We just received our first shipment of the New ContourHD 1080p Camera to our office and have already begun to ship out some of the very first pre-orders. We’ll be continuing to ship out pre-orders while we bring in weekly shipments of the newest High Definition wearable camcorder from VholdR.

So far we’ve had the chance to take a few of our demo cameras out on the road, down the mountain trails, and around the city and are thoroughly impressed with the full 1080p resolution.

To see what you’ll get when you receive your ContourHD 1080p camera system, check out our unboxing video below:

Do you want to be a professional motorcyclist?  Many people think that riding a bike is simple.  You just get on the bike and go.  However, to be a successful professional, you have to have skill.  This skill will give you an edge over the competition.
One of the best ways to increase your skill level is through practice.  You can ride your bike for hours, logging practice hours in.  However, the only way to truly get to the next level is to critique your performance.  If you have a coach – or, even a mentor, hopefully, they can help guide you.  However, many hopefuls are left on their own.  This can be a difficult process.
Instead of giving up, work hard and stay motivated.  One way to become at a professional level is with the use of a helmet camera.  The motorcyclists in the video were using a helmet camera to capture footage of his ride.  If you used a helmet camera to capture your footage, you would be able to critique yourself.  After all, there is no better critic than you.
There are a lot of options out there for helmet cameras.  However, consider going pro with a GoPro Helmet Camera!

New ContourHD 1080P Review: Hands On and Video Comparison To ContourHD

The hot breakthrough in helmet cameras now is 1080P HD and VholdR is at the forefront of that trend. Their new ContourHD 1080P comes a mere six months after the release of the original ContourHD which shoots at 720P. Things are moving fast in this exciting new niche of wearable camcorders.

The ContourHD 1080P as the name suggests shoots sharp, high res 1080p HD video and we are the first people to put it up to the test.

ContourHD 1080P Specs At A Glance

• Full HD – 1080p (1920×1080), 30 fps
• Tall HD – 960p (1280×960), 30 fps
• Action HD – 720p (1280×720), 60 fps
• Contour HD – 720p (1280×720), 30fps
• Fast SD – WVGA (848×480), 60fps
• 135-degree wide angle lens
• 5 Megapixel Sensor
• Internal microphone (Software Adjustable)
• Quicktime H.264 MOV videos with AAC Audio
• MicroSD/SDHC up to 16GB (2GB included) – Up to 8 Hours of HD video
• Rechargable Lithium Ion Battery – Up to 3 hours per charge
• iPod(USB) Charge Compatible
• Adjustable Resolution, Bit Rate, Sharpness, Contrast, Light Metering, Exposure and Mic Sensitivity
• Compatible With Existing VholdR TRail mount system
• Easy Edit and Share software

Better Sensor, Same Camera Body, Same Mounts

The major difference between the ContourhHD and the new ContourHD 1080P is in the guts of the camera. The new 1080P version sports a higher resolution sensor but the same lens and casing as the previous model. This is a good to know as previous owners of the ContourHD can use the same mounts, accessories and batteries for the new ContourHD 1080P model. VholdR calls it their TRail mount system, which provide a variety of mounting options including mounts for goggles, handlebars, helmets, and vehicles. The camera comes with the helmet mount and goggle strap mount. The helmet mount is super versatile and can be attached to most helmets and hard surfaces whereas goggle strap mount provides cool point of view and is very easy to use.

Let’s review some of these cameras’ similarities. Both cameras look exactly the same except with a few cosmetic changes. You can see the differences in the shots below. Both are featherweight cams in a water resistant anodized aluminum case weighing only 4.3 ounces. VholdR has put a lot of thought into making the Contour cameras as small and light as possible which shows in the details such as using cell phone like components. Memory is stored on tiny MicroSD cards and the battery is similar to slim lithium ions used in cell phones. We especially like the giant slide record switch on the top of the cameras that makes it super easy to stop and start recording even with thick gloves on.

Other than the 1080P logo, the other cosmetic differences are inside the cover where high def and standard def recording switch labels are and the color of the battery lock tab.

Additional label differences are on the front of the lens.

One unique feature of this camera which no other point of view camera can boast is twin lasers. Lasers, people! The ContourHD cams come with dual lasers beside the lens to ensure alignment of the rotating 192 degree lens. You can actually see these laser pointer like red beams shoot out from the camera when you first start it up. Simply rotate the lens until the lasers are lined up horizontally.

Shooting sports videos like you will be doing with the ContourHDs means you need a wider lens than regular video cameras to capture the full scene and create immersive “in the action” videos. ContourHD comes with a wide 135 degree lens which gives it a nice blend between catching all the action and over distortion.

While other wearable camcorder manufacturers view uploading videos as an afterthought, Vholdr’s ContourHD and ContourHD 1080P offer their “Easy Edit” software for download which is a combination video importer, rudimentary video editor and exporter. This is the best software included with any point of view camera if you want an all in one solution without jumping from program to program. We just wish it would upload to more places than just the Vholdr community.

A Word About Memory Card Size and Batteries

Since the ContourHD 1080P shoots at a higher resolution than the Contourhd (which shoots at a maximum 720P) you are getting only half the recording time per GB of SD card memory. Be sure you are aware of this before heading off to the slopes or trails. Both cameras come with a 2GB MicroSD card which is sufficient to get 1/2 hr to 2 hours depending on your video recording resolution. We recommend getting at least an extra 4GB card or for a little more money the 8GB or 16GB card which is the maximum the Vholdrs can take. The extra breathing room is nice so you do not need to worry about running out in the middle of nowhere.

An extra battery is another useful extra that can come in very handy. The standard battery can shoot about 3 hours of video but you can record 4 to 16 hours on the SD cards so your single battery will die while you still have plenty of recording time left on the card. We always carry extra batteries and memory cards with us whenever we go skiing on long weekends at Whistler mountain or vacation at places like Chamonix. We can shoot for days and never worry about recharging the batteries or worse, bringing a laptop along just to download a full SD card. The ContourHD batteries and SD cards are small enough we can fit at least two batteries and extra Micro SD cards in an Altoids tin with room to spare.

The difference in recording size between the ContourHD and ContourHD 1080P is outlined in the handy chart below which also shows recording time based on resolution and frame rates.

ContourHD 1080P vs ContourHD Video Recording Features Comparison

The ContourHD cameras have a variety of shooting modes that should satisfy most sports videographers.

The ContourHD shoots some amazingly sharp 720P video and features a super smooth 60 fps at standard definition of 848x480. The ContourHD 1080P pushes that limit with it’s “Action HD ” of 60 fps at true 720P resolution (1280 x 720). We definitely notice the difference in smoothness between the two during our outdoor shoots. Play the 60fps 720P footage back in slow motion and you will be astounded.

The shooting modes for the ContourHD 1080P are:

• Full HD 1080P -  1920 x 1080 pixels,30 fps
• Tall HD 960P -  1280 x 960 pixels, 30 fps
• Action HD 720P - 1280 x 720 pixels, 60 fps
• Original HD 720P-1280 x 720 pixels, 30 fps
• Fast SD WVGA   - 848 x 480 pixels, 60 fps

The ContourHD keeps things simple by sticking only to 720P (1280 x 720) and WVGA 848 x 480 (60 fps).

Additionally, ONLY the ContourHD 1080P have configurable settings for:

• resolution and bit rate
• light metering
• contrast
• exposure
• sharpness
• metering
• microphone sensitivity
• camera clock time

All settings are done via VholdR’s free Easy Edit video import and editing software available for both PC and Mac. Just plug your camera into your computer with the included USB cable and make your changes. (Camera settings are only available for the ContourHD 1080p).

The new cmos image sensor and video processing chipset in the 1080P has been tweaked for motion and outdoor color saturation and contrast. 

H.264 Codec

Editing software compatibility is key if you want to take captured raw video into the editor of your choice. The Contour HDs use the popular H.264 otherwise known as MP4 or Mpeg4 video format with AAC audio recorded in .mov file format. Both of these codecs are widely used and compatible with the majority of video editing software available, some are even free or open source.

Better Sound Than Ever

The ContourHD1080p also features an upgraded microphone that is fine tuned for outdoor sports which records with minimal wind noise due to its ability to adjust the microphone sensitivity (only on ContourHD 1080p). You can hear most ambient sounds and some will appreciate the noiseless power up to record feature. Powering up the camera with the record switch already set to record turns off all power up and recording/stopping beeps.

First ContourHD 1080P Demo Videos

Here are the first videos shot with the new ContourHD 1080P outside of the officially sanctioned ones released by VholdR!

This first video was shot at 1080P but since no video hosting site will display 1080p video in a browser, we are linking to this one uploaded to Vimeo which displays it at 720p. You can download the raw 1080p file from Vimeo for now (need to sign up) until we find a suitable host for the file.

Here is the video at 720p for comparison.

We had to rush to be the first to get these 1080p samples from the wild.

Come back tomorrow for comparison videos with the ContourHD (at 720p resolution) of our bike run on the Vancouver North Shore mountains!

What You Get With The ContourHD’s

Here is what is included with each ContourHD camera depending which model you order:

• VholdR ContourHD (720P) or VholdR ContourHD 1080p wearable camcorder
• 2GB MicroSD card
• Goggle mount
• Flat surface mount
• Rechargeable battery (up to 3 hrs)
• USB cable
• Quick start guide

We are the first people to have the new ContourHD 1080P in stock! You can find it here along with our ContourHD 1080p Megapack

Which ContourHD is right for you: 720p or 1080p?

Interested in what others have to say about the Contour HD?

Read customer reviews of the Vholdr Contour HD Cameras

Want to buy a ContourHD or ContourHD 1080p?

Check out the different VholdR bundles at our store

I was contacted by pointofviewcameras.com to give my initial impressions about the Vholdr’s new ContourHD 1080P which (unsurprisingly given its name) shoots 1080p HD video. In lay terms, where the older ContourHD POV camera shot video at a resolution of 1280 x 720, the new ContourHD 1080P shoots video at 1920 x 1080 resolution.

SUMMARY
The ContourHD 1080P will be $ 55 Cad/  $ 50 USD more expensive then it’s cousin the ContourHD (for the sake of clarity I’ll call the earlier model the ContourHD 720). Both units are available for sale. Vholdr is not obsoleting the 720p just offering customers a choice between grab and go unit (720p) and a higher end, more customizable camera with user adjustable settings like contrast, sound recording and exposure at a higher resolution. At $ 363 Cad ($330 USD) vs $ 308 (280 USD) the Contour HD 1080p will be worth it if you have:
(i) a pretty fast computer and (ii) want to view your videos on a 1080p HD viewable computer or TV. NOTE that I have yet to investigate the ability of the ContourHD 1080 to be configured by software so reserve the right to alter my opinion if the ContourHD 1080’s performance can indeed be tweaked by software.

In reading this opinion, keep in mind my previous opinion that the ContourHD 720’s video output was already very good for a POV camera. The ContourHD 1080p is an incremental improvement that, for my purposes, is probably not worth an upgrade. Think of the ContourHD 720’s video performance as a Porsche. The ContourHD 1080P is a Porsche Turbo. But the roads I drive on (substitute bandwidth for roads) are pretty rudimentary and I could never harness the power, performance and handling of a Porsche Turbo.

Perhaps you can, you with your new iMac, and your premium high-speed internet connection, or your new 1080P HDTV in which case the ContourHD 1080p is the tool for you.

THE CONTOURHD 1080p
I tested the ContourHD 1080P with a modified VIO “Double hook and loop” accessory mount (a $ 9 accessory mount) which I’ve found to be much more stable then the stock Vholdr-supplied mounts).

There’s already at least one article out with a detailed review of the ContourHD 1080p features. I won’t repeat what’s in the article or in the product literature at the Vholdr site.

I will offer the following observations. Keep in mind that these are very initial impressions having had the ContourHD 1080 for a total of one day and having used it for one ride.

The form factor of the ContourHD 1080P and 720 are essentially the same. The only difference is that the HD/SD switch (for the 720) is now replaced by a Hi/Lo switch (for the 1080). The Hi setting allows you to record 1080p HD video at 30 frames per second. The Lo setting records 720p HD video at a stunning 60fps rate.
Most of the ways in which you can customize this camera are through the software. Vholdr’s website speaks to all of these modes at 60 fps; Full HD (1080p), Tall HD (960p), Action HD (720p) and Fast SD (WVGA/SD quality) and of course, the now legacy ContourHD (720p at 30fps). The only customization you can do to the ContourHD in-camera in the field is to use the Hi/Lo switch to go from Full HD to Action HD.

The downside to recording 1080p video is that no video-sharing website currently displays 1080p video. To my knowledge, only Vholdr’s video-file sharing service displays videos at the full 60fps rate. Notably, the most popular video-file sharing site, Youtube, chokes on HQ (High Quality) 720p hosted video; a feature attributed by industry commentators to a bandwidth issue on the Youtube end rather then on the consumer’s broadband pipe end. For the purposes of web-based file-sharing the 1080p HD video format - although nice, is not necessary. Indeed, streaming video technology currently makes it impractical.

As I feared, my 1 year old laptop (4Gb of RAM, miniscule 256mb Nvidia graphics chip, Intel Centrino Duo Core) choked on the 1080p video. It staggered through playing the video even though I resorted to playing the video output not on the bloated Quicktime player but on the open source VLC player. Rendering was slooooow. I don’t even have a 1080p monitor so the final output was wasted on my dinosaur computing setup as I had to resize the video. I suspect that many users will be in the same boat as I. In contrast, I don’t have a problem handling and rendering 720p files.

I made some screen grabs of shots from the ContourHD 1080p and the ContourHD 720 show that the 1080p video does indeed offer frame-grabs with useable resolution as still shots. Unfortunately I didn’t have the presence of mind to film the same scene with both cameras so the comparison will be redone when I have a chance.

POSSIBLE FOLLOW-UPS
Given the limitations of this one ride initial impression I have to investigate the ContourHD 1080 further. Some possible follow-ups might be as listed below:

 
• What is the effect of the software-configurable settings on video output of the ContourHD 1080? Apparently you can configure light metering; contrast,  exposure and microphone sensitivity. If this works, it will be a major advantage Vholdr has over competitors.
• How will this camera handle variations in light (see question re software-configurable settings)?
 
• How will the ContourHD handle cold for skiing and snowsports use?
 
• Will the new Vholdr-supplied mounts be better? (they can hardly be worse then the old mounts)
 
• Does the 720p 60 frames per second video output of the ContourHD result in true 60 frames per second output -   ie is it useable for slow-motion and stop-action sequences?
 
• Will the Easy Edit software work with Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit?