V.I.O. POV.1 Point-of-View Video System

I've had one of these units for almost a year now and I love it. It took me a couple tries to get the aim right on my ski helmet but when I did it captured sick powder and took my tip eating falls in stride.

This spring I started using it for kayaking and I was super impressed with the image, no fog lens and waterproof nature of the whole unit. I took several gnarly swims and the camera captured everything.

Some hints for success:

1) Trust the double sticky Velcro that comes with the unit. It really does work

2) Spend time with it, get used to it and know how to aim it before trying to capture the "must have footage". I think it took 2 or 3 tries per helmet to get the aim perfect.

3) When using the remote, set the audio "beep" as high as it will go so you can hear it.

4) Keep the unit in your jacket pocket not in your backpack for warmth.

5) Zip ties Use them and love them. One of the best features of the POV is that you can mount base plates on all your sporting helmets and leave them there while the camera c-clamp slides on to whatever you're doing that day. Once you have your aim dialed in, zip tie the hell out of the plate and you'll never have to mess with it.

6) Purchase a set of AA rechargeable batteries They are great for 90% of your usage; It saves money and the earth. On long trips without recharge options I use the Lithium batteries and take lots of sets; 5 sets for a Grand Canyon trip and 5 2G cards.

Well I can't say enough about the POV.1. I purchased three of the units in August and until then I have never heard of VIO, Inc. I purchased them under the assumption that they will work for me. It was not until I got back to Afghanistan after being home on R&R Leave that I realized just how good these units are. The video is DVD Movie quantity and I used the system in my HUMVEE to record our missions. I attached the unit to my helmet and my weapon and yet again got great video. I put the units through some really hot days and they stood the test and captured the video. When I recently came home I decided to use these cameras in my civilian career as both a Firefighter and Instructor and an avid rock climber. There is no better system out there then this. For the price of the system and the new recording times (up to 8hrs) NO one can go wrong with the POV.1.

A lot of companies make accessories for their product that are cool and not really practical; VIO has introduced Accessories that are not only very practical, but cost worthy. You can't go wrong.

Buy V.I.O. POV.1 Point-of-View Video System Now

After several attempts to piece together a workable helmet cam for paintball, I broke down and bought the V.I.O. POV1 Point-of-View Video System. It's a very nice compact setup that works very well for my needs. The video quality is great at the 640x480x30fps setting; you can see paintballs in flight. Higher resolutions up to 720x480 are also available but record time drops a bit as file size increases. The heart of the system is the recorder; it's a seemingly rugged completely digital device with very handy LCD screen and audio built in for in the field playback. The size of the recorder fits a paint pod and carry is easy in a pod pack. (Besides the cost) the biggest down side had been the wireless remote control. The intent is you can start and stop the recorder without having to unpack it from a pack. It's simple but has let me down a couple times resulting in some great missed footage. Unless you can monitor the recorder to make sure it starts, you're better off turning the recorder on and off directly. Over all we are very pleased with the camera and it's quality.

Read Best Reviews of V.I.O. POV.1 Point-of-View Video System Here

This camera is superior than others in having the lcd screen and small profile camera head, but don't be fooled into purchasing anything from V.I.O. or it may cost you.

Price: costs a LOT more than the competitors

Accessories: you will need them and WOW will you have to pay top dollar to get them. $90 just for a mounting kit.

Repairs: They don't do them. Something breaks, buy a new one.

Firmware updates: You have to BUY them too!

Professionalism: Ended up getting the wrong extension cord from their website because it was incorrectly labeled as compatible for my camera. Also took almost a week to get my email to customer service answered.

Design flaws: POV1.0 Camera head opened under normal use. Head can be easily unscrewed when removing the a/v cable because it is not fixed closed. (it is threaded to open for no apparent reason and attached to where the a/v cable attaches. If camera head twists open, the fixed wiring will pull away from components and render the camera head useless. ($200 replacement part). No warning in the instruction manual and they do not repair or have refurbished parts. Customer service first said the product was used improperly. When I disputed this and it was clear that it opened while used as directed, the supervisor intervened and stated that the user tampered with the product and voided the warranty. This design flaw was fixed for the POV1.5 when they created the tethered head, but they claim this change was done to "make the camera easier to use" not because of a design flaw.

Design Flaw #2: Camera will not stay secure in the mount on its own. I had to add tape around the body of the camera to secure it tighter in the mount so that it would stay fixed upright. Camera head would not stay upright on my helmet and video would be ruined because camera was shooting at a crooked angle.

There are plenty of helmet cameras out on the market for half the price. For the price of VIO cameras, there should be much better customer service. This is not the case.

Want V.I.O. POV.1 Point-of-View Video System Discount?

I review products for motorcycle mags and I recently did 6 helmet cams for RIDER. I installed/tested some that were more expensive (XtremeRecall and ChaseCam) and some that were cheaper (think skateboard cams for your kids). The only one I kept personally was the POV. It's certainly, hands-down, the most convenient and durable. The 8-gig upgrade rocks....7 hours non-stop, very cool, indeed. Now with their new 12-volt conversion, I can hard wire and ride without worrying about batteries.

The web upload for vids is great as well....viewers don't have to download long files. (of course, you can't download vids even if you want to....one teeeny down side, I guess)) One cable, small recorder, on-the-fly viewing, wireless remote, excellent optics.

Their help staff is excellent. I'm thoroughly impressed by the quality and value of the POV. It's a keeper.

Save 36% Off