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The Vio POV allows for easy mounting, such as atop the helmet as seen here. (Photo: Neale Bayly) » More Photos
There is nothing like riding your spuds off at a track day, with your buddy in hot pursuit capturing every heroic moment of your record-breaking ride on video. Riding like Vale on his way to another world championship, you know you will be looking like a superhero when the boys come round and you fire up the big screen to show them the footage. Then, as you get back to the pits and pull out your cam-corder, uncoil fifteen feet of knotted cables, unstick the duct tape you have been using to hold the battery pack, and rewind the tape to check your finest hour, you are greeted with sweet nothing. Somehow, the camera shut off, the tape got stuck, a wire fell out, and the video proof of you breaking the track record is gone.
Well, working in the motorcycle biz for close to a decade now, and having made two-wheeled video all over the world during this time, unfortunately this scenario has happened on too many occasions to be funny. No matter how careful you are setting the camera and taping up all the wires, it somehow has a frustrating way of going wrong when you need the footage the most. Thankfully, for those of you who have struggled with this problem over the years, this annoying situation need never happen again.
I have recently taken delivery of a VIO POV 1, so I can say goodbye to electrical tape, external battery packs, mini DV tapes, and all the confusion that has accompanied the joy of onboard footage over the years. Now, I simply pull out my POV 1, connect the camera lens to the main body, turn it on, and hit record. Coming with a 1 GB hard drive that can hold over 40 minutes of footage at 720x480 lines of resolution, it records at 30 frames per second. This is more than enough to capture a couple of track sessions, and downloading it when you are finished is a breeze. Just plug the POV 1 into your laptop and import. Erase card and repeat.
Unwrapping the POV 1 for the first time, you will find everything very neatly stored in a compact carrying case with a central zipping system. Folding out flat on the table, all the parts and accessories are securely held in their respective places with strong, elastic straps. This means during the confusion of attending a track day to film, looking for important parts of your camera gear will never be an issue again.
The main body of the POV 1 is 6.5 inches long, 2.5 inches wide, and 1.5 inches deep. There is a small viewing screen at the top, and all the relevant play, fast forward, and rewind buttons are situated below. These are reasonably intuitive, although at first I had trouble figuring out the play back system if I was running the tape in fast-forward. I feel technologically superior beings, most of you, won’t have any trouble though, as it really is pretty straightforward. Batteries for the unit are inserted in the back, and four AAA items are
To insert or change the memory stick, you have to remove a small door at the base of the POV 1. This has a simple locking screw, but as with the battery door, I have found the need to use something to finally pry it off. These are small niggles, but when I am busy in the field I would like the convenience of being able to access these places without the need of a tool. Once inside the small door, you will notice an AV out plughole, a place to insert a microphone, and a fire-wire port for importing the video to your computer. On the subject of microphones, the POV 1 has one mounted internally, and for those who understand audio speak, it is a Monaural Omni directional cable-mounted unit. There is also a Monaural 8 ohm Mylar speaker in the POV 1, so you can listen to the audio when you are reviewing your video in the small onboard screen.
The brochure quotes the camera cable as 15 feet long, but mine came with a five-foot version. This is long enough to reach most places on a motorcycle, while still carrying the POV 1 in a fanny pack around your waist. At the new Yamaha R6 launch, for a rearward facing shot, I just lifted the rear seat cowl, wrapped the POV 1 in a towel and it worked just fine. At times like this you can turn the camera on and off with the remote control, but I prefer to actually see the screen and know it is recording, just in case of screw ups.
Inside the carrying case are all the other wires and cables necessary to watch your footage on television. There is also a bag of mounting accessories, which includes velcro pads, mounting hardware, and brackets, so the sky is the limit on places you can mount the camera while filming.
The footage is excellent, the POV 1 simple and easy to use, and apart from a few small gripes, the system gets full marks from us in every department. It is strongly constructed, the components are all great quality, and so far it appears to be extremely robust. It is not showing too many signs of wear from being jammed under seats, duct taped to bodywork, or jammed in fanny packs either. Something you can’t say about a mini DV recorder.
The Vio comes with everything you need to get started, including the carrying case which keeps everything organized and easy to find. (Photo: Neale Bayly)n n » More Photos
All the parts for the POV 1 system are sold separately if you have a problem. And, if you want to update or carry spares, you can purchase these or the whole unit directly online at www.vio-pov.com. Or, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call the good people at VIO, 888-579-2267, and enjoy. You don’t break a lap record every day.
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