Launch Helmetcams VIO POV1

[RogueGear]

Deserving this thread.

If you're going to make claims like that, you need to substantiate them. Your product is cheaper because it's... cheaper - considerably lower resolution video.

POV1: 720*480 @ 30fps
Hero: 512*384 @ 30fps

I'm sure launchhelmetcams could make a cheaper product like yours if that was their intention, but they chose to make a higher-quality product.

I don't think it was very appropriate of you to hijack this thread to promote your own - particularly not when yours isn't really comparable. If you want advertising space, there are better ways to do it.

launchhelmetcams made their product available to test over a long period, were easily contactable at all times, provided excellent support and showed incredible understanding when the review got delayed. All in all a fantastic group to deal with and I totally trust them and their product.

What have you done to deserve your space in this thread?

Has anyone out there tried any other helmet cameras.
There has to be some other company out there with them a little bit more affordable.

Bodin...to answer your question of "deserving" my space on this thread, is the above quote from sneakykiwi. He has quite obviously asked for another camera that is cheaper, so I do not feel I have hijacked this thread at all.

Just wanted to point out also that a higher resolution camera does not automatically make it a better image. I am sure you are aware of the Oregon Scientific camera which has 640 x 480 (more than the GoPro), but the quality of this is not as good. The lens has alot to do with it, aswell as how the camera compresses the image etc.

So just pointing out that the POV1 is better because it has higher resolution is also an incorrect claim.

I said from the start that the POV1 is a great product....but it also costs alot, and sneakykiwi wanted something else. The GoPro does produce great quality video for the price, and this is substantiated in the video's on my website and elsewhere.

By the way, Launchhelmetcams do not "make" the POV1, they simply re-sell it along with a number of other sellers out there (V-sport, racerecall)

RogueGear.
www.goprosport.com.au

 

[Bodin]

So just pointing out that the POV1 is better because it has higher resolution is also an incorrect claim.

Well, I'll be happy to provide an unbiased opinion for you - PM me for details of where you can post a unit for me to test.

That's what I was getting at about the "deserving" thing... good publicity is earned around here and Launch, regardless of what they do or don't do, have certainly earned it.

 

[RogueGear]

Well, I'll be happy to provide an unbiased opinion for you - PM me for details of where you can post a unit for me to test.

That's what I was getting at about the "deserving" thing... good publicity is earned around here and Launch, regardless of what they do or don't do, have certainly earned it.

Bodin, yes I do now understand what you mean on the deserving thing.
I was not meaning to step on any toes, just answering some questions.

After looking through this forum, you guys are definately into your helmet cameras, I love the reviews you do, and the detail that goes into it, really great. I have not come across a more indepth review of so many cams on any other forum!!

I may take you up on getting a review done, where in OZ are you located, may be able to drop one in?

Sorry for any negativity.

 

[launchhelmetcams]

Bodin...to answer your question of "deserving" my space on this thread, is the above quote from sneakykiwi. He has quite obviously asked for another camera that is cheaper, so I do not feel I have hijacked this thread at all.

Just wanted to point out also that a higher resolution camera does not automatically make it a better image. I am sure you are aware of the Oregon Scientific camera which has 640 x 480 (more than the GoPro), but the quality of this is not as good. The lens has alot to do with it, aswell as how the camera compresses the image etc.

So just pointing out that the POV1 is better because it has higher resolution is also an incorrect claim.

I said from the start that the POV1 is a great product....but it also costs alot, and sneakykiwi wanted something else. The GoPro does produce great quality video for the price, and this is substantiated in the video's on my website and elsewhere.

By the way, Launchhelmetcams do not "make" the POV1, they simply re-sell it along with a number of other sellers out there (V-sport, racerecall)

RogueGear.
www.goprosport.com.au

Hi guys, just thought I'd chuck in my two cents worth to clarify a few things.

RogueGear does make quite a few good points. First of all, he (?) is correct in stating that you can't compare cameras based on their resolution settings alone. The GoPro does produces significantly better video than the Oregon Scientific ATC2K which on paper has better resolution. It also has much better mounts (ie less shakey and hence better to watch) and it also has a wider angle lens, which is important in these smaller cameras for two reasons. One, video from a wider angle lens doesn't look as shakey (a narrow angle lens amplifies any shake or bumps.....just try watching someones video camera video that is zoomed all the way out). Two, it makes it easier to get the angle right when setting it up because you don't have a screen to check if the camera is pointing where you want it.

For the price, the GoPro is a great camera......which is why we sell it

The POV1 and the GoPro are two cameras at different ends of the scale and hence hard to compare. The POV1 does produce much better video quality and more importantly has much more functionality which I could harp on about for hours. However, that all comes at a cost. If you are looking for a cheaper helmet camera then the GoPro is by far the best option; if you are looking for a flexible high end result and have the cash, then the POV1 is the camera for you.

RogueGear is also correct in saying that we do not manufacture the VIO POV1; we are the Aust/NZ distributor of VIOs products.

Thanks again to Bodin and the crew at Farkin.net for reviewing our product.

 

[CP]

I just stumbled upon this, looks insane. http://www.studiodaily.com/main/news/10206.html

 

[Techno Destructo]

getting hold of the older d8 cameras is getting hard and the new high defintion ones wont handle the beaten and have no port for a helmet camera nor lanc remote thanks to sony

WHOA. I just came into this late... you're saying that the new Sony camcorders have no video-in or LANC ports?

 

[CP]

Yeah it seems you have to go back to circa 2006 at the latest to get a miniDV with vid-in. Very lame.

 

[Bodin]

Yeah it seems you have to go back to circa 2006 at the latest to get a miniDV with vid-in. Very lame.

That's funny - I'm buying a 2006 Sony MiniDV camera (2nd hand, but hardly used) next week because of that exact reason.

No, my girlfriend doesn't accept that a Helmetcam is the best way of capturing our 10-month old daughter's first steps that'll probably happen in the next month or two. She says she wants a "real" video camera...

 

[CP]

Ha! Tell her the remote camera is waterproof so you can film the new arrival at bathtime without worrying about the camera. Or that it can double as a 'security' monitor/camera for the new nursery.

 

[Techno Destructo]

Yeah it seems you have to go back to circa 2006 at the latest to get a miniDV with vid-in. Very lame.

Well, that's that... No need to buy Sony now. Idiots.

 

[ngarutoa]

Great review. I scored one of these a few months back, and have been doing a fair bit of testing. I've been using it for DH and confirm the whole unit is pretty tough. Don't expect High def quality, to fix this I splice my helmet cam vids with normal camcorder shots, and straight DH runs get pretty boring for non-riders anyway, don't get me wrong the resolution is great for such a small unit. As stated in the review the camera has a bit of trouble with changing light, I found it best to film your local spot when the sun is behind you when mounted forward, and in front of you when using the pole and camera facing backwards as the camera points up due to your head looking down. If you put the camera in a block of foam it will protect it, (nukeproof mount is too heavy for the pole). To overcome the microphone snow storm I wrapped it in soft foam and turned the level up, no more jet taking off and you can still hear the cries of pain when someone stacks it. I got some extra locking strips from launch and stuck it on my mates helmets. With the remote, long battery life, and unit in a bum bag (in bubble wrap) it takes seconds to swap between runs. Just what you need for a bunch of lazy downhillers And best of all is watching the days runs over a few beers, when someone has been going on about a sideways drift or sick new line.... the camera never lies!

 

[kerbs]

Used at XPD

We used the POV1 in a few videos we took at XPD last month... Used them while white water kayaking also, so 100% waterproof.

Search for "BLKHRT" on You Tube and check out the XPD vids.. POV1 was strapped to Andy Fellows and Josh Streets heads in all of the POV1 cuts.

 

[spongebob]

Techno & Bodin- yep I've been looking about for a new mini-DV, and no-one makes a unit now with AV-in & LANC. The only offering from Sony now is the 52 which has neither. Last Sony unit with both was the 96 - about 2-3years old now, I found one 'new' somewhere in Aus but > $800 still! Looks like us analogue dinosaurs are on our last legs. Hopefully the next gen of digital units will have better resolution.

MR LAUNCH -how ya'going? I see the supplied edit software is PC only , which on general principles annoys the crap out of all us with real computers [ Mac of course! ] Can we use any old edit/import software , or is there something about the files that only work with the supplied software / PC ?

Any POV1 owners out there with Mac? What software you using?

 

[Techno Destructo]

Techno & Bodin- yep I've been looking about for a new mini-DV, and no-one makes a unit now with AV-in & LANC. The only offering from Sony now is the 52 which has neither. Last Sony unit with both was the 96 - about 2-3years old now, I found one 'new' somewhere in Aus but > $800 still! Looks like us analogue dinosaurs are on our last legs. Hopefully the next gen of digital units will have better resolution.

Wow. That is absolutely brutal. Granted, the LANC was such a specialized feature that I'm sure less than 1% of people who bought that camera actually used it, but the AV-in gone? I can't believe it. I guess it wasn't used much by people either.

I'm going to be extremely careful with my camcorder now... since it doesn't look like I'll ever be able to get a cheap replacement again...

 

[rdomain]

I use a mac with the POV1. I use this free converter tool called ffmpegX which does a good job but I'm not sure which format is the best way to go as I'd like to avoid transcoding as much as possible.
Once converted to .mov or whatever, you can use imovie or Finalcut or whatever. I haven't sussed a quick way to dump the files though from the POV1 and start editing straight away.

I haven't done any video editing for a while so details aren't too in depth sorry.

For some videos using the POV1, check out http://au.youtube.com/user/rdomain and if you watch the crash one, turn the sound down if you don't like the sound of pain :s
The 2008 Zombie walk was also done with the POV1

 

[PhatBoy]

Analogue vs POV1

Has anyone ever done a side-by-side comparison of analogue and the POV1 units? I have a analogue unit and it is good, but it is error prone - tape running out, batteries dying, cables coming loose, etc.

Does anyone know if you can hire one of these units for a day?

I would love to buy one but I want to make sure that the output is as good as the analogue unit.

 

[Bodin]

Has anyone ever done a side-by-side comparison of analogue and the POV1 units? I have a analogue unit and it is good, but it is error prone - tape running out, batteries dying, cables coming loose, etc.

Does anyone know if you can hire one of these units for a day?

I would love to buy one but I want to make sure that the output is as good as the analogue unit.

Howdy,

As well as the VIO, I've also previously tested a Twenty20 analogue unit for Farkin. Here's what I see as the pros and cons:

VIO

Pros
-All In One unit, so it's small and you don't need any extra bits.
-Records straight to AVI file format, so it's easy to use the videos you've shot.

Cons
-Not the best picture quality.

Analogue

Pros
-Better picture quality.
-"Raw" video allows greater editing opportunities.

Cons
-"Raw" video demands a learning curve that some people don't want to take.
-Requires an additional video camera that, as discussed above, might be hard to find these days.

That's a pretty brief rundown, but it should give you an idea of some of the main differences between the two systems.

In short, if you're in to making high quality films, go analogue, but if you're capturing fun with your mates, go digital. Digital's a lot easier, but doesn't quite look as good on your telly.

Cheers,

Bodin

 

[spongebob]

Hello chaps!
Matt from Launch has reassured me about the Mac issue - they use Mac themselves.
Phatboy - there are some clips online of non-compressed / non-Utube / 'raw' footage from Vio units -not as good as miniDV based system, which I can play back on my old medium sized SD tele or full screen computer with barely perceptable pixelation. Vio footage can be enlarged to ~ 15-16cm wide , then it starts to deteriorate. Anything on Utube is of course total crap & to be ignored,quality wise.
So what to do? Keep the old system going as long as poss & wait for true HD digital system? Going to be a few years I suspect .Hmmmm

 

[L1nDen]

yea i hav seeen footage off one of these and it is unbelievable.. i love this camera so much... its just briiliant..

 

[rdomain]

I think even if this system is not as good as the bulky analogue version, it's still a sensible purchase. The biggest plus is that I now film pretty much every run I do now. I bet no one with an analogue setup would do that! Not to mention bombproof and waterproof.
Sure it's a bit expensive but hey, you only live once and you may miss some amazing footage waiting for that HD version to come out. That could be years away and it'll also be really expensive when first released.

No regrets.