A BIG THANKS to Sammy of Palm Addicts for the front page mention! Thanks as always, Sammy!

This review has been broken down into three parts. Part 1 will cover an overview of the device with specs and features. Part 2 will continue with videos covering the software and Part 3 will provide my observations and conclude with final thoughts.

Palm Discovery would like to extend a BIG THANKS to everyone at ConnectedLife, Media2O, GlobalTV (BC), and theFlip for the FlipVideo contest. For those who haven’t heard, I was one of the winners of ConnectedLife’s recent FlipVideo contest, snapping up a Flip Ultra cam. I couldn’t afford the Flip Ultra Cam (being the starving blogger that I am) and was dying to get one. I was so lucky (still can’t believe it) to actually win one from amongst all the people who entered! Aside from a $5 prize I won way back in my youth, a microSD card package from Smartphone thoughts, and a Proporta Gadget bag from Palm Addicts, I didn’t win much of anything!

So, obviously I was in shock and disbelief when I got this call from Bradley Shende of ConnectedLife while I was at a local Starbucks and originally had no idea what the call was about. It took me a while to let it sink in that I actually won! So, again, THANKS! Even now, I am still in awe. The Flip Ultra is very nice. It’s small, portable, lightweight and the video output isn’t bad. Coincidentally, I have found a great use for it. I’ve started using the Flip Ultra to record my TV on Friday mornings at 8:20am (it originally aired around 8:30am on Mondays) when Bradley Shende shows up on Global BC TV. The segment always happens when I’m busy taking my kid to school. So, I now set it up to record while I’m gone and come back to view what I’ve missed. Sure, it’s no VCR or DVR but it works.

As part of an “agreement” ( ) of winning the prize, I was expected to post a video of me with the new Flip Ultra Cam. Here’s the video that was posted shortly after I came back from my Vegas vacation and posted on my Youtube account:

Thanks for visiting

Now that the initial excitement is over, I can continue on with the review .

Before I begin, I just want to confirm what you may have heard about the Flip Ultra Cam are ALL TRUE! YES! It’s very simple and easy to use! Yes, you don’t need to know much about using technology or portable devices or computers to operate and use it. Yes, you don’t need to worry about how to install the programs on a computer. There is very little technical knowledge or “know how” involved with the Flip Ultra Cam. Of course, with the Flip, you do need to have some basic knowledge of how to turn on something and how to operate a simple device. But thankfully, there are very few buttons on it to confuse most people. Really! It’s very easy to learn to use. Trust me.

Here’s a quick run down of how to operate theFlip Ultra Cam.

1 - Turn on theFlip Ultra by flicking the Power switch (located on the side) down. The screen at the back of the unit will turn on and a blip sound will be heard to indicate it’s turned on.

2 - Press on the red button and start capturing video. Move the cam to wherever you want to capture the video and what you see on the screen is what’s being recorded.

3 - Press on the red button again to STOP recording.

That’s it! The Flip Ultra Cam will automatically shut off after 120 seconds of inactivity so even if you don’t turn it off, it will do so automatically.

See? Didn’t I tell you it’s so simple to use?

For those who want to skip over all the detailed review and just want a summary, you can jump to the review summary

Specs and Details

Features:

Simple to Shoot

* Sleek, pocket-sized camcorder with one-touch recording
* Built-in flash memory holds up to 60 minutes of high-quality video
* Start recording within 3 seconds of power-up
* Fast lens for great results in low and bright light; 2x digital zoom
* 1.5” color anti-glare playback screen for instant viewing and deleting
* Flip-out USB arm plugs directly into your computer for easy sharing and archiving
* TV connector cable included to watch videos on television
* Tripod mount fits any standard tripod

Simple to Share

* Built-in software for instant viewing, editing, and one-click emailing
* Integrated video uploading to AOL, MySpace, YouTube, and other video sharing sites
* Easily capture still pictures from video
* Simple editing tools let you make custom-edited movie mixes with music
* Create and organize your personal video library

Here’s what’s in the box:

* Flip Video Ultra Camcorder
* Soft carrying pouch
* Wrist strap
* Flip Video Ultra TV cable buy extra cable
* Two AA batteries
* Quickstart Guide download now

theFlip’s website FAQ page

Product Specifications

Internal Memory: 2GB (60 minutes)
Screen Size: 1.5″ (transflective TFT)
Screen Resolution: 528 x 132 pixels
Video Resolution: 640 x 480
Frame Rate: 30 frames per second (constant frame rate, progressive scan)
Video Bitrate: 4.0Mbps (average - auto adaptive algorithm)
Video Format: Advanced Profile MPEG4, saved as AVI file
Lens Type: Fixed Focus (0.8m to infinity)
Aperture: f/2.4 (fast lens for great results in low-light environments)
Zoom: Smooth multi-step 2x digital
Interface: 8 Buttons (Power, Play, Delete, Record and 4 way navigation)
Dimensions: 4.17″ x 2.16″ x 1.25″ (H x W x D)
PC Connection: Built-in flip-out USB arm (up to USB 2.0 speed)
TV Out: NTSC (cable included)
Battery Life: Up to 2.5 hours (with 2x AA Alkaline batteries)
Up to 6.5 hours (with 2 x AA Energizer® e2® batteries)
Tripod Mount: Yes
Operating Systems: Windows XP, Windows Vista
Mac OSX
Min Requirements: (Windows) Intel Pentium 4 2.0 GHz processor, Windows XP SP2 with 512 MB of RAM or Windows Vista with 2 GB of RAM, display monitor and video card support for 1024×768/24-bit color, Windows Media Player 9.0, Microsoft DirectX 9.0, USB port
(Mac OSX) PowerPC G4 1.0 GHz or Intel Core processor, 512 MB of RAM, OS X Tiger 10.4 or Leopard 10.5, display monitor and video card support for 1024×768/24-bit color, QuickTime 7, USB port
Online Sharing: Unlimited Private Sharing
Video greeting cards
Upload to MySpace
Upload to YouTube (public and private)
Upload to AOL Video (public and private)
Upload to other sites

Click on the thumbnail images for a bigger picture

Here’s a Slide show of the above pictures

Flip Ultra Look over

Let’s take a good look at the cam. It’s about the same size as a digital camera or cell phone so you’re not dealing with something too big or heavy or bulky. This is of utmost importance because who wants to lug around yet another device that’s bulky, and heavy when on vacation? Isn’t it supposed to be a relaxing and enjoyable vacation? Well, with the Flip Ultra Cam, it won’t take up much space or weight and the videos it captures are pretty good. Actually, they are likely much better than most cell phone cameras.

Front

At the front, there’s the camera lens with built in microphone (yes, those little holes indicate the microphone underneath). The bottom area of the front is actually a battery cover, very well designed and disguised. I was originally confused about where the battery compartment was until I read the manual. Duh! But what an ingenius design! The lock for the battery compartment (you wouldn’t want it to open at the inopportune times, right, is located at the bottom of the Flip Ultra Cam.

Back

On the back side, there’s the internal speaker at the top and the main video viewing screen plus a few buttons. We’ll cover the buttons. Although to many gadget lovers, the flip doesn’t offer enough buttons, there are enough to possibly confuse some. But fret not, it’s not that hard to figure them out.

Here’s a pic of the back of the unit where we’ll be focusing with regards to all the buttons that we find.

PLAY button

There’s a button on the left that has a right pointing triangle. For many who are familiar with the symbol of VCRs and other technology devices, that’s the PLAY icon. Pressing that button will PLAY the video(s) that were captured and stored on the Flip Ultra cam. Once the video is playing, pressing the same button will STOP it.

RECORD button

The next set of buttons is located in the middle. Let’s first concentrate on the middle RED button. Most people who are familiar with VCRs or other devices will be able to figure out that the “red” color means RECORD. And that’s exactly what that button does. Press that red button and it will begin to record a video. Very simple and straightforward. Pressing that same button again will then toggle the cam to stop recording. Press once to record. Press again to stop recording. See? Didn’t I tell you it’s very easy to figure out?

Zoom In/Out or Volume Up or Down buttons

The next set of buttons (we’re still dealing with the ones in the middle) are the buttons surrounding the red RECORD button.

At the top, it’s got a + and the bottom one has a - . These sets of buttons do more than one thing, unlike the previous other buttons. When recording a video, pressing the + button will “zoom in” on the target and pressing the - button will zoom out. When playing back a video on the Flip Ultra cam, pressing the + will increase the volume and pressing the - button will decrease the volume.

Backwards and Forwards buttons

The buttons on the left and right have left and right pointing triangles. These buttons will move and navigate backwards and forwards through the list of videos you may have stored on the Flip Ultra Cam. It’s very easy to figure out which does what.

DELETE/TRASH button

Finally, there’s a button on the right of the Flip Ultra cam that looks like an opened garbage can. Yes, as many of you have probably figured out, it’s the Trash or DELETE button. Pressing the button when you’re at a video in play mode will enable you to delete the video. Thankfully, to avoid accidental deletions, the Flip Ultra Cam will ask you again to confirm that you wish to delete the video before deleting it. So, to delete a video, you will need to press the DELETE or TRASH button twice. Pressing any other button or not doing anything within a few seconds will get right out of the Deletion mode. Whew! These guys at Flip certainly know how to avoid us making silly mistakes!

POWER button/switch

There’s one very important button or switch, really that you should know. And that’s the POWER button. It’s actually more of a switch, like I just said. It’s located on the Flip Ultra Cam’s own right side or left, if you’re looking at the Flip Cam directly opposite it. To turn on the Flip Ultra Cam, simply flick the dark grey switch with three tiny bumps on it downwards and it should turn on. You should hear this “blip” sound and be able to see the Flip logo come up on the screen. Once it’s on, you can play back recorded videos, record a video or do other things.

UBS connector arm switch

Another important button or switch, on the “other” side of the Flip Ultra Cam is the USB connector arm. This is what you’ll need to connect and transfer your recorded videos to your computer for video editing, sharing online or via emails, burn to DVD, create a movie, etc. Basicially, it’s what you’ll need to transfer your video for whatever you want to do. Again, similar to the Power button switch, to open up or extend the USB arm, you’ll need to flick down the button with the triangularly shaped tiny bumps and the USB arm will flip up and out. Then, connect it to the USB port or hub of your computer

TV Out connector

Underneath that USB arm switch is the TV out connector. This is where you’ll need to connect the supplied TV out connector cable to your TV to be able to view and play the videos on your Flip Ultra Cam. No need for any computers. Simply connect it and set the TV in the proper input channel, turn on both the TV and Flip Ultra Cam and you should be able to play the videos on the TV practically instanteously! Isn’t technology great?

Tripod connector

Similar to what’s offered for digital camera, the Flip Ultra Cam also comes with a tripod connector so that you can fit it on a tripod and make great videos without being restricted to holding it on your hand. Great idea!

Battery Lid lock switch

Not to leave things out, at the bottom of the Flip Ultra Cam, there’s another switch. As discussed previously, it’s the lock or unlock switch to the battery cover or lid. Flip it to the lock icon and it’s in the lock position and vice versa. Beside it is the screw on connector for the camera tripod.

TV-out

View your Flip Ultra Cam videos on a bigger screen! How about viewing them on your TV? Yes! You can do that too! Simply connect the supplied TV-out connector cable and connect your Flip Cam with your TV’s input connectors. Turn on your Flip Cam. Turn on your TV. Navigate your TV to the correct input channnel. That may normally be the AUX or Auxilary channel (typically 2 channels below Channel 2). Your TV may be a bit different. Please consult your TV manual for more info on how to access the input channels.

If done correctly, you should be able to view an image of one of the videos on your Flip Cam on the TV screen. Then you can play the videos like you would on your Flip Cam, except you are now watching it on a much bigger screen, like your TV. And the video is very well rendered on the TV screen! See for yourself here!

The flip Ultra Cam is currently available in four different colors*:

Orange Ultra Camcorder	Pink Ultra Camcorder
Light Grey Ultra Camcorder	Black Ultra Camcorder

*(At one point, there was also one in green but it looks like it is no longer available)

So, have I convinced you how easy this Flip Ultra Cam is to operate and use and that you should get one? Perhaps, I’ll give you a better idea through my video review. Hopefully, you’ll be convinced then.

Please continue on to Part 2 for the videos and more information on the Flip Ultra Cam.

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