Creative Labs Vado HD 720p Pocket Video Camcorder with 8 GB Video Storage and 2x Digital Zoom (Black) Top Quality

The Vado HD camcorder is a nice new entry into the "mini camcorder" market and I was looking forward to seeing how it compared to my Flip Mino (non-HD) camera. I didn't really need the HD capability, but I thought it would be icing on the cake. However, I really haven't had the chance to do an overall comparison of the two cameras because I am still having problems getting the Vado to work on my Mac.

I'm not even 100% convinced that the Vado is totally Mac-compatible. The Vado website says it is, with some limitations. (Specifically: "1. Users can install Perian 1.1.2 from [...] to view Vado HD videos. 2. Mac functionality limited to importing files from Vado/Vado HD and using them with QuickTime player and suitable video codecs. Vado Central software is not compatible with Mac OS.") Some Amazon reviewers say the camera works with their Mac. Some say that it doesn't. I do know that the actual system requirements listed on the Amazon product page do not make any reference to Mac systems, so maybe I'm just out of luck. In any case, I still haven't figured out how to play back my videos successfully, despite reading other reviewers' suggestions, downloading the QuickTime plug-in suggested by Vado and other reviewers, and contacting Vado's customer service people.

All that being said, taking video with the Vado was a pleasant enough experience. The controls are easy to use and intuitive, although I still like the controls on the Flip camera better. I like the camera cover that was included with the Vado. That's a nice extra, but I can't figure out why they didn't make it black to match the camera. Also, the lack of an included A/V cable is just silly. That's like selling a car without tires.

If I was a PC user, my 3-star review might very well be a glowing 5-star review because I do see a lot of rave reviews of this product from PC users. But I'm a Mac user and have to give the Vado an "average" score of 3 stars simply because I can't get it to play videos on my Mac. To be fair, the Vado's video does play back nicely on my television. (I hooked up the Vado to my TV using the A/V cable that came with my Flip camera...Oh, the irony!) But if I can't play the video on my Mac, this camera doesn't do me a whole lot of good.

The bottom line is that I'm very happy with my non-HD Flip Video Mino Series Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Black) and like it better than the HD Vado. It works like a charm and plays nicely with my Mac. It's also quite a bit cheaper than the HD Vado. (Note: Even the Flip Mino HD version is cheaper than the HD Vado.) For what these camcorders do, I personally am not sure the HD feature is worth it. It's more money, the video files take up more space, take longer to upload, require a faster computer processor, etc. If all you want one of these camcorders for is to take video of spontaneous moments and upload them to your computer or YouTube, I think most people would be happy with a non-HD model. For HD video, maybe buying a "real" camcorder makes more sense.

Get more detail about Creative Labs Vado HD 720p Pocket Video Camcorder with 8 GB Video Storage and 2x Digital Zoom (Black).