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VIO POV.1 Review
The good: This is a revolutionary camera system allows affordable professional filming while coming in a small pack and has everything that you need to get going. The wireless remote and software package included is new to the market. This kit is all good!
The bad: The memory can only be extended to 2Gbs max.
The Action Cameras bottom line: This is the greatest camera to hit the market and the price shows the quality of it, which is fair because of the value that is received in the quality of the POV.1
VIO POV.1
The desire for helmet and POV (point of view) video footage has gone through the roof lately. Just about every action sports video including mountain bike, mbx, skateboard, ski, kite-boarding, and others include some sort of POV footage that puts you and me in the cockpit.
Of all the cameras out there the V.I.O. POV.1 Camera Package is the Holy Grail! It shoots at a 720 x 480 resolution at 30fps.
This camera set up is truly an all-in-one full solution so that once you get the kit you can open it up, set it up and get out there recording! The benefits that this camera offers over any predecessors is nearly endless, but just to name a few of these:
It has a wireless remote control that works up to 12 feet away from the POV.1 unit
It comes with a 1Gb SD card, “try-me” batteries, and a whole host of mounting solutions
It is a solid state recorder so won’t be bothered by high vibration sports
The recorder is waterproofed to 1 meter and the camera to 3 meters
There is a LCD screen on the recorder so you can see exactly what you are filming
You can set it to record in a loop so that you’ll never miss anything
It’s been designed for one handed use (but we prefer using the remote)
It comes with some great video editing software for easy sharing of video
Since Action Cameras became the UK distributors in March of the all VIO products including the POV.1, we have been very excited using it as much as possible and have entered into a sponsorship deal with the Honda British Super Bikes team. We were with the Honda guys in Almeria, Spain to shoot some footage for the race team which you can see by clicking here.
Recording with the kit is very easy after you’ve flipped through the start-up guide that comes inside the pack. Putting the batteries and SD card in is tricky as the kit is waterproofed and the best way to do this is to lever out the piece with a pen or key so that it pops out easily.
Now that you’re ready to go you can get about three hours from the 4 AA batteries, you can use lithium-ion batteries to get 7x longer battery life and these are not affected by cold weather like normal AA’s. The POV.1 takes a 1 or 2Gb SD card; the 2Gb will give you an hour and 26 minutes on the highest resolution of 720×480 but if you set it to the lowest res you’ll have 15hours and 44minutes recording time.
The POV.1 comes in an all-in-one pack similar to a CD zip-around case that holds everything that you need. It even has a section to keep the software CD safe and another compartment to keep all the mounts and other bits and pieces neatly away.
POV.1 package
This truly is a revolutionary kit and with the price being the remaining factor holding some back form getting their own kit, we do believe that for the DVD quality footage and the overall value of the POV.1 package is providing you, the price is well justified by the value.
Action cameras are typically fixed focus, rugged, 'bullet' style cameras that allow hands-free shooting of sporting activities. Some require an AV-in capable camcorder while others are standalone units - like the Oregon Scientific AT2K. Typically, this family of standalone units, to which the VIO POV.1 belongs, record to memory cards and the POV.1 (Point Of View) is no different.
However, what sets the POV.1 apart from other standalone units is an LCD screen, enabling instant playback of footage in the field. But this functionality comes at a price. At just under £600, the POV.1 is a serious investment.
Design and layout
The comparative expense of the POV.1 is almost immediately justified when you open up the box. For starters, the camera ships with its own semi-rigid carry case. Every conceivable necessity is included: LCD screen protector; four AA batteries; CD-based manual and software; multiple mounts; cable ties; and a 1GB SD card.
The hardware itself is equally well considered. The bullet camera is a sleek unit that carries audio and video to the recording device in a single cable. This cable is a tough, screw-fit design both ends, all but eliminating the danger of disconnecting camera from recorder during shooting. The cable is also marked either end for idiot-proof connection, and the camera is marked for orientation.
The camera can be mounted using the included 'Picatinny' rail system (popular on firearms) and mounts (wide flange or tubular rail) or you can opt to improvise, as we often did, by using the included zip ties.
The recorder itself is a chunky unit. Below the screen are three contextual 'soft keys' whose function depends upon the current screen (à la mobile phones). Below them are a further three keys for 'play', 'record' and 'settings'. Beneath those is the power button. All the keys have a wonderful positive click when operated. Even with cold digits there is no mistaking their activation.
Although loaded with practical flourishes, the POV.1's major selling point is the wireless remote. This unobtrusive device is worn like a watch, allowing remote 'tagging' of footage.
Features
Th
The camera then records continuously in these loops, overwriting previous loops unless the user tags a loop (effectively saving it) with the wrist remote. It's an empowering way to capture footage, as it's no longer necessary to keep fingers poised over 'record' all day long.
Performance
In operational terms, the POV.1 is largely difficult to criticise, but we do have one niggle to mention. Although the recorder provides obvious feedback through the power LED (orange = booting up; green = standby; flashing red = recording; and so on), there is no feedback on the wrist remote. Therefore, with the recorder stowed away, if the wrist remote has been pressed, you may have doubts as to whether the camera is actually recording.
The POV.1 records footage to an SD card. The resultant files are MPEG4-based AVI files. Generally, the quality of these files is very good, far superior to other SD card based action cameras like the Oregon Scientific AT2K. However, the nature of MPEG based compression becomes woefully apparent for any application that doesn't provide a stable base for the camera. Action footage such as running or mountain biking, for example, is noticeably poorer than equivalent footage recorded straight to DV.
Conclusion
At present, the POV.1 is amongst the finest SD-based action cams on the market. But, consider the application itself: for smooth and stable platforms, the slight lack of visual clarity imposed by MPEG-based recording is a fair trade off for the footage the POV.1 affords. Users looking to capture more erratic activities will be better served with DV-based offerings for now.
e POV.1 records in any one of three quality settings (high, medium or low) at resolutions from 720 x 480 down to 320 x 240. It also offers a variety of frame rates: 15, 24, 25 or 30 frames per second and varying aspect ratios. Besides conventional recording, it's possible to specify a 'loop' duration.
The camera then records continuously in these loops, overwriting previous loops unless the user tags a loop (effectively saving it) with the wrist remote. It's an empowering way to capture footage, as it's no longer necessary to keep fingers poised over 'record' all day long.
Performance
In operational terms, the POV.1 is largely difficult to criticise, but we do have one niggle to mention. Although the recorder provides obvious feedback through the power LED (orange = booting up; green = standby; flashing red = recording; and so on), there is no feedback on the wrist remote. Therefore, with the recorder stowed away, if the wrist remote has been pressed, you may have doubts as to whether the camera is actually recording.
The POV.1 records footage to an SD card. The resultant files are MPEG4-based AVI files. Generally, the quality of these files is very good, far superior to other SD card based action cameras like the Oregon Scientific AT2K. However, the nature of MPEG based compression becomes woefully apparent for any application that doesn't provide a stable base for the camera. Action footage such as running or mountain biking, for example, is noticeably poorer than equivalent footage recorded straight to DV.
Conclusion
At present, the POV.1 is amongst the finest SD-based action cams on the market. But, consider the application itself: for smooth and stable platforms, the slight lack of visual clarity imposed by MPEG-based recording is a fair trade off for the footage the POV.1 affords. Users looking to capture more erratic activities will be better served with DV-based offerings for now.