Flip Video Camera

I’ve been kinda busy with other projects, as well as enjoying all of the Spring Training coverage on TV.  But I wanted to tell you all about something that will be my constant companion at the ballpark come April and beyond.

It’s the Flip Video Camera.  I just got this today, it was on sale at Buy.com; still is, in fact.  I got the one with the pink trim that is pctured here, but if that is too girly for you, they have a plain white one for the same price, as well.

You can’t beat the price of $89.99, and free shipping to boot.  These are refurbished cameras, but they come in the original packaging, with everything you need to start shooting video right there in the box.  You get:  the camera, a soft pouch to keep it in,  2 AA Duracell alkaline batteries, instruction booklet, and a cord to connect the camera to your TV so you can watch your videos on TV.

Notice that no software CD or USB cord is included.  This is because you do not need them!  The camera has a flip-up arm, as shown above, that plugs easily into any USB port on your computer.  The software is all inthe camera, no annoying CD to install and perhaps lose.  And no USB cord to lose, or have to replace because your cat chewed it up.

The camera can take up to an hour of video, 2 GB worth.  The software allows you to upload your videos directly to sites like YouTube, provided that it’s plugged into a computer that is connected to the internet, of course.

This camera is of a very compact size, so if you’re headed to Fenway, where they are picky about the size of any bags that you might want to bring in, you’ll be good to go.  You can fit this into a small purse, or a shirt or pants pocket.

This will be wicked easy to use when we are on the road.  In April, we will be going up to Manchester for the Fisher Cats’ Opening Night, staying at the Hilton Garden Inn near the ballpark, with a room that faces the ballpark.  It’s my birthday present.

I will be able to take video from the room, so you can see what it all looks like, as well as from the ballpark itself.  And since we will be bringing Mike’s laptop, and the place has free WiFi, all I gotta do is plug the Flip into the computer, and my videos will be posted to YouTube shortly after I take them.  How cool is that?

When it is this easy to create and share videos, you will be seeing a LOT more from me here.

If you do buy this thing, I strongly suggest that you invest in a battery charger and rechargeable AA batteries.  If you don’t, you will go broke replacing the alkaline batteries, as all digital cameras, video or not, use an awful lot of juice.

So, if you’ve always wanted a video camera, but thought that it was beyond your reach financially, take a look at a refurbished Flip from Buy.com.  The quality of the video is surprisingly good for the price, you really can’t go wrong with this!