Review: Creative Vado HD
Vado Central Software
The software has traditionally been a weak spot for Creative. They make fantastic players only to be let down by the mediocre software. Luckily, the Vado Central software is a step above the Creative Centrale program. It’s extremely easy to upload to YouTube- almost too easy. Plug the device into a PC’s USB slot and Windows will ask what you want to do via an AutoPlay menu. Click Vado Central, and the software will begin to load. Once there, browse through the videos you took. The software allows for a preview as the video was taken- in HD or not. After you find the video you want, return to the home screen, click said file, then hit the YouTube button in the corner of the software. It’ll ask you to insert your YouTube username and password, then it will authenticate your login and take you to a details screen. On the details screen, you can do nearly everything that is offered on the YouTube upload page. Easy as can be. It will upload the whole file to YouTube, so it will take a few minutes (or hours) for YouTube itself to process it. This is crucial, because while YouTube may not have the HD version right away, after it is complete processing, it will give you the option to view in HD. (Click on the image for a bigger, more detailed image)
Video editing, however, is very, very basic. The only real feature is the ability to cut the movie clip into sections. Included is a movie maker option, but this is only just a demo of the muvee software. The demo allows for three movies, one music file, and thirty pictures to be edited without problem. After those limits, it requires a $17.99 upgrade. It’s definitely not worth it. Every PC has a free alternative, though. It’s Windows Movie Maker, available at download.live.com, and everything that muvee can do, Movie Maker can do for free. Simply import the video through Movie Maker by browsing to the Vado HD removable disk in My Computer. You’ll have to leave the Vado plugged in throughout the duration of your editing, unless you copy and paste the video onto your hard drive. Below is a demo video that I created with the muvee software. It’s got everything at default, but you can change the title and ending.
Score: 78/100- For the average user, this software is all that they’ll need to go directly to YouTube. However, the mom or dad who is trying to add a soundtrack to the family vacation to Hawaii will definitely need to import the file to Windows Movie Maker and mess with it there. Professional projects still need Vegas, Premiere, or Ulead.
- Introduction
- Specifications
- Included Schwag
- Design
- User Interface
- Video Quality
- Video Quality 2, Audio Quality
- Software
- Conclusion
- View All
-
Mary
