The online video community has been tossed yet another high definition budget cam, this time by Aiptek, manufacturer of pocket camcorders and other budget electronics. Joining Aiptek’s $300 optical zoom GO-HD cam, the A-HD records 720P 30fps HD video to SD/MMC cards and can fit comfortably in a pocket.
The A-HD is equipped with a 5MP CMOS chip and records HD video at a frame rate of up to 30FPS in the following modes: 1280 x 720 (H.264), 720 x 480 (D1), and 352 x 240 (CIF). Stills can be captured in the following sizes: 3200 x 2400 (8MP), 2560 x 1920 (5 MP), 2048 x 1536 Pixels (3MP). Video clips are recorded as .MOV MPEG-4 files and can be stored on SD/MMC cards up to 8GB in size. One hour of 1280 x 720 HD footage or 770 8MP stills will fit on a 2GB SD card. The A-HD also includes 6MB of internal storage, which will not even hold one second of HD video in the highest quality.
The A-HD has a 4x digital zoom, 2.4” LCD screen, flash, and LCD panel controls. Connectivity includes A/V out, component, and USB terminals. Users can also record video clips directly from a TV, VCR, DVD player, or any other device with RCA outputs. The A-HD is outfitted with a Li-ion battery that can be charged through the USB terminal from a computer. Night Shot and red-eye reduction are also included.
The Aiptek A-HD’s, being a ridiculously cheap high definition camcorder, has no real competitors at this price point. The closest model is perhaps the Sanyo VPC-HD2, which sells for several hundred dollars more. Also available is the Canon Powershot TX1, having churned out the best HD video performance in the pocket cam category thus far. On a strict price basis, the Pure Digital Flip and Flip Ultra might also pose a threat. They are currently enjoying a huge marketing momentum. Even though the camcorders are standard definition, at this price point one could argue that standard definition might do a better job of obscuring the poor video quality, whereas high definition might simply highlight the flaws. Sony has their own competitor, the NSC-GC1 Net Sharing Cam, which shoots standard definition video at a maximum 640 x 480 30FPS and costs more than the A-HD.
