Review: iPhone Video Recorder

iPhoneVideoRecorder v2.0.1 | Published by DreamCatcher | Via Cydia | $19.95 | Released: 8-22-08 Overview iPhone Video Recorder is one of the apps that I have missed the most since upgrading to 2.0 firmware. It is only available for a jailbroken iPhone and was just released today. With IVR's, you can finally have quality video and audio taken with your iPhone camera!

Functionality IVR is available through Cydia or through direct download from Dreamcatcher's website. At first, I kept getting an error message when I tried to test and was thoroughly frustrated. The notes on Cydia don't indicate any instructions other than a simple download. After a quick visit back to the Dreamcatcher site, I found these instructions:

Requirements: You need a jailbroken iPhone with firmware 2.X (instructions can be found in a lot forums in the net) You need a SSH server running on it. The most common is openSSH and it can be found on Cydia. Install Method 1: Cydia method 1) Please add iPhone Video Recorder source http://www.iphonevideorecorder.com to your Cydia installer, and install it. 2) Create a folder called “Documents” in /var/mobile/ and set permission to 777. 3) Create a folder called “Documents” in the /Applications folder and set permissions to 777. 4) Reboot your iPhone. Install Method 2: Manually method 1) Download and extract the app from http://www.iphonevideorecorder.com/videorecorder3g.app.zip 2) Upload your app to the /Applications folder of your iPhone. 3) Set the permissions of the app to 755 recursively. 4) Create a folder called “Documents” in /var/mobile/ and set permission to 777. 5) Create a folder called “Documents” in the /Applications folder and set permissions to 777. 6) Reboot your Device.

I had not created the two different Documents folders. After quickly SSH-ing into my iPhone and a relaunch of IVR, I was in business! A flawless recording. IVR allows you to set the quality of video recording you want, its mode - whether vertical or horizontal, amplification of audio and bitrate, and adjust the brightness. It records and encodes into mp4 format with a framerate of up to 15 fps which is great for use anywhere. You aren't going to get movie quality, but for what it does, it does it well. After recording the video, you are given a looong and rather confusing name. Clicking on the name allows you to playback, share it (with Youtube or Google Video), rename it, or delete it.

Review iPhone Video Recorder simply works. There are a few hiccups with it. I have noticed that if the iPhone has anything else going in the background, it will probably crash. That includes the intrusive text message or a phone call. There are some features it needs that would be a great improvement. For starters, you need to have an option to name the video before it's shot so you won't have to search through the list for which one you're looking for. Either that, or make the time stamp easier to read.. I always have to do math when I'm confronted with 16-16-38.mp4. What is that?! I also think it would be nice to have the video imported into iPhoto when the iPhone is plugged in. At present, you can SSH into the phone to get the video onto your computer, or you can send it to Youtube or Google. Not very easy. However, the usefulness and sheer fun of being able to video on the go more than make up for the lacking features. But perhaps $19.95 is a bit steep?

Summary iPhone Video Recorder is one of those wonderful apps that I really missed from my jailbroken 1.1.4 phone. When they announced its release today for 2.0, I was ecstatic. Since the iPhone is capable of video, it's a shame that Apple hasn't enabled a feature like this. Dreamcatcher steps in and makes it possible for all of us. While the $19.95 price is pretty steep among apps, I think it's well worth it. It's a lifetime price good for all upgrades of the app, according to the site. Usability: 5 / 5 Value: 3 / 5 Utility: 4 / 5 Aesthetics: 4 / 5 Overall Rating: 4 / 5

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