For example, you might expect video setup options to be the first thing you find, but instead you get two sets of photo settings. On the other hand, the DV1 does offer more settings than most in this category. That means that only about two thirds of the screen is for framing shots, while the rest is cluttered with information that's probably of little importance to the majority of its targeted users. However, when you turn it on, the bottom third of the screen is covered in miscellaneous setting information laid out in strangely divided boxes. To shoot a video you just need to turn it on (it starts up in a couple seconds) and press record. To its left is a rocker button for shooting still photos and reviewing your recordings an identical button is on the right side for opening the menu system and deleting files. It feels spongy, likely due to the DV1's waterproofing. The pad is used for menu navigation as well as controlling the 4x digital zoom, changing white balance, and viewing a histogram. In the center you have a directional pad with a record button in the center.
The controls are easy enough to understand. The casing is a bit slick with nothing to help grip on the back or sides-not really what you want for a rugged device. During testing I recorded in a mix of resolutions and it lasted longer than 30 minutes, but not by much.Īs for the rest of its design, the DV1 isn't bad, but it could be improved.
GE rates the life at 29 minutes when recording in full HD. The battery is sealed in the device, which is irksome mainly because battery life is so short. The USB connector is used for charging, too, and an extension cable is included to make it easier to plug into your computer or the bundled wall adapter. (A door on the right side protects the SD/SDHC card slot.) It's located under a locked door on the left side along with a Mini-HDMI port. You can just take out your SD card and stick it in a card reader or connect the DV1 to a computer via the pop-out USB connector and drag and drop your files from the camera.
Of course, you don't need software to get your photos and videos off the device. There is no movie-editing software or anything to facilitate transferring to a computer or uploading to sharing sites. This version of MediaImpression, like Picasa, is for photos, leaving you just QuickTime for viewing. A software disc is included with a full user manual, ArcSoft MediaImpression, and Apple QuickTime player. The DV1 has on-device software, but it's Google Picasa, which only handles photos. One of the key reasons people get a shoot-and-share minicamcorder like the DV1 is for the simple editing, organizing, and uploading software usually embedded on the device. However, that's probably because of the noise reduction that makes things look soft. Low-light video is noisier, but it's not bad. If they're going online or viewed small on a computer screen, this is definitely what you want to use for anything with motion. The DV1 does have a 720/60p-resolution setting that does improve motion, however there is a visible increase in blocky artifacts when clips are viewed at larger sizes. Sharpness is decent, but, again, your subject needs to be at least 5 feet from the lens.
There's noticeable banding in high-contrast areas and if you move the camera through an unevenly lit scene you will see rough changes in exposure. Colors are OK, though the auto white balance seems off there are presets that improve things and should be used whenever possible. Panning the video camera has a similar effect. That's mostly because it can't handle moving subjects even slow movement causes trailing and judder to the point where people appear to be flickering.
While the 1080p clips from the DV1 aren't unwatchable on a large screen, they just aren't all that enjoyable. The problem is that if you're boasting "full HD" resolutions, there is at least some expectation that the movies will be good enough to view at larger sizes on an HDTV. 27MB internal flash memory SD/SDHC cardsįixed focal length, f2.8 33mm (35mm equivalent)ġ,920x1,080 at 30fps (13Mbps progressive)īuilt-in lithium ion rechargeable, 29 minutesĪrcSoft MediaImpression (Windows) Picasa (Windows)įor direct-to-Web video clips the DV1 produces passable results.