Aug
12
2009
Camcorder audio shootout: IF7 vs. IG2 firmware [Video]
Posted by soHD in Firmware, Imaging, Video, tags: IG2 Firmware
We only recently upgraded our i8910 Omnia HD to the newer IG2 firmware. We didn’t upgrade as soon as we got the handset as we wanted to find out about the limitations of the current firmware before moving on. One of these limitations was AMR audio when recording video. The newer IG2 firmware upgrades this to AAC audio with a higher sampling rate.
To determine what the real-world difference might be, we shot a couple of videos using near-enough identical shooting conditions. We used one of my child’s toys, the singing lobster, to try and show off any improvements using IG2. You can check out both 30-second videos below , to hear the difference.
IF7 Firmware Sample (AMR audio)
IG2 Firmware Sample (AAC audio)
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AAC audio sounds awesome
Although it is an improvement over the AMR codec, the sampling rate at which the AAC codec is set is still no match for loud environments. Last weekend I watched a band perform (small venue) but I took a video using my Nokia N82 (which has been out for 2 years). I really don’t want to give up my I8910, It’s such a good device but video/audio recording is a must have feature for me!
Will they be releasing some way of reducing the recording level or something I has the same problem at a gig!
The audio still sux major!!! Even with the AAC Codec!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdaAt2_x2wc
For the record, the speakers producing the sound are fucking 300 meters away!!! (The mainstage with speakers is on the same place as the cranes)
My old N82 performed waaaaaaaaay better then this :S
Making a video isnt fun like this, it aint worth showing to other people or looking back yourself, cause the audio sux so bad :@
At the risk of being yelled at…I thought the AMR sounded slightly better when listening to the 2 videos. But this was only very slightly…neither were great.
@bjorn
Didnt you notise that recording is from DB09 (Decibel 2009)??
You need serously pro equipment to record sound from there.. Dont belive me?? Try listen to some of all the other recordings from there.. The aac codec are plenty to keep up with the image quality of the Omnia imo, its not a real camcorder.. Not satisfied, go buy one..
So, I put some devices into test resently. I’m not gadget lover.I have two handsets in my pocket.Nokia 6233&6310i.With first one I did a lot of movies with quite fine quality. Month ago I got new handset from my operator. It was N85…and nightmare started. What I expected from new N85? Picture quality. Did I got it. NO!!!. So I red a lot of opinion, tests and decided to check it myself. I’ve choose few devices. N85, N82, S8300, Pixon12, Satio, OmniaHD and finally N97. What I can tell?. There is no one devices that let You take good pictures an movies;-(. Still best pictures creates nokia even with smaller res. 3year technology works fine and let You take sharp pictures even in low light. Compare to slr nokia uses something like fast shutter preselection. For the first time in my mobile live i had samsungs in my hands. First look? They are great…but…S8300 is a great video taker. Best one. Omnia hd even with its HD can’t rival S8300. Stills are not so good. Can’t beat Nokia’s 5mpix. Of course with file size, yes. Samsung is a big files generator. Even My Canon D1 with similar res produces smaler files. Kind of compression used in Samsungs is awfull. Look at them in close up. Samsung has problem with smooh halftones and detail. Especially OmniaHD.
Omnia promises a lot. But can’t handle them. I could not take any movie with 24frame/sek. Even on D1 and fast cards it drops frames. Movie quality comparing to S8300 is poor D1 30fr/sek. Problems with color balance, ugly noises, lower resolution than on S8300. Omnia is really fast, has a lot option I like i.e recording from radio, fine camera control-remembers settings.I sold S8300 because of it poor battery-1.45h recording with full battery. I sold it to buy OmniaHD. Omnia can record 2.5h of video. Honestly saying I expected more. I found 7 hot pixels on camera matrix. 2 are visible all the times, rest under certain condition. Comparing to N97 omnia beats 97 with color, content, some better ideas, better touch. After today phototests N97 looses 1 dot of battery level Omnia left 1 dot. Both were used similary aprox 60 pic.Omnia took few minutes of movies also. N97 is useless for video from my point of view. My old 6233 or 6303 produces better results even with 15fr/sek. So If service did not fix all failures I’m goint to sell omniaHD, return to S8300 as second devise and stay with nokia as main handset. I realised that all this phone market turns around seling new systems, processors memories and new packages and of course iphone touch copying .Nothing revolutionary hapend during last 3 years in photo, video recording technology mounted in mobiles.If I should choose best mobile for taking pictures an photos I can recommend N82, 6220/xenon/or N97/huge memory and battery/for pictures. S8300/best one/ Pixon12/video zoom works with pause only/ and third place OmniaHD. Strange thing but sending files via bluetooth is allmost twice as fast on N97 compare to OmniaHD. N97 sends 150-170kb OmniaHD 70-120kb:-( Many of You can ask what that guy wants from mobile? For video are Videocameras and for stills, slr. Yeah. But many times we don’t have them with us and mobile yes. So… I took many shorts with my mobile, and many “photonotes” so I’d like to have good handset with all the best. But it does not exist…even those top of the lines. 5, 8, 12 megapx cameras in mobile can’t handle quality in so tiny matrixes. 3.2 works fine in it, 5 great, but more is just waisting phone memory and time.
THis is a never ending process, your only going to get out of it what you put into it. Check out http://www.pacificav.ca .. this looks like a great school!