So a friend of mine has this trail camera that he uses to record video of wildlife. But he finds the screen too tiny to be usable right away and wants something that he can playback the video with, using the SD card that it uses to record. He also wants it to be portable and usable in his car. I suggested possibly a laptop, but he doesn’t want to spend that much.
Anyone have any ideas?
Maybe a cheap netbook? Most of them have SD card slots.
The other alternative would be a Pocket PC with an SD slot. But that depends on what format the camera records in–Pocket PCs are too wimpy to decode some video formats.
He can pick up one of the older Asus Eee PCs for $150 (7-inch screen) to $199 (8.9-inch) on clearance or used. That seems perfect for what he wants. Throw on VLC and he’s set. An original AspireOne would fit the bill too, and should be cheap.
Well he can get something like this…
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=DCP750-FB-R&cat=MP3
That should work and it has its own decent sized screen.
I have one of those, it works pretty well, excellent video format compatibility.
But – the SD card doesn’t “click” in like on a laptop, it just goes in without any feedback. And the SD card sticks out a bit, maybe a quarter-inch. Makes me worry that I might jar it loose while watching from an SD card while out & about.
I would go with DennyA’s suggestion to get a used netbook. I’m positive one can be had for $100-200.
Or, wait for the Crunchpad. It’s possible they will add an SD or microSD slot since that’s an important feature for devices like this. The cost is rumored to be around $200-300. I believe it’s smaller than most or all netbooks and tablets, and (assuming it gets the slot) it’s probably much more convenient for this purpose.
Well my solution is 54 bucks + shipping.
Sorry, Marcus, didn’t realize that RickH (who didn’t like the SD slot) wasn’t the OP. So yeah, yours and Mr. Lily’s suggestions are probably the cheapest and most practical after all. Assuming the photoframe Mr. Lily linked becomes available again, and assuming one finds a Lithium Polymer Battery for it at a good price.
Ha you found it!
I was looking for that thing but I couldn’t seem to remember where I saw it. I knew they sold something like that. Well there you go either choice might be the best and cheapest if that is what he is really looking for.
Yeah going with a cheap netbook in the long run might be a better solution (being able to off load the video onto the netbook would be nice) but if he doesn’t want to spend that much there are lots of solutions out there.
I’ve got that same DVD player, and it’s pretty good. Plus, it comes with a car adapter.
A friend just brought this to my attention: ThinkGeek 3.5" USB Desktop Digital Photo Frame. $32.99 before shipping.
Edit: Doh, no video. Never mind.