Video Shopping: For those who have their own equipment

Hello,

I was wondering what type of equipment to get to do video shops that you shoppers with your own equipment have and recommend.

I've seen a lot of button cams and DVR's on ebay and around the internet. Generally does anyone know what the video format has to be for the shopping companies?

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Chuck,

Before you invest several hundred $$ in equipment, you might want to sign up with several video MSCs and use their quipment to see if this is really for you. The portion of video wanna-bes to video shoppers is about 10: 1. It really is not for everyone.

Give it a try. If you are "hooked" and get good marks from the clients, it will be soon enough to buy your own equipment.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

Chuck,

The added benefit of heeding Walesmaven's advice is that different companies use different equipment, and you will get the chance to see what set-up you like best. The two most popular choices of DVR are the PV-500 and the Archos 504/604. The problem with the PV-500 is that it is expensive (with a good quality button cam/mike and a spare SD card or two, $800-ish). The problem with the Archos is that they are no longer made, although they are widely available on the Internet. I just bought some 604s for under $75, and 504s for $125, refurbished with a six months' warranty. Add a travel adapter ($50 - $100), a couple of spare batteries, back up cables, button cam/mike and a battery pack, and the whole set would be $400 - $500.

The format is AVI.

There is a low-cost alternative, the AngelEye, at around $150 all in. It has a short battery life (around an hour), and it will not give you DVD quality film. The format is "compatible with AVI." Not all MSCs will accept this one, so check first. If nothing else, it could be a good way to practice.

If you find that you really do enjoy this, and are willing to travel, you will recoup your expenses quite quickly.

LadyBugg1 is right on the mark about that. However, I would never travel with fewer than 2 button cam set-ups @ about $100-130 each and two travel adaptors. The cams and their wiring are the most fragile part of the rig and come in for a lot of bending and tugging, even when we try to be careful.

In the early stages of video shopping, you may book only one shop at a time, close to home, and have the luxury of losing relatively little if you have an equipment falure when you get to the site. But, if you are a serious video shopper you will be traveling 2-5 days at a time, with 3 or more shops per day. That's why most of us travel with 2-3 complete sets, plus a few odd "spares and repairs."

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

Absolutely, Walesmaven! I thought that I had plenty of backup, with two Archos DVRs and at least three of everything else ... until I had both DVRs go bad on me at the same time recently. Thank goodness it was on a Friday, rather than the Monday!

LadyBugg,
Do you have a source for inexpensive batteries for the Archos 604. I just ordered my first one of that series and know that the batteries for the 504 will not fit it.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

I found mine on Ebay from "Imax_Expert," $21 each. Shipping on five was $10 which seemed like a good deal. I have only spoken to one person about battery life for the 604: she said that she doesn't trust them over 90 minutes, and instructs her shoppers to take a spare in their pocket when doing new home shops. A tad disappointing when one is used to at least two hours on the 504.

Hmmm. How disappointing. I will run a test (video of my kitchen clock, lol) when mine arrives and report back my findings. If you would do the same, we can see what's what with the battery life. Somehow I thought that I had read (way back when they were introduced) that the 604 batteries lasted longer than the 504s.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

Make sure you like this type of shop before investing. I've done a few in the past and even with good equipment they can be quite a hassle. Also make sure you have the fastest internet connection possible because even a mere 20 minute video can take 12 hours to upload on some DSL connections (like mine!). Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance on what kind of camera to get. I think some companies use an Archos 404.

Topaz,
I think that the oldest that most companies use would be an Archos 504. What you say is quite true about Internet connections. When uploading from many hotels, a single new home video may take 14-16 hours. To speed up the process, turn off any screen savers, the power saver, and close everything except the IE connection. And, make sure your computer is not plugged into an outlet that is connected to a light switch!

Because of the hotel slow upload problem, the MSCs will often give you extra time to get your video uploaded or to burn them to DVDs and overnight them to the MSC. Just be sure to communicate any delays to them ASAP. This is yet another good reason to work for MSCs where the schedulers and the bosses all have extensive video shopping experience.

No one would disagree that this is a complex business. However, one person's hassle is another's cup of tea. I'd rather go through the complicated and exacting robing and wiring routine and then upload the video than have to go home and write a long report any time.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

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