Record HD video with the Aiptek A-HD digital camcorder, $120 shipped

The Aiptek A-HD records 720p video on inexpensive SD cards.

(Credit: Aiptek)

In the market for a digital camcorder? You could spend $179.99 on one of those Flip Video Ultras, which let you record a whopping 60 minutes of YouTube-quality video. Or you could pay $119 for the Aiptek A-HD, which records hours' worth of high-definition (720p) video on inexpensive memory cards. Hmmm...

Yeah, talk about a no-brainer. The A-HD is a slim, pocketable camcorder (and 5-megapixel camera) with a swiveling 2.4-inch LCD and an SD slot that accommodates cards up to 8GB (good for about 4 hours of HD video--get one here for a measly $28). It captures video in H.264 format, which you should have no trouble editing in programs like Pinnacle Studio Plus 11. And it includes component-video outputs for connecting directly to your HDTV.

I haven't tried the A-HD myself, but I can tell you it has a few limitations--most notably its lack of an optical zoom. According to various user reviews, it falters when capturing fast-moving subjects, and it's not particularly good at recording audio. (Speaking of reviews, watch this unintentionally hilarious one on YouTube.)

Despite these weak spots, the A-HD could be a great starter HD camcorder, or even a secondary one for two-camera shoots. You can get it for $119.99 shipped from Amazon. Circuit City has it for the same price, though you'll likely have to pay sales tax as well. Even so, this is without a doubt the best deal you're likely to find on an HD camcorder. The Cheapskate is mighty tempted.

[SW_A]

Looks good, but judging by a past experience with an Aiptek camera I owned and others I've looked at, be sure to take a careful look at construction and lens quality before buying. The non-HD Flip Ultra could very well come off as the better deal. That's especially so if you find it for $149, as Amazon sold it for during the holidays.

[JamesW7]

I was pessimistic about this Aiptek Camera until I saw its pictures on HDTV at my friend's house. It is much much better than Flip and you need to see it to believe it. I encourage you to do the comparison before you buy it.

[el_toloc]

If you make it to the Circuit City site, there are 59 reviews of this item and most of them give this camera "thumbs up". Of course, for a "cheap" camera, you can't expect the same quality as a $1,000.00 dollar camera, but based on the aforementioned reviews, this camera passes the test.

[rickbroida]

And over at Amazon, users collectively gave it nearly 4 stars out of 5, so it must be pretty decent.