World’s 1st Digital Disposable Video Camcorder

[spiderman2k1]

http://digitalcamera.101reviews.com/news/worlds-1st-digital-disposable-video-camcorder

For under $30, consumers can now purchase a disposable digital video camcorder and enjoy a DVD home video experience comparable to expensive DVD camcorders.

Built on the Pure Digital(R) Imaging platform, this revolutionary CVS camcorder is the perfect easy-to-carry choice for capturing memories of weddings, vacation getaways, beach trips, or any time that family and friends get together. Just grab it and go — and leave that expensive and cumbersome traditional camcorder at home. Using just three simple buttons, consumers can capture up to 20 minutes of digital quality video and sound, in as many separate segments or clips as they wish. The video camcorder’s 1.4-inch color playback screen lets consumers instantly enjoy their home videos and even delete unwanted segments with the press of a button.

CVS/pharmacy is the first to bring digital one-time-use video cameras to consumers through its partnership with Pure Digital. Exclusively available now in over 1,400 CVS/pharmacy locations in US, the cameras will be available in over 4,500 stores by June 26th. The retail price is only $29.99. Video camera processing is $12.99 and includes a CVS DVD built with technology for easy viewing, sharing and archiving of home videos.

Video Camcorder Features and Benefits

* Simple-to-use, pocket-sized camcorder weighs under 5 ounces
* Holds 20 saved minutes of digital quality video and sound
* 1.4 inch color playback screen
* Ability to playback and delete videos
* Return to any CVS/pharmacy 1-hour photo lab for DVD

DVD Features and Benefits

* Simple viewing on DVD players or computers with DVD drive
* Convenient archiving and storage
* Email video and video greeting cards as easily as digital photos with SmartShare(TM) computer application
* No email system or software installation required

[dipstick]

At first it almost sounds like a good idea. For $30, you can have a disposable camcorder that shoots 20 min of video. A good action cam. You could mount it on your helmet, then go out and do some crazy stunts on your motorcycle without worring about damaging your expensive DV-Cam.

But you still have to pay $13 for the processing. That's $43 for a 20 min DVD. Not worth it to me, and I doubt the video quality would be better than video from a digital still camera or even a video phone.

[Oscar wallace]

You could mount it on your helmet, then go out and do some crazy stunts on your motorcycle without worring about damaging your expensive DV-

You would be better of strapping a mobile phone to your helmet and if you crash and brake a leg you can phone for help.
I think the mobile phone will stop this from selling,I could be wrong though.

[ROF]

Finally, a disposable camcorder. I remember when disposable cameras came out everyone said they wouldn't survive. Now you can't go to any tourist attraction without seeing literally hundreds of those little cardboard box flashes.

This is great news.

[tdan]

Sweet,

When CVS first brought out disposible digital camera, it was not long before they were hacked so that they could get the pictures off them yourself and reuse them. Won't be long before hacks for these cams appear. There are lots of things I would love to try shooting if my video camera only cost $30

Dan

[BJ_M]

i heard somewhere they use a proprietary codec

[ntscuser]

So it's illegal to sell groceries in a plastic bag as that would pollute the environment but perfectly acceptable to dump camcorders all over the USA?

For what it's worth the EU (assuming it survives) is working on a proposal that would make electrical manufacturers responsible for the cost of recycling all their appliances once they were no longer used.

[BJ_M]

i think these camcorders are (will be) recycled and resold - as are most disposable cameras now...


you can buy no name disposable cameras which if you open them up you will find they are in fact - already used and have a new battery (if required) and new film of course - and are ussually taped together under the cardboard wrap ..

I get them at the 1$ store for my kids all the time.

[leebo]

Disposable amature porn.

BTW, plastic bags are alive and well in the US. In fact, I sometimes get smirks when I ask for paper.

[broox]

Here's a dumb question, but will there be any kind of interface that will allow customers to download the video without getting it processed at cvs? What do they mean by "Email video and video greeting cards as easily as digital photos with SmartShare(TM) computer application"? I wonder what quality of codec these cameras use. Surely not dv25?

[BJ_M]

most likely a type of mjpeg -- by you sending it in is how they make money .. seems fair

[redwudz]

The 'SmartShare' part is apparently a small program on the DVD they put the video on. It enables you to send part of the video over the net as a 'video postcard'.

From a TV spot, it apparently takes a fairly short time to process. Similar to one hour photo. I just wonder how they get the video out of the camera? I'm sure they make it next to impossible for you to extract the video yourself.

[hrlslcbr]

Now that Lightning UK! doesn't have a 'job', I don't think it would be too difficult to extract it yourself.

Btw, good idea, but I doubt the quality will be good.

[handyguy]

Id rather just rent a video camera.

[MeDiCo_BrUjO]

If you guys think that the costs are expensive, imagine that in third world countries... I don't see much future for those cameras there.

[gadgetguy]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/06/13/VIDEO.TMP

An actual review... (not just a press release)

[hsugawar]

This business model is quite interesting.

Yes, it's essentially paying $43 for creation of a DVD with up to 20 minutes and some utility software. You eventually just rent their "disposable" solid-state camcorder for free. The initial $30 charge is nothing but a security deposit. It may be also effective on fooling those who are poor (either finacially or intellectually or both) and think they can buy a reusable camcorder for just $30. They will only know that they have to surrender the camcorder when they go to CVS service counters.

This device may be useful to me when I am in a vacation without a camcorder and there are very attaractive objects to shoot, which probably happens not very often...

hiro

[gadgetguy]

You eventually just rent their "disposable" solid-state camcorder for free. The initial $30 charge is nothing but a security deposit.

How did you come to this conclusion? I must have missed something because I don't see where you ever get your $30 back, or the camera replaced free.

[hsugawar]

How did you come to this conclusion? I must have missed something because I don't see where you ever get your $30 back, or the camera replaced free.

The $30 is refunded when you turn in a camera, but it is immediately consumed as part of the $43 total charge. So, you won't actually see the money.

Of course, there's no such an option to return a camera to get $30 back without making a DVD. So, it's not strictly a security deposit. But I thought my model would explain the reality better.

I think it's a nasty number magic of clever marketing. Few people would be interested in making a 20-minute DVD for $43, but $13 would sound reasonable and attractive. And many would think they can keep a camera forever for $30. But the reality is...

hiro

[BJ_M]

kinda sucks that you have to go back and buy - the same camera again ..

should be allowedto get it back each time after paying the 13$ charge , even for a extra $4-6 or so for check it out costs and new batteries ...

[unloaded]

I bought one of these just to take a look at. To me it doesn't look like it would be too hard to hack if a person knew what they were doing. At the top under the label is the connection where the video is pulled from it. There is a row of ten contact pads on one side of the exposed board. There are 2 AA batteries, replacable thru a sliding door. Four screws under the back label hold the case together and two hold the circuit board in. Not much on the board, a Zoran chip and two Samsung ones. Gonna start checking out the specs on USB and card readers, I think an interface could be made to pull the info from the camera. Hopefully no funky software will be needed.

peace.
unloaded

[BJ_M]

they have already been hacked .. i reported on this a week or two ago .. do a search here

[BJ_M]

see here

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=272523&highlight=

[NightWing]

Video rez is only 320x240.

[Radixmind]

'digital quality'

why is it that sales blurb writers still persist in regurgitating this fallaciious nonsense?

you and I know that the QUALITY part of that is hugely variable, but they insist of attempting to hoodwink the unwary into believing that all things 'digital' contain an ineffable level of 'quality'.

this myth has pushed digital radio and television broadcasting in the UK, despite the poor signal and image quality and low region coverage, and now it's being used to sell poorly constructed cameras with low grade CCDs and poor lenses as the next word in 'quality'.

take away the convenicence factor of editing your own video on your pc and controlling all aspects of it's distribution (which is what they appear to be doing with this product), and all you have is a bad, expensive idea.

still, that's advertising for you.