure it's clean, and it's ready
for action
4) Accessories are REALLY hard to get right now, but maybe that
will change soon, as the camera's popularity and rave success has the
manufacturer/seller (Creative Labs) scrambling for inventory on the
extra battery, charger, etc. In fact, I am on the "waiting email list"
at Creative Labs right now because I want to get the external charger,
and an extra battery, for those days when I'm using Vado HD for more
than its 2-hour battery and filming "window" of opportunity-caveat on
the battery, the normal Vado battery will NOT fit in the Vado HD and
function!! If you want the extra battery, it's got to be from Creative
Labs at this time, and they have been out of stock for weeks now
Those things being written, the rest is just cake, candy, and ice
cream-easy to write about, and describe. Here's the positive things
I've found about Vado HD so far, and I'll come back and add more after
I use it more...this list is compiled after just about 1 week's use,
and doesn't represent even 25% of what I have in mind for using Vado
HD:
1) It's just like you imagined it would and should be, using the
camera that is--it's easy, fun, and with XLNT ergonomics for being so
small, pretty much all-user-intuitive controls which I go into further
on in the review
2) The camera makes incredible 720P/1080i HD movie/clip footage
for viewing onscreen, immediately without editing, by using the
supplied Mini-HDMI to HDMI Cable--it's easy to use your HDTV as a
viewer/editor vs. wasting all your time downloading the video to your
PC or Mac, editing it, etc.
3) A steady hand/tripod yields an XLNT clip or video movie, up to
60 minutes long it turns out (Windows FAT File System limit of 4GB of
data problem), so look out for that window once you get rolling and all
will work out great...of course you can make 2(two) 1-hour HD+ quality
movies which equals the 2 hour "window" of Vado HD
4) To use on a Mac, as I have both PC and Mac here in my studio,
it's very simple-have QuickTime Pro (yup, you've gotta upgrade if you
want full compatibility with cameras like this, and for other reasons
too!) support the movie, use the Export Video command, and a huge array
of possibilities is there for the taking--for converting the AVI
formatted film from Vado HD into an M4V H.264 QuickTime Video for iPod,
iPhone, or other media device from our friends at Apple. Or you can
simply import into iMovie/iDVD if you want to go full-boat and edit
your footage, add music, etc.
My favorite command is just "AppleTV" command, and in a few short
minutes of conversion on an Intel Mac with a lot of C2Duo horsepower,
or better yet a Quad single or double CPU in a Mac Pro...but hold onto
your hats Mac Heads, I even had success using my "dated" Dual Core
2.3Ghz G5, albeit one with a ton of RAM (16GB), making hour-long
AppleTV movies, no editing, no hassle, just straight into ATV format
and BAM! It's onscreen with great clarity, depth of field, a true HD
experience quickly via Vado HD
5) On the PC, or Virtual Machine in Parallels or VM Ware Fusion,
XP Pro/Vista, whatever...I tried them all and they are equally easy.
The video codec automagically imports and installs itself into your
Windows Client, be it WMV, Windows Movie Maker, or the Vado HD Client
itself, Vado Central Software (a bit limited of course in scope, ease
of use, or mechanics...but it WILL work if necessary and you don't have
fancy video editing software on PC).
Now, to get specific about the controls and functions of the Vado
HD, which is important in any review of the camera, let's dive right
into it!
The USB 2.0 port, which is necessary to transfer video to your
computer for whatever purpose you have in mind, is on the bottom of the
camera, and there's a pleasant "Click" that it makes when it's open, or
closed, so there's no doubt about it being in either position. I LIKE
the flexible port/device USB male plug, which extends out and away from
the bottom of the camera an inch so. The design is well-thought out, I
think, because there are times when you might need a flexible
"cable-like" function, and this provides it. As I wrote above, this
does NOT compromise the fitting of a tripod!
Vado HD will take 2 hours worth of HD+ 720P/1080i movies, the
default setting of the camera by the way. Then there's HD-quality,
slightly less than HD+, but still good quality film, which equals 4
hours of action. Then there's VGA mode, and in this mode (640x480
pixels) Vado HD will shoot up to 8 hours of movies, and that's a LOT of
capacity, where you'd need 4 batteries to fill up the camera! Wow!
That's an interesting option when you simply want to film things that
are not of great import, and you have a lot of it to do, but you'd need
that external charger (that I want to purchase badly and can't right
now!), and 3 extra batteries!
As to the controls for the camera, let me describe where everything is, and what it does...
The 1.5" x 1" LCD display, a mini-display that is amazingly sharp
and well defined, has a "Ready" indicator in the top, left, to tell you
the camera is set to shoot. When you are shooting video, there's a RED
DOT that replaces the "Ready" indicator. To shoot, just press the
"logical controller" once, and to stop, press the control once
again...dead straight simple!
At the right, top of the display is the digital Video Quality
Display, which is by default set at HD+, and next to it is a Battery
Indicator, which shows the state of relative charge of the battery.
In the middle, at the top of the display, is the Recording Time
Left indicator, which is in hours, minutes, and seconds, so it's very,
very accurate as to what is left in Vado HD's flash memory.
The left, bottom edge of the display has the time, and the right
edge has the digital display for the date, all simple, but important
functions that you'll use over and over again while filming. The
display, "mini" though it is, is XLNT! It gives you all the information
necessary about Vado HD without occluding the display at all, each one
being small, digital numbers and letters.
The physical layout of the camera is also ergonomically correct,
with the lens at the top of the front of the case, up high next to the
microphone port. The speaker (it has an external speaker which
functions when viewing videos) is on the back in the lower right part
of the case. To the left, in the middle of the case, is the "logical
controller" as I call it, the master control for the camera. Right
side, upper is the Off/On switch, which "clicks" into the case for Off
or On. On the left side is the HDMI Mini-Port, and the Video-Out
port...all really nicely done!
It's very simple, really, to use and describe the rest of the
controls also. There's a 2.5mm button in the middle of the "logical
controller", and that's the actuator for everything, the "Selector".
That is what you do everything with: film "On", stop, select, and film
"stop"...that does it ALL! At the edge of that button is a concave
group of touch controls, up, down, left and right arrows, which take a
fair press to actuate, just right actually... not too heavy a hand to
use these controls. Those control the selection process once into the
menus, fast forward, or backward the video clips as you wish to view
them, etc...These are LOGICAL controls, and they do exactly what you
think they are supposed to do, nothing complex, or "foreign" to this
setup.
On the right side are the two "Function" switches, two "clickable"
switches, one which selects which video clip you're about to view, the
other is the TRASH button, so be careful with it when viewing
videos...of course when you want to trash, or "EDIT" the video in
question there's a prompt onscreen which confirms your action, so you
can't be "burned" by mis-hitting that switch unless it's deliberately
done. Again, easy, simple controls that do what you think they are
supposed to do.
You use those two "Function" buttons on the right in tandem also.
Pressed together, at the same time yields the master menus onscreen, so
you can select or change the Video Quality, Time & Date,
Anti-Flicker Control (50 or 60Hz filming), Language Used, and the
"Instant Record" feature, which I'll explain here and now: Instant
Record sets the camera into this mode...any button will actuate an
instant recording session, and the "logical controller" turns it off,
with 1-minute for power-off and into standby mode. Very nice feature!
Just the ticket for getting a quick shot off anytime, and easily turned
back off by going into the setup menu by pressing those two "clickable"
buttons together at the same time, and getting into the menus.
The Default Mode for Power is 1 minute into "Ready" mode, screen
off, and 5 minutes screen off will yield a shut-down of Vado HD, with a
pleasant little musical tone that goes off to tell that the camera has
powered off.
EASY STUFF, and right-on! These are controls that anyone can get
used to in a couple minutes of use...I've just described every single
function of Vado HD, and I've done it in about 200 words or so..pretty
Kuhl! So that's how you control the action, initiate changes in the
menus, everything except:
Play Back Video Clips, which is done by pressing the right side
"clickable" switch once, and BAM! You're in "Cue Videos" mode, and the
1st one onscreen is the one you just, or last filmed. Click the
controller again to move the clips up, and back, and push down again to
view! Simple!!
I like everything about Vado HD's controls, it's a lot to pack into
such a small place, and Creative Labs designed the camera to be easy to
use, and it is. And now to describe how you use the PC functions
briefly:
With a PC an AVI clip is the native format, correct? Make your
movies any way, shape you want on the PC with Vado HD, and I'm not
going to give a dissertation on that subject here, just suffice to say
a fast CPU helps processing a ton, just like on a Mac...it IS video,
not photography, and the footprint on the OS, and RAM is huge on PC as
it is on the Mac OS, so the more firepower you've got in terms of RAM,
and CPU power the better!
Quickly, I'll sum up by giving Vado HD 5-stars across the board.
The controls are EASY to master, no room for headway here, zoom works
fine with a steady hand, it's just plain simple Jane Simpleton to make
great movies, and clips on Vado HD. Like I wrote, be mindful of the
caveats above, especially TIME in relation to your content as it will
accumulate quickly and an hour will be up before you can admit, "I'm
having a great time doing this stuff!"
The LCD is clear, clean, and plenty large enough for viewing/movie
making, not in direct sunlight of course, but plenty good indoors with
light on the subject. Playing back clips, for viewing and editing in
the camera (read "TRASH" the ones you don't like), is simple
also...just one click to view, navigate with the controller up and
backward in your clips, and BAM! HD video is yours for the keeping!
Vado HD is definitely the Best Bang for the $$$ right now, I mean
it's so far ahead of the rest of them it hurts to try to describe all
the reasons I bought this instead of anything else. You'll find that 2
hours is plenty of time to do most projects, by the way, and if it's
longer, well, take your laptop with you, or netbook, you know? Download
the videos into the laptop, erase the Vado HD with the Trash Icon
clicker on the controls, and voila! Ready for more shooting!!
You would need an extra battery or two, and the external charger
that I am dying to get my hands on and can't buy yet, but that's the
state of affairs at this point. Creative Labs said on the telephone
that the charger will be in stock next week, and so will be the extra
batteries.
That's about it for my "guide" and critique. You Mac folks know
that the latest Perian is v1.1.3, right? It has all kinds of
enhancements for Mac, so be sure and download the latest driver/plug-in
for QuickTime (Pro preferred), and all will be well with Vado HD and
your Mac. PC people, you don't have a worry in the world as far as
using Vado HD...piece of cake, and remember to not have too much fun!!
Wavey Davey/2-14-2009
Great option for all users
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R28U8HQ88IZDWN
*** Update*** Please note- by downloading Perian you will be able to
use IMovie and Quicktime. Please see the link below and download Perian
and you can enjoy Vado videos on your Mac! At some point I will update
the video - however until then know that I was able to get the Vado HD
to work on my Mac.
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/video/perian_christopherforsythe.html
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The Creative Labs Vado HD Is both a great handheld video camera and
one that is useless. If you are a PC owner and using Windows based
software you will be well pleased. However, if you are a Mac user you
will be unable to watch the videos without downloading a program such
as VLC, downloading Perian, or without converting the files using a
program like Roxio Crunch Win/Mac.
In my video review I compare the Creative Labs Vado HD to the Flip
Video MinoHD Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Black). I will say that both
cameras have their advantages - the Mino has a better appearance and it
works well with Macs. The Creative Labs Vado HD has more functionality,
but qithout downloading Perian it is restricted to Windows based PCS.
Here are things that I like about the Vado
- Three different setting for picture quality. The truth is that
not everything needs to be recorded in HD. In fact, if you are
uploading to YouTube HD movies can take forever. The Mino HD only has
one capture setting.
- I like the flexible USB connection
- Large screen for a small hand-held camcorder - probably about 50% bigger than the Mino HD
- Removable battery - I am not sure what you are supposed to do when the battery dies on the Mino HD
- Wider angle of video capture - the Vado allows you to record a much larger area when compared to the Mino HD.
- Comes with HD cables for connection to your television.
- Windows based software is intuitive and easy to use.
Areas for Improvement
- You must download Perian in order for videos to play on Mac.
- Compared to the Mino HD the Creative Labs Vado looks cheap.
Final Verdict -
4 Stars
Buy with confidence if you are using a Windows based PC -there is
a little more risk if you are a Mac user Which camera should you buy...
The Vado HD may have a slight edge for Window users - if you are using
a Mac the Vado is still may be a nice choice, but you may need to
download Perian or use a converting program like Roxio Crunch.
