RCA Small Wonder EZ200

Tag : Flip Flips

Until the recent arrival of Creative's Vado , the biggest competitor for Pure Digital's Flip Video products inthe minicamcorder, straight-to-Web video arena has been RCA's SmallWonder. While the video quality of the Small Wonder hasn't quite measured up to the Flip Video models, it does bringsome features to the table that the Flips are missing--namely, aflip-out LCD and an expansion slot for additional memory.
That same theme carries over to the third-generation MyLife EZ200(also called the Small Wonder MyLife) and its similar twin, the Pocket EZ205 (also called the Small Wonder MyLife), both of which carry the RCAbrand but are manufactured by Audiovox. The $10 price differencebetween the two is reflected by the amount of footage you cancapture in the Web Quality mode. The EZ205 can record two times theamount of video as compared with the EZ200, because it uses a moreefficient MPEG-4 codec compared with Motion JPEG for the EZ200. Forexample, on the included 1GB microSD card, the EZ205 captures up to2 hours of video and the EZ200 captures up to an hour in WebQuality mode. If you use an optional 8GB microSD card, the EZ205can record up to 16 hours, and the EZ200 will record up to 8 hours.Because of the different codecs, you may see differences in videoquality.
Because it uses two standard AA batteries instead of a slim lithiumion rechargeable, the EZ200 isn't as compact as the Vado or Mino.But the 5.2-ounce EZ200 is still lightweight and small enough tofit in a pocket. The Small Wonder's trademark is its 1.5-inch LCDscreen that flips completely out, making it easy to watch while yourecord yourself. The flip-out LCD is also good for shooting littlekids because it allows them to watch themselves in the LCD whileyou shoot--which they seem to like to do.
As part of this year's redesign, the integrated USB dongle forconnecting the camcorder to your computer is now cleverly hiddenunderneath the LCD and is accessible only when you flip open theLCD. The operational buttons have also been tweaked for the betterand a button for snapping low-resolution still images (think:cameraphone quality) has been added to the mix.
The camcorder ships with a 1GB microSD card that slips into a slotin the battery compartment; you remove the camcorder's front coverto get to both the batteries and memory card. What's nice is thatyou can buy an additional memory card to have on hand in case youfill up the camera with video on a longer vacation, or you cansimply buy a much higher-capacity card (up to 8GB) to store severalhours of video. As it stands, the 1GB card gives you about 30minutes of video at the highest quality HQ setting. You also havethe option of recording at the lower-quality Web Sharing setting,but we recommend sticking with the best.
Aesthetically, the Small Wonder isn't a bad-looking minicamcorder,but the designers could have done a better job making it appear abit more refined. As it stands, you take one glance at the EZ200and it screams budget. Yes, the EZ200 is relatively inexpensive,but so is the more elegant Vado. The idea when you design budgetproducts is to make them look more expensive than they really are.That's not the case here.
Apart from the design changes, still-image capture button, andimproved low-light performance, there isn't much else that's new.As with previous models, you can delete undesirable clipsimmediately, and the EZ200 provides a video output and cable, soyou can view clips on any TV with a composite-video input. Asnoted, the unit is powered by two AA batteries (included) and comeswith an inexpensive neoprene protective carrying case, as well as aUSB extender cable.
The camera's internal software, RCA Memory Manager, is onlycompatible with PC Windows 2000/XP or later-based computers. Sorry,Mac users. Flip out the USB connector, plug it into the USB port,and a viewer automatically pops up. The interface may not besuperslick, but it is fairly straightforward and most users willhave no problem figuring it out without opening a manual. You canchoose to view your videos, edit, or share them. As for editing,you can do basic edits to your clips, setting start and end points,and string several clips together to make a "movie," which you canthen share or store on your computer. Clips or movies saved to yourcomputer can also be burned to DVD via your PC.
Clicking on the Share tab gives the choice of uploading your videoto YouTube or Box.net (another online video- and photo-sharingservice), or e-mailing it to someone. If you decide to e-mail aclip, the program automatically compresses the video to reduce thefile size. Recipients simply click on the attachment and play itback using Windows Media Player. It's worth noting that previously,it could take a minute or more to compress even a short 30-secondclip. But the process is much quicker now.
In order to upload your videos to YouTube or Box.net, you have tofirst sign up for a free account with a username and password. Aspart of the upload process, your video file is compressed even morethan the file created for an e-mail attachment, so the qualityisn't quite as good. However, viewing a streamed file online in aviewing box is arguably more convenient than opening a large e-mailattachment.
The marketing materials for the EZ200 note that the company hasimproved the low-light performance of the camcorder, and thatappears to be the case. In fact, we thought the camera did its bestwork indoors, with subjects in close range. For low-resolution(640x480) video, the image appeared fairly sharp. While the EZ200delivers better outdoor exposures than the EZ205, the videosdisplay more compression artifacts, including visible pixel blocksand color shifts. In short, overall the image quality was passable,and we felt that the Creative Vado was better in this department.The more expensive Flip Video Ultra and Mino also offered betterimage quality, with the Mino leading the pack among currentminicamcorders.
So, there you have it. We aren't in love with the Small WonderPocket EZ200's aesthetics and can't rave about its image quality,but the flip-out LCD and removable/expandable memory are in itsfavor. While it's hard to expect everything in a sub-$100minicamcorder, RCA borders on being really frustrating. Dependingon how you look at it, that's either a good or bad thing.