Memory cards run at different speeds. Its all depends on how quick the cam can write to the card. Slow cards means it uses a bad compression.. Fast cards means it can use a better compression.. The camera has a limited amount of built in memory if you like and it needs to get the video off there and onto the card asap.. hope this helps
I've just posted a "video response" to this review with footage from the 120 degree version of this camera in it. Really good quality for the price. Thanks for your review Mr TechMoan. Would never have bothered ordering one without it :-)
Sadly there is a break of 3 seconds between files... a new file every 20 mins. Not as annoying as the DV011 you reviewed which lost 2 seconds every 5 mins, however, something to keep in mind. Sods law says you'll get knocked off the bike in those 3 seconds :-)
Well speak of the devil, the 120 degree version of this came through the post today. Paid about £46 for it delivered to the door from Hong Kong vendor on ebay. Wasn't expecting much for this price. I don't know if they've changed the camera a bit but the button is a nice solid click, not easily accidentally pressed. The picture quality is very good and even night time footage is surprisingly decent. I downloaded raw DogCam Wide (£130) footage and borrowed normal DogCam. This is much better.
@83Sophist internal li-ion. you'd need to take it apart to replace it. Roelli have started doing a BulletHD Lite, 720p @ 30 fps for £120 which has ejectable battery (and comes with a spare). Might be worth considering if you want to spend a bit more but need the batteries....
@robertjamesfrost Thanks, man! :) I saw it when I was choosing the item. I chose this one because I wanted to see is the stuff like this will work well for my needs. Definitely I will not buy 2 or Lite because, imho, the extractable battery feature don't worth additional 100 bucks. But if my idea will work fine I will probably go crazy :) and will spend 300 bucks for Pro.
@Techmoan I just ordered this little camera off of ebay for vlogging use on my dirtbike , and didn't see ur vid till after i purchased. Will i be able to stop the wind noise with some tape wrapped tightly around the mic? because if not i'm Sol because thats like the only reason i purchased it is to hear the sound of my bike and my voice , like some wind is exceptable but i don;t want it to be disturbing to watch or listen to .
Okay might jump on this. I want a camera for my motorcycle trips and rides but don't want to be spending over 200 for a gopro. I don't even like the design of the gopro and others similar to this design are around 300 plus :(
@GsxR750Speedemon Well pretty much everything is from China now. Hopefully all the information you need to make up your mind is in the review. If it's cheap enough then it's an OK camera.
@Techmoan Ah! It's possible. I wait when Chinese will finish to celebrate their New Year so that to order the 16G 10 class card.
And one more issue. It seems that the objective is tilted some degrees. Its central axis doesn't coincide with the central camera' axis. Do you has the same issue? Is it possible to turn the objective a little a hand? I wouldn't like to damage it.
On all this made possible "Action Cameras" there is something that troubles me, it's the up right position so you don't end with a recording upside down.
Is there a way to know? I have made recordings that the file gets flip to the side just because of a missing rotate sensor.
@MrAnjosam Not too clear on your question...but the button is on the top of the camera...it doesn't have an orientation sensor, so an upside down camera will create upside down video.
@MrAnjosam I had the same problem. But I found the way to solve it. I tried to use VirtualDubMod to rotate the video file. It seems the quality is quite well after modification.
@MrAnjosam If you are using a program like WindowsMovieMaker you should be able to flip or rotate with the existing features to get you videos right side up! Good luck
@Techmoan I Own one of these, somehow my aspect ratio isnt what its supposed to be #1280x720 @30fps, its like between the 16:9 and 4:3. Do i have to stretch it on Sony Vegas? I have updated the firmware..
bought one of these. not worth the money. mine recorded but most were corrupted for some odd reason. also, my pc wouldnt read .avi correctly...lets just say the my sony vegas 9 didnt like it all that much. so, money down the drain. best to stick with helmet cams that record in .mov or anything other then .avi.
@Techmoan ive downloaded it. the problem with mine was that i would have multiple recordings and only 2 would be playable. but, they would only play as if it was in fast forward. all the rest were corrupted and not playable. i hope this update will change things. i've just bought myself an extreme HD (knock off of Drift HD). I just hope they cancel my order.
I have the 120* model as the ebay vendor indicated that in the auction. Timestamp works for tagging and displaying it in the video, but how do you change the date ? I flashed the firmware, but the date started at 2011-01-01 and I changed the date to 2011-10-06 and nothing changes. Even pressed the reset button, held it down, still no changes to the correct date. I guess it works ok otherwise, setting to 1600 mode from the 1280 (720p) seems to work, but the edges are an extremely fisheyed effect.
i use the moyea video converter, it works magic on every video format ive come across so far. sure you gotta pay for it, but its already paid itself off for me
Received mine today and it is awesome!!! Really pleased with it and it even came with the updated firmware that has the option of auto-recording when power is applied. Thanks!!
@deepVAroots Did you manage to get one with a 120 degree wide angle lens? I've got the new firmware and will be trying it out this weekend. I'm interested to see if it fixes the problems I was having with the .avi file format.
@Techmoan Unfortunately, no, it appears that I have the same 60 degree lens. But the quality of the video is really nice for the price. The time/date stamp doesn't flicker and I see very little jerkiness, even with a 4gb, class 4 card. I'm well pleased with it. Thank you very much for introducing me to the ACT20, without your review I may never have known about it! Keep those informative, quality reviews coming. You're the gold standard in my book. Cheers.
Hi, I'm still in the market for a bullet cam for car use, thanks for posting the review, I'm wondering about the wide angle lens version, if you had found anyone selling it yet? thanks.
I am the engineer of ACT20 helmet camera, hahaha... happy to find your review video on youtube. :-)
We update this model by new fireware by the end of July, like "Auto mode", better frame rate and another 1600*1200/15fps recording. if anybody is interested in new fireware to update, contact me by myzone.cn@qq.com
BTW: If you buy this camera after the end of July, it was new fireware already.
@qualitylifestore This is an awesome camera! Very dependable and versatile. I wish the file size was a little smaller but with cycled recording it's not a big issue. The car mounting bracket that I got with it is very nice also. I'm going to have a lot of fun with it. It's a lot more practical than say a GoPro and less expensive also. Thank you!!
Hey how did u get to watch the video in your Mac I tried it in mine but it wouldnt play i could only move the video by frames I used QuickTime player any advice would help thanks
I'd be curious to know why the seller upped the price from $76.00 usd to $200.00 in just one week. Luckily I ordered mine at the lower price but haven't received it yet.
i just bought one as well for 61.00 in an auction as for the high prices i got hold of them its because they are out of stock so they put the prices higher so nobody buys them until they get more they said prices should become normal in 10 days hopes this helps as for your item not arriving it could be because you bought it from china or usa i bought it from usa rosamead,ca and it took 4 days yet i live in california so if i were u tell them to get u ur tracking #
@TrXBaNDiT1 Thanks, but tis one arrived in a timely fashion. The #11 HD keychain camera on the other hand didn't. No problem though, after it did not arrive in 30 days they promptly shipped me another.
I'm looking at this camera to get for snowmobiling, it says in the manual that it should be in cold tempatures. Is the camera suitable for snowmobiling?
@Tmcneill24 It's not waterproof, just water resistant, so i'm not sure that Snow would be it's best friend. I would imagine that it could get in around the on/off button.
@scrstryker IP65 isnt completely waterproof, it is only water resistant cos it isnt able to be fully submerged. should be ok in heavy rain etc it just couldnt cope with the pressures under the water
@mcskillby I'd have to check the instructions - but I'm not sure where they are now. Are you sure that your camera didn't load up two drives on your computer - one including the setup file and the other containing the video files.
@Techmoan - No it only loads up one drive. My instructions tell me to 'create a .txt file and put the date and time in it, then copy it to the memory card, then restart', but it doesn't work. It doesn't even tell me how to clear the time/date stamp so it's not in the footage. Other than this problem it works just like yours. I think mine might be an older model, it looks just like yours, but the time/date stamp is set at 2007. Thanks.
@mcskillby Go to my website and download the TIMESET.TXT file from the files and drivers page - put this on the camera and see if it changes the time. If this doesn't work rename it to TIME.TXT and try it again. It's hard to know what format the camera expects the contents of the .txt file to read - so it's trial and error.
@Techmoan - I used your TIMESET file and it has changed the date to this year but it is still 2 days out and no matter what I write in the text file it still says the same thing. I even tried writing ' off ' to see if it would remove the time/date stamp but but it made no difference. Thanks for your help, at least it's nearly right now.
@jasonmayhammillerfan You know what...out of all the cameras I've reviewed, I'd say that this would be the one most likely to survive an impact. It feels pretty tough...so as long as you don't crack the plastic lens, you should be OK.
AVI was adequate back in the VfW days (15 years ago?) but doesn't properly support modern codecs. QuickTime MOV format has proven to be much better. It's now the basis of the "ISO media" format, which in turn is the basis of the MP4 container format.
Hello i was wondering if you would recommend this for fast action at all, I am looking for a cheap option to record in car and out of car footage of a race car. currently we are using a go pro and a kodak playsport zx3 but want to get more cameras and now i am deciding weather to get a few of these or try to find a couple used zx3's for sale. any recommendations would be appreciated as money is very tight but we need to be able to get more footage, all footage will be edited in adobe premier pro
I am sorry I have a question. I just got my camera and a Micro SD S10 32 G and I have charged it for about 4 hours but the Red light is not flashing but the Blue one is flashing fast. I tried to plug it to my computer with Windows 7 and does not give me any option just the window for me to Format the card. I am lost I do not know what to do. It doesn't let me open the device. Any suggestions?
Well no actually, but guess what? the problem was the SD card!!! it seems not to support the 10 Series... I ran to the store and grabbed a 4 series with 16 Gs and Bingo!!!... worked just fine, now... I will do some tests tomorrow with daylight and if the image is not that sharp I might try with a s6... what do you think????
@BSFree The class of the card won't affect the sharpness of the video...just the frame rate, or jerkiness. The problem is that this camera is inherently jerky, so you may do just fine with the class 4.
@cloggsy1971 It's arrived and I'm testing it out at the moment. It seems well made, and it's got some smart features...slightly worried that I may still be having jerky movement/dropped frame issues. More testing needed. This may take a while as i'll have to test out the night vision and underwater capablities. Overall though, it's definitely got the advantage over the ACT20 already. Review as soon as possible, but at least a week away.
@Techmoan How are you getting on with the '5.0 Mega Pixels HD 720P Waterproof Action Video Camera with 8-LED'? Any more news on it; are you any nearer to a review?
@cloggsy1971 Sorry, taking longer than I thought. I'm trying to pre-empt any questions....so need to test motion activation, night shooting etc. I know someone will want to see nightime car footage, but it goes dark much too late to go driving around. I can either cut it short and get something out this weekend, or take a bit longer and do it thoroughly. So I'm taking my time. It's going to be the last camera I review for a while...so I'm not in a rush to move onto the next one.
@Techmoan Absolutely fair enough... But I'm awaiting this review before I buy a helmet-cam for my cycling trips... I can wait though - Your reviews are spot on!
That's unfortunate about the cameras controls... I hate one button operation with lights.. I have a few and despise them.... much prefer switches. I would like to see the "raw" avi from this camera, though. If I can't use the compression, I'll stay away from it in the future. thanks for the reply. Looking forward to your future entertaining wit.
I look forward to all your reviews, and, as usual, this is extremely entertaining... plain fun. As for this product: Is it true?... you have to always use the button to operate it? (ie it will not automatically start recording when power from the vehicle is applied.) Is there any stabilization? Are recording segments settable? Do you have a "raw" .avi that can be downloaded from your site. I'd like to try to see if my converters would work, because future cameras may use the same compression.
What you see is what you get with this camera, very simple operation,
No auto stop-start, no stabilisation (or stabilization ;-) ) .. Everything is controlled off the one button.
All my raw files are 1.6gb...I'll try and record something shorter and post up a link...but it'll be a few days.. My broadband has died and the engineers are going to take a few days to dig up the road to fix it...I'm posting this from my iPad over 3G.
MPEG streamclip can convert the footage without transcoding (Not converting it, but simply converting the AVI to MP4 container). Its a free program. Simply open, save. Takes only a few seconds for each file.
@mccordia Thanks for the tip...I recognise the logo of this software, so I must have used it in the past and forgotten about it, thanks for the reminder.
@cloggsy1971 It's the usual method of putting a .txt file on the SD card containing the relevant info. The format of the info is detailed in the manual.
@Mideaa I knew there was something I'd forget. I haven't tried it in the dark yet, but I'd assume that the results will be very similar to all the other mini cameras I've tried in the dark....pretty much useless. When the next camera turns up that is supposed to do night vision (or something similar)....I'll test it head to head with the ACT20
I convert a file from the camera using Format Factory (as suggested) on my Revo 3610 running Windows 7 into a .mp4, It worked fine and the converted video had normal sound and speed. I then downloaded a trial of Cyberlink Power Director 9. The .avi file from the camera imported without any problems and after I'd finished editing, it produced a playable .mov file with sound. Both the files that I produced on my PC then also played back fine on my Mac.
Thank you for reviewing this. I've been saving up for an HD Contour but I always stay tuned to your channel in case something like this comes along. This camera still has a ways to go to even if it is cheaper. I'm curious to know if the next camera you mentioned would make an acceptable alternative. Looking forward to it. Great review!!
@TheT2eL I think you may be doing the right thing by saving up. If the next camera doesn't work out I think I'll be avoiding any more cameras that record in mjpeg avi format and instead look for cameras that record h.264 .mov files instead.
Btw I tried to buy this on my bike but it's really wobbly even if you put the velcro on your helmet, I wished I saved the videos but I removed then and returned the camera... Not too good.
@ddxjon I think you'll always get problems with wobble on a bike - unless a camera has gyroscopic stabilisation - even digital stabilisation is no match for an uneven road surface.
@Techmoan true but I think its made worst by the video compression... I had a samsung class 6 8GB SDHC. It's jerky and looks like you're cycling in an abstract world :/.
@ddxjon I agree - I'm hoping that someone uses the .h264 encoding chips of the HD808 #11 in a bullet camera. The .mov video motion is a lot smoother and more natural than the mjpeg.avi files.
@spanner1995 The three hour battery life is a big selling point for this camera - means that you can record quite a few journeys before a recharge. I think the editing problems are caused by malformed avi files. They play back fine in VLC - and don't even show up as being corrupt. I'll try to have a go with some editing on my PC.
@benny5825 I had a scooter but traded it in for the Honda Deauville NT700V used in this video. As far as using a card goes, I always pay via Paypal on EBay, I suppose that I trust it as much as I trust any online payment system.
hi techmoan. i was wondering what you think makes a good review. im 15 and im going to make a review of my dogcam bullet hd camera and i was wondering if you had any advice for me. (by the way the dogcam isnt made for dogs)
@calumlh I don't have any great insight. However try to get the basics right. Use a tripod, light the scene and focus the camera. Be thorough, take your time, and edit the heck out of your video. Try to film something interesting with your bullet camera and good luck.
@Techmoan thanks for the help. it will do the world of good to my reveiw. i have plenty video tests to choose from and i know all the spec so hopefully my review will be ok. if my review is half as good as yours i will be happy. thanks again.
Memory cards run at different speeds. Its all depends on how quick the cam can write to the card. Slow cards means it uses a bad compression.. Fast cards means it can use a better compression.. The camera has a limited amount of built in memory if you like and it needs to get the video off there and onto the card asap.. hope this helps
Inthisma 1 day ago
I just received one of these by mail (bought on ebay)
doesn't even turn on, nor does it charge... piece of sh*t.
You get what you pay for, hong kong crap
Razz13 1 day ago
nice review mate. was thinking of getting one of these to record days out paintballing do you think it would be up to it?
CAMBOJNR1994 1 day ago
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tihmik88 4 days ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I've just posted a "video response" to this review with footage from the 120 degree version of this camera in it. Really good quality for the price. Thanks for your review Mr TechMoan. Would never have bothered ordering one without it :-)
robertjamesfrost 5 days ago
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robertjamesfrost 5 days ago
Thank you for posting a good review.
hannina 6 days ago
Sadly there is a break of 3 seconds between files... a new file every 20 mins. Not as annoying as the DV011 you reviewed which lost 2 seconds every 5 mins, however, something to keep in mind. Sods law says you'll get knocked off the bike in those 3 seconds :-)
robertjamesfrost 1 week ago
Well speak of the devil, the 120 degree version of this came through the post today. Paid about £46 for it delivered to the door from Hong Kong vendor on ebay. Wasn't expecting much for this price. I don't know if they've changed the camera a bit but the button is a nice solid click, not easily accidentally pressed. The picture quality is very good and even night time footage is surprisingly decent. I downloaded raw DogCam Wide (£130) footage and borrowed normal DogCam. This is much better.
robertjamesfrost 1 week ago
I've ordered the 120 degree version of this. Will upload some footage of what it is like when it arrives.
robertjamesfrost 1 week ago
Anybody know what is the battery's type? Ni-Cd, Li-Ion? Thanks!
83Sophist 2 weeks ago
@83Sophist internal li-ion. you'd need to take it apart to replace it. Roelli have started doing a BulletHD Lite, 720p @ 30 fps for £120 which has ejectable battery (and comes with a spare). Might be worth considering if you want to spend a bit more but need the batteries....
robertjamesfrost 1 week ago
@83Sophist that last reply should have read rollei BulletHD Lite... sorry
robertjamesfrost 1 week ago
@robertjamesfrost Thanks, man! :) I saw it when I was choosing the item. I chose this one because I wanted to see is the stuff like this will work well for my needs. Definitely I will not buy 2 or Lite because, imho, the extractable battery feature don't worth additional 100 bucks. But if my idea will work fine I will probably go crazy :) and will spend 300 bucks for Pro.
83Sophist 6 days ago
You should just buy an official sports camera like a Gopro hero 2 and review it
adidasDC 2 weeks ago
great review mate! is the camera the same as the "action camera 3" ? and also would power director 9 be ok for editing ?
JO5HII 2 weeks ago
@JO5HII Unfortunately I'm not familiar with the Action Camera 3 and I use a Mac. Perhaps someone else here could help out?
Techmoan 2 weeks ago
@Techmoan I just ordered this little camera off of ebay for vlogging use on my dirtbike , and didn't see ur vid till after i purchased. Will i be able to stop the wind noise with some tape wrapped tightly around the mic? because if not i'm Sol because thats like the only reason i purchased it is to hear the sound of my bike and my voice , like some wind is exceptable but i don;t want it to be disturbing to watch or listen to .
MultiUnanimous 3 hours ago
might get 1 they are only £32.50 from ebay uk
maccahemp 2 weeks ago
Okay might jump on this. I want a camera for my motorcycle trips and rides but don't want to be spending over 200 for a gopro. I don't even like the design of the gopro and others similar to this design are around 300 plus :(
GsxR750Speedemon 3 weeks ago
Is it worth to.buy considering it being from china?
GsxR750Speedemon 3 weeks ago
@GsxR750Speedemon Well pretty much everything is from China now. Hopefully all the information you need to make up your mind is in the review. If it's cheap enough then it's an OK camera.
Techmoan 3 weeks ago
THAT IS SO FUNNY! The top of the box is in mirror language!
fladam1994 4 weeks ago
I'm trying to charge mine just now. Is it normal that the red light and the blue one flashing at the same time? The blue is flashing more frequent.
I do charge without the card.
I thought that only the red should flash when charging.
Thanks.
83Sophist 1 month ago
@83Sophist I think the lack of a card is making them all flash.
Techmoan 1 month ago
@Techmoan Ah! It's possible. I wait when Chinese will finish to celebrate their New Year so that to order the 16G 10 class card.
And one more issue. It seems that the objective is tilted some degrees. Its central axis doesn't coincide with the central camera' axis. Do you has the same issue? Is it possible to turn the objective a little a hand? I wouldn't like to damage it.
Thank you.
83Sophist 1 month ago
When i watched the footage i was like OMG why does this guy drive on the wrong side of the street.. watch out you gonna crash :D
fjsidebar 1 month ago
Hi
On all this made possible "Action Cameras" there is something that troubles me, it's the up right position so you don't end with a recording upside down.
Is there a way to know? I have made recordings that the file gets flip to the side just because of a missing rotate sensor.
Any help regarding this matter?
Thank you
MrAnjosam 1 month ago
@MrAnjosam Not too clear on your question...but the button is on the top of the camera...it doesn't have an orientation sensor, so an upside down camera will create upside down video.
Techmoan 1 month ago
@MrAnjosam I had the same problem. But I found the way to solve it. I tried to use VirtualDubMod to rotate the video file. It seems the quality is quite well after modification.
83Sophist 3 weeks ago
@MrAnjosam If you are using a program like WindowsMovieMaker you should be able to flip or rotate with the existing features to get you videos right side up! Good luck
springfielddeuce 3 weeks ago
Comment removed
AutocockerRocker 2 weeks ago
my velco straps are soo damn small i cant get the camera in
Youngmotorcyclist30 1 month ago
@Techmoan I Own one of these, somehow my aspect ratio isnt what its supposed to be #1280x720 @30fps, its like between the 16:9 and 4:3. Do i have to stretch it on Sony Vegas? I have updated the firmware..
VideosH34T 1 month ago
@VideosH34T Sorry, I'm not familiar with Sony Vegas....again it might be the weird video file structure causing problems...but I'm not sure.
Techmoan 1 month ago
It's a very comprehensive review, Techmoan!
Could you tell me is it possible to deactivate the automatic overwrite?
Thanks!
83Sophist 1 month ago
@83Sophist No need to reply. I had to watch the review more carefully :). Thanks!
83Sophist 1 month ago
i have this camera and a mac
but i cant change the date in the bottom right of the screen and it says 2007 instead of 2011
how can i do that?
musicmonkey8956 1 month ago
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XxSocialTechxX 2 months ago
Where can i get hold of one of these?
BamHD 2 months ago
@BamHD ebay
RedTornado279 1 month ago
Is this camera the same as the Chilli's Techonology Action camera #3 720 HD?
xdraog 2 months ago
Great review, thx
smoker351 2 months ago
Excellent review, thank you!
PSPmaster321 3 months ago
just a question, how meny - C do you think it withstand?
MrHansen1100 3 months ago
bought one of these. not worth the money. mine recorded but most were corrupted for some odd reason. also, my pc wouldnt read .avi correctly...lets just say the my sony vegas 9 didnt like it all that much. so, money down the drain. best to stick with helmet cams that record in .mov or anything other then .avi.
azntactical 4 months ago
@azntactical See if the new firmware improves things for you - worth a shot. See the 29th August Entry on my site TECHMOAN.COM
Techmoan 4 months ago
@Techmoan ive downloaded it. the problem with mine was that i would have multiple recordings and only 2 would be playable. but, they would only play as if it was in fast forward. all the rest were corrupted and not playable. i hope this update will change things. i've just bought myself an extreme HD (knock off of Drift HD). I just hope they cancel my order.
azntactical 4 months ago
i mountain bike and hav a windows computer
do you think this would be good for me
LiveForStunts 4 months ago
@LiveForStunts I don't see why not...it should be ideal.
Techmoan 4 months ago
@Techmoan thanks
LiveForStunts 4 months ago
Quick question, is the battery removable/replaceable?
That could be another down fall if it isn't.
rickever 4 months ago
@rickever It's not designed to be replaced...but anything is possible if you try hard enough. I wouldn't want to try swapping it out though.
Techmoan 4 months ago
@Techmoan Thanks mate, helps a lot....
rickever 4 months ago
@Techmoan No doubt its a proprietary battery and very hard to come by.
Thanks for the input, anyway, very helpful.
rickever 4 months ago
I have the 120* model as the ebay vendor indicated that in the auction. Timestamp works for tagging and displaying it in the video, but how do you change the date ? I flashed the firmware, but the date started at 2011-01-01 and I changed the date to 2011-10-06 and nothing changes. Even pressed the reset button, held it down, still no changes to the correct date. I guess it works ok otherwise, setting to 1600 mode from the 1280 (720p) seems to work, but the edges are an extremely fisheyed effect.
jgcamp99 4 months ago
I recently bought this and when I hold the button down, the red light comes on but the blue light flashes for about 5 seconds and turns off.
ashatbracks 5 months ago
You sound like James May
Triple777ER 5 months ago 23
@Triple777ER i thought the same thing
KillerWalrus2845 5 months ago
Hi Techmoan
Can you confirm whether the act20 loses video between file segments like the smaller d011 does?
Thanks
Kevin
kcornish 5 months ago
I recieved mine and doesn't work on my Mac and then tryd it on the Parents Computer still doesn't work :S
jett3840 5 months ago
i use the moyea video converter, it works magic on every video format ive come across so far. sure you gotta pay for it, but its already paid itself off for me
cripin2021 6 months ago
1.6GB for 20 mins is about the same as my samsung f34 camcorder
cripin2021 6 months ago
Very good review!!!
janiam7 6 months ago
Received mine today and it is awesome!!! Really pleased with it and it even came with the updated firmware that has the option of auto-recording when power is applied. Thanks!!
deepVAroots 6 months ago
@deepVAroots Did you manage to get one with a 120 degree wide angle lens? I've got the new firmware and will be trying it out this weekend. I'm interested to see if it fixes the problems I was having with the .avi file format.
Techmoan 6 months ago
@Techmoan Unfortunately, no, it appears that I have the same 60 degree lens. But the quality of the video is really nice for the price. The time/date stamp doesn't flicker and I see very little jerkiness, even with a 4gb, class 4 card. I'm well pleased with it. Thank you very much for introducing me to the ACT20, without your review I may never have known about it! Keep those informative, quality reviews coming. You're the gold standard in my book. Cheers.
deepVAroots 6 months ago
@Techmoan
Hi, I'm still in the market for a bullet cam for car use, thanks for posting the review, I'm wondering about the wide angle lens version, if you had found anyone selling it yet? thanks.
mattd28 6 months ago
Bro you're boss.
DatHarry 6 months ago
I am the engineer of ACT20 helmet camera, hahaha... happy to find your review video on youtube. :-)
We update this model by new fireware by the end of July, like "Auto mode", better frame rate and another 1600*1200/15fps recording. if anybody is interested in new fireware to update, contact me by myzone.cn@qq.com
BTW: If you buy this camera after the end of July, it was new fireware already.
qualitylifestore 6 months ago
@qualitylifestore This is an awesome camera! Very dependable and versatile. I wish the file size was a little smaller but with cycled recording it's not a big issue. The car mounting bracket that I got with it is very nice also. I'm going to have a lot of fun with it. It's a lot more practical than say a GoPro and less expensive also. Thank you!!
deepVAroots 6 months ago
@techmoan ,
Hey how did u get to watch the video in your Mac I tried it in mine but it wouldnt play i could only move the video by frames I used QuickTime player any advice would help thanks
TrXBaNDiT1 6 months ago
@TrXBaNDiT1 Try using VLC
Techmoan 6 months ago
I'd be curious to know why the seller upped the price from $76.00 usd to $200.00 in just one week. Luckily I ordered mine at the lower price but haven't received it yet.
deepVAroots 6 months ago
@deepVAroots ,
i just bought one as well for 61.00 in an auction as for the high prices i got hold of them its because they are out of stock so they put the prices higher so nobody buys them until they get more they said prices should become normal in 10 days hopes this helps as for your item not arriving it could be because you bought it from china or usa i bought it from usa rosamead,ca and it took 4 days yet i live in california so if i were u tell them to get u ur tracking #
TrXBaNDiT1 6 months ago
@TrXBaNDiT1 Thanks, but tis one arrived in a timely fashion. The #11 HD keychain camera on the other hand didn't. No problem though, after it did not arrive in 30 days they promptly shipped me another.
deepVAroots 6 months ago
I'm looking at this camera to get for snowmobiling, it says in the manual that it should be in cold tempatures. Is the camera suitable for snowmobiling?
Tmcneill24 6 months ago
@Tmcneill24 It's not waterproof, just water resistant, so i'm not sure that Snow would be it's best friend. I would imagine that it could get in around the on/off button.
Techmoan 6 months ago
@Techmoan Actually it Waterproof IP65 rated
scrstryker 6 months ago
@scrstryker IP65 isnt completely waterproof, it is only water resistant cos it isnt able to be fully submerged. should be ok in heavy rain etc it just couldnt cope with the pressures under the water
benjibob99 5 months ago
Hi, good video. Regarding the time/date stamp, I don't seem to have a setup file. Is there any other way to change time and date ?
mcskillby 6 months ago
@mcskillby I'd have to check the instructions - but I'm not sure where they are now. Are you sure that your camera didn't load up two drives on your computer - one including the setup file and the other containing the video files.
Techmoan 6 months ago
@Techmoan - No it only loads up one drive. My instructions tell me to 'create a .txt file and put the date and time in it, then copy it to the memory card, then restart', but it doesn't work. It doesn't even tell me how to clear the time/date stamp so it's not in the footage. Other than this problem it works just like yours. I think mine might be an older model, it looks just like yours, but the time/date stamp is set at 2007. Thanks.
mcskillby 6 months ago
@mcskillby Go to my website and download the TIMESET.TXT file from the files and drivers page - put this on the camera and see if it changes the time. If this doesn't work rename it to TIME.TXT and try it again. It's hard to know what format the camera expects the contents of the .txt file to read - so it's trial and error.
Techmoan 6 months ago
@Techmoan - I used your TIMESET file and it has changed the date to this year but it is still 2 days out and no matter what I write in the text file it still says the same thing. I even tried writing ' off ' to see if it would remove the time/date stamp but but it made no difference. Thanks for your help, at least it's nearly right now.
mcskillby 6 months ago
hey if i was to eat it while riding moto cross would this break? or would it survive the crash
jasonmayhammillerfan 6 months ago
@jasonmayhammillerfan You know what...out of all the cameras I've reviewed, I'd say that this would be the one most likely to survive an impact. It feels pretty tough...so as long as you don't crack the plastic lens, you should be OK.
Techmoan 6 months ago
@Techmoan thank you for the quick reply and now it is time to buy! haha thank you sir
jasonmayhammillerfan 6 months ago
I see you use drop box, awesome program
Max11Seven 7 months ago
This is like an update to D011
XSpt 7 months ago
Motion JPEG in AVI? How primitive.
AVI was adequate back in the VfW days (15 years ago?) but doesn't properly support modern codecs. QuickTime MOV format has proven to be much better. It's now the basis of the "ISO media" format, which in turn is the basis of the MP4 container format.
Avoid AVI like the plague.
imroy264 7 months ago
yeah and dalton :) - i am from round that area, great videos by the way, u helped me in deciding which gaming headset to get
danny1993ish 7 months ago
@danny1993ish If you see a chap riding a Honda Deauville with something ridiculous strapped to his helmet, give him a wave.
Techmoan 7 months ago
is that footage in wigan ?
danny1993ish 7 months ago
@danny1993ish Yes - near Wigan. Roby MIll, Up Holland and Ashurst Beacon.
Techmoan 7 months ago
thank you
sdf3487 7 months ago
Hello i was wondering if you would recommend this for fast action at all, I am looking for a cheap option to record in car and out of car footage of a race car. currently we are using a go pro and a kodak playsport zx3 but want to get more cameras and now i am deciding weather to get a few of these or try to find a couple used zx3's for sale. any recommendations would be appreciated as money is very tight but we need to be able to get more footage, all footage will be edited in adobe premier pro
sdf3487 7 months ago
@sdf3487 I'd say that you should get some more ZX3s . This camera is a dud, and you really need a camera with 60fps if you are recording fast motion
Techmoan 7 months ago
I am sorry I have a question. I just got my camera and a Micro SD S10 32 G and I have charged it for about 4 hours but the Red light is not flashing but the Blue one is flashing fast. I tried to plug it to my computer with Windows 7 and does not give me any option just the window for me to Format the card. I am lost I do not know what to do. It doesn't let me open the device. Any suggestions?
BSFree 8 months ago
@BSFree Have you formatted the card as FAT?
Techmoan 8 months ago
Well no actually, but guess what? the problem was the SD card!!! it seems not to support the 10 Series... I ran to the store and grabbed a 4 series with 16 Gs and Bingo!!!... worked just fine, now... I will do some tests tomorrow with daylight and if the image is not that sharp I might try with a s6... what do you think????
BSFree 8 months ago
@BSFree The class of the card won't affect the sharpness of the video...just the frame rate, or jerkiness. The problem is that this camera is inherently jerky, so you may do just fine with the class 4.
Techmoan 7 months ago
Oh ok I get, so class 6 won't make any difference eh? ok so I guess there is nothing I can do about color, brightness and stuff like that right?
BSFree 7 months ago
@BSFree It doesn't support 32G. The max volume is 16G.
83Sophist 1 month ago
Any news on the '5.0 Mega Pixels HD 720P Waterproof Action Video Camera with 8-LED'? Has it arrived yet? I'm looking forward to that review...
cloggsy1971 8 months ago
@cloggsy1971 It's arrived and I'm testing it out at the moment. It seems well made, and it's got some smart features...slightly worried that I may still be having jerky movement/dropped frame issues. More testing needed. This may take a while as i'll have to test out the night vision and underwater capablities. Overall though, it's definitely got the advantage over the ACT20 already. Review as soon as possible, but at least a week away.
Techmoan 8 months ago
@Techmoan Cool! Look forward to it ;o)
cloggsy1971 8 months ago
@Techmoan How are you getting on with the '5.0 Mega Pixels HD 720P Waterproof Action Video Camera with 8-LED'? Any more news on it; are you any nearer to a review?
cloggsy1971 7 months ago
@cloggsy1971 Sorry, taking longer than I thought. I'm trying to pre-empt any questions....so need to test motion activation, night shooting etc. I know someone will want to see nightime car footage, but it goes dark much too late to go driving around. I can either cut it short and get something out this weekend, or take a bit longer and do it thoroughly. So I'm taking my time. It's going to be the last camera I review for a while...so I'm not in a rush to move onto the next one.
Techmoan 7 months ago
@Techmoan Absolutely fair enough... But I'm awaiting this review before I buy a helmet-cam for my cycling trips... I can wait though - Your reviews are spot on!
cloggsy1971 7 months ago
mmm... i know that 720p is quite heavy and you need a fast card but i got an 8gb
class 4 micro sd and also a hc memory stick and both take 1080 at 60fps and seems to work good
achuyman 8 months ago
One more big Thank You for the review. Great job as always! Tom
Pinyuk 8 months ago
3 swings & 3 misses with those last 3 products
heroineworshipper 8 months ago
720p, HD, Micro SD, HD 808 #11 lol how did you managr to say that
360lolz 8 months ago
@360lolz
It's quite a mouthful.
From now on I've decided that I'm going to call this class of cameras MICRO HD.
So the 808#11 becomes MICRO HD 808#11 and this camera becomes the MICRO HD ACT20
What do you think?
Techmoan 8 months ago
@Techmoan Yep
360lolz 8 months ago
That's unfortunate about the cameras controls... I hate one button operation with lights.. I have a few and despise them.... much prefer switches. I would like to see the "raw" avi from this camera, though. If I can't use the compression, I'll stay away from it in the future. thanks for the reply. Looking forward to your future entertaining wit.
blueskylazer 8 months ago
I look forward to all your reviews, and, as usual, this is extremely entertaining... plain fun. As for this product: Is it true?... you have to always use the button to operate it? (ie it will not automatically start recording when power from the vehicle is applied.) Is there any stabilization? Are recording segments settable? Do you have a "raw" .avi that can be downloaded from your site. I'd like to try to see if my converters would work, because future cameras may use the same compression.
blueskylazer 8 months ago
@blueskylazer Hi.
What you see is what you get with this camera, very simple operation,
No auto stop-start, no stabilisation (or stabilization ;-) ) .. Everything is controlled off the one button.
All my raw files are 1.6gb...I'll try and record something shorter and post up a link...but it'll be a few days.. My broadband has died and the engineers are going to take a few days to dig up the road to fix it...I'm posting this from my iPad over 3G.
Techmoan 8 months ago
MPEG streamclip can convert the footage without transcoding (Not converting it, but simply converting the AVI to MP4 container). Its a free program. Simply open, save. Takes only a few seconds for each file.
mccordia 8 months ago
@mccordia Thanks for the tip...I recognise the logo of this software, so I must have used it in the past and forgotten about it, thanks for the reminder.
Techmoan 8 months ago
How do you set the time and date on this camera?
cloggsy1971 8 months ago
@cloggsy1971 It's the usual method of putting a .txt file on the SD card containing the relevant info. The format of the info is detailed in the manual.
Techmoan 8 months ago
Could you please include low-light tests in future reviews? Thanks. Love the reviews!
Mideaa 8 months ago
@Mideaa I knew there was something I'd forget. I haven't tried it in the dark yet, but I'd assume that the results will be very similar to all the other mini cameras I've tried in the dark....pretty much useless. When the next camera turns up that is supposed to do night vision (or something similar)....I'll test it head to head with the ACT20
Techmoan 8 months ago
thubs up if u were like HES ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD
max28227 8 months ago
@max28227 I admire you're interest of being in the spotlight, so the next time your in Britain, drive on the right side, i'll do you good.
AppliArt 8 months ago
Tried converting the raw .avi files on Windows yet? Virtualdub or Format Factory should do the trick.
AppliArt 8 months ago
@AppliArt GOOD NEWS FOR PC USERS.
I convert a file from the camera using Format Factory (as suggested) on my Revo 3610 running Windows 7 into a .mp4, It worked fine and the converted video had normal sound and speed. I then downloaded a trial of Cyberlink Power Director 9. The .avi file from the camera imported without any problems and after I'd finished editing, it produced a playable .mov file with sound. Both the files that I produced on my PC then also played back fine on my Mac.
Techmoan 8 months ago
@Techmoan Haha, finally something where a PC exceeds the Mac! Glad it worked.
AppliArt 8 months ago
Another excellent review... I'm waiting for the review of the other HD camera before taking the plunge!
cloggsy1971 8 months ago
very nice review - as always :) -thanks for sharing, guess i still have to wait till i can buy a decent smal HD cam.
WarbirdFan66 8 months ago
Thank you for reviewing this. I've been saving up for an HD Contour but I always stay tuned to your channel in case something like this comes along. This camera still has a ways to go to even if it is cheaper. I'm curious to know if the next camera you mentioned would make an acceptable alternative. Looking forward to it. Great review!!
TheT2eL 8 months ago
@TheT2eL I think you may be doing the right thing by saving up. If the next camera doesn't work out I think I'll be avoiding any more cameras that record in mjpeg avi format and instead look for cameras that record h.264 .mov files instead.
Techmoan 8 months ago
Another great review.
HarrisonMonroe 8 months ago
Really good review !!
ThomasProduction1 8 months ago 2
Great video!
zenotju 8 months ago
I kinda wished you made this review before I made it... But I believe this video is quite reflective to what its like...
ddxjon 8 months ago
Btw I tried to buy this on my bike but it's really wobbly even if you put the velcro on your helmet, I wished I saved the videos but I removed then and returned the camera... Not too good.
ddxjon 8 months ago
@ddxjon I think you'll always get problems with wobble on a bike - unless a camera has gyroscopic stabilisation - even digital stabilisation is no match for an uneven road surface.
Techmoan 8 months ago
@Techmoan true but I think its made worst by the video compression... I had a samsung class 6 8GB SDHC. It's jerky and looks like you're cycling in an abstract world :/.
ddxjon 8 months ago
@ddxjon I agree - I'm hoping that someone uses the .h264 encoding chips of the HD808 #11 in a bullet camera. The .mov video motion is a lot smoother and more natural than the mjpeg.avi files.
Techmoan 8 months ago
Love the video! Like the long videos :-) Keep up the reviews :-)
TeenageTechKid 8 months ago
please put a link to the exact one you bought in the description
spanner1995 8 months ago
@spanner1995 OK I've done that now.
For anyone who is reading this response in the future (Today is 21/6/11) ....I'll have removed this link when the auction closed.
Techmoan 8 months ago
@Techmoan Thanks alot mate :) i might buy it for mounting on my helmet or moped to record my jouneys :)
is it just because your using a mac that it had them sound/editing problems?? as i would need to use it in PowerDirector 8 using Windows 7
help? :)
spanner1995 8 months ago
@spanner1995 The three hour battery life is a big selling point for this camera - means that you can record quite a few journeys before a recharge. I think the editing problems are caused by malformed avi files. They play back fine in VLC - and don't even show up as being corrupt. I'll try to have a go with some editing on my PC.
Techmoan 8 months ago
@Techmoan thanks for you help, i think i may go for the #11 808
spanner1995 8 months ago
How much was it ?
TheNathanCater 8 months ago
@TheNathanCater £62
Techmoan 8 months ago
I find these videos to be very therapeutic.
HenryMonmouth 8 months ago
What moped do you have ,looks like a nice ride ,also do you trust paying by card ?
benny5825 8 months ago
@benny5825 I had a scooter but traded it in for the Honda Deauville NT700V used in this video. As far as using a card goes, I always pay via Paypal on EBay, I suppose that I trust it as much as I trust any online payment system.
Techmoan 8 months ago
Heh, I used to buy lots of LED flashlights in China some years ago... Same casing ;-)
mschdk 8 months ago
Waiting for you to get to a good one lol... when you do I'll probably buy it for mountain biking and motorcycle
spanishtrouble 8 months ago
@spanishtrouble I've got a bad feeling that you may be waiting a while yet.
Techmoan 8 months ago
Thanks for another good review
visnevskiscom 8 months ago
Try Total Video Converter using Windows; It can convert anything perfectly
360lolz 8 months ago
Nice camera, car footage looks good, same about the mac handling of the avi files tho :(
creativetux 8 months ago
hi techmoan. i was wondering what you think makes a good review. im 15 and im going to make a review of my dogcam bullet hd camera and i was wondering if you had any advice for me. (by the way the dogcam isnt made for dogs)
calumlh 8 months ago
@calumlh I don't have any great insight. However try to get the basics right. Use a tripod, light the scene and focus the camera. Be thorough, take your time, and edit the heck out of your video. Try to film something interesting with your bullet camera and good luck.
Techmoan 8 months ago
@Techmoan thanks for the help. it will do the world of good to my reveiw. i have plenty video tests to choose from and i know all the spec so hopefully my review will be ok. if my review is half as good as yours i will be happy. thanks again.
calumlh 8 months ago
second is the new first
ThePewis 8 months ago
holy cow im first
pat20105 8 months ago