Flip MinoHD Becomes World’s Smallest HD Cam

The next iteration of Flip's small, inexpensive video line shoots 720p high-def video, making it the smallest camcorder in its class.

If you were ready to dismiss the original Flip Mino as a cheap YouTube camcorder after its lukewarm first generation and subsequent imitators, the next generation may just change your mind. On Wednesday, Flip released the MinoHD camcorder, which retains the ease of use and small form factor of the original, but boosts video quality to high-def.

At a little under four inches tall, two across and little more than half an inch wide, , Flip calls the 94-gram MinoHD the world’s smallest HD camcorder. It most likely takes the place of Sanyo’s Xacti HD700, which was released last year and weighed in at 214 grams. Like the Sanyo, the MinoHD shoots 720p video (720 x 1280 resolution) rather than full 1080p video, and uses the H.264 compression standard to fit a full hour of video onto its internal 4GB of memory.

Much like the original Flip Mino, the MinoHD has a flip-out USB arm for easy connectivity, an internal lithium-ion battery, and a 1.5-inch LCD screen.

The MinoHD is currently available directly through Flip for $230. The camcorders can be customized with designs from a gallery, from a pattern generator, or by uploading a custom image.