Aiptek MPVR 6MP MPEG4 Digital Camcorder with 4x Digital Zoom

Other products by Aiptek

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5 x 2 x 3 inches ; 4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000AV14J0
• Item model number: MPVR
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (103 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #889 in Camera & Photo (See Bestsellers in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 27, 2006

Product Description

Manufacturer Description

Manufacturer Description Aiptek's MPVR is the first hand-held multi-functional media player / video recorder which allows you to connect to your TV/VCR/DVD player to record your favorite TV shows, movies, video clips, pictures, and audio recordings, and playback on the built-in 2.4-inch TFT color LCD or on your 60-inch TV for under $200! The MPVR also performs as your MPEG-4 DV camcorder, 3-megapixel digital camera with 6-megapixel enhancement, voice recorder, and SD card reader / removable hard disk! The most convenient personal entertainment solution with exceptional value and features!

Max resolution up to 6 megapixels
Equipped with 3MP CMOS Sensor, the still image resolution of the MPVR is enhanced to 6 megapixels. The macro lens enables high-quality close ups. Print 4 x 6 inch, 5 x 7 inch, or even 8 x 10 inch photos!

30 FPS/MPEG-4 for recording movies
MPEG-4 is the ideal way to store video clips in a highly-compact format. With the MPVR, not only can you shoot more pictures and movies, but you can also use it as a portable media player for downloaded MPEG-4 movies.

Digital video stabilization
Advanced digital image stabilization technology lets you get the most of your recordings. Compensates for slight movements so you get the best video every time.

MP3 player
Easily load your favorite MP3 files and playback the music directly or enjoy stereo-quality music wia the headset!

Swivel-reversible 2.4-inch TFT color LCD display
Review and playback video clips and pictures in real time. The TFT display combines striking realism and intuitive interface for the best image every time.

Night mode
Shoot video in darker environments with the new night mode feature.

Flash strobe
Built-in flash strobe allows you to take snapshots in darker environments.

Digital zoom
4x real-time digital zoom allows you to zoom in/out while recording video!

TV/VCR output
Connect the MPVR to your TV/VCR to display your video clips, still pictures, and audio recordings, sharing them with friends and family members.

Rechargeable battery with charger
Save on batteries! The MPVR is powered by a Lithium-ion battery that easily charges via the included battery charger!

Removable hard disk and SD/MMC card reader
In addition to the internal memory, the MPVR also allows you to expand the memory capacity up to 2GB to record, snapshot, and listen to more songs. Store any type of data on the camera and take it with you!

System requirements
Microsoft Windows 98SE / ME / 2000 / XP, Macintosh support: file upload only, PIII (or equivalent), Direct X 8.0 or above, 128MB of RAM (256 MB recommended), video card with 32 MB of RAM for minimum 24-bit (True Color) display, 4X speed CD-ROM, an available USB port

What's in the box
MPVR Camera, Lithium-ion battery, battery charger, USB/AV output cable, AV input cable, headset (ear buds), wrist strap, user's guide

Product Description

Aiptek???s MPVR is a hand held multi-functional Media Player / Video Recorder which allows you to connect to your TV/VCR/DVD player to record your favorite TV shows, Movies, video clips, pictures, audio recordings, and playback on the huge built-in 2.4 TFT color LCD or on your 60 TV for an affordable price! If that wasn???t enough, the MPVR also performs as your MPEG-4 DV Camcorder recording Super VHS quality video (640 x 480 VGA resolution at 30 frames per second), 3 Mega Pixel Digital Camera with 6 Mega Pixel enhancement, Voice Recorder, and SD Card Reader / Removable Hard Disk! The most convenient personal entertainment solution with exceptional value and features!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

208 of 219 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I thought it was too good to be true...., March 20, 2006

By	Lolo (Next to a cactus in AZ) - See all my reviews

but luckily I was wrong. I bought the MPVR at Target for $128.77 (the lowest price I found). There were only 2 left, so I took that as a good sign. After the initial charge, which took less than the four hours stated in the manual, I was ready to play. I took a few pictures inside my house in low-light conditions, both at 1 and 3 megapixel resolution. I also shot a short video just so I could test it. The following morning I shot another video outside (it was a beautiful day with plenty of sun), and I took pictures in all the available resolutions: VGA, 1, 3, and 6MP. Here's what I think:

For under $150 you get a digital still camera, digital camcorder, MP3 player, voice recorder, and TV-DVD recorder. It's an amazing deal.

-The camera:
While it does tout the camera as being able to take pictures at 6MP resolution, the actual sensor is for 3MP. I was a little thrown off by this, but if you research, you'll find that more megapixels doesn't necessarily mean better quality, and this little camera is a perfect example. The way it achieves the 6MP resolution is by taking them at 3MP and adding in the extra pixels by the use of an algorithm (similar to what happens when you enlarge a picture using any photo-editing software) before the JPEG encoding, so the results are good. The images are crisp and vibrant. The get a little fuzzy when you take them at full zoom (4x optical), but that's nothing a good tripod can't fix. I currently have the resolution set at VGA because it's the perfect size for email attachments.

-The camcorder:
The first video I shot was indoors, at night-time, without engaging the night mode, and in low light. The image was good but a little fuzzy. The one I shot outdoors was beautiful. The colors were brilliant, and there was very little noise. Also the microphone is really good, and you can adjust the volume settings. You can also zoom in and out while recording video. There are two settings for video: VGA, and the lower-quality less-space consuming QVGA. All video is encoded in MPEG4 so it easily plays on your computer.

-MP3 player:
When you connect the camera to your computer, you'll find an MP3 folder. Just drag and drop your songs there and you're set. The speaker on the camera is pretty good, but it distorts a little if you have it on too loud. The included ear-buds are pretty good, although I'm sure it would sound much better with high-end Bose. You can't fast-forward or rewind a song, but how often do you really do that?

-Voice recorder and TV-DVD recorder:
I haven't used either of these functions yet, but from the sound I heard in the videos, I can probably say the voice recorder is good too. For TV-DVD recording, the camera comes with AV cables so it's just a matter of connecting the camera and hitting record. A 2GB SD card will hold about 2 hours of video.

The MPVR is amazing. It blew me away. And the size is fantastic. It comes with a 2.4" swivel screen, slim rechargeable battery and charger, AV-out/USB combo cable, AV-in cable, and wrist strap. It comes with an internal 16MB flash memory, and a SD/MMC slot accepting cards of up to 2GB. The only draw back that I could find is that the lens is not covered and it does not include a cap. So just be careful not to scratch it. When I first bought the camera I wasn't sure if I was going to keep it, but now that I've fallen in love with it I bought a small compact camera case (BestBuy has good, cheap ones) and a 256MB Kingston SD card. At the manufacturer's website, www.aiptek.com, you'll find extra accessories such as an AC adapter for the camera, extra batteries, tripods, and a wireless remote.

This camera does seem too good to be true, but I can assure you, you won't be disappointed.

83 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aipteck MPVR Digital Camcorder, May 13, 2006

By	TAS - See all my reviews

This is a great buy. I was hopefull when I bought this, and I was not let down. In addition to the MPVR Aipteck camcorder, I also bought a 2GB memory card and the A/C adapter off of the Aiptek website. It takes great movies in the bright sunlight. It also does a good job of taking movies in lower light situations indoors. In addition, this camcorder takes high quality still pictures (which breaks the stereotype that multi-functional units short change you on one or the other features)and does a great job doing so. My test for the video quality was set on VGA quality, during the day. I played them back on a 55 inch TV and the picture was great, every bit as good if not better than a VHS tape. The manual is very detailed. It is necessary to follow the manual to the letter when installing the software. The software is fair, but I prefer to edit my pictures with Microsoft picture it. I can't say enough good things about this item. The price, options, and quality are unbeatable. When you want to transfer movies off of the camera onto your computer you have to switch the camera to disk mode, it is a easy process but not spelled out in the manual. Hooking the camcorder up to the TV is easy also, hook up the video and sound cable to the A/V in and the other side into the camcorder change the input setting on your TV and your in business. The only drawback is the digital zoom it has 4x zoom but I would never take it past 2x due to the drop in quality.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jack of all trades, master of none., November 27, 2006

By	Peter Chenoweth - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I purchased this a few months ago to suplement my photography bag. I already own a Nikon D70 DSLR, so I purchased the MPVR as a take-along digital cam for situations where I didn't want to lug around the D70, and also as a digital camcorder for quick videos.

Compared on any one feature, the MPVR falls short to any other dedicated device. But taken as a whole, and for the price, it's a useful gadget.

I have used over a dozen digital cameras and SLRs for over 15 years. The MPVR is impressive for the money. I paid about $130 for it, and I think it's worth that - but no more.

The digital camera is acceptable - good only under the best conditions - and that's about it. White balance and colors are pretty good, though the color range is somewhat muted - easily fixed with photo software. This is a fixed-focus camera, with two settings, Macro and Everything Else. With adequate lighting and if your subject is posed or otherwise unmoving, it does a pretty good job. Shutter lag is significant and there isn't any control of shutter speed/aperture anyway - so don't expect to use this in situations with fast-moving objects. You can manually control the white balance, it has some effects such as B&W or 'Sepia', and some photo frames that will really only be useful for children, but they are there. There are no true 'photographic' customizations to be made. Photos can suffer from some strange digital artifacts at 6MP, simply because of the software trying to simulate 6MP from a 3MP sensor.

The photo quality is better than anything you'll find on a cell-phone, but it just barely compares to low-end digital cameras. For comparison, photos are about on par with an old 1.3MP Olympus camera from 2001. If you're primary goal is photography, I'd suggest getting a lower-end digital camera from Canon, Nikon, HP, etc. You'll get a lot more photographic power for your money.

As a camcorder, the MPVR is much more impressive. It does a good job at capturing any sort of scene, provided the lighting is adequate. Again, no focus control nor true zoom (the digital zoom is nearly worthless) means that your options are somewhat limited - but it does a great job at capturing an everyday, well-lit scene. Audio quality is surprisingly good too. Direct playback using the supplied cables to a TV looks surprisingly good, and the videos are pretty decent even on a higher resolution PC monitor. But again, even the lowest-end dedicated camcorder will do a much better job at video than the MPVR.

It can also do line-in recordings, and it does a fine job. The quality is quite good and it's very easy to do. The included remote almost turns the MPVR into a digital VCR. Pretty cool. The files created, however, are massive and I've had some trouble converting them to other formats for use on my PC. 38 minutes of TV = 968MB of space, so the encoding is not very efficient.

I have not used the MP3 player, but it certainly has one.

The voice recorder works as a voice recorder - not much to say here.

I have very few complaints about the software, but one major one is that the MPVR does not tell you how many shots (or minutes of record time) are remaining given the SD card. Very annoying, as there's no way to really tell (other than guessing based on experience) how much space your photos & videos are taking up.

To summarize, the MPVR is a good product, you just have to keep its price/features in perspective. It's ok at pictures, good at video, and has a few other neat 'convergence' features thrown in the mix. As a quick-and-dirty camera/camcorder, it's fine. But it cannot compare with dedicated devices. On the other hand, you'd need to spend 4 or 5 times the cost of the MPVR to get a collection of other devices to do the same work (camera, camcorder, mp3 player, voice recorder, etc).