I bought this not expecting much and not having seen any reviews on the Web or in print. The product is a couple of months old to market. There's some misinformation floating around out there -- here are a few clarifications and highlights of the product from my week's worth of testing. First, it does indeed shoot at a 16:9 aspect ratio even as the video resolution is 1440x1080p -- you just need to be sure and apply an "anamorphic" pixel ratio (i.e., not square/1:1). Also, it is a fixed focus camera: The benefit is that there's no noisy/slow auto-focusing mechanism, but the con (as with all fixed focus camcorders) is that low light performance suffers somewhat, while close-in subjects go out of focus (though there is a manual macro switch on this product). Big pluses include the fact that it's charged via a super-standard mini-USB connector, and accepts up to a 32gb SDHC card. There is a tripod mounting hole but no electronic or mechanical image stabilization, no optical zoom, and no external microphone/audio in port.

In short, this makes for a great "second-unit" camcorder in cases where you don't want to rough around with your primary HD camcorder, or where you want to strap this onto a skateboard and the like without worrying about lost investment. It's wise to take the native H.264 files that are wrapped in .mov format and convert them to .avi or MPEG-2 .mpg files for further processing/editing/burning, as most systems will stutter trying to decode the native video files at 1080p/30 fps on-the-fly (i.e., even high-end video cards do not necessarily include hardware acceleration for files in this specific format). Although users appear to be especially enamored of the product's 1440x720p/60 fps non-interlaced mode, I'm not convinced that their bias is based on the benefit of double the frames-per-second, instead of the mere shortcomings of their system's hardware playback at 1080p/30 fps.

UPDATE: The following wide-angle lens attachment works perfectly with this camcorder, and I'm tempted to use it full-time as it not only widens your field of view, but in the process mildly reduces the inherent shake of your footage by "pulling back" a little farther.
Sunpak CAM-2110 MagMount 0.5x Wide-Angle Conversion Lens (Large)

This camera has great image quality, and was a great buy. But one thing that frustrated me (before buying) was that I couldn't find much info about the more advanced specs.

But luckily, I have done the homework for you
Here are some things you might want to know:


-The CMOS is 5MP native (resolution: 2592 x 1944)
don't bother with the 8MP it just 'blows up' the image (interpolation)

-The lens, even though the image quality is excellent, is the weak point of this camera. Its a fixed focus without any optical zoom. Theres only digital zoom which decreases the quality the farther its zoomed in, but not too badly.

The 2 focus modes,
Normal: From 30cm to infinity. Best for general purpose video recording. Nothing is really out of focus unless its too close to the camera. Though the image can be slow to clarify on certain patterns such as grass.
Macro: For close-ups. Objects/people look alot clearer/better when focused on than with the normal focus mode, and everything in the background is blurred. But you have to be sure the camera is the perfect distance away from the object so that its in focus.
On the camera, the top setting with the mountain/stick figure is normal focus mode and the lower setting with the flower shape is macro. There are also wide angle lenses available that fit this camera.

-The battery
Battery life for me is very good, but depends on your recording mode, screen brightness etc. Charge to 100% before turning it on (should take atleast 2-3 hours). Also sometimes the light seems to change randomly to show that its charged when its still charging. Theres a defect where the battery is loose inside and rattles around/loses contact with the terminals that make it turn off. Just improvise and put a piece of paper/cardboard below the battery to keep it from being loose.

-The screen is good quality, hard to see in bright daylight. No dead pixels. Camera turns on when you fold out the screen. There are controls on the side for video playback but I haven't had to use any besides 'power'.

-The mic is okay for me, but it tends to record the person behind the camera rather than whats in front.

-Records from AV-IN at 720 x 480 NTSC 29.97FPS
the quality is decent when I record from a satellite receiver (take advantage of this with pay-per-view). When played back on SDTV it looks nearly exactly as the original broadcast besides for some obvious static at the very top of the screen. Format: H264 @ 2.12mbits/sec Audio: AAC stereo 48.000khz BTW you can't do composite-in.

-has TV-OUT with AV-out and Composite-out
You can do everything with TV-out activated that you can do normally, record vids/take pics/change settings. Video and picture quality is terrific, and they load instantly. If you lose 1 of the AV cables, they're the same except for the colors.

-works with my sandisk 4gb Ultra II SDHC memory card
make sure your memory card is 'high speed' or else it probably can't write data fast enough to keep up with the higher quality recording modes. I believe the memory limit is 32gb.

-recording modes:
1080p: 29.97FPS Data rate: 7.58mbits/sec at 1920x1080
720p 60f: 59.94FPS Data rate: 6.04mbits/sec at 1280x720
720p 30f: 29.97FPS Data rate: 4.10mbits/sec at 1280x720
'DVD quality': 59.94FPS Data rate: 3.57mbits/sec at 854x480
'CIF': 29.97FPS Data rate: 750.86kbits/sec at 320x240
All except 'CIF' are 16:9 aspect ratio (widescreen)
Image quality is a bit grainy if the room is dark, though you can adjust white balance/exposure settings to fix this. I would say the best overall setting is 720p 60FPS. Theres no stabilization but its really stupid to complain that the footage is 'shaky' when all you have to do is hold your arm more steady/hold it with 2 hands. After all the camera captures exactly what it sees and its lightweight. Theres a tripod mount too.

-tips for playback
The version of quicktime included on the CD is an old version that plays choppy on even the fastest computer. The best way to play back your vids in my opinion is to first:
1. Rename the file from .MOV to .HDMOV
2. Play the file with Windows Media Player
doing it this way uses the graphics card (GPU) to help play the video, instead of just the CPU. 60fps is more intensive than 1080p at 30fps. If you get an error about codecs, look up on google 'k-lite codec pack'.


Now the biggest problem everyone has is that the format of the videos (.MOV) is incompatible/doesn't work right with alot of editing software. Most people convert the video to another format which decreases the quality and takes forever. Are you ready for a simple solution that will prevent you hours of frustration?

The actual video captured is encoded to H.264 codec with AAC audio, the .MOV is just a container file. AVI, MP4, MKV and lots of others can hold H.264 video. So all you have to do is...

Rename FILE.MOV to FILE.MP4


easy as that...now the file should work in sony vegas and any other editing software that supports H264, and also play back fine with supporting media players. To rename on a PC: Tools->Folder Options->View->Hide extensions for known file types (uncheck the box)

(when importing to vegas 8.0 you have to keep trying to drag the file over the window until an outline appears or it will crash, only release the mouse if an outline appears. Keep trying with new codecs if it crashes/won't work, its glitchy)

UPDATED December 25th. I am a pro-editor and I do not work for Aiptek so you will get an accurate review from me. Keep in mind that it is a well know fact that Aiptek has earned a questionable reputation for false advertising some features, also Aiptek has produced a plethora of models with similar names...some have been plagued with defects (loose batteries, distorted sound), so avoid those older models altogether. This review applies only to the new AIPTEK A-HD+1080p which, so far, appears to be their best model. My camera did not come with a battery charger contrary to what is indicated by the description, the battery included did not last more than one hour. This is what I know based on my brief experience:

Pros: Small and portable fits on your shirt pocket; uses memory cards (not tapes); movies are fully compatible with Macintosh computers (.MOV) excelent playback on a Mac however they still need to be transcoded for iMovie and Final Cut Pro editing. The camera lens has a macro mode. The so called 1080p resolution is surprisingly sharp and not available in any other camera in this price range (so far). It is possible to flip the camera LCD to record yourself. It takes nice stills (see the Cons). And finally, it makes for an unusual recording device (you can record from DVD or TV to the camera Memory Card and later transfer and play the files on your computer (they will not play on your PSP or iPod unless you convert to their respective codecs. You can also record voice memos.
There are certain advantages to owning such a small camera: you are more likely to carry it everywhere and record HD of something unexpected. Also, you can insert the device in unusual places and obtain otherwise impossible footage in HD.

Cons:
Be warned that video footage files created by this camera are not friendly to Windows users. (Mac users are okay). The files are H.264 Quicktime Movies which is a video format popularized by Apple. If you want to edit in true High Definition it is best to use iMovie or FCP on an Intel Mac. The sound is typical of built-in mikes, it records typical omnidirectional audio. There is no volume control except for playback audio. Not surprisingly it has no microphone input for an external mike. This camera is useless for productions which require a lavaliere or a shotgun, such as interviews in crowded or noisy environments (i.e. Conventions)

Beware of the deceptive advertising: the 8 megapixel photos are interpolated and a waste of memory space. What Aiptek calls a "zoom" is actually an "electronic" effect, you shouldn't videotape while zooming in and out using this electronic effect. The zoom button is positioned in such an awkward place that you can not hold the camera steady while zooming anyway. However, you can pause, then zoom, then record. Which brings me to the most important issue, the lack of an image stabilizer, this is hardly a feature I expected to find on this type of camera, nevertheless, it will drive the "pros" insane. An Aiptek will only produce a decent stable image while mounted on a tripod (it has a tripod hole on the bottom).
AIPTEK video files are no more YouTube compatible than any other video, you still have to convert the codec during the uploading process like everyone else.

Conclusion:

This is not the camera to take on your vacation to Hawaii, nor a concert or to video a wedding, for that, you need to get yourself a real camera, else you may run into some serious problems. You may:
1) Run out of memory (AIPTEK claims you can use a maximum memory card of 32GB but most people will probably use 2-8gb)
2) You may accidentally deplete the battery which in turn can not be recharged without a laptop because it works like an iPod (or you can expend more money on an extra battery or a charger).
3) You may discover your sound is not good after your vacation/wedding is over.
4) Poor quality in dim light , like the interior of a Museum or at dusk.
5) You may discover your footage is too shaky because you didn't have a tripod. It looks worse on your HD TV than it does on the camera while recording.
6) You may set the camera accidentally on Macro and everything is out of focus. (Very easy to do)
7) From time to time you may get a "Card Protect" error when you press record, this is a manufacturing error , the camera "thinks" the card' is locked but IT IS NOT LOCKED, hence rendering the card unusable; if you are on vacation and have only one card, you are sheer out of luck. If this happens to you, try wiggling the card in and out. This error message pops up at random.

Not a problem with AIPTEK but with all memory cards is their innate propensity for data corruption, regretfully there is no way to recover HD footage from a corrupt card. This does not happen with videotape because any camcorder would warn you if something goes wrong with the tape mechanism.

My review is harsh but accurate, I don't mean to present this camera in a negative light, it has its usefulness. It is good as a back-up camera and in my personal experience, it is the best camera to carry with you when you are in a dangerous area where things can get stolen or destroyed by accident. If you loose it then you are only out a couple of bucks. Also, it is less less likely to attract theft.

Obviously, most positive reviews here come from rookies who are justifiably excited to see High Definition for the first time and at a price they can afford. So, if you are an HD rookie, this is a nice buy for you. One could say the AIPTEK HD is Hi-Def for the masses.

Just got this camera today and after charging the battery, I have been in the back yard taking HD movies! I can tell you that this camera is better than my Hitachi DVD camcorder that cost me $475 dollars a few years ago. The Aiptek video quality is excellent. I can't believe this sells for $150. I hook the camera to my Windows XP computer using the included USB cable and drag the files to my desk top and put them in a program called ConvertXtoDVD. Convert X takes the .mov files from my computer and converts them to .vob files and automatically burns them to DVD! I like the 720@60 frames per second setting on the Aiptek A-HD+ Camcorder. The picture on my pioneer plasma is the best I have had to date in home movies, totally 16:9 wide screen and fills the screen. Still much experiementing with this camera. I did much research before I bought, Amazon feedback is always a great way to research and the $130 dollar model (HD-720) has audio problems. I have detected no audio problems with this model. I'm selling my hitachi DVD camcorder on Ebay! Burning the movie files to DVD is a snap using ConvertX to DVD. I just have to find a program that will cleaning play the files on my computer. The Nero 7 I am using to play the movies on my computer is a bit shakey. NO problem, I'm sure since they are recorded as .mov files, Quicktime player should work fine. I will also experiement with VLC player. By the way, Aiptek recommends a Pentium 4 to work the movie files. I'm using a 1.5mhz laptop and burning them to DVD with no problems, I also can convert them to .VOB files and edit them with all sorts of programs. I'm using a 1 GB SD card , which fits neatly in the camera handle and I'm getting 22 minutes of video at 720/60fps. So I will upgrade to a 2gb and almost get a hour of video, which is plenty for me. Another thought, the battery is slightly loose in the handle, not serious, but I read on youtube that you should place a thin piece of velcro or tape at the bottom of the battery to push it closer to the battery contacts. Speaking of youtube, I would suggest you go there and search the Aiptek A-HD+ to see all the great videos this great camera can take. Since the camera doesn't have video stablization and its so light, you must take caution to hold it steady. No big deal for me.. And one last comment, the pictures that this camcorder takes are not bad! I'm stil testing but compared to my old Hitachi DVD camcorder the still pics are much better. You have a selection of a 3meg, 5meg or 8meg still picture. Still experiementing and loving it. I will add more on this review as I learn more tricks...sorry to ramble on...love this camcorder!

UPDATE: 8-29-2009
Still using this camcorder. I updated the SD card to a 8gb card, which the camera says will give 4.5hrs of video at 720p and 2.5hrs at 1080P. I doubt the battery would last that long! I also found that I can take 1080p HD videos, they play great on the latest windows 7 operating system on my laptop using the windows media player!! Before this I had to use a program M player and that would only play the 720p files.

OK, here is the low down on these sub $200 digital camcorders, ie flip mino and aiptek. the flip wins in the size and ease of use department, the aiptek in picture quality and features.

the aiptek looks like other camcorders like the sanyo exacti line, but the aiptek is an all plastic deal. yes, you get what you pay for! however, for the price (the a-hd 1080p price varies between 149-170) you do get amazing hd video quality. no, it does not compare to a $1000 sony hd camcorder, but when used in broad daylight the quality is really pretty impressive. worth the purchase price for sure.

where all cheap camcorders fail is in the low light (indoors, evening) department, video will look graiiny und ugly. the aiptek only has a digital zoom. my advice, do not use it, especially while filming, as the device does not have image stabilization. also, better to avoid panning as some tv's will show a combing effect.

but within these limitations the ability to shoot 1080, 720p and dv quality at this price point is amazing !

People want 1080p for the quality, not the pixel count. This product only delivers the latter.

I was really excited but also very skeptical of this product when I found it at Best buy. 1080p for $150? Somethings not right. After reading the generally positive reviews I figured that the lack of expensive lenses or mechanical parts must be the reason for it being so cheap.

I tested the camera multiple times giving it the benefit of the doubt. I started in lower light settings, then moved to sunny motion and finally tried sunny still shots, all with very disappointing results. Even a subject just sitting and talking, not moving much was fuzzy and choppy. I tried All except the lowest resolution setting. Even at 480p the video just didn't look right.

The first thing you notice is the frame rate. It's bad, upon slow motion inspection, it's not that there are less than 30 frames per second, it's that the high compression causes any movement to undulate and warp giving the impression of low frame rate as well as inducing nausea.

The quality is bad too, as with the frame rate, the pixel count is there but it still looks blurry, like they upscaled a lower quality image. The 720p at 60 frames per second is a joke. It looks arguably more choppy than the 1080p 30fps.

The one thing I can say for this camera is that it is simple and easy to use. There is no differentiation between the still and video mode. To shoot video push the front button, to shoot pictures push the back button. The little menu navigation there is is straightforward. It's also nice that it comes with component video cables to hook it up to an HDTV. Too bad the video that comes through it is no good.

The sad thing is this would be an awesome camera if it had usable quality, but again the frame rate is bad, the quality is bad, and the way the compression handles motion makes me nauseous just looking at it. I have a Sony Cybershot Digital Still Camera from a couple years back that has much better video capability.

I did a lot of research for an inexpensive HD camera. There are a ton of blogs and information out there for the AHD and AHD+. I have been very impressed. Like most others the sound is ok...but where it sets itself is the picture and price. I recently shot my son's bday (all indoors) and compared it with a Mini DV camera I shot last year at the same place. Picture is better with the AHD+ and get this...it took all but 2 mins to move about 30 mins to my PC...guess how long it takes to move a mini DV to a PC - 30 mins. I purchased a 16GB card for it as 720/60fps eats memory...about 1GB per 15 min of footage. Sweet spot seems to be 720/60fps vs the other settings.

I bought this camera to use for on-board video in my race car. I have used it for half of a season and am very happy with it. It's a good compromise between price, durability, and picture quality. But it does need a few tweaks before you use it on the track.

I started out looking for a full 1080P camera, but quickly found that the market for these starts in the >$400 range. Reading reviews on various forums and talking to other racers who had tried HD cameras, the consensus was that you should avoid spending a lot on an in-car camera, as the operating environment is obviously hard on the equipment. Vibration is the biggest issue for durability with any track camera, and solid-state storage (i.e. SD cards like this camera uses) is preferable over tape to better handle vibration. Still, the whole camera is subjected to vibration, and some handle it better than others. Unfortunately there's no way to tell how one camera will perform compared to another in this area, except to rely on experience. Thus a big part of why I chose this camera was the positive reviews from others who had been using it for some time.

As others have mentioned, its "1080p" mode is not full 1920x1080, but rather 1440x1080. I was not impressed with the picture quality at this resolution, so I use it in 720p (1280x720). I also experimented with the 60fps mode, but I had trouble using the resulting Quicktime MOVs - the audio did not sync properly with the video for some reason. This does not happen at 30fps. Anyways, 30fps is actually plenty smooth for track footage, and takes up half the space of 60fps.

You will want to shim the battery before using the camera on track, to prevent it from losing contact due to vibration, and shutting off the camera. I cut a piece from an old credit card and slid it in between the bottom of the battery and the case, to keep the battery pushed against the contacts at the top. It has never shut off on me since doing this.

I did the "frankencharger" mod to keep the camera running on the car's electrical system, rather than relying on the camera battery, which was usually dead within 2 sessions. It's a cheap and easy modification, and the camera never shuts off in the middle of a session. For more information on this mod, search for "frankencharger" on the Rennlist forums.

I also added a wide-angle lens to improve the range of the picture. I bought a Rokinon .45x magnetic lens (17-27mm size), and used several wraps of electrical tape to secure it. In my car, the result is that the picture goes perfectly to the top and left and right edges of the windshield, and down to the base of the shifter. The picture is a little blurry near the edges (especially the left and right sides), but for me, the increase in view is a worthwhile compromise.

Finally, to help with wind noise, I added a piece of foam over the microphone. The plastic mic cover on top of the camera slides off, and then you just stuff a piece of foam under there and replace the cover. It does seem to have helped reduce the noise.

At 720p 30fps, the Quicktime video generally takes up around 900MB for a 30-minute session. I got a 16GB SD card for $40 on Amazon, which is plenty of room for a 2-day event with 4x 30-minute sessions per day.

It has its limitations, but all in all, this is a great HD track car camera for the money.

I purchased the A-HD+1080p camcorder at Best Buy when I was passing through Lincoln, Nebraska about a week ago for $169 dollars plus tax. To be honest, I purchased it with relatively low expectations. I already have a Sony HC3 HDV camcorder I've had for about a year that produces excellent video so I figured there was no way this Aiptek product could even come close.

To my surprise the video quality is actually quite amazing. It's possible to get great video out of this unit, provided you know the device's main limitation, i.e. the fixed-focus plastic lens. Cell phone cameras can have multiple megapixels but the optics are almost always limited to a cheesy plastic lens, yet if you know the device's limitations it's possible to take good and sometimes even great pictures with them.

To get great video out of the Aiptek, follow a few rules. (1) NEVER use the digital zoom function -- always keep it zoomed out. Move closer to your subject if you want it to fill more of the frame. (2) Remember to use the manual focus switch -- macro for around 20 inch away close-ups, the medium postion for a bit farther away, and the full infinity position for anything more than about 6 to 8 feet or so away from the lens. (3) Hold the camera as steady as possible if it's a hand-held shot, and if possible use a tripod. (4) Use the white balance feature as necessary depending on your light source. (5) Pay attention to the basic prinicples of good photography, i.e. the "rule of thirds" -- if you don't know what that means, look it up on Wikipedia.

I've posted a video I put together entirely with the Aiptek from Riverside Park in West Fork, Arkansas. The HD 720p Apple TV format file is located at http://m.podshow.com/media/131/episodes/116107/truckertom-116107-06-19-2008.mp4.

After having this camcorder for a year (the black version), I would have to give it a pretty high rating.

Here are some of the great things about it:
1) Its size is great to take pics or video on the run.
2) The personal media function is a nice bonus.
3) It has cables for both HD & non-HD tvs for easy viewing of videos & pics
4) The removable SD card (up to 32GB) is a nice feature, esp. when you have an SD slot in your computer for easy transfer of videos & pics.
5) Still pics are pretty good quality, particularly outside in good lighting settings.
6) The macro function is excellent for close ups.
7) this is truly a point & shoot camcorder--you are guaranteed to get quick pics and video on the spot (unless you need the flash).

Some down sides:
1) Both video & stills are challenging in low-light settings.
2) Don't pay $149.99 for this--look for a good price on it.
3) Sometimes the screen goes black and requires you to remove the battery.
4) There is no image stabilization, so you need to be sure not to make jerky motions (i.e. my poor wife is motion sensitive and sometimes gets nauseated by my quick, jerky videos).
5) one time I had an issue with my SD card and I lost my videos & pics.
6) the 8 meg pixs really is not that--it is best to leave your stills at 5 or even 3 meg pixs.

Overall, this is a great deal and I highly recommend it, especially if you follow the following tips:
1) Don't depend on it in night settings or where there is extremely low light.
2) You can use a program such as [...] that is free and will allow you to convert your Quicktime videos to be burned onto a DVD.
3) The macro function is also a great feature. I am a masters student and instead of making photocopies, I put my camera on the macro function, take my pics, and use my jpeg the way I would my old photocopies for research. This is quicker, cheaper, and better quality than making copies.
4) The video function is great for things like your child's soccer games (i.e. it can pick up movement great, as long as you are not running around when you take it).
5) The personal media player can drop anything on your tv to the SD drive on the camcorder. I have even run a streaming video from my computer through my tv (using my s-video cable) back to my camcorder to convert my computer video to Quicktime and also have a portable file that I can take anywhere.
6) Be sure to transfer your videos and pics periodically from your SD card to your computer--I lost my once.
7) If the screen goes black on you, or there are red streaks on the picture, don't sweat it. Just pop out the battery and put it back in, and it should work good as new.

I am tough on my technology. After a year with this camcorder, I am convinced that this is a great deal. I now use this as my primary camera and camcorder because of its portability and ease of use. If you are in to high quality, this could still be a good secondary camcorder/camera. Just look for a good price and don't settle for anything above $110.