Creative Labs Vado HD 3rd Generation Pocket Video Cam - Product Review

We ordered the Vado HD camera from HSN on Black Friday. The $139 price seemed like a great deal from a well-known company. And after an online comparison pricing of the Vado, we were right. The retail price is $179. I thought we were receiving an older model Vado because it was hard to find online. But it turns out this was the third-generation model with considerable upgrades from previous ones.

Video Quality. The Vado HD camera's size is one of the best overall features. It's smaller than an iPhone at around four inches long, an inch and a half wide and less than half an inch thick. I was able to fit it into my slider phone holder with no problem.

But despite its size, the Vado HD camera packs a powerful punch. The Vado can film in up to 720p high definition in a matter of seconds. With four gigabytes of built-in memory, we had plenty of space for upcoming Christmas videos. We filmed about 30 minutes of us touring Pier 39 and still had more than an hour of recording time left. The quality was remarkably clear for our low light shots. Since the Vado is small, I wouldn't recommend it for professional filming; but if you want something quick and quality, this is your product.

The sound quality is sharp - almost too sharp. I tested it by purposely making off-handed comments in the background as my wife videoed the kids looking at Christmas lights. What I thought I said under my breath was loud and clear upon further review. The LCD screen is more than wide enough for easy viewing, and the external speaker is as loud as a laptop's. If you really want to improve the audio, you can hook up an external mic with no problem.

Software. Editing videos is easy. The Vado Central software is built into the camera, so you don't have to install any discs onto your laptop or PC. You can snip and edit videos (and photos! Vado's HD cam also takes still pics!) almost at will. Just plug in the attached USB connector and look for the "Vado Central" program. If you are a Facebook, KinKast or YouTube junkie, there are one-touch commands for instant uploading. I only wish this software could be installed on the PC.

Controls. This is the blessing and curse of the Vado HD. You can barely feel the controls if you run your fingers over the Vado except for the record button; this means you're not in danger of losing any buttons over time; you also don't have to worry about foreign object interference. This is great for people with small children.

The downside is that these controls are ultra sensitive. You could find yourself instantly recording, manipulating the volume or inadvertently zooming in and out if you don't hold the Vado HD by the edges. It took a few three-second videos of my thumb to figure this out.

Extra Features. Another favorite feature of mine is the HDMI connector. Our package came with an HDMI cable, so it was yet another instantly accessible feature of the Vado HD that we could use. The video playback was astonishing on an HDTV. This was clearly light years ahead of my grandpa's cameras! Other fun options include a motion detector that allows the Vado to film as soon as something passes in front of it. This may have been built strictly to catch people in a prank, but I digress. If you want to save video time, you can downgrade the Vado HD's recording quality to VGA.

If you are new to the video cam world or you're looking into more viral video filming, don't bypass the Creative Labs Vado HD camera. It's an instant hit with our family and is sure to be one with yours.