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MyMüvi! A Cheap HD Video Camera with a Cheaper Name

Two years ago our school purchased a dozen Flip Ultra cameras, many of which we still use today. We found a program where we could get the $150 camera for half the price. I still love these little cameras for their durability, ease of use, and decent quality. I have no reservations handing one to a student. Since then, Cisco has pulled production of the Flip line. [sad face]

Last week, however, I was hiding in the camera shop while my wife was shopping, and I came across a display for MyMüvi! FaceCam HD. The name would be obnoxious even without the exclamation mark, but the price tag was alluring at $30. I confirmed that I could return it if I didn't like it, so I pulled the trigger.
Like the Flip Cameras, the MyMovie (I refuse to use that spelling anymore) has an attached a usb port, HDMI out, SD card slot (that is its only memory, sold separately).
I tried editing the video on my Mac and my ChromeBook. Neither worked. It shoots in an AVI format that these computers don't like. So I tried it on the school's Acer netbook running Ubermix, and it worked flawlessly. I edited these few clips together using OpenShot Video Editor, which came bundled with Ubermix. 


The video quality is about what you should expect for $30. Notice how the exposure changes so abruptly.   There is also no macro option as you can tell in the thumbnail. This is no Flip Video Camera, nor is it my favorite version of these mini cameras, the Kodak zi8. I miss that camera! However, for $30 and a netbook running Ubermix, you could do worse. 

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