Video is exploding right now thanks to sites like Youtube and Google Video. However in the past it did take a a somewhat tech savvy person to create, edit and upload videos to the web. Not anymore.

When I first saw the Flip Video Camcorder I admit I was skeptical. However this little gem seems to be getting great customer reviews at Amazon.

So what’s the deal ? There have been other “el-cheapo” video recorders in the past. Why is this product from Pure Digital Technolgies different ?

For one thing the Flip records 640×480 at 30 fps. This is a little better than TV-quality video. Another cool feature is that he software is built right into the camera. This means you can edit and share video on any computer. Also the camcorder also comes with cords to plug it directly into a television. Cool !

I imagine this will be a huge hit with video bloggers and teens. The Flip Video has partnered with YouTube to make uploading video a snap.

The Flip Video Camcorder is available from online stores and large retailers like Target and Walgreens. For less than $120 this is a no brainer

It looks like Pinnacle Studio version 11 is available for purchase. In the past Pinnacle products were not my favorite. They were riddled with bugs and crashed all the time. However since Pinnacle was bought by Avid I have been keeping an eye on the product line. Version 10 seemed to be an improvement over earlier versions. The new version 11 has a lot of nice features including the ability to edit HDV and AVCHD footage. I’m curious if the software was written from the ground up or just built upon the version 10 code.

I haven’t seen any consumer reviews on the product yet. I’ll keep my eye on the various forums.