Pure Digital Flip UltraHD

Hot on the heels of our head-to-head HD pocket camcorder battle, Pure Digital has added another top-notch, high-def model to the mix. In fact, the brand-new Flip UltraHD might be the best HD pocket camcorder of the lot.

The $200 Pure Digital Flip UltraHD is a bulkier, AA-battery-powered cousin to the tiny-but-impressive Flip MinoHD. Like its predecessor, the Flip UltraHD records smooth 720p video to MP4 format with the H.264 codec, and it includes FlipShare software for managing and editing clips, as well as uploading them to YouTube. Flipping out the UltraHD's USB connector and plugging it into a Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Mac OS X 10.4 and up computer launches FlipShare automatically.

According to our tests, it's Pure Digital's best pocket camcorder yet. First off, the new Flip UltraHD has a wider-angle lens than the Flip MinoHD, although the Creative Vado HD is still the unquestionable leader in the wide-angle realm. The videos below show how the UltraHD's wide-angle lens stacks up to the Creative Vado HD and the Flip MinoHD. (Click the "HD" button on the bottom right corner of each player to see the best representation of the source video.)

Second, the Flip UltraHD captures more vibrant colors than the Flip MinoHD in well-lit settings. The yellow tint that was evident in some of the MinoHD's test shots seems to have disappeared.

The Flip UltraHD also improves upon the Flip MinoHD's already-strong low-light footage; in our test shots, the UltraHD showed a bit sharper footage and better color accuracy than the MinoHD. Like its Flip predecessors, the UltraHD captures smoother video than its pocket-camcorder competition.

Another enhancement is the Flip UltraHD's zoom function. It's still a 2x digital zoom, but it's much smoother than any zoom we've seen on a pocket camcorder. It produces a sharp, noise-free image when zoomed in to the max.

The Flip UltraHD also adds a couple of new goodies to the mix. The big addition is an HDMI-out port, making it the first Flip camcorder model to offer that direct-to-HDTV-friendly feature. You'll have to supply your own HDMI cable, though: unlike the Creative Vado HD and the Kodak Zx1, there's no HDMI cable included in the box. (You do, however, get two rechargeable AA NiMH batteries, a wrist strap, and a soft carrying pouch.)

The UltraHD also packs in more internal storage than the Flip MinoHD, with an 8GB drive as compared to the MinoHD's 4GB drive; that's enough storage for two hours of HD footage as compared to the MinoHD's one-hour cap. There's no expandable storage-card slot, as there is on the Creative Vado HD, Kodak Zi6, Kodak Zx1, and Sony Webbie HD MHS-PM1.

Unlike the Flip MinoHD (and like older Flip models), the Flip UltraHD's flip-out USB connector is on its side. Depending on your computer's USB port arrangement, it may prove a problematic fit; the rigid connector doesn't flex much, so you may have to unplug other USB devices to make it fit.

Other than the HDMI-out port, the UltraHD looks almost identical to older Flip Ultra models. However, it's not all-plastic: the front, bottom, and back of the unit are all rubberized plastic, while the sides and USB connector are made of metal.

It also has the same controls as older Flip Ultra models, with real buttons instead of the MinoHD's touch-sensitive divots. Under its 2-inch LCD, a four-way directional pad surrounds a big, red record button. Pressing left and right on the d-pad navigates through your recorded clips, while pressing up and down operates the zoom. A dedicated play button and delete button round out the controls; it's still an exercise in simplicity to operate.

They say you can't put a price on design, but Pure Digital appears to be charging $30 for the MinoHD's smaller, slicker looks. For a lower price, the Flip UltraHD is a better performer and our pick between the two, thanks to twice as much storage capacity, sharper-colored footage, a better zoom, the addition of a user-replaceable battery, and the HDMI-out port.