A simple Flip-type video is anything but ...

[Wetstuff]

I was about to post - F'ing Thing!! - but it is more complicated than that...

I have a number of Flip-type cams. As a test I did 10sec with a Kodak Zi8, one of the better little cams. I plugged Kodak's SD card into the camera connection kit SD port - imported a MOV file .. but it refused to play it. So then you have to go thru the whole song-n-dance with iMovie or FC to import/export...yatta-yatta.. A PITA just to show a few simple frames with a Flip-type cam.

I pulled out the SD card on my Canon G9* and stuck it into the iPad connector and it pulled photos in in 2 seconds.. Easy/no problem. ..but the G9 has a video feature!! I never used it before because I have "real" video cams, but this time after making a 5sec video, the iPad pulled it in and plays it perfectly! I'm too lazy to look up the codec the Canon uses, but the Kodak must use the wrong codec to allow the iPad to become a simple player. I did not expect to edit, but thought they would have made it more simple to play home vids.

I have a few different pocket, video cams, so I'll try them when I get a moment to see which ones work out-of-the-box. It's a real pisser there is no port for a CF card (and you cannot connect a card reader as it takes too much power, says the iPad) - the Canon 7D can make anyone look like James Cameron.

*a spectacular little camera that can be had for a great price because Canon marches on - whether they have a winner or not...

 

[Wetstuff]

I rounded up a few suspects to test... Only two, the Pentax Optio and the Canon G9 is this group are plug-n-play.

The FLIP and the VADO may in fact have the correct codec, but because their memory is internal you cannot 'direct connect.' And even tho' the cams provide battery power, the iPad will not accept the connection.

I have a few other cams - somewhere? - but it clearly appears that the only/best solution: a cam that uses the H.264 codec .. recorded into a SD card.

One good bit, even tho' it would not play the MOV file from the DXG, it downloaded 22 minutes of video in about 70 seconds. Not bad.
And, as you would suspect, the vids look great on the iPad. It will make a perfect, pre-production playback unit - for the right cam.

 

[NumbLock]

Can you use the USB adapter with the FLIP and VADO?

Could you choose H.264 with any of the cameras in the installation, or was it default?

Cool writeup!

 

[Wetstuff]

...Thanks Numb. Sure, you can plug all those cameras that have the built-in pigtails into the iPad USB connector but .. you're still screwed.

A. "The attached device is not supported".

B. If you can yank an SD card to put it into iPad card reader - it must be H.264 to be viewed.

Numb, I think the camera manufacturer only makes one codec available. (honestly, I do not care enough to look deeper into it...) After all, some of these cams (the 4th Gen. VADO HD) is available for $99./refurb. ...it has a cheezy made casing compared to Flip or Kodak, but still,a great buy.

You can use MPEG Streamclip to convert it into H.264, but then let's say; you are camping and you want to show some videos in the evening; you would have to schlep your MacBook in your MacSack to run MPEG Streamclip and then synch the Pad?!

.... but I am sure, either Apple or some code warrior will have a tweak available soon .. or people like FLIP will make a H.264 model. They would be crazy not to. Cheers.

Jim

 

[Wetstuff]

Your Honor, here are some crime scene photos....

 

[zman]

Wow! This is good stuff. Thanks for posting.

 

[Dinges]

I'm thinking of buying a pocket cam (Vado 3rd gen) to take with me on holiday. Since I don't want to lug around my Macbook, I'm taking my iPad. Thing is, I want to use my iPad to dump my video's on. In my quest of trying to find out if this would work, i stumbled across this thread. And found out it doesn't...

But I have also read reports that it does work on iOS 4.2. My question is have you tried this test on iOS 4.2?

 

[peace2u]

I have a couple of Kodak pocket cameras. A Z18 and a PlaySport along with a shiny new iPad.Lucky Me!

I was able to offload the videos from both cameras to the iPad with the apple SD card to iPad connector. The videos shot in HD format do not play back on the ipad but at least they will transfer.

The big problem is getting them off the iPad. I was able to get most of them onto the computer using Abobe Lightroom 3. However, some video could not be handled by Lightroom. I'm sure this type of workflow will be made easier in future by an new app or 2. For now I'll keep testing. CHeers all...

 

[peace2u]

Just a quick follow up...
It turns out that lightroom 3 was able to import all videos and photos from the iPad to the computer except for the screen shots. This makes life easier.

 

[RAC]

The Kodak ZI8 produces files that you can play on the iPad if you choose WVGA.