'Tis the season to record a lot of video. And take it from me: you want a camcorder you can slip into a pocket between memorable moments, not some big, bulky thing that requires a neck strap.
Flip Video's popular pocket cams start at around $200, but right now you can grab the Creative Vado HD (with accessories) for $99.99 shipped.
I'll be the first to admit this isn't the best deal I've ever posted on an HD camcorder, but it's one of the best I've seen lately. Plus, the bundled accessories--a mesh case and a USB power adapter--would cost you an extra $45 if purchased separately.
The Vado itself can record up to two hours of 720p-quality video--twice as much as the Flip MinoHD. That's because it sports 8GB of onboard storage compared with the Mino's 4GB. Alas, there's no media slot for adding memory cards.
CNET gave the Vado HD mostly high marks, citing its strengths as solid video quality, removable battery, easy operation, and bundled HDMI cable for watching videos on an HDTV. Of course, as with most pocket camcorders, this one offers fast and easy USB-powered uploading to YouTube.
Also, the Vado features a relatively spacious 2-inch LCD. The MinoHD's 1.5-inch screen seems painfully tiny by comparison (trust me--I've got one).
I have no idea how long Creative's stock will last. But I do know the Vado bundle is also available in red--much purtier, IMHO.
Backup deal: You know what would go great with that $78 Blu-ray player I mentioned the other day? The Optoma HD20 1080p projector for $999.99 shipped. (Add it to your cart to get that price, and use Google Checkout to knock another $5 off.) It has dual HDMI inputs, so you can plug in your Blu-ray player and your game console! Drooooool.
On Sale Now: $99.95 - $199.99
View the latest prices for Creative Vado HD
On Sale Now: $994.99 - $1,199.00
View the latest prices for Optoma HD20
The last time I found a Blu-ray player with BD-Live support in this price range, it was a refurbished Sony model that sold out in about 10 minutes.
Right now, Amazon has an even better deal: a new Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-ray player for $128.23 shipped. Regular price: $250.
This player not only supports Profile 2.0 (meaning it can play the BD-Live features found on some discs), but also performs such nifty tricks as streaming Amazon On Demand and YouTube video, accessing your PicasaWeb photos, and fetching weather and stock reports.
You'll need a wired Ethernet connection to take advantage of these goodies; the DMP-BD60 has no Wi-Fi capabilities.
You'll want to read CNET's review of the player (and/or watch the above video), which is mostly positive but concludes with a mere three-star rating.
Apparently users don't agree with the criticisms, having rated it four stars out of five on average. And on Amazon's product page, the DMP-BD60 averaged 4.5 stars.
In other words, this high-end Blu-ray player rocks. And it's unheard-of to find so many advanced features for just $128. If it supported Netflix streaming, I'd call it a must-buy. As it stands, it's a must-consider.
You think your job is hard? I had to narrow down three potential deals for today. Three!
Woot.com's refurbished 10.1-inch Acer netbook for $229.99 (plus $5 shipping) was a strong contender, but I know lots of you visit Woot already--and many more of you are sick of Netbooks. (Awesome, awesome deal, though.)
Then I considered the refurbished 2GB Sansa Clip MP3 player: $19.99 shipped at Buy.com. Mighty sweet.
Ultimately, I settled on the Creative Labs Vado pocket camcorder, which Dell has for $39.99 shipped.
Although this isn't the newer HD model, it's perfectly good for shooting YouTube-ready, VGA-quality video. And it can hold up to 60 minutes of it at the high-quality setting or 2 hours at "SP."
I love these little camcorders, which are easy to toss in a pocket, glove box, or wherever for capturing life's little moments.
CNET had mostly good things to say about the Vado, which is noteworthy for its built-in USB connector, onboard software, and one-touch uploading to YouTube.
This is a new unit, not a refurb, so it comes with a full one-year warranty. It regularly sells for at least $85, so $40 shipped is hard to beat. Great gift item!
Dell deals often expire or sell out without warning, so if this sounds good to you, act fast. (And if it does sell out, well, you've got the aforementioned runners-up. See? I'm always thinking ahead. Well, starting now, I am.)
Normally $100, the Valentine's Day-ready Vado camcorder is on sale for just $60.
(Credit: Creative)Valentine's Day is just around the corner, gents, and nothing says, "I love you, let's put something crazy on YouTube" like a pocket camcorder.
Amazon.com has the Creative Vado in pink or silver for $59.99 shipped. No rebates!
Creative's answer to the uber-popular Flip Video Ultra, the Vado is an ultra-slim digital camcorder that's ideal for capturing life's little moments: the kids doing something cute, your breakneck run down the toboggan hill, an airliner splashing into the Hudson River, etc.
The Vado can record up to an hour's worth of video at its best quality setting, which is a YouTube-friendly 640x480 pixels. It features a 2-inch preview-review liquid-crystal display and a stowaway USB connector for plugging into your PC.
Alas, while the Vado can connect to both Windows and Mac systems, its built-in video management software is Windows-only. Mac users will have to settle for dragging and dropping videos to their machines.
CNET had mostly good things to say about the Vado, and Amazon customers rated it 4 stars out of 5, on average. I haven't tried one myself, but I definitely like having my Flip Video on hand for those I-gotta-record-this moments.
At $60, down from $100, this could be the perfect gift for your significant other. Couldn't you see Jim giving one to Pam?
Side note: Is "Vado" the worst product name since "Sony Clie?" It's definitely up there with "Palm Pre" and Web search engine "Cuil." Who thinks up these monikers?
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