Flip Video Mino
Encyclopedia
The Flip Video Mino is a smaller version of the Flip Video
camcorder. It captures video
in 640x480 resolution at 30 frames per second.
The Mino has many features that the Flip Video does not have. They include an internal rechargeable battery (instead of 2 AA batteries) and touch-sensitive pause, fast forward and rewind buttons, whereas the Flip had none of these. The Mino is almost 2 ounce
s lighter than the Flip and the arm with the USB
plug on it has changed positions.
On November 12, 2008, the Flip MinoHD
was released. It has the same dimensions as the regular Mino, but with 1,280 x 720 HD, 30 frames per second recording capabilities. Its internal storage was upgraded to 4 GB while maintaining about 1 hour of recording time due to the increased optical resolution. The battery life is about 2 hours of recording time when fully charged.
The original 4 GB MinoHD only has a stereo to composite (RCA) output for connecting to a television or input into other media viewing monitors. This was a major drawback to quick viewing of videos on a High Definition Television, considering that the produced video is captured in 720p high definition and composite cables are unable to transmit HD resolution to HD capable televisions. This flaw was corrected in the later released 8 GB version that now harnesses a mini HDMI output port, which now gives the option for Mini HDMI to composite (RCA) or component cables as well as Mini HDMI to HDMI allowing videos to be viewed in full HD on an HD capable television directly from the MinoHD camcorder.
In moving to a higher HD resolution, the Flip MinoHD changed from the MPEG-4 Part 2
(.avi) file format to the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
Part 10 (.mp4) format.
. The Wall Street Journal concluded that: "If you're in the market for a simple camcorder that records high-quality video, the Flip MinoHD is definitely worth $50 more than the regular Flip Mino. But don't say I didn't warn you so when you're bummed out by the screen's still-small size and its inability to share true HD footage via the FlipShare software."
A review at IT Reviews commented that the MinoHD is a "healthy evolution of a popular product, but like its predecessors it can suffer from being a bit too simplistic and omitting some key features that may still be helpful for beginners." The review concludes: "As pocket camcorders go though, it's an impressive device."
The Flip Video MinoHD was the number one in "best budget camcorder" in Cnet
's Editors' top camcorder choices. CamcorderInfo.com listed the Flip Mino as its "Best Budget Camcorder" and "Most Innovative Camcorder" in 2008.
Flip Video
The Flip Video camera is a tapeless camcorder for digital video created by Pure Digital Technologies, a company bought by Cisco Systems in March 2009...
camcorder. It captures video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
in 640x480 resolution at 30 frames per second.
The Mino has many features that the Flip Video does not have. They include an internal rechargeable battery (instead of 2 AA batteries) and touch-sensitive pause, fast forward and rewind buttons, whereas the Flip had none of these. The Mino is almost 2 ounce
Ounce
The ounce is a unit of mass with several definitions, the most commonly used of which are equal to approximately 28 grams. The ounce is used in a number of different systems, including various systems of mass that form part of the imperial and United States customary systems...
s lighter than the Flip and the arm with the USB
Universal Serial Bus
USB is an industry standard developed in the mid-1990s that defines the cables, connectors and protocols used in a bus for connection, communication and power supply between computers and electronic devices....
plug on it has changed positions.
History
The Flip Video Mino was released on June 04, 2008 by Pure Digital.On November 12, 2008, the Flip MinoHD
720p
720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan...
was released. It has the same dimensions as the regular Mino, but with 1,280 x 720 HD, 30 frames per second recording capabilities. Its internal storage was upgraded to 4 GB while maintaining about 1 hour of recording time due to the increased optical resolution. The battery life is about 2 hours of recording time when fully charged.
The original 4 GB MinoHD only has a stereo to composite (RCA) output for connecting to a television or input into other media viewing monitors. This was a major drawback to quick viewing of videos on a High Definition Television, considering that the produced video is captured in 720p high definition and composite cables are unable to transmit HD resolution to HD capable televisions. This flaw was corrected in the later released 8 GB version that now harnesses a mini HDMI output port, which now gives the option for Mini HDMI to composite (RCA) or component cables as well as Mini HDMI to HDMI allowing videos to be viewed in full HD on an HD capable television directly from the MinoHD camcorder.
In moving to a higher HD resolution, the Flip MinoHD changed from the MPEG-4 Part 2
MPEG-4 Part 2
MPEG-4 Part 2, MPEG-4 Visual is a video compression technology developed by MPEG. It belongs to the MPEG-4 ISO/IEC standards. It is a discrete cosine transform compression standard, similar to previous standards such as MPEG-1 and MPEG-2...
(.avi) file format to the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
H.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC is a standard for video compression, and is currently one of the most commonly used formats for the recording, compression, and distribution of high definition video...
Part 10 (.mp4) format.
Reception
The Flip Mino has received great praise from the Wall Street Journal and NewsweekNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
. The Wall Street Journal concluded that: "If you're in the market for a simple camcorder that records high-quality video, the Flip MinoHD is definitely worth $50 more than the regular Flip Mino. But don't say I didn't warn you so when you're bummed out by the screen's still-small size and its inability to share true HD footage via the FlipShare software."
A review at IT Reviews commented that the MinoHD is a "healthy evolution of a popular product, but like its predecessors it can suffer from being a bit too simplistic and omitting some key features that may still be helpful for beginners." The review concludes: "As pocket camcorders go though, it's an impressive device."
The Flip Video MinoHD was the number one in "best budget camcorder" in Cnet
CNET
CNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. Originally founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition...
's Editors' top camcorder choices. CamcorderInfo.com listed the Flip Mino as its "Best Budget Camcorder" and "Most Innovative Camcorder" in 2008.