Customer Review :
Too many issues to justify the cost : Contour+ Plus Camera
I honestly wanted to like this product. I really did. From the moment I read about the Contour+, I just knew it would be the solution to my video recording needs. Sadly, the Contour+ disappointed me from the moment I opened the box.
I originally purchased the Contour+ to use during High Performance Driver Education events hosted in my area. The Contour+ was my video recorder of choice since it provided an external microphone solution, external video and settings capabilities (via Bluetooth), and GPS data tracking inherited from its older brother, the ContourGPS. Here is how each of these features fell short of my expectations.
- External Microphone Solution
The product page on the Contour website describes the external mic functionality as a new feature that was added based on community feedback. Many owners of previous Contour models complain of wind noise issues using the built-in microphone and attempts to provide DIY shielding have mostly failed. On the product page Contour pictures an external microphone which implies the device is included. This is not the case. What you get is a 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable adapter which is used to connect to an external microphone that you need to purchase separately. While I admit I could have done more research into this particular item, the photos on the website are misleading. I am certain that this is not an intentional slight on the part of Contour, but it still was a point of frustration worth noting.
Searching for a compatible external microphone was another issue. Contour doesn't provide a list of compatible microphones so I pretty much had to figure it out on my own. I did reach out to the community for advise but I received very little feedback. What I did learn, via Contour support, is that whichever type of microphone is chosen, it must have its own power source. This information was not readily available in the user manual nor on the packaging. Thankfully, I took the time to ask.
I ultimately took a leap of faith and purchased an Audio Technica ATR3350 at a local brick and mortar store. (In hindsight, I should have purchased it through Amazon because I would have saved 50%!) This microphone works well enough and has a very long cable to allow easy placement of the microphone wherever you want it. Sadly, since the microphone had its own power source, one must turn it on separately from the camera. While this makes total sense, it quickly becomes something you'll forget to do if you are distracted or focused on other things (HPDE driving is a high concentration, high stress, event and is therefore very demanding of your concentration.) The Contour line is designed to be a "one button" solution and unfortunately using an external microphone changes this dynamic considerably. It would have been nice if the Contour could provide power to the external microphone, therefore maintaining the Contour's ease of use.
- Bluetooth Video/Settings management
This functionality, to me, was icing on the cake. Previously, I had a very frustrating experience with a ContourHD that ran out of disk space halfway through an HPDE event. I did not have access to a laptop or other computerized device at the time and was unable to diagnose the issue. The Bluetooth functionality would have resolved all of that.
Out of the box, my Contour unit would not connect to either my iPhone 4 or my HTC Thunderbolt. I turned to the support forums and quickly learned that a firmware upgrade was available that specifically addressed this issue. Furthermore, updated iPhone and Android apps (which I already had) were released to coincide with the firmware upgrade. I was easily able to follow the firmware upgrade instructions. Sadly, this did not fix my issue completely. Neither of my devices would connect to the Contour+ for more than 20 seconds. Typically, connectivity lasted no more than 5 seconds. Ultimately, I gave up on this.
- GPS Tracking/Playback
Naturally, anyone who records a day at the track would appreciate knowing some basic GPS statistics about their day, right? After viewing countless ContourGPS videos on the community website I figured this functionality was also a must have. Yet again I was disappointed by the GPS data and its playback capabilities within the included software.
My first issue with the GPS data resulted in the form of jittery playback within the Storyteller software provided by Contour. The Contour+ has the ability to sample GPS data at 4Hz (4 times per second), yet for some reason the video playback within Storyteller only updated the GPS location once per second. I tested this several times with several different videos with the same results. Contour support helped verify the camera was indeed configured to sample at the correct rate, yet my issue persisted. It wasn't until I uploaded one of my videos to the Contour community website that my videos exhibited smooth GPS playback. While I can appreciate the social nature of the website, not everyone wants to utilize this web functionality.
My second issue came with the exporting of the GPS data itself. Since Storyteller was not providing me with local playback that met my expectations, I decided to try a software called Dashware which was recommended as an alternative by someone on the community forums. Dashware can interpret data from the ContourGPS/Countour+ and export your video and display your GPS data on a nice overlay, similar to what you would see in a racing video game. I quickly learned that Storyteller was exporting my GPS data with erroneous speed information. For some reason, Speed was being exported in meters per second rather than miles per hour. I verified that the Contour+ was correctly configured to measure MPH. Furthermore, Storyteller properly displayed the MPH detected by the GPS unit. This issue simply baffled me. I wasn't able to resolve this problem either.
- Other points of contention
One lesser issue I encountered was battery life. The Contour+ battery died after about 90 minutes of use (recording and standby). I thought the complaints from other Amazon reviewers were an exaggeration. I was wrong. I ended up not being able to record my best HPDE session because I didn't know the battery had died until it was too late. While I did prepare for this possibility (I recharged the battery shortly thereafter), losing that footage was a huge disappointment. Later on I investigated whether turning off some of the features (Bluetooth for example) would help improve battery life (iPhone4 anyone?). Sadly, I could not find such a setting in the configuration software.
Also, I can think of no reason why the Contour+ doesn't include a non-adhesive style mount or at the very least the Universal Mount Adapter. After all, who in their right mind is going to use an adhesive based mount on a $499 product?
Lastly, the documentation included with the Contour+ is reminiscent of an Apple product. Yet, the Contour+ is anything but an Apple product. There is far too much user intervention required in order to get this device working to one's expectations. As such, the documentation needs to be much more elaborate and accessible. I found the included manual to be useless and the community/support websites to be lackluster.
- The good stuff
Now, I can't say everything is bad on the Contour+. The extra viewing angle provided by the 170 degree lens is really nice. Being able to see my side view mirrors in the videos was extremely helpful in determining my awareness of my surroundings while on track. Also, being able to rotate the lens 180 degrees allows plenty of flexibility when mounting the camera. In addition, the Contour is a sexy device which is something the GoPro cannot claim in its current form factor.
That being said...
- Summary assessment
I simply cannot recommend the Contour+. This device is ultimately a marginal upgrade to its predecessor, the ContourGPS. I am certain Contour will get the bugs ironed out eventually. Until then, anyone who buys this device is paying a lot of money to be a beta tester of an incomplete product. Even if the bugs are fixed, I do not feel the Contour+ is a worthwhile purchase at the current MSRP. When compared to the ContourGPS, the price difference of the Contour+ is far too steep and the extra features are far too shallow.
As for the rating, I would have given the Contour+ only one star except I don't actually hate the product. I believe there is room for improvement, both in features and price point. I guess you could say the second star is me giving Contour the benefit of the doubt. They are trying to make a great product. Unfortunately, the Contour+ is mediocre at best in its current form.
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Apr 09, 2012 19:53:04 *** Please Check Update Here!!
