Originally Posted by Jaybee

Tom, does not the 808HD take microSD-sized memory? The 32GB Transcend (Class 10) you linked to is a full-sized SD card. (nicely priced, though!)

Something like this should work: 32GB microSD microSDHC Memory Card (Class 4)

(Class 4, which is sufficient for this cam. The Class 6 and 10 microSD cost even more, 'specially in the microSD size.)

Jaybee

Ugh! MY error... I should have caught that but it was late when I posted that, and with it being New Years Eve.... well... you can fill in the blanks! But this is also a good time to note that the last paragraph in the instruction sheet that has been sent with the cameras gives conflicting information:

"8. Support up to 16GB TF memory card, you'd better use the SDH$ FLISH MEMORY High-Speed Card."

The "TF" (aka microSDHC) part is correct, but the "SDH4" designation is for a Class 4 regular size SD card. And the specs in the eBay posting says they can support up to 32 GB cards, not 16GB. So which is correct? I guess if you are getting a 32GB card, please confirm for us.

Originally Posted by clx1

Very interesting. However, the battery of the cam is barely good for 40 minutes, sometimes preempting even a complete second 20-minute recording. My standard file size for 20 minutes had been a little over 1,550MB so at the limit of the battery, I never filled even a 4GB card.

Oh yes, when the cam has used up the 250mAH, it is quite warm to the touch.

So, does someone know now to adapt a USB battery box to run the cam longer? Or is there a magic solution to the 250mAH battery to make it last longer?

clx1

I asked a "source" vendor about the power cable... if the camera can both charge AND record from it. Here's the reply:

" yes, can be recording and the charge at the same time , the package is come with car charge, as the car charge is special for our HD camera. other car charge will useless。 actually, the car charge just like the power supply."

That sounds much like the charger for my JAZZ HDV178 camera... it will only charge if I use the wall wart cable that came with it, or a PC USB port. And that suggests to me the USB data lines are being utilized somehow during a charge, not just the +5V. So, just a guess at this point, but to use external power other than their car charger, you'll need to bypass the USB connection and go straight to the circuit board battery connections. This has been done successfully with the original 808key cam (details in the chucklohr.com site). BUT, the old key cam used a small lipo charging circuit on the battery to bracket the voltage for the internal lipo, and the new HD key cam appears to have a small IC on the circuit board to do this. So, some experimentation will be needed to see what can and can't be done to power the camera from an external battery source.

Originally Posted by Prof100

Finster PM'd me and resent the no time file and add time file in their native file names. Apparently the name change was the problem.

I am now date and time free.

Thanks Finster.

Darn . It was sure interesting while it lasted

Glad you got it figured out.

Yabba

Originally Posted by finster

I didnt rename any of the files...they were still the same name but what happened was when I used stuffit expander to open the .rar file sent to me you have to extract them twice...the first time gives the files I posted that didnt work...then you extract them files which gives you the 2 folders with actuall bin files...I should have tested them first, my fault...both time ON and time OFF do work...sorry for brain fart guys...

BTW...it dont matter how you put the files on the card...usb...card reader...adaptor...they will all work...its no different than adding the tag.txt on the #3 cams but you just need to delete the file off card after installed...

Since your file (with longer names) were identical to the short named files I posted, this tells me the file names can be different (but still may need a tag identifier in it, like the "FW99630") and still work WITH SOME OF THE EARLY RELEASE CAMERAS. I'm not convinced this is true for ALL the early released cameras, so the caveat I've harped on (this will be the last time) that it is possible to brick your early release camera still applies. Here's what a "source" vendor has confirmed to me:

"Dear friend
Because this product is our research and develoed .
so the firsting product can not remove the date some of those camera can not remove the time .really sorry it takes trouble to you .If you are the firsting product hope
you do not use your camera to do .it may system halted
Really sorry it takes trouble to you ,Hope you can understand .

Originally Posted by Prof100

I was nervous with mine because when I loaded the file and went to the step where you turn it on and there are a few seconds for it to turn on? Well mine never turned on. It tried hitting the on off button again but nothing. I figured I bricked it until I plugged it back in the USB and turned it on. Whew. All is well. No time stamp and it still worked.

Bill

Hmmm.... this is the same behavior clx1 had with his... Yellow LED never turned back on after the firmware flash attempt. I wonder if something similar might have revived his?

Originally Posted by Tom Frank

Hmmm.... this is the same behavior clx1 had with his... Yellow LED never turned back on after the firmware flash attempt. I wonder if something similar might have revived his?

I'm afraid not. I remember trying everything but handstands but nothing worked. It was a bricked as I've seen on anything electronic.

Originally Posted by clx1

I'm afraid not. I remember trying everything but handstands but nothing worked. It was a bricked as I've seen on anything electronic.

That's what I thought! I suspect before all this is over, someone else with an early release camera will try the conversion and you will not be the only one.

Originally Posted by Tom Frank

Since your file (with longer names) were identical to the short named files I posted, this tells me the file names can be different (but still may need a tag identifier in it, like the "FW99630") and still work WITH SOME OF THE EARLY RELEASE CAMERAS.

I don't think you can have different file names. It seems the file names were inadvertently made longer and this is why it would not work. finster's new zip file has both .bin files named the same as the ones you have. Which apparently is the only way they will work.

Originally Posted by Prof100

I was nervous with mine because when I loaded the file and went to the step where you turn it on and there are a few seconds for it to turn on? Well mine never turned on. It tried hitting the on off button again but nothing. I figured I bricked it until I plugged it back in the USB and turned it on. Whew. All is well. No time stamp and it still worked.

Bill

I think it takes more than a couple seconds for the cam to boot up. This pretty much describes how it went for me.

Originally Posted by lostheli

I don't think you can have different file names. It seems the file names were inadvertently made longer and this is why it would not work. finster's new zip file has both .bin files named the same as the ones you have. Which apparently is the only way they will work.

OH... OK, I misunderstood... the info in my first few posts is still correct, then.

Since your file (with longer names) were identical to the short named files I posted, this tells me the file names can be different (but still may need a tag identifier in it, like the "FW99630") and still work WITH SOME OF THE EARLY RELEASE CAMERAS. I'm not convinced this is true for ALL the early released cameras, so the caveat I've harped on (this will be the last time) that it is possible to brick your early release camera still applies. Here's what a "source" vendor has confirmed to me:

Well tom...you've mentioned about bricking a camera each time I post about removing time/date...I understand you talk to the vendor but its like this...If you dont try you dont know...I took the chance and it works...if someone dont know what they are doing or if they had the "first version" (dont try it) But how do you know unless you try it? I dont see any indentifing marks inside to say which cam you have...does the remove date/time files you posted at begining of thread work for all cameras? how did you remove time/date from your camera?

Originally Posted by lostheli

I think it takes more than a couple seconds for the cam to boot up. This pretty much describes how it went for me.

The process of doing the time stamp removal is not quite a perfect, well oiled process.

Originally Posted by finster

Well tom...you've mentioned about bricking a camera each time I post about removing time/date...I understand you talk to the vendor but its like this...If you dont try you dont know...I took the chance and it works...if someone dont know what they are doing or if they had the "first version" (dont try it) But how do you know unless you try it? I dont see any indentifing marks inside to say which cam you have...does the remove date/time files you posted at begining of thread work for all cameras? how did you remove time/date from your camera?

You're right... you don't know until you try. I just don't want to convey that this works with ALL the HD cameras sold so far, because we know for a fact at least one has been bricked by trying it. And I posted previously that the vendors could only tell me as of the date I posted, the cameras being delivered as of that post date were guaranteed to work with the conversion program. I believe what they said... some earlier sold ones will brick trying it, and they don't even know at what point the ones with earlier firmware in them were no longer being sold.

So I think we should leave it at this. If someone bought a camera prior to my post date and doesn't mind risking turning their $40 camera into a door stop, then by all means give it a go. You and others have shown that it MIGHT work, but not that it WILL work.

If that risk is too great and someone still wants to eliminate the date stamp from their videos, the alternative is to process during editing with either a "no logo" filter (which will produce visible artifacts), or crop off the date stamp. If the full 1280x720 frame size is still desired after cropping, output the file back to the original 16:9 1280x720 frame size if desired. The effect is only a 1.125X digital zoom, and to most viewers eyes, the quality loss will be unnoticeable. All that's lost is a bit of the original picture area.

My gosh I saw the sun so I ran outside and took a short clip. Here is a video with high contrast in the field of view. Sunny areas and shaded areas seem to be handled well by the little camera. The video was a direct upload to Youtube. No other processing used. A class 4 Kingston 8GB microcard was in the camera.

Backyard sunny.MOV (0 min 54 sec)

Originally Posted by Tom Frank

The same information can be displayed with Windows by right clicking on the picture icon, opening the "properties" window, then selecting the "Details" tab. No separate program needed. Move the scroll bar on the right hand side down about 1/2 way to see these details. I attached a screen clip of a pic from this camera sent to me by one of the vendors.

The individual lines in EXIF list are summary, can be expanded like this. Lots of info, might even help discern between models of 808HD, but don't count on that. It could be useful to see what software, max aperture etc..for JPEG images

Here's a link to look at EXIF on your computer or on the Web