GoPro Launches True HD Helmet Cam
Half Moon Bay, Calif. -- GoPro, the world’s leading manufacturer of wearable digital cameras for sports, launches its new HD Helmet HERO camera at the 2009 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. GoPro’s HD Helmet HERO camera marks the industry’s first true high-definition 1080p wearable camera for sports.
The HD Helmet HERO captures professional-grade 1080p, 960p, and 720p HD video at 30 and 60 frames per second (720p). Designed for film and TV professionals and consumer enthusiasts alike, GoPro's HD Helmet HERO camera boasts higher performance than action sports cameras costing ten times as much. The HD Helmet HERO goes on sale this fall, MSRP $299.
"GoPro is very fortunate to be the leader in wearable camera technology," says Nicholas Woodman, GoPro's founder and CEO. "We cannot thank our customers enough. Their incredible support has helped GoPro succeed to where we're able to secure technology partnerships that we could only dream of a year ago.
Our product development is now ferociously paced, and in the HD Helmet HERO you’re seeing the first of many leading-edge products that will establish GoPro as the world’s preeminent manufacturer of convenience-based image capture devices. The HD Helmet HERO allows consumers to capture professional-grade 1080p / 960p / and 720p video and is the size of a matchbox."
On that note, every HD Helmet HERO camera comes standard with an internal RF transceiver that allows consumers to add a wireless stereo microphone and remote, both with a range of 30 feet. The remote control enables users to send a "preview" image wirelessly from the camera to the remote, allowing the user to preview the camera's aim and viewing angle prior to recording.
"Sound is as important as resolution when it comes to capturing your life's most adventurous and exciting moments," says Woodman. "We're obsessed with creating the best products possible for our customers. The RF stereo microphone marries HD sound to GoPro’s professional HD video, creating one of the most convenient and capable image capture devices in the world. And you can wirelessly preview your shot with the RF remote control?! Absurd. I love it."
The HD Helmet HERO also captures 5MP photos in a variety of modes including a "Photo every 2 seconds" mode that allows for creative hands free image capture during even the most intense consumer activities. Mount the camera facing back from the bow of your kayak or nose of your surfboard and be amazed at the in-action photos you'll capture. All the while you are free to simply enjoy your sport while the camera works for you.
With it’s incredible image stability, industry first 1080p / 960p / and 720p video, and hands free automatic capture of 5MP photos, the HD Helmet HERO is a professional-grade wearable HD camera, albeit at a consumer price.
At a remarkable $299 retail price, the matchbox-size camera comes standard with several mounting accessories for attaching it to your helmet, head, and favorite gear. GoPro's HD Helmet HERO adds so much to your enjoyment of your favorite activities. Arriving home to watch your footage is almost as much fun as having experienced it in the first place. Relive Reality™...GoPro.
The HD Helmet HERO features user-friendly default settings that allow even the most techo-phobic consumers to capture and enjoy HD footage with the push of a single shutter button.
For those consumers looking for the latest in technology and options, the HD Helmet HERO offers a wide range of video resolutions and settings to tailor the camera to meet specialized needs. Choose from:
1080p -- "True HD" video at 30 frames per second – to put it in perspective, 1080p 30 frames per second is the equivalent of shooting 30 2-megapixel photos per second. Each video still is a 2-megapixel photo, in essence. A first in wearable camera technology, available only from GoPro.
960p -- "Maximum Wide Angle" video at 30 frames per second – 960p offers 25% more vertical viewing area than other resolutions. This means you can see your knees and skis on the slopes, and your handlebars and bike frame beneath you when charging the singletrack. Yet another first in wearable cameras, only from GoPro.
720p – “Slow-motion Cinema" is possible thanks to the HD Helmet HERO's incredibly smooth 60 frames per second 720p video. Again, a first in wearable camera technology, only from GoPro.
The HD HERO is not simply an upgrade from the original and beloved Helmet HERO. It also branches out with new features no other video camera offers, including rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that feature an industry first internal heating system to keep your battery warm for longer recording times in cold temperatures. Let it snow, let it snow...GoPro.
Other enhancements include louder audible and brighter visual indicators to communicate the camera's operational status. And now you can use up to a 32GB SD card to store over 8 hours of HD video. Want to plug in an external power source to keep your camera going longer than the 2.5 hours provided by the internal battery? No problem, you can do that, too.
Have a creative idea for a video that requires an external wired mic? Not a problem thanks to the external wired-mic jack built into the side of the camera.
Durability and easy of use are GoPro trademarks, so it's no surprise that the GoPro's bombproof mounting hardware and waterproof housings live on with the HD Helmet HERO. The result? One of the most durable pieces of consumer electronics available today.
The HD Helmet HERO comes standard with industry’s widest-angle lens of 170 degrees.
"With so many professional film and TV producers, athletes, and hardcore action sports enthusiasts already using GoPro cameras in their own work and lifestyles, it was inevitable that GoPro would build industry leading technology into our latest camera, the HD Helmet HERO," says Woodman.
"It's exciting that for $299 consumers can buy the same HD camera that brand giants like Red Bull, BFGoodrich, Specialized, and many production companies use for their action sports filming...the HD HERO line from GoPro. We're energized about how powerful this new camera has proven and we know our fans are going to lose their minds."
Outdoor Retailer participants can expect the usual excitement around GoPro’s exhibit (booth # 38131), including their always-popular camera and beer giveaways everyday at 3pm. This year, however, marks a major milestone for both GoPro with the industry’s first professional-grade wearable HD camera and 1080p / 960p / and 720p video.
