It seems that most people would want to use a high-def video recorder to document their growing families or Star Wars action-figure collections, but can a case be made for purchasing a low-res camera? At 640x480, the Flip Video’s resolution isn’t VideoCD low, but you won’t stun your family when you proudly display your movies on a 60-inch, 1080p set.

Of course, this camera isn’t for a Blu-ray or HD DVD audience—it’s for the YouTube generation, which thinks that a horribly pixelated, low-resolution video is just dandy. Featuring 1GB of internal flash memory, which is good for one hour of video (a 512MB version is also available), the AA-powered Flip Video is about as simple to operate as a tape recorder. White balance? Fuhgetaboutit. You get record, play, and a mediocre digital zoom.

To get your video to your PC, you swing out the built-in USB connector and jack in to your rig. You can directly copy the videos to your PC, or if you really want the newb experience, you can fire up the app that’s stored on the unit, a simple web-based interface that lets you view, edit, or share your videos. You can upload directly to YouTube or Grouper.com from the device and send an email notification to your friends and family that you have posted a new video. One caveat—doing so appends a commercial for the Flip Video to the end of your clip. Hey, if they’re going to do that, shouldn’t they be paying us?

Normally, we’d hold our noses at a low-res device that looks like something you’d find at the bottom of a box of Cap’n Crunch, but even the video snob in us found it hard to hate the Flip Video. And at $150, you won’t think twice about using it as you’re thundering down Splash Mountain.

Our only problem with the Flip Video is that newer point-and-shoot digital cameras offer competitive video resolutions as well as superior still imaging. However, those still cameras cost at least twice as much as the Flip Video and aren’t as easy to use.

This camera is so easy to operate a Mac use could handle it.

Flip, Video 1GB
www.theflip.com

MC Frontalot

Fun and easy to use, and cheap enough that you won't be neurotic about taking it with you.

DJ Jazzy Jeff

Uploading directly to the web appends a Flip Video commercial to your clip.

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