Purchase Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black)

After agonizing over which TV to buy for over a year (got the Panasonic G10--awesome!!), I cringed when I began the camcorder shopping process. I wanted HD to go with my new HDTV, but I didn't want to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars. I own a Flip Mino SD, but had been somewhat disappointed with the video it took. When I saw the Flip Ultra HD getting decent reviews here and elsewhere (like CNET), I decided it was worth taking a chance on. I'm glad I did!

My criteria for an HD camcorder was:
1) Under $500.
2) Files that would easily play on my PC and PS3.
3) Good quality videos.
4) Portability.

My verdict:

1) The price on the FLIP is obviously nowhere near $500. But could it actually take decent HD video? Read on!

2) Most video cameras save files in awkward file formats like "MOV". I've read that when you convert these files to MPG, the quality is degraded. 1080p is nice, of course, but can overwhelm an older PC (and even many newer ones). I was so relieved, therefor, when I saw that the FLIP ULTRA HD saves videos as MP4! No problem for my PC! I can easily transfer them to a USB flash drive and the files play on my Playstation 3! (My old Flip Mino saved the files as AVI, which my PS3 couldn't read.)

3) So far, so good. But what about the video quality? The Flip Ultra HD records in 720p (at 30 frames per second). I gave it a good workout, shooting inside my house, on a sunny beach, at the park, and was quite impressed overall. The quality was rather grainy inside the house, but all camcorders struggle with lower light conditions. The colors outside were much better and looked quite good on my plasma. Now, you really have to hold the camera super-steady, as there is no stabilizer at all. Jittery motion, fast pans, walking while filming all look terrible on a 50 inch screen. So hold still!
My main complaint is the 30fps. This introduces some flicker when subjects are running around or waving their arms (i.e. kids). It's like watching an old film strip at times, albeit in HD color. The Aiptek Action HD GVS is the same price as the Flip, and it records in 60fps in 720p. (I would have gotten that but I couldn't find any professional reviews and it doesn't save its files in friendly MP4, so I ruled it out.) So I feel that Flip COULD have possibly given us 60fps, but didn't, so I'm knocking 1 star off. Maybe next year!

4) As for portability, you really can't beat the Flip series. The Ultra is much bulkier than the Mino, but still slips in my pocket and I don't really feel it. It sits comfortably in my hand.

So overall, this is a very decent product at a great price. I feel like I saved a lot of money over other entry-level HD camcorders from Sony or Canon, but have not sacrificed too much in terms of video quality. Go for it!
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