GoPro HD

[LeeL]

HOLY FUCALNSLFK SHI>?M ?ML!!!!

http://www.freeskier.com/articles/ar...rticle_id=3934

1080P - my poor poor hard drive

[sixate]

Sweet! Can't wait to see the video, and more important, hear the audio quality.

[shmooove]

More info:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/23/g...ith-the-hd-he/

http://helmetcameracentral.com/2009/...-cam-announce/

[5H0CK3R]

60 FPS would be awesome! Can't wait to see some vids.

[shawndoggy]

Wow, I'd really like to see that cam... especially since I've got so many mounts and do-dads for the gopro system already.

[Pedalphile]

Any word on when this might be available? Google hasn't been digging up anything good for me...

Thanks,
Pete

[KTMDirtFace]

Looks gigantic.

[GoPro]

same size :-)

[ArmySlowRdr]

Originally Posted by GoPro

same size :-)

You should know I suppose, but websites are reporting its deeper due a more robust battery solution....

[GoPro]

It is 1/8" thicker, no more. When in the housing you would not notice it unless you were totally hawk-eyeing them side by side. It looks bigger in photos because the thickness is carried to the top of the camera, whereas on the WIDE it is thicker only at the battery hump in the center/back of the camera. Once in the housing, both cameras net out to almost identical sizing.

Effect on rider helmet, bike, chest mount or other gear is, understandably, not at all noticeable.

And the wide angle lens is more recessed into the body of the camera than on the WIDE, to further reduce any fore/aft wobble. The overall the C/G (center of gravity) is actually improved over the current HERO WIDE, which has performed really well with regards to stability.

Check out Ronnie Renner and Red Bull...world record setting with a pre-production:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMwczh0tvwI

That video is only at 960p, then cropped by Red Bull for 16:9 playback on Youtube. The camera can shoot 1080p, 960p and 720p.

Notice the lens sharpness from edge to edge. Compare to others.

While the sound on that video is pretty good, it's not even close to as good as the more advance spec we're working on. Wind noise is not an issue with the HD HERO and we've got advanced AGC (automatic gain control) processing that maintains good sound inside or outside the housing. No more HI/LO sound settings and no more missing out on the killer ambient and environmental sounds that come with biking.

It does have an advanced rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery design with special connectors designed for high vibration and an integrated battery heating system for you powder hounds that want to maintain long battery life come wintertime skiing.

RF mic and remote rumors are true, for those of you wanting to experiment more with your filming.

We've been developing this camera for a year, taking into account all of your feedback, wants, gripes, and wishes. We have not been sleeping much, but that's cool...it is so much fun developing GoPro gear that we'll sleep when we're dead.

We hope you all like it. It's thanks to forums like this that we're able to advance our products to meet your needs...to focus on what is most important in performance and usability.

Super fired up to get it out to you all very soon. It's been expensive as all hell to develop, but it's what we all (riders) want and deserve after years of getting to this point.

Thanks everyone. Your stoke and support made this possible.

Party - GoPro

[FloridaFish]

Originally Posted by GoPro

Quote:
Originally Posted by GoPro
You can use a 4GB SD card on our new 5MP cameras, but you cannot save a file larger than 2GB or it will corrupt the file. This will change in two weeks when we release an update patch for all of our 5MP cameras that will allow you to use a 4GB SD card and save 4GB files. That's 1 hour and 54 minutes of record time.

And our new 5MP cameras will last for 3 hours and 15 minutes of recording (straight or split up) when using Energizer Lithium AAA batteries. We're still testing run times with NiMH rechargeables but it is looking to be the same.

We're working on a second patch that will allow for 8GB SD cards and 4 hours of recording but the time will be limited by the batteries...3 hours and 15 minutes.

thanks!!! http://www.goprocamera.com

from http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=477124

any update? or is the old camera now considered unsupported?

[Datalogger]

Oh man, I sooo thought of posting the the exact same thing FloridaFish.

[rabidchicken]

Originally Posted by Datalogger

Oh man, I sooo thought of posting the the exact same thing FloridaFish.

I was just thinking about this yesterday. I could see them not doing any firmware updates if all their attention is being put on the HD version. Kinda like how Vholdr has no information on their site about the original twenty20 now that the countourHD is out.

I thought about waiting for the GoPro HD , but at less than half the price, I am happy with my regular GoPro Hero Wide.

[FloridaFish]

Yeah, I'll be pretty disappointed if that question about the SD card doesn't get answered, especially since GoPro is essentially advertising on a free forum. I love my helmet cam and I'm interested in the new HD one, but if you're going to participate as a company representative you should address repeated questions.

[GoPro]

Originally Posted by FloridaFish

Yeah, I'll be pretty disappointed if that question about the SD card doesn't get answered, especially since GoPro is essentially advertising on a free forum. I love my helmet cam and I'm interested in the new HD one, but if you're going to participate as a company representative you should address repeated questions.

Sorry dudes...we've been away for a bit, working on all of what you're talking about. 4GB patch is almost out, we have not forgotten. You can use up to 8GB cards but can only record up to 4GB in any one video.

There's been a couple of irksome things to work out but it's essentially done and just doing very final testing to sign off on it and then release.

We never forget about our early products or customers...don't worry!

Sorry for the delay - GoPro

[FloridaFish]

Originally Posted by GoPro

Sorry dudes...we've been away for a bit, working on all of what you're talking about. 4GB patch is almost out, we have not forgotten. You can use up to 8GB cards but can only record up to 4GB in any one video.

There's been a couple of irksome things to work out but it's essentially done and just doing very final testing to sign off on it and then release.

We never forget about our early products or customers...don't worry!

Sorry for the delay - GoPro

All I was looking for, Thanks.

[Datalogger]

Originally Posted by GoPro

You can use up to 8GB cards but can only record up to 4GB in any one video.

Do you mean record up to 2GB max per video?

[GoPro]

Originally Posted by Datalogger

Do you mean record up to 2GB max per video?

No, 4GB per video will be the max. Camera will auto stop and save at 4GB file size, which is 112 minutes (1 hour, 52 minutes).

We're working on a patch that allows the camera to stop and save that 4GB file and then start saving a new video, but we're not going to delay this patch waiting for that function. That will come later.

As most of you know, when you use Energizer Lithiums you get about 3 hours of video record time...so we agree doing above is important.

Rest assured, we don't forget about our current products when new stuff comes out. The WIDE is the bomb and it will live on!

Sorry we don't always move as fast as we'd like. It's pretty time consuming to get it right...we are really powering ahead.

Thanks guys - GoPro

[Datalogger]

Oh I see, you meant the NEW firmware update will allow up to 4GB videos.

I read your statement as saying we can "currently" save 4GB files.

My mistake.

[WhiteNoise]

I would not want that on my lid. maybe mounted to the bike though. I'll be picking up the VholdR Contour HD instead. Much nicer package with solid video gets my vote.

[LeeL]

WhiteNoise - have you bothered to read about the various GoPro mounting options?

[WhiteNoise]

Sure have why do you ask? I stated I would not want it on my lid because on my lid is the only option I would want. I prefer video from the helmet.

This is obviously a personal opinion. I've had the GoPro in my hand and I really do not care for the package. Like I stated though; on the bike it would be fine.

[Pedalphile]

Originally Posted by WhiteNoise

I would not want that on my lid. maybe mounted to the bike though. I'll be picking up the VholdR Contour HD instead. Much nicer package with solid video gets my vote.

Not to mention you can buy the VholdR today and GoPro doesn't seem interested in at least estimating availability of it's HD cam.

I ordered my VholdR yesterday after watching GoPro show up here and ignore my question regarding availability. I would have been willing to wait to see what GoPro had to offer in the HD market, but I'm not willing to wait an unknown period of time.

-Pete

[LeeL]

Originally Posted by WhiteNoise

Sure have why do you ask? I stated I would not want it on my lid because on my lid is the only option I would want. I prefer video from the helmet.

This is obviously a personal opinion. I've had the GoPro in my hand and I really do not care for the package. Like I stated though; on the bike it would be fine.

ah ok - i misread and am sorry. There's lots of GoPro mount options other then the lid and now i see you know about them. I do agree that all of this is speculation until you can actually get a GoPro HD

[WhiteNoise]

Very true!

[ArmySlowRdr]

Somewhere yesterday or early today I read it would be available late October in time for the start of ski season...

Personally I dont care for the shape nor not having a view screen; I will wait POVs HD entry even if it takes a couple of years and a price tag likely 2X +_ higher.

Originally Posted by Pedalphile

Not to mention you can buy the VholdR today and GoPro doesn't seem interested in at least estimating availability of it's HD cam.

I ordered my VholdR yesterday after watching GoPro show up here and ignore my question regarding availability. I would have been willing to wait to see what GoPro had to offer in the HD market, but I'm not willing to wait an unknown period of time.

-Pete

[shmooove]

Originally Posted by GoPro

It is 1/8" thicker, no more. When in the housing you would not notice it unless you were totally hawk-eyeing them side by side. It looks bigger in photos because the thickness is carried to the top of the camera, whereas on the WIDE it is thicker only at the battery hump in the center/back of the camera. Once in the housing, both cameras net out to almost identical sizing.

Effect on rider helmet, bike, chest mount or other gear is, understandably, not at all noticeable.

And the wide angle lens is more recessed into the body of the camera than on the WIDE, to further reduce any fore/aft wobble. The overall the C/G (center of gravity) is actually improved over the current HERO WIDE, which has performed really well with regards to stability.

Check out Ronnie Renner and Red Bull...world record setting with a pre-production:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMwczh0tvwI

That video is only at 960p, then cropped by Red Bull for 16:9 playback on Youtube. The camera can shoot 1080p, 960p and 720p.

Notice the lens sharpness from edge to edge. Compare to others.

While the sound on that video is pretty good, it's not even close to as good as the more advance spec we're working on. Wind noise is not an issue with the HD HERO and we've got advanced AGC (automatic gain control) processing that maintains good sound inside or outside the housing. No more HI/LO sound settings and no more missing out on the killer ambient and environmental sounds that come with biking.

It does have an advanced rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery design with special connectors designed for high vibration and an integrated battery heating system for you powder hounds that want to maintain long battery life come wintertime skiing.

RF mic and remote rumors are true, for those of you wanting to experiment more with your filming.

We've been developing this camera for a year, taking into account all of your feedback, wants, gripes, and wishes. We have not been sleeping much, but that's cool...it is so much fun developing GoPro gear that we'll sleep when we're dead.

We hope you all like it. It's thanks to forums like this that we're able to advance our products to meet your needs...to focus on what is most important in performance and usability.

Super fired up to get it out to you all very soon. It's been expensive as all hell to develop, but it's what we all (riders) want and deserve after years of getting to this point.

Thanks everyone. Your stoke and support made this possible.

Party - GoPro

Thanks for the update, GoPro. That pre-production video looks really good. Can't wait to see some MTB video over rough terrain. I will be holding off on purchasing a camera until I get more info on your product, then I'll make my decision.

[hanskellner]

Originally Posted by GoPro

We've been developing this camera for a year, taking into account all of your feedback, wants, gripes, and wishes.

Looks great and exactly the form factor I would like to use. I've got two of the Hero Wide cams and will upgrade once the HD is out.

Here's one of the issues that I hope is addressed with the new HD. The buttons are hard to use and there's no feedback that they have actually engaged. For example, if I have the cam on the top of my helmet and I reach up and press the power button or the filming button I never know if either actually occurred. The only way to tell is to visual inspect the cam. A real pain if I need to take off my helmet. And that also means no on-the-fly button presses if I want a guarantee that they engaged. A physical click and also a audible beep would be great for this issue.

Thanks again and looking forward to the new cam.

Cheers!

[pastajet]

Late October release date is the word from my internal GoPro source. But like the computer software world, it is released when it is released.

"We sell no wine before its time"

[MaxxCutts8]

If I'm not mistaken I saw that the final specs were not set into stone and that there might be some changes... What does this mean that it won't have as great specs? That would suck... Whats the final weight on this bad boy it looks heavy. Late Oct? Long ways away.

[lemmy999]

Originally Posted by GoPro

No, 4GB per video will be the max. Camera will auto stop and save at 4GB file size, which is 112 minutes (1 hour, 52 minutes).

We're working on a patch that allows the camera to stop and save that 4GB file and then start saving a new video, but we're not going to delay this patch waiting for that function. That will come later.

As most of you know, when you use Energizer Lithiums you get about 3 hours of video record time...so we agree doing above is important.

Rest assured, we don't forget about our current products when new stuff comes out. The WIDE is the bomb and it will live on!

Sorry we don't always move as fast as we'd like. It's pretty time consuming to get it right...we are really powering ahead.

Thanks guys - GoPro

you have been working for a 8 months. Why don't you hire some people with some ability. So is the HD camera just a figment of your imagination as well?

[soundlogic]

Can someone elaborate on the water tightness of this cam?

[pastajet]

Originally Posted by soundlogic

Can someone elaborate on the water tightness of this cam?

I have kayaked with it and it has worked just fine. It was getting hammered pretty hard from the waves and my playing around. This is also a case made for surfers, so it should be fine. Can't really tell you how it would work for diving, but I have heard of it going down to 100ft?

Edit: this about the housing, and not the camera, since currently it is still in the pre-production phase

[Mt.Biker E]

Man I can't wait. Saving my B-day $$$

[tep]

Originally Posted by soundlogic

Can someone elaborate on the water tightness of this cam?

I've taken mine to the beach and used it while bodysurfing and body boarding. I've also used it a good number of times in the pool. Where it gets sunk to the bottom, picked up and thrown/passed around amongst teenagers.....no water problem. I'm bringing it with me this Labor Day wknd to a waterslide park with my kids...should be some fun footage.

It's an easy camera, that's really a hoot to use.

-tep

[spencerfrater1]

Originally Posted by hanskellner

Looks great and exactly the form factor I would like to use. I've got two of the Hero Wide cams and will upgrade once the HD is out.

Here's one of the issues that I hope is addressed with the new HD. The buttons are hard to use and there's no feedback that they have actually engaged. For example, if I have the cam on the top of my helmet and I reach up and press the power button or the filming button I never know if either actually occurred. The only way to tell is to visual inspect the cam. A real pain if I need to take off my helmet. And that also means no on-the-fly button presses if I want a guarantee that they engaged. A physical click and also a audible beep would be great for this issue.

Thanks again and looking forward to the new cam.

Cheers!

I so agree with you - this is a major pain in the butt - great feedback IMHO

[soundlogic]

Tep;
Just curious as to how you were able to get the HD version?
Are you a beta tester?
If so, can you elaborate on the quality of pictures, both still and action (movies)?
Tim

[LeeL]

Check this out

http://pointofviewcameras.com/buyers...Wide-HD-Review

mike you lucky dog. I still don't have hands on a test unit

[soundlogic]

That's awesome!
Chomp'n at the bit now, for sure.

[Pedalphile]

Originally Posted by LeeL

Check this out

http://pointofviewcameras.com/buyers...Wide-HD-Review

You gotta love typos, like this one at the end:

"With all of its new capabilities the camera is only 1.6 x 2.4 x 1.2 inches is size (slightly booger than a matchbox)..."

-Pete

[GoPro]

Have a gander...some sweet footy from our pre-production units:
http://www.goprocamera.com/hdheropreview.html

The sound is insanely good...in the waterproof housing sealed and also using our new (and included) skeleton back door, which is a door frame that allows more air and sound into the camera. Wind is not an issue with this camera...listen to the sound on the "Bike Clip" -- that was shot with the sealed back door...making the camera waterproof and airtight. It would have sounded better with the skeleton back door...but we didn't have them ready for that trip.

The skeleton back door can be swapped out with the sealed waterproof back door. It's a click in/out removable door system that allows for this, and other :-) expansions.

The sound on the base jumping video is ok for base jumping...but that was shot using an early model that had early sound settings. The sound now, with wind at those speeds, is way better than what you hear in the video.

The Formula Car clip has the most up to date sound setting...so that's a good indicator of the sound...you won't hear any wind in that clip.

Sorry for not being more active on here...we're all slammed with the HD HERO development. Release date rumors above are accurate...second half of OCT.

The HD HERO delivers on the promise of GoPro. You guys are going to poop in your chute with this one - GoPro

[drexlerkm]

As I said in the other thread, I'm in the bathroom now cleaning up because i threw up and defecated all over myself..

Glad I read about the audio issue with the base-jump video, still sounded pretty good to me...

And again, looks like the iris is opening/closing nice and smooth now, and the rolling shutter problem is all but gone..

Overcrank feature on the surf vid is looking great, as well.. surprised you guys have audio to record with that enabled- all the better, I suppose.

I nnnnneeeeed one.

[drexlerkm]

One question.. whats the deal with the 4:3 aspect ratio on the 1080 clips?

Can you switch b/w 4:3 and 16:9 on both 30 and 60p?

[drexlerkm]

Sorry to clog the thread..but

I just read the PDF (go to the preview link that GoPro posted, and its a downloadable pdf under the video window). Answered everything.

I understand why 4:3 lends itself to a fisheye better than 16:9

[pastajet]

Here was my info from Interbike... http://reviews.mtbr.com/interbike/go...hd-first-look/

[ArmySlowRdr]

Confirm--on this cam to get "HD" quality--the aspect ratio is 4:3?
In my view, this makes this cam a non-starter for any consideration whatsoever.

edit--the PDF would lead one to believe the 1080 clips are indeed wide screen format---let's hope.

Originally Posted by drexlerkm

One question.. whats the deal with the 4:3 aspect ratio on the 1080 clips?

Can you switch b/w 4:3 and 16:9 on both 30 and 60p?

[pastajet]

Originally Posted by ArmySlowRdr

Confirm--on this cam to get "HD" quality--the aspect ratio is 4:3?
In my view, this makes this cam a non-starter for any consideration whatsoever.

edit--the PDF would lead one to believe the 1080 clips are indeed wide screen format---let's hope.

I saw all the formats at Interbike, the 1080p is widescreen (16:9), the 960p is 4:3, and it was done that way to have more screen height, I can't recall the 720p much, since I was just intrigued by the slow motion that you could do in the format.

[GoPro]

Hi all,

on the HD HERO:

1080p is 16:9 at 30fps @ 127 degree wide angle
960p is 4:3 at 30fps @ 170 degree wide angle
720p is 16:9 at 60fps or 30fps @ 170 degree wide angle

As you can see from above, 1080p has a slightly less wide angle (25% narrower) view for those of you that prefer that effect versus the max wide 170 degree view of 960p and 720p. Options abound!

The reason for 960p is that it gives 25% more vertical viewing area than any 16:9 aspect ratio video. This is because 16:9 video simply cuts off the top 12.5% and bottom 12.5% of the sensor to give you the "impression" of widescreen, when in fact all it is doing is lopping off the top and bottom to give you this impression. In truth, 16:9 actually cuts out 25% of your vertical viewing area...which sucks if you really want to see your bike, handlebars, and action below you. That's why we created a 960p resolution, because we love seeing all the action below. Same goes for seeing your knees and skis while skiing, etc.

But if you want 16:9, it's there for you, too.

You can always shoot in 960p and then crop it down to 720p in editing, if you want that look, later. 960p is simply 720p with 25% more vertical top/bottom viewing area. Cut 12.5% off the top and 12.5% off the bottom and you are left with 720p.

Shipping end of Oct. Thanks for the support, everyone - GoPro

[dangk]

Can't wait to get my hands on one!

[tep]

i love the current one and can only imagine the new one being that much better.

I am not very savvy with all the numbers, though GoPro last post, helped a lot....thank you.

The current wide version is 30fps at 4:3 ??....so the HD version when shooting 4:3 at 30fps with 960p should make the picture that much clearer/crisper??

What would be the "common" filming mode when not in HD? since the 16:9 cuts off 25% wouldn't one prefer to film in the 960p mode?

thanks for any clarity one can pass one,
just learning as I go,
-tep

[drexlerkm]

I'll try to answer these the best I can.. I'm a video producer and we work with HD (for what its worth)

Shooting 4:3 @ 960 will give you twice the resolution the old GoPro had (480 lines of vertical resolution).

Not sure I understand what you mean by "common mode when not in HD".

I think the preference to shoot in 960 to attain 4:3 is what the GoPro dude said: preference. 4:3 is a square, or close to one, so you're getting more top to bottom coverage of whats going on in sports you're filming (skis/handlebars/etc). 16:9 isn't really cutting anything off, its giving you more left to right frame area, which more closely mimics film. Film is actually 1.85:1 and beyond, but that's another story.

[tep]

drexlerkm, thanks.

yeah "twice the resolution" is perfect wording for me to understand.

"Not sure I understand what you mean by "common mode when not in HD". I guess what I was trying to say was/is what mode will most people use most often when not filming in HD? Which I think you answered in your last paragraph.

Couple of more questions if you don't mind....Is this the "slow motion" mode when filming at 60fps? So when would you need 720p at 30fps?...is it only to get the 16:9 ratio?

-tep

[drexlerkm]

720p @ 30fps will maximize your recording time, as in, the space available on the SD card you're recording to. This is likely the mode I will shoot most of my clips in. Even on our $20k rigs we tend to shoot 720p24 to maximize drive space and keep file sizes manageable. 1080 is usually overkill in most circumstances, unless you've got 16gb+ SD cards, and a badass hardware setup to edit on.

If you're in 720p, whether at 30fps or 60, I think the aspect will remain 16:9. Seems the only mode that is locked at 4:3 is 960.

GoPro, if I'm stepping on your toes, tell me. Just trying to clear things up while you're hard at work shucking and jiving your product.

[tep]

My apologies as well if I'm stepping on toes by not going to the source.

Though again, thank you for helping me understand the numbers.

-tep

[Liquidice]

i just preordered a gopro hd motorsport and ordered a tripod adapter for to mount it on my speargun!!! also picked up a 32gig SDHC card, 87 bucks on newegg.com

[dangk]

Where did u preorder from?

[hanskellner]

In case anyone missed the link to the preview HD footage:

http://www.goprocamera.com/hdheropreview/

Plus there's a link to a catalog for the camera with all the details.

[Liquidice]

i preordered it from helmetcameracentral.com. they have all 3 versions available with a free 4gig memory card for free if you preorder. here is the link.
http://shop.helmetcameracentral.com/...s/brand/gopro/

[LeeL]

Vholdr 1080p out - competition is good no?

tep - drexler is right. I think I'll probably shoot 720p also. 1080p and 960p files are so big they'll probably kill my poor Hard drive

[pastajet]

Originally Posted by LeeL

Vholdr 1080p out - competition is good no?

tep - drexler is right. I think I'll probably shoot 720p also. 1080p and 960p files are so big they'll probably kill my poor Hard drive

Here was the news I posted on the MTBR site: http://reviews.mtbr.com/blog/vholdr-contourhd1080p/

[jbsteven]

you can order on the gopro website now.

[tep]

Originally Posted by LeeL

tep - drexler is right. I think I'll probably shoot 720p also. 1080p and 960p files are so big they'll probably kill my poor Hard drive

curiosity....if this is the case, why get the HD version?

[drexlerkm]

Originally Posted by tep

curiosity....if this is the case, why get the HD version?

720 is still HD. SD is 480 vertical.

Another reason for rarely shooting in 1080 is you're limited to the 135 viewing angle, unless that's what you want.

[Pedalphile]

Originally Posted by drexlerkm

Another reason for rarely shooting in 1080 is you're limited to the 135 viewing angle, unless that's what you want.

I feel 135 deg. is the sweet spot for mtn biking videos. Mtn biking vids lose all sense of realism for me when it appears as though I'm looking through a door's peephole.

Also, for my purposes, I don't need anything above 720p.

-Pete

[drexlerkm]

Originally Posted by Pedalphile

I feel 135 deg. is the sweet spot for mtn biking videos. Mtn biking vids lose all sense of realism for me when it appears as though I'm looking through a door's peephole.

Also, for my purposes, I don't need anything above 720p.

-Pete

I don't think you can shoot 720p with the 135 deg.

You might need to down-res the 1080 stuff when you import.

[Pedalphile]

Originally Posted by drexlerkm

I don't think you can shoot 720p with the 135 deg.

You might need to down-res the 1080 stuff when you import.

I can only shoot 135 deg. @720p. I'm a ContourHD owner.

The view angle was the major reason I chose the Contour over the GP SD. I consider the two to be very competitive overall in what they offer, but very different from one another in what they offer.

..and because I don't have plans to do any slo-mo stuff, the ContourHD 1080p doesn't offer me enough to upgrade from what I have.

If the GPHD could do 135@720p, I would have waited for it instead of pulling the trigger on the VholdR.

-Pete

[Yorto]

Originally Posted by jbsteven

you can order on the gopro website now.

Have ordered Just waiting for the $ to get taken out of my credit card and hopefully the AUD - US $ is still higher than $0.90. (In Aus they ar trying to sell them for $440 AUD.

CHDHH-001 1 HD Helmet HERO **PRE-ORDER** $299.99 USD
GTRA30 1 Accessory: Tripod Mount $7.99 USD
GRH30 1 Accessory: Handlebar Seatpost Mount ( "Ride HERO" Accessory Kit ) $19.99 USD

Shipping Info
Australia

FedEx: International Economy
Subtotal before discounts $327.97 USD
Discounts $32.80 USD
Subtotal $295.17 USD
Shipping/Handling $24.99 USD
TOTAL: $320.16 USD = around $350 AUD

The discount is given when you place and order (fill in all your details but don't proceed with the transaction) and then they send you an email with a Gopro offer coupon code .
With the Aus dollar looking so nice at the moment I thought why not save myself $100.

[LeeL]

del

[Liquidice]

http://www.goprocamera.com/hdheropreview/
thats from the gopro website. its better quality

[PiroChu]

This past Sat, I ran into Steve from GoPro at a local trail. He was briefly testing the HD (off a big ladder stunt), then quickly left to fly to LA on biz. The HD looked pretty cool.

Since I have a reg-def point-and-shoot cam that I mix footages into a video with, it'd look weird to mix them with high-def helmet-cam footages. So, for now, unless/until I also get a high-def point-and-shoot (like Flip Mino HD, etc) to match GoPro HD, I'll just stick to my regular GoPro.

Cheers,
- PiroChu

[drexlerkm]

I've waited to say this, but I'm starting to get ticked off at the vendors for continuing to push back the ship date. I understand it takes a heap of logistics to release a new product, but I wish they would just stick with a date so I could plan ahead a bit.

Also, PiroChu-- you can always down-res the footage off the HD HERO and enjoy the better audio and light metering capabilities.. just a suggestion. SD will only last so long! (In my industry anyway).

[Tema]

Is any SDHC Class 6 card fast enough or is some super fast and expensive card needed?

[Yorto]

I bought 2 8gb class 6 sandisk ultimate III Or IIII from eBay for $100AUD. They have a read and write rate at 20mbps. The go pro writes at 15mbps at either 720p 60fps and or 1080p.

Just check the read write rate and see what you are going to record in .

[Tema]

GoPro specification document says 720p60 data rate is 15 Mbit/s. Class 6 is at least 6 MByte/s. Shouldn't that be enough?

[Yorto]

1080P 1980×1080, 30 fps @12 Mbps;
960P 1280×960, 30 fps @ 10 Mbps;
720P 1280×720, 30 fps @ 7.5 Mbps;
720P 1280×720, 60 fps @ 15 Mbps.

Got that from some site

[dl1030]

15 mbit/s = 1.9mbyte/s

any card should work. I got a deal on some class 4 8g cards.

*EDIT: from their webpage
720p = 1280x720 pixels, 30 fps with 7.5 Mbit/s data rate, or 60 fps with 15 Mbit/s data rate

[onlycrimson]

Mine's ordered. I can't wait, it will be my first video cam

[jafa1970]

Some questions, sorry if the answers are already on here:

1. Has the GoPro HD lost the ability to flip video/photos?
2. Will the skeleton backdoor be included in the base package as indicated by GoPro above - not mentioned on the website anywhere.
3. Is it possible to provide different combinations of viewing angle and aspect ration with a firmware update in the future? Would be interested to know why the combinations that are spec'd currently were chosen.
4. Will it be possible to purchase additional Rechargeable 1100 mAh lithium-ion batteries? 2.5 hours is not much when out for a day skiing/biking. None are listed on the website.
5. Will the Endurance Battery Bakpac and LCD Bakpac , when available, fit in the existing housing, or will a new housing be required.
6. Any chance of a tether being added to the housing - the mounts look strong, but I suspect the adhesive mounts might come off - would be nice to know the camera will not go far.

Cheers

[Yorto]

Originally Posted by jafa1970

Some questions, sorry if the answers are already on here:

4. Will it be possible to purchase additional Rechargeable 1100 mAh lithium-ion batteries? 2.5 hours is not much when out for a day skiing/biking. None are listed on the website.
5. Will the Endurance Battery Bakpac and LCD Bakpac , when available, fit in the existing housing, or will a new housing be required.

Cheers

This is from an email I sent to GoPro asking the same.

Thanks for placing an order with GoPro! At the present time, we do not have a release date available for extra batteries or the Bakpac accessories. As accessories are released, they will be added to the website for purchase.

Let us know if you have any further questions.

Many thanks,

GoPro Support

[Polar Bear]

Does anyone know how it performs at night? The regular Hero Wide left something to be desired.

Also, what is the file format for transferring to the computer? (m2ts, avi, mov)

[GR_Russia]

Noob question: GoPro HD have anything that looks like viewfinder?

[philshep]

Hey Russia,

the new HD will have a viewfinder attachment as an extra item that will hook into the port on the back of the camera. I found I don't really need if for my GoPro Wide... you can usually set the angle on the bike.

What I WOULD like as an attachment is a remote record button. Wonder if this new Hero Bus™ is capable of such a thing? It's the only pet peeve I have with the current GoPro.

When it's on my head I always have to ask a riding buddy, 'is this thing on?!' The beeps are nearly inaudible.

[LeeL]

darn thing finally shipping this week. Phil - nice work on the Amasa Back video. Looks better then the first Portal video - quality wise I mean. Did you change the settings or tweak the video.

Btw - vimeo has a video edit recommendations page - it's got a list of recommended rendering settings for video. For HD videos I render @ about 2400kbps (and not the 5000kbps vimeo suggests). For web use that's decent quality. Besides my computer bogs down when rendering the huge video files

[philshep]

Hey Lee,

Thanks, yes I upped my bitrate to 2000kbits /sec. However, I didn't upconvert the video to 640x480 like you mentioned.

Hopefully this will all be a thing of the past when the HD is in action!

I'm still really curious about the rumours referring to a remote.... that would be stellar. External mic would be sweet too.

cheers

[pastajet]

Originally Posted by LeeL

darn thing finally shipping this week.

Still no word from my sources on anything as yet, been a month without any responses. Vaporware!

Fingers crossed?

[LyNx]

Just thought I'd throw this in here since this is about the new HD camera.......I'll assume that the mounting system has not changed, so if you owned the older version all you'd need to do is buy the new camera and it would fit all the old mounts - Right?

[pastajet]

yes, all the same mounts, since the camera got a tad larger the housing also morphed to accommodate it, so it has changed, otherwise all the old mounting hardware will work

[jbsteven]

Originally Posted by pastajet

Still no word from my sources on anything as yet, been a month without any responses. Vaporware!

Fingers crossed?

GoPro told me today they expect the cameras in their warehouse the first week of November. Orders will be filled from the waiting list in order.

[jbsteven]

Originally Posted by pastajet

yes, all the same mounts, since the camera got a tad larger the housing also morphed to accommodate it, so it has changed, otherwise all the old mounting hardware will work

this is exactly what the owner of GoPro told me at Interbike. We had a long talk about all things GoPro and cars. Cool guy.

[LeeL]

Preliminary article reviewing the GoPro HD

My video showcasing the GoPro HD.

Preview of the GoPro HD Helmet HERO 1080p Camera from PointOfViewCameras on Vimeo.

Article comparing ContourHD vs GoPro HD in 720p resolution to follow

[spencerfrater1]

Originally Posted by LeeL

Preliminary article reviewing the GoPro HD

My video showcasing the GoPro HD.

So you had it set on 720p. How does it look on 1080p (I understand the field of view is narrower at 127 degrees as opposed to 170 degrees in your video)?

[LeeL]

It looks tremendously like the ContourHD at 1080p - almost identical field of view. I pretty much shot at 720p for this round of GoPro HD video as video sites downsize the video to 720p in any event

Here's the 1080p video - its in the article

http://vimeo.com/7365319

[jbsteven]

GoPro charged my card for the HD version last night. Looks like they got their shipment of HD's and are getting ready to ship. Great news as I have a race this weekend.

[Yorto]

When did you place your order? I was reading somewhere that they are shipping in the way the orders were placed.

[jbsteven]

I'm not sure the exact date but I think it was within 1-2 days of when they started on their website. About 4-5 weeks ago? hard to remember.

yes they are shipping in order of when you ordered

[philshep]

nice work on the skinnies!

Footage looks great. Just sold my wide 5mp, going to pull the trigger on the HD now.

[jbsteven]

looks like my HD will be delivered on 11-9. I asked for 2 day shipping.

[uphillwish]

Originally Posted by WhiteNoise

I would not want that on my lid. maybe mounted to the bike though. I'll be picking up the VholdR Contour HD instead. Much nicer package with solid video gets my vote.

VholdR does not take good care of their customers. Expensive and changing model every 6 months. No cost-effective upgrade program either...

[uphillwish]

VholdR does not take good care of their existing customers. Risky to buy now when they have new model out every 6 months. I got Vholdr original last year. Bad picture. Now they don't even have a program to let me upgrade.Buy at your own risk...

[dl1030]

For the people still waiting for the email, I pre-ordered mine on the 20th of last month. got this in the email inbox this AM.

Hello David,

Your GoPro order GOPRO-42117 has been processed and shipped by
UPS Ground (1-5 business days).