New helmet cam - Replay XD [Archive]

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cheese

19th March 2012, 07:08

Looks not too bad. Better shape than a gopro for bikes and helmet mounting.

http://www.replayxd.co.nz/

Or is gopro still the best?

TrentNz

19th March 2012, 11:52

Think ill always be a Gopro person myself, just because of its versatility,durability and picture quality.

hayd3n

19th March 2012, 12:02

gives no view on wind noise:blink:

Scuba_Steve

19th March 2012, 12:02

yea saw these awhile back. Been interested in one as on paper they're quite impressive but I can't find anyone with one to know for sure & reviews are few & far between.

hayd3n

19th March 2012, 12:03

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZjkjyZvclF0

steve_t

19th March 2012, 12:08

I didn't like that the video they're using to showcase it had a quarter of the screen full of the side of the dude's helmet. Small form factor looks good. I'd still at this stage be wanting something that had image stabilisation if I was to upgrade from my GoPro

IIIRII

19th March 2012, 19:03

I would be disappointed buying a camera that only has 1,036,800 Mounting Positions

cheese

19th March 2012, 19:17

I can get one quite cheap, so I was tempted....

oldskool

20th March 2012, 11:28

I can get one quite cheap, so I was tempted....

Looks good...how much?...

WRT

20th March 2012, 12:43

I've got one, personally I think it's quite good. Haven't used a Go Pro, so can't compare to that, but all in all it's a nice unit. It comes with plenty of mounts (stick on ones), and you can get a lot of other mounting accessories to attach it to just about anything. Doesn't seem to have a goggle mount, which seems like a bit of an oversight to me, but just about any other option is covered. I've stuck one of the mounts onto my MX helmet, works well there. I've also got one of the suction cup mounts (an extra) which works well in the car or mounted on the tank of a road bike.

Couple of thoughts:
- Seems like a quality unit, well put together. Nice and compact too, probably one of the most aerodynamic cameras available.
- Has a decent POV angle. Wide enough for most situations, there is a slight distortion as you tend to get with wide view cameras, but it's not too bad and generally only noticeable when you are looking at something with rigid straight lines for more than a glance.
- The audio is pretty crap. You can get external mics for it, would probably be a good idea if you're expecting to make feature films out of it. I find the built in mic too quiet, and it picks up vibration when hard mounted. When mounted on the tank of a road bike it seems to harmonise with the engine at certain revs. It's ok when used on a helmet though.
- The Full HD is just hype really. There's very little improvement from 720 to 1080 on this camera, it just makes the file larger, so I tend to record in 720/60fps. The extra frame rate works well for high speed action - naturally it uses more space, but that's to be expected. Either way, don't expect broadcast quality. It's good for a compact camera, but it's certainly not cinematic quality.
- The extras that come bundled with it are quite comprehensive, I was impressed when opening the pack. Carry bag, soft case, cables, mounts, card adapters (to SD, and USB) etc are all included. No software is included though, you'll need to source your own video editing software. Doesn't play nice with Windows Movie Maker either, but then again, what does?
- In addition to the lights to tell you when its on and recording, it also vibrates. Very handy when mounted on your helmet, you can press the button to start recording and hear/feel the vibrate alert through your helmet (no rude comments please) so you know it's working without having to take off your helmet to confirm.
- You can also use it as a webcam through your computer, or as a live cam through any TV with an HDMI input. It also includes basic playback functionality via HDMI, but given there's only really two buttons on it you can't do much more than play and stop.
- Connecting it to your computer to copy the files off is a funny process. There's some combination of buttons you have to press which I manage to forget every time. That's just a familiarity thing though. Transfer speeds are reasonable, I've not tested the performance so can't quote any figures, but seems fairly reasonable for a USB device.

I'm pretty happy with it. Does what I need it to, and the quality is easily up to Facebook/YouTube standards. It'd be nice if the picture quality was better on screen, and if the audio quality was better full stop, but it's still pretty reasonable.

Cheese - give me a yell if you want some sample vids (uncompressed) or if you want to borrow the camera to try it out for yourself.

Scuba_Steve

20th March 2012, 16:14

Cheese - give me a yell if you want some sample vids (uncompressed) or if you want to borrow the camera to try it out for yourself.

^ I was going to ask it you wouldn't mind sharing a smallish 720p60 video (as this is the mode I'm most interested in) you able to chuck one up on a file sharing site or something???
One other question tho, how well does it do low light or change in light i.e. trees to sun transition?

WRT

21st March 2012, 06:58

The Replay XD does handle change of light relatively well - works ok in the forests, etc. Mounted on your helmet it can get a bit shakey when the ground is really rough, but that's to be expected. Would be interesting to see side-by-side footage comparing it with a camera with a decent image stabiliser to see how well it does fare. I've not had it fixed on the MX bike yet but on the road it works well when hard mounted.

I'm not a member of any file sharing sites, but happy to sign up somewhere. Anyone care to recommend a free location for me to drop a couple of example vids?

slofox

21st March 2012, 07:05

Scuba_Steve

21st March 2012, 08:00

Photobucket is free and easy to use.

also 4shared, mediafire, dropbox etc plenty out there

WRT

21st March 2012, 10:36

Photobucket is free and easy to use.

I've signed up, but when I uploaded a couple of videos its re-encoded them:

http://s1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj635/WaltRT/?action=view&current=TrailRide720p-60fps.mp4

also 4shared, mediafire, dropbox etc plenty out there

I'm using drop box, didn't realise I could use that to share files publicly (despite it having a public folder! Doh). I'll get some vids in there and share the links.

slofox

21st March 2012, 10:45

I've signed up, but when I uploaded a couple of videos its re-encoded them:

Oh. Can't say I've ever had that experience. But then I haven't really checked either...

WRT

21st March 2012, 12:07

Ok, this will hopefully work for you. Got a few clips to try to show it under different situations.

Helmet mounted (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/39020993/Trail Ride 720p-60fps.MOV) using one of the included flat mounts (this one is concave specifically to fit helmets, held on with 3m tape - very solid). This is from a trail ride, gets a bit shakey over the bumps, and with it on the top of the helmet you've got to remember to duck under branches. Sound is ok, but a little quiet, and it's in and out of the shade without any real issues. 35mb, 720/60fps.

Tank mounted (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/39020993/Tank Mount 720p-30fps.MOV) using the optional SuctionCup Mount to road bike tank - note the distortion to the sound of the bike's engine above idle. This has a better demonstration of the transition from light to dark. There's two lengths of SuctionCup mount available, this is the short version - in retrospect, the taller version would be better for tank mounting. 7mb, 720/30fps.

Dash mounted (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/39020993/Dash Mount WMV 720p-30fps.wmv) using the optional SuctionCup Mount to wind shield. Sound is ok for inside the car, colour reproduction is a bit off but it's filming under fairly miserable conditions (late arvo on a rainy day). 5mb, 720/30fps, recoded to WMV for use in Windows Movie Maker. I don't have the original version of this clip anymore, but there wasn't a huge drop in quality when recoding (hence why I didn't keep the original .mov).

Wind shield mounted (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/39020993/Wakeboard 720p-30fps.MOV) on a wakeboard boat - shows the POV quite well, and the start is with my hand over the lens so you can see how it adjusts from very dark to very bright. 11mb, 720/30fps.

slofox

21st March 2012, 12:19

Hmmm - can't get any of those links to play...quicktime usually works for me on this machine...:eek5:

WRT

21st March 2012, 12:21

Did the WMV version work for you?

slofox

21st March 2012, 12:30

Did the WMV version work for you?

Hang about and I'll try it again - having trouble connecting to that website...

OK. Yea, the .wmv does work.

Scuba_Steve

21st March 2012, 12:31

Hmmm - can't get any of those links to play...quicktime usually works for me on this machine...:eek5:

they all worked for me, just right click the links & hit download be an easier better way to do it, then you can choose the player you open in too

slofox

21st March 2012, 12:34

they all worked for me, just right click the links & hit download be an easier better way to do it, then you can choose the player you open in too

Thanks, I'll try that. VLC is the default player on this puter...

slofox

21st March 2012, 12:51

Update to latest version of quicktime seems to have fixed things somewhat. Images look pretty good.

SO: Next question: Emma Chizzit and where do we get 'em?

Replayxd.co.nz are offering them at $NZ399. Ebay Australia has them for maybe $20.00 less at best or quite a lot more at worst. Any better price than that?

cheese

21st March 2012, 19:39

I can possibly get a group buy. Who is keen?

slofox

22nd March 2012, 13:05

gives no view on wind noise:blink:

yea saw these awhile back. Been interested in one as on paper they're quite impressive but I can't find anyone with one to know for sure & reviews are few & far between.

Here ya go...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GgWSDugKU0k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Oh and there's this too...

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/hrdp_1111_action_camera_comparisons_action/

Jay GTI

22nd March 2012, 19:23

Katoomer

24th March 2012, 20:59

Here's some trail riding gone bad .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VrzW0IZ8L_8

oldguy

24th March 2012, 21:41

I took a screen shot, check the bike between his right hand and his right leg, and the shadow of the bike its flipped when it hit the rock and thrown him into the air. bike looks like its still airborne
you know that's going to hurt.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=260322&d=1332581530

Scuba_Steve

25th March 2012, 08:00

I can possibly get a group buy. Who is keen?
Would be if I had da moneys but I'm broke, so toys unfortunitly come last :(

Here's some trail riding gone bad .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VrzW0IZ8L_8

that's some impressive footage, shame someone had to get hurt to get it

slofox

26th March 2012, 12:40

Righto you lot. I bought one of these (with money I don't have :shutup:). Spent a day or two sorting out how to drive it etc. Some footage below for you to look at.

Things to note:

1. It looks best played back with quicktime. I notice a difference between playing it on my work computer and playing it on my home computer. Most likely because the work puter is old and full up to the eyeballs whilst the home one is newer and has heaps of spare memory etc. This you tube version is not too bad but still loses some definition I reckon. Be sure to select 720 def to see it at its best. Recorded at 720 x 60fps. Oh I should note that there was some rain about during this filming so there was some water on the lens. Footage done in dry conditions is clearer.

2. Mounting on the fairing as I have done here makes it easy to check. I can see the various LED's that tell me what the camera is doing and I can reach the buttons on the fly if I need to. (Course I always stop before I do that...:innocent:).

3. Fairing mount gives good view but poor sound, even with the wind suppressors over the mike. There's the odd resonance from the plastic fairing and plenty of transmitted road noise. All of which drowns out the engine noise except at slow speeds. Leaving the camera in this location would require the use of an external mike to sort the sound out.

4. One very useful feature is that you can press and release the on/off button to clip the file. Saves on editing huge files. This can be done on the fly with the camera where it is.

5. The small cylinder format of the camera makes for easy use. It can mount damn near anywhere and is pretty easy to aim. You can rotate the camera in the mount so top is always up. The particular mount I have it on has a ball and socket type system that allows the camera to be pointed where you want. 130 degree FOV also helps to get the pic you want with not too much fisheye effect.

6. Compared to my old ATC2K, this one is from a different planet.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/x6-2tZEEOw8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

One gripe is that the .mov file format is not that easy to use with windows based computers and their applications. I'm still in the process of trying to find a vid editor that will deal with the format without either costing gazillions of dollars and/or degrading the quality. I used a "wondershare" editor last night as a trial but it limited the resolution to 480p. Oh and because it was a trial version it had their logo plastered all over it. So that one has been deleted too.

WRT

26th March 2012, 13:31

I've been using Format Factory (http://www.formatoz.com/download.html) with the msmpeg4-v2 codec. It can be a bit confusing at times but it does a reasonable job (for free) and is quite good for batch converting files. Note that msmpeg4-v2 needs to be downloaded and installed separately, then you can select it from the list of codec options in Format Factory.

I've also been using Free Video Dub (http://www.dvdvideosoft.com/products/dvd/Free-Video-Dub.htm) for quick and easy file splitting. Again, I'm only using it cause it's free (there's bound to be better utils out there), but it does what I need it to and it chops the file without recoding the whole thing (which a lot of other "spitters" tend to do) which means processing times are basically instant.

Both apps work without watermarks or bombarding me with popups, and let me get the raw footage into manageable segments for working with WMM. As far as I can tell, neither app has introduced any spyware either. YMMV.

slofox

26th March 2012, 13:49

WRT

26th March 2012, 13:50

Yes; I used it to trim the sample vids I posted up earlier.

slofox

26th March 2012, 13:54

Yes; I used it to trim the sample vids I posted up earlier.

Thanks WRT - I'll have a play around with it on some of my samples.

Incidentally, my Replay has just died completely half way through a download. Switched itself off and refuses to power up again. Battery is fully charged.

Phoned the support dudes - they are currently trying to figure out what might have happened.

Seems to me it is stone dead and will need to be replaced. Lucky I bought from someone who offers customer support, eh?

WRT

26th March 2012, 13:59

Incidentally, my Replay has just died completely half way through a download. Switched itself off and refuses to power up again. Battery is fully charged.

Mine wouldn't power on when I first got it (ordered from the States last year, prior to them being available in NZ), wouldn't power on even though it was fully charged. I was freaking that I might have to send it back overseas, but there is a reset button, or rather a hole that you put a paperclip or similar into, on the back of the unit. I hit that, and it started working. Had no probs since then.

Presumably the tech support guys have already mentioned the reset button, but if they haven't, give it a go (nothing to loose!).

slofox

26th March 2012, 14:24

Mine wouldn't power on when I first got it (ordered from the States last year, prior to them being available in NZ), wouldn't power on even though it was fully charged. I was freaking that I might have to send it back overseas, but there is a reset button, or rather a hole that you put a paperclip or similar into, on the back of the unit. I hit that, and it started working. Had no probs since then.

Presumably the tech support guys have already mentioned the reset button, but if they haven't, give it a go (nothing to loose!).

Actually I had forgotten that - I'll have a go.

Funny - the dude just now rang back with the same suggestion.

EDIT:Worked.

WRT

26th March 2012, 14:26

LOL - great minds eh. Let us know how you get on!

slofox

26th March 2012, 16:13

LOL - great minds eh. Let us know how you get on!

Video dub is pretty cool - most of the editing I do is just cutting out crappy bits so this is ideal. Noticed that the replay on work computer here is a bit temperamental after cutting. No idea why. I'll try it on the home machine.

EDIT: This clipped with Video Dub. And it was shot into low sun to test out ability to handle crappy light conditions.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hMwSebXjw3k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

slofox

27th March 2012, 13:32

One more shot this morning.

Ride started out in fog. Which meant the lens got condensation on it. Which eventually dried out. Leaving a film of crap behind.

I'd really like to see images that weren't shot through a fuzzy lens...:angry:

Anyhoo, here ya go. Turn off the sound - it's just road noise with the rare engine note breaking through.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1tGZUuEGY6s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

WRT

27th March 2012, 13:48

Does this mean the reset trick worked for you? Good to see you got it sorted.

slofox

27th March 2012, 13:50

Does this mean the reset trick worked for you? Good to see you got it sorted.

Oh, yes it did. Dammit, I was supposed to tell you that yesterday. Had to repeat the reset again today. Same thing - switched whilst downloading a file.

WRT

27th March 2012, 13:54

I'm surprised it's done it again on you, it may need to go back after all!

slofox

27th March 2012, 14:15

I'm surprised it's done it again on you, it may need to go back after all!

I'll watch it for a while and see how it behaves. It might just be getting sick of all the downloads I am doing...

slofox

29th March 2012, 12:06

Finally! A video shot through a clean lens...

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mnWBBQ-EkeM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

roadkillnz

29th March 2012, 18:19

Finally! A video shot through a clean lens...

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mnWBBQ-EkeM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Was that on the way to your latest tagorama? ;)
Nice footage, looks a tad better than the road grime version

roadkillnz

29th March 2012, 18:42

Here ya go...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GgWSDugKU0k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Oh and there's this too...

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/hrdp_1111_action_camera_comparisons_action/

Dare I say it, they are definitely not technical camera reviewers (well they are a hot rod mag after all lol). The in-car shot where it's facing the driver really shows a difference in the dynamic range of the cameras, along with their exposure. Notice that they all basically expose for the interior fine, but they don't have enough dynamic range to expose outside alright (showing as being too bright), with the exceptionof the GoPro. The Contour also did alright in this, but at the expense of the darker regions of test. Less dynamic range means colours become somewhat washed out, among other things. This is more apparent when you look at the contrast and saturation in the other tests. In saying that, I think each of the cameras are fine, except for darker footage, where the Replay does very well, at the expense of resolution.

Doh, here I go again, over analysing everything :Oops:

browny

29th March 2012, 20:20

Video dub is pretty cool - most of the editing I do is just cutting out crappy bits so this is ideal. Noticed that the replay on work computer here is a bit temperamental after cutting. No idea why. I'll try it on the home machine.

EDIT: This clipped with Video Dub. And it was shot into low sun to test out ability to handle crappy light conditions.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hMwSebXjw3k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

good quality vid, nice and clear. i have a drift stealth hd170 which is a good durable cam and has a play back screen on it. am very happy with it, plays good quality vid on home computer but when i post vids they dont come out as clear as this even tho its 1080 def.

slofox

30th March 2012, 07:14

Was that on the way to your latest tagorama? ;)
Nice footage, looks a tad better than the road grime version

Yes it was.

Road grime is a problem with the current position of the camera as is the sound.

I'll have a looksee to find a better place for it.

slofox

30th March 2012, 07:20

Dare I say it, they are definitely not technical camera reviewers (well they are a hot rod mag after all lol). The in-car shot where it's facing the driver really shows a difference in the dynamic range of the cameras, along with their exposure. Notice that they all basically expose for the interior fine, but they don't have enough dynamic range to expose outside alright (showing as being too bright), with the exceptionof the GoPro. The Contour also did alright in this, but at the expense of the darker regions of test. Less dynamic range means colours become somewhat washed out, among other things. This is more apparent when you look at the contrast and saturation in the other tests. In saying that, I think each of the cameras are fine, except for darker footage, where the Replay does very well, at the expense of resolution.

Doh, here I go again, over analysing everything :Oops:

Well, coming from an ATC2K, the Replay is gold...but then anything would be wouldn'it?

The replay format - cylinder - makes for easy mounting too.

slofox

1st April 2012, 18:24

Update:

Tried a helmet mount today. Great turning the camera on and off - the vibration function works well here - buzzes the whole helmet.

Pictures still good - no fairing obscuring part of the view. The wide angle lens means that the speedo is in the camera's view. So you wouldn't be able to post any lunacy clips if you want to stay out of jail now wouldja?

Sound was better - no transmitted road noise through the fairing. A little wind noise but it varied. Following in a car's turbulence caused more noise. Turning the head too far did the same. Good to about 100km after which it deteriorated - course I only tried that on a private closed road you unnerstand...

I like the pics this camera produces. The sound is not perfect though - at least not with the onboard mike. Even with their "sound suppressors" in place.

cheese

6th April 2012, 20:46

Had a play with my one tonight on my Dads RC plane. Lots of fun! amazing views when its up there.

slofox

7th April 2012, 07:02

A clip taken just before sunrise to test the low light abilities of this camera.

The footage here looks a lot lighter than it was - I was peering a bit to see myself. Note the bike at 2.50 - it was pretty well invisible to me until I was right up to it, being unlit as it was...

Overall, I like this camera. It's very easy to mount and takes good pics. The only disappointment is the wind noise using the inbuilt microphone. I have yet to master the art of fixing this with the supplied "sound attenuators' or whatever it is they call them.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IJPF62OsGYY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

bsasuper

7th April 2012, 08:03

It looks like they havnt got all the bugs ironed out, do they offer firmware updates? I think Ill stay with my HD170 stealth, a bit bigger but it has worked without fault.

slofox

7th April 2012, 11:24

It looks like they havnt got all the bugs ironed out, do they offer firmware updates? I think Ill stay with my HD170 stealth, a bit bigger but it has worked without fault.

Dunno - haven't asked.

cheese

9th April 2012, 20:59

I got the tape on mine sweet as. It you want to DIY, use some electrical tape! LOL

cheese

9th April 2012, 21:10

Here is my first crack at making a video. I just added some random music off my laptop and dicked around with windows movie maker.

This link sound work in about 293 mins apparently...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i2E38ahAJQ&feature=youtu.be

slofox

10th April 2012, 11:23

cheese

10th April 2012, 18:52

Sorry try this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEzjo9m33_w