Flip Video Ultra User Review

by gohan2091
(United Kingdom, England, Norwich)

Flip Video Ultra

The Flip Video Ultra is a solid-state object which feels more like a toy than the Creative Vado. It’s seems like a chunky piece of plastic, but does fit comfortably in your hand.

Controls are very simple with a red button in the middle to play and stop recording. Around the red button is a D-pad with commands for volume and scrolling. There are no exposure settings, no white balance and no focus. It's simply point at something and shoot!. There is a basic digital zoom (2x) but it's not worth the quality loss, so walk up closer to your object before snapping away.

It has a 1.5in screen which is suitable for reviewing and deleting clips and the display being ‘transflective’ means you can still see onscreen in bright lights such as sunlight. Also the 2GB of storage provides hours worth of filming at VGA quality.

Some test footage was shot in H.264 MPEG4 video but when connecting to the computer, it converts to Quicktime or WMV which is nice.....

What does this mean?

Well uploading to sites like Youtube via USB connector ensures you don't have to wait long to upload. The onboard software will load up as soon as the Ultra is connected. Speaking of the USB connector, it is at an odd angle meaning it's often difficult to have USB ports one above the other.

It runs on 2AA batteries rather than from the mains so its suitable for traveling. The pictures however lack detail and the sound is distorted in noisy environments.


Pros = Cheap, quick and ease of use. Plug and play uploading to PC

Cons = Video quality reduces greatly while zoomed in. The Creative Vado is cheaper but has similar functions. No expandable memory.