Pure Digital Flip MinoHD Camcorder Review

The company that practically invented the YouTube-ready camcorder, Pure Digital, has finally released a high definition camcorder, the Flip MinoHD ($229 MSRP). While it's always exciting to see the next product from a winning company, the MinoHD is a bit of a conundrum. First of all, YouTube does not support HD video. Secondly, even if you wanted skip uploading and  simply play back video on your big screen HDTV, the MinoHD only offers a standard definition connection. In fact, the only way to watch your HD video is on a computer. We definitely found some performance improvements over the original Flip Mino, but the ultimate value of the MinoHD is in question.

The Front (3.5)
On the surface, the Flip MinoHD appears nearly identical to the Mino. Both have the same f/2.4 fixed lens, with no optical zoom and a 2x digital zoom. The mono microphone is located to the right of the lens; the rest is a smooth, glossy black finish. The only discernible difference is that the lens appears set further back in the body on the MinoHD, and that the matte silver trim on the Mino has been altered to a reflective silver trim on the MinoHD.

The front of the Flip MinoHD	The Flip MinoHD (left) and the Flip Mino (right). Note the shockingly different finishes on the accent trim. It's like night and day.

The Right Side (3.25)
The right side of the Flip MinoHD is extremely slender. At the top is the power on/off button. At the bottom is the anchor for the removable wrist strap.

The right side of the Flip MinoHD

The Back (5.25)
The back of the Flip MinoHD features one prominently placed, hard plastic red button to begin and end recording. Surrounding it are a number of touch-sensitive areas that blend into the smooth plastic facade. A plus and minus button above and below control the zoom during recording, and the volume during playback. The buttons to the right and left are used to select the clip for playback. The indented areas above the red button are to play/pause recorded clips, and to delete clips.

The back of the Flip MinoHD

The Left Side (3.25)
The left side of the Flip MinoHD highlights how thin the camcorder is. At the top is the USB arm release switch. Towards the bottom is the AV-out jack.

The left side of the Flip MinoHD

The Top (5.0)
The top of the Flip MinoHD features the namesake element, the flip-out USB arm for connection to a computer. If the arm does not offer enough clearance, you can purchase a USB extension cable from Pure Digital, though one should really be included in the box.

The Flip MinoHD with the USB arm in (above), and the USB arm out (below).