ContourHD has two video settings; with a single switch (HD on top and SD on the bottom) located inside the back door you can easily select between HD and High Action SD. See Tech Specs

• HD Video Setting
  
  • Resolution: 1280 x 720
    
  • Frame Rate: 30 frames per second
    
  • Field of View: 135 degrees
    
• High Action SD
  
  • Resolution: 848 x 480
    
  • Frame Rate: 60 frames per second
    
  • Field of View: 90 degrees

The field of view does vary depending on what video setting you are using. If you are recording High Definition you will have a wider field of view (135 degrees). The High Action SD video setting gives you a more zoomed in perspective with a 90 degree field of view.

• HD: 135 degrees
• SD: 90 degrees

Configuring the video resolution and bitrate is simple with Easy Edit software. Start your Easy Edit Software, connect your camera, highlight your camera, and then select “Configure Camera” from the “Tools” menu.

On the “Video” Tab you can configure the video bitrate and the microphone gain. The bitrate will have an effect on the image quality, battery life, record time allowed per GB, and computer processing capability required for smooth playback. The microphone gain controls the volume of the microphone for the camera. Once the settings have been chosen, select update camera and safely eject your camera. You will hear one beep to signify that the updates have taken place.

Things to Know:

Easy Edit Software does not play videos above 720@30fps smoothly

Clipping in Easy Edit Software creates bit efficient files intended for playback on VholdR.com or through the Easy Edit Software. After clipping, the bitrate may be significantly reduced and the quality of the clipped video may be diminished from the original video.

Bitrate Settings:

	Image Quality	Battery Life	Record Time/GB	CPU Processing Power
Max	BEST	Low	Low	High
High	Excellent	Medium	Medium	High
Default	Great	High	High	Medium

Microphone Gain:

For high action video where there is a chance of picking up noise generated by the wind, you will want to be between the range of 0-33. For low action video where wind noise will not be a factor, you will want to be within the range of 33-59.

0 – No audio captured in recordings.
33 – Reduces audio volume that is recorded and is ideal for in action video.
59 – All audio is captured and is ideal for walking and recording conversations.

Adjusting your lighting setting is simple with Easy Edit software. Start your Easy Edit Software, connect your camera, highlight your camera, and then select “Configure Camera” from the “Tools” menu.

On the “Lighting” Tab, you can choose from preset lighting conditions (i.e. Everyday Outdoor, Extra Sunny, etc.) that will automatically configure the variables to provide the best video experience. Or select “Edit” if you want to customize any of the settings (Contrast, Exposure, Sharpness, or Metering).

Contrast Setting:

Contrast determines the difference in brightness between light and dark areas. Higher contrast emphasizes texture within an image by differentiating between the brightness of the light and dark areas.

44-60: Best if you are looking for the richest colors and you have plenty of light. The lower the contrast the richer the color, but if you go too low the colors will look a bit cartoonish.
60-70: Better for low lighting conditions as it will help to distinguish between objects within the image and not blur them together. Your images will have brighter lights and darker shadows.

Exposure Setting:

The exposure of the camera will determine how much light is allowed into the lens. If you are filming in low light conditions you want more light coming into the camera, which means your exposure should be greater than 0. The reverse is true if you have super bright conditions and want to darken the image so the camera can better see the details, which means you want an exposure number less than 0.

-3 to -1: Best for bright conditions
1 - 2: Best for darker conditions

Sharpness Setting:

The sharpness determines the clarity of the fine details of the image. For everyday use you will want to use a setting of 3.

1-2: Best for low lighting, but produces less detail in images
4-5: More defined in the detail of the image, may require a higher bitrate for best results.

Metering Setting:

Metering for the camera determines how the lens measures light from the objects that you are filming.

Center Metering – Determines the light level from the center region of the image. This option will be best for your everyday outdoor use.

Average Metering – Averages of the lighting from the entire image. This will be the best option for highly varied lighting or dark conditions as it will help to balance the lighting for the entire scene.

Spot Metering – Light level is determined from a small portion at the center of the image. Center metering is suited for optimizing the very center of the video and is generally not well matched to high motion.

ContourHD uses H.264 video codec, AAC audio compression, and a .mov file type. Your videos will be accepted by almost all HD video editing programs and players. H.264 has become a standard for video compression, and by using H.264 we think your videos will be more user-friendly as well as deliver the highest quality video with the smallest file sizes.

See Wikipedia for more on H.264

ContourHD records to an internal microSD memory card, which means there are no wires and no separate recorders. We include a 2GB card in the box when you purchase the camera, but ContourHD is compatible with up to a 16GB microSD memory card. Although many microSD cards are compatible with the ContourHD, we cannot guarantee that all microSD cards are compatible with the CountourHD. However, we have tested the following makes, classes, and capacities of micro SD cards with the ContourHD. Tests were conducted in both HD and SD modes for short (less than one minute) and long (+45 minute) video recordings.

Please note that we have seen incompatibility issues with Toshiba based 8GB microSD cards (used by such vendors as MaxFlash and Kingston) with the ContourHD camera (720 model ONLY). However, this issue is resolvable with a firmware update. If you experience this issue with your ContourHD camera, please update the firmware on your camera by following the instructions on the "Updates" page.

SD Card	Class	Capacity
Generic MicroSD	Class 4	8Gb
SanDisk MicroSD	Class 2	8Gb
Centon MicroSD HC	Class 2	16Gb
Transcend MicroSD	Class 6	6Gb
Kingston MicroSD HC	Class 4	8Gb
SanDisk MicroSD HC	Class 2	16Gb
MaxFlash MicroSD	Class 2	1Gb
MaxFlash MicroSD	Class 2	2Gb
MaxFlash MicroSD	Class 4	4Gb
MaxFlash MicroSD	Class 4	8Gb
MaxFlash MicroSD	Class 2	16Gb

ContourHD will record different time lengths depending on what video setting you are using. Your record times will also vary slightly in cold weather conditions and with older memory cards. Below is our list of estimated record times:

• HD – 30 minute per GB
• SD – 60 minute per GB

The ContourHD battery will last up to three hours (180 minutes) when recording in either the SD or HD modes. However, the battery life is reduced in cold weather conditions.

The ContourHD uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, located right inside the back door of the camera. We use a rechargeable battery to save you money and to save the environment. You can recharge your own battery whenever you want to keep recording all the action, and you don’t have to worry about purchasing AA’s. We even included a quick check feature on the camera to tell you how much battery life you have left.

The primary method for recharging your ContourHD is to use the included USB cable that connects the camera to your computer. We also sell chargers for your car and your wall outlets. Generally, ContourHD takes four hours to completely recharge when the camera is off and connected to your computer. See ContourHD Accessories

As we say, HD video is beautiful, but not all machines can play it smoothly. We are still dialing in the computer specifications to play HD video smoothly so if you’re watching ContourHD videos on your computer and they appear a bit choppy, don’t worry, there is nothing wrong with your camera, your computer is just having a difficult time playing the videos. You can do small things like close all other programs when playing your video, but the best fix is to upgrade your graphics card and RAM so that your computer will be better suited for playing rich HD video.

Imaging equipment (sensors, monitors, etc.) sometimes experience dead or inactive pixels which remain light or dark at all times, although usually only the lighter dead pixels are visible. If you think your camera has excessive dead pixels, please send an unedited 5 second video clip in a blacked out room to Twenty20 technical support. Please include the serial number of your camera, your return shipping address, and your phone number.

The ContourHD is water resistant. This means it is designed to withstand normal exposure to the elements (rain and snow or occasional light splashing) during recreational activities. It is NOT designed to be submerged or exposed to pressurized water or intense wave action, such as waves or severe rain storms. Water sports enthusiasts stay tuned — we are working on a waterproof enclosure for the ContourHD which will make it suitable for water sports.

The record slider is designed to be loose enough so that it will easily slide between the ‘Off’ and ‘Record’ positions. The slider is too loose if the camera inadvertently turns the record function on or off while engaged in activities. If this occurs while your camera is under warranty, please contact Twenty20 technical support and provide the serial number of your camera along with your return mailing address, email address, and phone number.

This is usually an indication that the battery is unable to charge. Check the USB connector and ensure this is properly seated in the camera and in your computer. Also check that the battery latch is fully engaged to hold the battery securely in place. If none of these remedies improve the situation, and if your camera is under warranty, contact Twenty20 technical support and provide the serial number of your camera along with your shipping address, email address, and phone number.

The plastic lens protector of the ContourHD is designed to be replaceable. Twenty20 can provide offers replacement lenses as part of our replacement lens kit. In addition to three replacement lenses, this kit also includes a screwdriver for removing the camera bezel, filter adapter (37mm), replacement bezel, and zipper pouch to keep all these items together.

Please be certain to save your video files before reformatting the SD card. If you do not, you will lose ALL information once the SD card has been reformatted.

To reformat the Micro SD card on a PC:

1. Insert the SD card in your computer
2. Click the "Start" button and go to "Computer"
3. Find the SD card in the listing for "Computer"
4. Right click on the SD card, and select "Format"
5. Use Fat 32 w/ default allocation and select the "Quick Format" box

To reformat the Micro SD card on a Mac:

1. Find the “Disk Utility” (should be found by going to your “Applications” folder and then your “Utilities” folder)
2. Select the SD card drive and select “Erase”
3. Use MSDOS FAT setting and select “Erase”

If the instruction s above do not resolve recording related issue, then please try this process (Mac only):

1. Find the “Disk Utility” (should be found by going to your “Applications” folder and then your “Utilities” folder)
2. Select the SD card drive and select “Erase”
3. Use MSDOS FAT setting and select “Erase”
4. Click on the “Partition Tab
5. Select the pull-down menu beneath the text “Volume Scheme:” labeled “Current” and select “1 Partition”
6. Click the “Options...” button
7. Select “Master Boot Record” and click “OK”
8. Verify that the format is selected as MS-FAT under “Volume Information”
9. Click the “Apply” button
10. When you get the dialog box, click the “Partition” button

This may be the result of an improperly aligned camera lens. If you are seeing dark corners in your HD videos, please take a 10 second clip in a well-lit area and send the clip in .MOV format (raw and unedited) to Twenty20 technical support. Please include the serial number of your ContourHD, return shipping address, email address, and phone number.

It is ok to charge your battery overnight. The maximum time that your battery will need to charge is four hours; however, it is ok to charge your battery beyond that. However, we do not recommend consistently overcharging your battery.

First, check to make sure that your SD card is properly inserted in the camera. You may also want to try different USB ports on your computer. If you still have problems, please contact Twenty20 technical support.

The operating temperature for the camera ranges from -15°C to 40°C. This information can also be found in our Product Information Guide.

You will encounter wind noise with most action sports that take place at faster speeds. We have designed the camera and firmware to optimize your audio experience for action sports in general. Some of our users’ suggestions to reduce wind noise can be found on our forums.

The ContourHD has an auto focus lens and cannot be manually adjusted. The camera is designed to focus on whatever is in the center of the image screen. Objects at a different focal length than the object in the middle of the image screen may appear blurry.

The ContourHD’s firmware is designed to automatically adjust white-balance to account for changes in lighting and contrast. If you believe your camera is not properly adjusting, please send us an unedited 5 second video shot in the lighting conditions you are concerned about and send it to Twenty20 technical support along with your mailing address, email address, and phone number.

Make certain that the camera is situated as far forward in the mount as possible – this will help stabilize the camera. If you believe there is a problem with the fit of your camera in a mount, please contact Twenty20 technical support.

The ContourHD records in a digital format which will allow for you to play back your videos fine on any computer. If you are interested in watching your videos on a PAL supported television, you will first need to use editing software to export the video as PAL or NTSC DVD. For more details check out our forums.

Many editing programs will accept .MOV files; however, if the editing program you are using does not, you will need to convert your videos to a file type that is supported by your software. We do not recommend any specific third party editing software applications. For some tricks and tips regarding video editing, check our forums.

Twenty20 warranties the ContourHD for 180 days from the date of purchase of product, unless otherwise indicated by your local government’s warranty laws. The warranty applies only to defects in material and workmanship and not situations caused by impacts or abuse. For complete warranty information, please refer to the Product Information Guide.

The ContourHD was designed to take on the challenges associated with many extreme recreational activities. However, paintball offers the potential for some high velocity impacts. Because of the number of variables associated with a paintball impact (load weight, muzzle velocity, range, deflection angle, etc.), we do not warrant the ContourHD against paintball impacts. Generally speaking, the Contour HD should fare well in this environment. However, a shot from a high-powered gun into the lens at point blank may damage the camera.

Yes, the ContourHD uses an embedded microphone that is located on the bottom of the camera. We have upgraded the microphone from the VholdR camera and have tuned it to reduce wind noise.

The ContourHD and our Easy Edit Software are Mac and Windows compatible. When you connect the camera to your computer it will show up as a standard USB device; on the camera we include a simple installation file to help you quickly install the Easy Edit Software. Our VholdR Commitment is to make action video easy to shoot and share, and so the Easy Edit Software makes it nearly automatic to import, clip, and share your videos to VholdR.com.