First High Def Camera Video and GPS Test

[beemaster]

Well... here is a bit of a mixed review for you. I took my new Tomtom XXL540M GPS for a short test drive today and video'd it with my new Mino Flip HD camcorder. a two-fer test-drive.

I tried one of the free MEMBER UPLOADED VOICES that Tomtom offers, there are hundreds - each with 55 voice messages. I like this voice, but he is too slow speaking for me to make quick movements on strange roads. I'll play with more, but the voices it has are very good too.

The big bummer of the trip was that the GPS didn't see a road (you'll see it in the video) that I use to make a u-turn to my home. The road just wasn't on the GPS and it has been there at least 5 years. If I had gone the way it wanted me to go, it would have been about 1 mile further.

Now, if I'm in a strange place, I wouldn't know the difference and I'd be happy to get there, but I spent a lot of time looking tonight and DON'T see any other roads missing. So more testing to come, but I love the awesome 5 inch display, and very versatile options that you can set. The SPEED ALARMS and TRAFFIC CAM WARNINGS are very cool - and you can (as you'll see) add new cams to the Tomtom, for both you and it auto-uploads when hooked to the PC for others to take advantage of - user input is verified independently or you can opt to use user added info that hasn't been verified yet.

You'll see that coming out of a shopping mall, the GPS told me to make a right turn, it didn't know that a left was possible - that light is about 2 years old, and I know both that light and the u-turn are on my wife's Garmin. Tomtom needs to update their maps more often. I have the latest map, when I connected to the computer, it auto-updated me with the latest map. But obviously (even though they stay it is updated 4 times a year) they keep missing these route changes. They do have a very good reporting route change feature, so I'll write them and see if it goes in the next update.

THE CAMCORDER

Ok... So, I taped the drive home, I'll be getting rid of some of the details of the ride cause it does lead to my home very well - ugh. But in the video below, if you have the resources check out the 720P version of the video - it is pretty remarkable from a camera 3/8th inch thick X 2" x 4". The Mino takes 2 full hours of HD video and will upload directly to Youtube. Even the 480 version of the video looks really good, but the 720P is awesome.

Checkout NON-RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC in this 4 mile ride which takes me 9 minutes. As you hear me say in the video "In New Jersey, we just Drive to the next Red Light" which is usually the next intersection, and this is a major road leading to all the Shore Points.

Take a ride with me home from BJ Wholesalers and check out the surprise ending.

my GPS and CAM test drive - try HD fullscreen

[vmmartin]

Camera looks great. Even at full screen.

[buzzbee]

That voice on TomTom sounds like one of the BBQ pit boys.
http://www.bbqpitboys.com

[bud1]

now i know i ant coming if i gota have a gps to find yo housr and you need one and been living there a coupla years
i want the beard back
loved the cam checked the visa rewards and they didnt offer it, maby i need miss tracy to find me that deal

[alfred]

Got a tom tom a couple of weeks ago to use on a road trip to LA. It was great to have helped so much. But yes when I went to Bryce Canyon it didn't have all of the roads. It showed the hotel that I stayed at, which I entered using lat and long, as being off the road and in the woods a ways. But over all I havre to say thet it was a lifesaver in Vegas and LA and even in Santa Fe.

[alfred]

I also used a borrowed Mini hd Flip camera on that trip. I havent looked at all of the vids that I shot but the ones that I have looked at look real good. It is very handy. Thought that the lack of zoom would be an issue but it wasn't. Might have to buy my own.

[Robo]

Now I know everything I have heard about Jersey drivers is true.  One hand using the camera, and the other punchin in stuff on the GPS.  That leaves ?? on the steering wheel?   I guess it is a good thing you have 2 knees....   And my wife gets upset with me when I eat Chinese food with chop sticks while driving

I've never owned/used a TomTom, but I like my Garmin better than the Magellin my parents have.


Don't those outdated maps drive you crazy....  Although I usually know the route I'm taking,  I like to use the GPS to get an estimate on arrival times, especially to and from work which is ~1hr drive.  There where 2 recent changes that annoyed me.  One was that my company complex subdivided and sold off some property, and in the process had to move some roads and exits.   The other was the complete overhaul of the Newburgh interchange on the NYS Thruway.   Fortunately both have been updated in the last Garmin release.   I was pleasantly surprised about the company roads since they are private (although the Garmin wants me to take a different entrance than I like ).

[AllenF]

I like that voice (Macho Man on pain meds?).  Sounds like home to me. 

[hardwood]

Picture comes across clear as a bell...nice camera!

Scott

[KD4MOJ]

Alright Bmstr, I'm gonna have to attach my helmet cam to my motorcycle helmet for a ride across town! I kinda felt like voyeur in your car for your trip home...

...DOUG
KD4MOJ

[beemaster]

Thanks for the input everyone - the helmet cam sounds cool

Rob, I indeed was doing something I never do and "wrist driving" doing that filming - I never do that sort of thing, honestly.  I have to say, I was a bit disappointed at the updating of the mapping, but I reported it - Tomtom has a very good map correction report interface, although it doesn't seem like many people use it. I'll be interested to see if it is corrected, they do 4 updates a year.

so, a brief recap: I do really like the camera, I know I'll be getting the wide angle lens attachment (about $25) so that I can hold the camera about a foot away and get a full head and shoulders shot - right now, it's nearly 3 feet to get a good portrait view.

I liked my larger Flip but the USB dongle won't connect to any computer so it is pretty much only good to connect via hdmi to the TV now. But the stability of the image is much better with the smaller Mino. Neither have image stabilization but I think the weight or balance is better in the smaller camera, and the specs for record time and resolution are the same. I noticed that it is NOW Cisco Flip, it was Pure Flip - I assume Cisco bought Pure or something like that.

It is the camera chosen by nearly all the Youtube Superstars, which says a lot for the cam.

I have a post about Raywilliamjohnson (youtube that name as is) he is the SECOND most viewed and subscribed Youtuber with well over 2 million viewers of ever video and he does 2 a week, he takes 3 viral videos and does funny and interesting introductions and comments on all - very talented guy.

Anyway... I still say I like Tracey's Garmin much better than the Tomtom, of course with Bluetooth and SD card interface, the Garmin is a super GPS - I saw my Tomtom at Staples for $259 just a few days ago, so I got it more than $150 cheaper than that, so I'm not complaining, just get me to where I wanna go!

I'm editing 2 more videos now that I'll be uploading soon - now that I got the scaling of the editing software down, I can upload the videos in HD, I hate to compromise now that I have the PC and cam both in working order, no excuses.

Oh... anyone brave enough to do Karaoke  videos - believe it or not, Beemaster can carry a tune, if I could only get over my camera shyness - lol.