Thank you to all who responded to my questions about Flip Videos. This list serv
is amazing. The consensus seems to be that Flip Videos really are as easy as they
seem. Many people mentioned an issue with volume but since most of my usage would
be in a classroom setting that shouldn't be an issue. Another recommendation was
to not use Follett as it might not be the cheapest source to purchase from but
because of my need to use purchase orders I cannot use places like Amazon, Target,
Costco or Walmart.
Original Post:
I am interested in purchasing the Flip Videos offered by Follett. How were they
received by teachers and students? Were they really as simple to download and view
on TVs and computers as they seem? Any drawbacks or recommendations for a
different recorder with the same basic principle? Thanks in advance for any help
you can provide.
Responses:
We have 35 here ... our teachers clamored for them once they saw them. Yes, they
are just that easy. I am the school videographer and do a lot of editing for school
productions. The sound and picture quality is amazing and, once you get them
downloaded, the video is just as easy to manipulate. I wouldn't go through
Follett, though, they are a lot cheaper in stores and you can get them every where,
Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Radio Shack.
The Flip is very easy. FYI...WalMart carries them also. Price is around 150.00.
I don't know how that compares to Follett. I purchased mine at WalMart. I record
a weekly news broadcast on mine and import it into a MAC computer. Very Easy! You
will love it.
We have a few and our students and teachers love them. One tech problem that we
had is that because of restrictions on downloading of software on our computer lab
machines, we initially had problems downloading files from our flip videos. We now
seem to have gotten the kinks worked out with our computer services guys and things
run pretty smoothly. The cameras are easy to use and the recordings are of a
surprisingly high quality. Our tech integration specialist recommended purchasing
the less expensive version of the flip (don't know which models) that do not have
the built in rechargeable battery since with those models once the battery dies you
need to replace the entire unit.
We have small wonders by RCA at school because you can burn a dvd directly from the
machine (business department got them, not the library). I personally have a flip
cam and I love it. It does only record 30 minutes but I'm working on my doctorate
and did all my interviews that way. No problems at all.
We are going to be getting Flip videos at our elementary school, K-3, for the
students to use. They really are super easy to use and the students will have no
problem with them. They easily plug into the computer and TVs. The only problem our
tech people have is that you need to download the Flip video software which many of
computers will not let you do and it does not interact with Windows Moviemaker.
They have been very well received in my school. They are especially useful for us
because we always have a bunch of student teachers wanting to tape themselves.
They don't have anything to break, and require almost no instruction to use. I
have kindergarteners who can use them easily! Yes, they are as easy to use with
email, facebook, youtube, tv as promised. My advice: spend the extra money to buy
the kind that recharge. Also, make sure you're getting your educational discount...
you might want to shop around before you buy from Follet.
I am not familiar with the Follett brand, but a few issues that always come up with
flip cameras are sound quality and editing. Sometimes the compatibility of the
newer flip cameras with windows media player or I-movie if you are Mac, can be
tricky. If your video playing and editing programs are a bit older they might not
translate, so make sure the software your school has is compatible. Sound quality
is very poor on any flip camera, so I always tell students if they are going to
speak in the video to make sure they are either close to the camera or speak with a
lot of volume and clarity.
I bought a Flip Video camera for my Academic Decathlon team to videotape interview
and speech performances. It is VERY easy to use. Put in the batteries and you're
ready to go. Plug it into the computer and downloads start up automatically. The
one issue I've had is that sometimes the files have to be converted (easy to do
with the software that comes with the camera) before they can be e-mailed, saved to
a flash drive, or put in a multi-media presentation like power point or Moviemaker.
It's not difficult, but something to be aware of.
I purchased a Flip camcorder this year and it is as easy as they say. We lent the
Flip to a "responsible" student to take some video clips of our school's "Color
Wars" competition in the gym. She just pressed the button when she wanted to
record, pressed it again to stop recording. When she was done, I inserted the
camcorder into my computer's USB port (software is downloaded the first time you
use it), checked out the clips and then selected to create a movie. I then had a
.wmv file that I was able to upload to our school's website. I also purchased the
RCA Wonder camcorder that is similar to the Flip except that it is a little bit
larger and the lens is on a swing arm so that students can view themselves while
filming themselves for when they are recording a commentary, etc. I have not tried
this camcorder yet but hope to do so in the next few days.
I don't want to be a stick-in-the-mud, but I was given a Flip and can't get the
movie clips to download on my MacBook laptop. (Even with my IT guy's help.) We
were able to download "Flip for Mac" to facilitate the video clips, and the clips
are on my desktop, but we can't open them to view or edit.
I LOVE our flip camera, except the audio could be better. You have to get fairly
close to whatever you are recording so you can hear voices, etc. They are very
easy to use and I am buying myself a personal one because I liked it so much after
using it in school.
We love ours! The kids love to use them and they really are very easy. They don't
have great microphones, but they work very well for school projects because the
kids can use them so easily.
I just bought 8 Ultra260 60 minute Flips last Tuesday from Amazon.com at $114.95
each with PTA funding. They arrived today. That price supposedly ended May 31st.
Just go online to get the best quote...Target, Walmart, etc. I think the last time
I checked on Titlewave that they were pricey. I also bought the tripods, USB
cables, and pouches. They are easy to use, but as with all tech. equipment,
teacher savvy will determine how easy it is. The sound is not very good unless you
are very close to what you are
videoing. We now have 14 and the PTA might get a few more for us. Students use
them
on field trips and for science experiments.
I purchased and RCA small wonder since I saw a side by side comparison with the
Flip and the RCA had better sound quality.
I recently took one on a school trip. I got some great videos plus lots of buzz
from the students who were very intrigued! It was easy to use and easy to download
the movies. Uses a lot of computer memory though so keep the recordable DVDs
handy...
I purchased the flip videos, though not through Follett, through Costco. They were
less expensive for the hd and they are as easy as they proclaim. The teachers love
them.
I have one personally and love it. You do need to be fairly close to pick up sound
decently. The capabilities are limited but for much of the video taping that our
schools do I think they would be great. I am requesting to purchase some for our
schools for next year. They really are so simple to use and download.
We used it at our conference, to add to our blog and to show the site to our
members. It really was plug and play.
I wrote a grant and received 13 of them. I managed to add to that a and now have
18. I haven't used them on TVs but my students shoot the video, upload and edit in
Microsoft movie maker. They love them and are working on projects right now.
I bought four from Amazon.com on sale for $60 each. They are very easy to use; the
only downside is the sound; you can only hear it if you are very close to the
person/thing being recorded. As soon as you connect the camera to the computer, the
Flip website pops up where you can add music, edit your video clips, etc. You can
even import it to MovieMaker and do more advanced editing. I have tried using
Moviemaker
with a digital camera before, with poor results. This is a piece of cake, compared
to that.
I purchased a flip for the library. It is definitely easy to use and upload to a
computer, although I have had problems getting the volume high enough. I 'm
planning to use it with 7th grade to film them doing book talks.
We have one for our school and they work well and are easy to edit the movies. We
use the Flip Ultra.
Patricia Maglione
School Media Specialist
Raritan High School
Hazlet, NJ 07730
pmaglione@hazlet.org
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