After a few delays, the 1.5 (Cupcake) update for the Android G1 phone from T-Mobile has arrived. Impatient as I am, I followed the instructions from the AndroidGuys and forced my phone to update, although I think I only gained about 12 hours ultimately. In any case, it’s a big step forward for the phone and the Android platform, with some great UI improvements, including the much discussed virtual keyboard.
For me, however, the most exciting new development is the implementation of video recording on the G1. After the phone is updated a new app appears, “Camcorder.” The use is fairly simple, just point and shoot. There are two quality settings, “Low” and “High,” with the Low setting designated for “MMS” usage. One nice feature is that video recording is integrated into the Camera app, and the user can switch from video recording to still photography with the click of one button.
The captured video uses the .3gp container format for the h.263 video codec. Audio is labeled as “samr” and is the standard 3gp audo codec of AMR-Narrowband. Using the “High” setting the video resolution is 352×288 and the bitrate looks to be around 350-400 kbps. ”Low” has a resolution of 176×144 and bitrate around 200 kbps.
How does the video look? Read the rest of this entry »