Flip MinoHD Available Now at 720p

Just in time for the holidays Pure Digital Technologies has released a HD version of its popular Flip Mino pocket camcorder with a retail price of $230, which is $50 more than the SD version. The new HD Flip weighs only 3.3 ounces and records an hour of 720p MPEG-4 video on the built-in 4GB flash memory. Also announced was Flipshare, an upgrade to the on-board editing software, which will enable drag and drop capability for editing and sharing videos on YouTube, MySpace, AOL Video or via email.

Pure Digital has sold over 1.5 million Flip Video camcorders and currently has the number one best-selling camcorder in the U.S according to leading market research firm The NPD Group. The NY Times had this to say about the maker of the innovative pocket camcorder, "In a study released last month, Deloitte said that revenues at Pure Digital, a 90-employee firm based in San Francisco, grew 44,667 percent, the highest rate in Silicon Valley over the last five years." - A Camcorder Insurgent Goes HD - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com

“Consumers have embraced Flip Video because it delivers on the promise of making video simple, affordable, and fun,” said Jonathan Kaplan, Pure Digital’s chairperson and CEO. “Flip MinoHD, along with our new FlipShare software, now make it easy for anyone to capture and share their stories in stunning HD quality.” - from Flip Video - Buzz - Press Releases

Katie Boehret, from Wall Street Journal wrote an in-depth review Flip Camcorder Goes High-Def | Katherine Boehret | The Mossberg Solution | AllThingsD and was pleased with the video and improved sound quality. I included her video test from her WSJ review below. She noted a few limitations such as the fixed zoom system which allows for only 2x digital zoom, the small 1.5-inch LCD screen which is the same size as the previous Flip models so you can't preview the HD video on the camcorder and the inability to share HD footage with the Flipshare software. Keep in mind that you can edit and share the HD video footage using other applications like iMovie which I've used with my Flip Ultra videos.


Benny Goldman from Gizmodo did some field testing as well in his post: Reviews: Flip MinoHD Lightning Review (So Easy, a Caveman Can Do It).

As the news broke last night also saw this Tweet from @karaswisher:

I actually own two Flips myself, an Ultra and a Mino, and Kara Swisher has four. She recorded this silly video that assembles all her Flip Video cameras for a special Flip meet-up. A New Flip Joins the BoomTown Video Family: High-Def Hijinks Ensue! | Kara Swisher | BoomTown | AllThingsD

Flip Mino HD Details
•Sleek, pocket-sized camcorder shoots breathtaking HD video
•Available in black or whatever you want
•4GB of on-board memory records up to 60 minutes of video
•Dimensions: 4” x 2” x 0.6”; weighs just 3.3 oz.
•HD 720p resolution (1280 x 720) in16:9 cinematic widescreen
•No glare display (1.5”)
•Sealed, rechargeable lithium ion battery (up to 2 hours of battery life)
•Flat back-panel with touch-sensitive buttons
•Instant playback, pause, fast forward/rewind, and delete features
•Connects to TV for instant viewing
•New built-in FlipShare™ software works on any PC or Mac:
•Save, organize, and edit videos with ease
•Email videos and video greeting cards
•Upload videos directly to AOL Video, MySpace, and YouTube
•Capture HD snapshots from your videos
•Create custom movies with your own music
•Order DVDs and have them shipped anywhere in the world
Suggested Retail Pricing: $229.99