There's been a bit of question about the video capture specifications for the HTC EVO 3D. Sprint's spec sheet said that 1080p video capture was supported in 2D. But like some of the other early reviewers, we don't have that option in the camera settings. We reached out to Sprint, and this is what they had to say:
Our apologies, but there was a typo in the spec sheet for EVO 3D. The correct feature should read: capture video up to 720p and playback up to 1080p on both 2D and 3D.
It's not the end of the world, and good 720p video capture is much better than jittery 1080p video by a country mile. For most, the 1080p decoding was the important bit, and that part was correct. Will this affect your decision to purchase the EVO 3D, or is it one spec you can overlook, considering the awesomesauce of all the others?
Reader comments
Sprint revises EVO 3D video capture specs to 720p
i was intentionally buying the phone for that feature, but an outstanding no lag, low grain true 720p hd video camera would be great.
Phone will be a battery whore.
we will see. i thought the same thing, but it has a big battery for stock, dual core so less power used. but then again, 3D!!! we will see
3D doesn't really use any more power than 2D. It will be all that RAM and dual core that has the potential to eat up power.
I believe that Sprint isn't forthcoming in this issue. I think it was a sales tactic and keeping in tradition with their product pre-release strategies. If you recall, before the OG EVO 4G came out, Dan Hesse said the 4G pricing was one dollar amount, then right before it's released, it changed to $10/mo. In other words, lied. The same applies here with this latest "Summer Release EVO", get you hyped up with all the specs, cause you to pre-order and generate a frenzy over this product and then a week before release, lie again. I am very disappointed in their practice of this. You watch - the next EVO release will have the same type of false promises/advertising. I agree with HikariNoKitsune, every CTIA member told me that the camera could produce 1080p and went in-depth into it. How could Sprint Product reps do that, if that was a typo? Lastly, how could overlook a key spec like this, when the main feature of this is 3D video? I don't buy it. Sprint has some shady practices....I won't even mention the whole "giveth and taketh away" practice of Sprint Premiere status...disappointed in Sprint. :( (All in all, I still like this provider compared to others - just a couple of small things to complain about.)
One thing here that seriously baffles me:
ALL THE REPS AT THE CTIA EVENT, SAID IT WAS 1080p
Soooo ummmm.... How can Sprint claim it was a "typo" if all their representatives at said event have been claiming it 1080p capable?
To me, that does not add up one bit. Personally whether its 1080p or 720p doesn't bother me, cause I RARELY shoot video, or even take pictures for that matter. But what does bother me, is the fact that their reps talked about it being 1080p at their debut event.
I hope there isn't too much negative lashback for this, something that HTC obviously wanted on the phone but might have been pushed by Sprint to get out sooner than they might have liked. I do see this as a great phone put out by HTC, a brand that deserves recognition for what they've been as a phone company. We can only be so lucky that other phone companies are taking to the example they have made in the phone industry, particularly the amount of support they dedicate to all their devices, old and new.
Everyone knows this is a great phone. I'm someone that believes that Sense is head and shoulders above the rest out there, and even tho I root, I still end up going back to sense because of the polish and integration. Just having that options over other phones IMO adds value to the phone, as you really are getting extra features for free.
HTC has tried to make the Evo3D a phone for the masses, much like how the Evo 4G brought Sprint and HTC to the forefront of Android's push past iOS. I realize people don't like it when they don't get what they feel they're entitled to, but this phone deserves to be a good seller for the product it is and to keep HTC making more premium phones.
One has to wonder why it took almost the week before launch for Sprint to catch this and make the correction. These specs have been floating and touted by Sprint for over a month...
I don't have a ton of disposable income, so I can't throw money at this phone and *hope* it works as I need it to. Plans, they are a changing.
What's with that saying? I mean I know where it comes from and its origin, but why the heck does EVERYONE want to use it over and over and over lately? Its not really just you, and I dont mean to single you out or anything, but jeez, EVERYONE seems to be using that phrase lately, and its not even a phrase that really fits what has been going on with this device either, nor any other devices I've seen this phrased heaped upon..
Can someone explain how a phone with a screen resolution of 960×540 playback 1080p which is 1920×1080?
..... you seriously asking that?? sweet jesus
Sadly I also do not actually know the answer to that XD But what I do know is that it just simply does it XD
It scales the resolution down on the fly during playback. It is not rocket science.
That's Bullshit, how in the hell is that a typo?! And what's stopping HTC/Sprint from an upgrade to let it capture 1080p?
what in the hell are you guys shooting? Godfather IV?
Matters not. I'm still a day 1'er for this puppy!
That's Bullshit, how in the hell is that a typo?! And what's stopping HTC/Sprint from an upgrade to let it capture 1080p?
I often take still pictures at the highest resolution so I can later crop them and still have adequate resolution. As it is, I find that I almost always still decrease it, especially if it's going on the web or into an e-mail. With video, 720p is more than adequate, especially for a device that's not tri-pod mounted.
It's not a stopper for me. I'm more in it for the updated processor, which will become more useful as time goes on.
How in the hell is going to playback 1080p if it hasn't been captured! How this better than my current EVO which can also capture video in 720p? I am highly pissed this is false advertising, and I can't stand false advertising. This was one of the main reasons why I was excited about the launch of the EVO 3D. I am seriously considering purchasing another phone.
.... playback isn't only for what you record. In other words, if you put a 1080P movie on your SD card and play it, it'll play in full 1080P. If you go to Youtube, you can see videos in full 1080. Thats what playback is. Its not limited to only what you record...
And btw... nobody should have been caught up in this 1080P nonsense anyway. The Sensation skips a lot and quite frankly isn't that good. The 720P video capture from the Evo 4G and the Evo3D will be much different. For one, you can record 720P in H.264 which is better than recording in MPEG like the Evo 4G. Also, the Evo 4G struggled to even get 22fps in daylight which is horrible. The Evo 3D can hold a solid 30fps outdoor and indoor. The 720p quality in the 3D will definitely be better than that of the 4G that is a fact. You're better off with solid 720 than shitty 1080P...
Improvement of the camcorder was one of my concerns. When I made my first recording in 720p on the evo 4g, I was thinking "this doesn't really look to smooth". Later I thought that it plain sucked. I recorded all my video in 480 because at least it played smooth. I'm disappointed in the "typo" , but if the 720p in the 3d plays smoothly ,ill be satisfied. I don't care about 3d at all.
For the record the EVO 4G can record in h.263 and h.264 as well. I was really looking forward to 1080p so I could put up video of my children playing soccer on my 1080p TV. Does anyone know if you can zoom in/out the video with the EVO 3D that feature is needed and missing on the EVO 4G? Although I am deeply disappointed not having 1080p recording there is no other phone that can match all the specs of the EVO 3D at this time, so I will be getting the EVO 3D come June 24. How do we know that the EVO 3D can get 30fps at 720P has someone tested the camera to confirm?
1) You can't "zoom" when there is no optical zoom. No phone has an optical zoom.
2) A video doesn't have to be 1080P to display on your your 1080P TV.
3) MOST people can't even tell the difference between 720 and 1080 video resolution, and certainly not on a sub-50" TV.
4) We simply don't know what FPS the Evo 3D does yet...
That's Bullshit, how in the hell is that a typo?! And what's stopping HTC/Sprint from an upgrade to let it capture 1080p?
I'm still getting it, hey guys sorry for the stupid question but 1080p playback means what?
If you download a 1080p video, the phone will play it so you can watch it.
I actually think the blame could reside with HTC as much or more than Sprint. Sure, Sprint could have gotten the correct info from HTC and then lied (or simply goofed when copying it). But equally if not more plausible in my mind is HTC giving them incorrect info due to some mix up in specs. If this was the case (or even if Sprint made the mistake), the fact that HTC itself didn't eventually catch it before today seems really odd to me. I guess if we're talking conspiracy theories, you could say Sprint and HTC colluded to deceive the consumer.
Whatever the case is, I will still get the phone. This is not the feature that was any big priority for me, but as others have indicated, it does mean that I'm not happy with Sprint or HTC for this. I do think they need to make it up to consumers some way, whether that's a free credit for an accessory, or something. It just smacks of false advertizing, although I'm sure they'll justify it to themselves by saying that it was caught before any devices were sold...
That's Bullshit, how in the hell is that a typo?! And what's stopping HTC/Sprint from an upgrade to let it capture 1080p?
That's why it is really important to not get caught up in specs and really look at how you use your phone and what's important to you.
For the life of me I can never understand the scrutiny that phone cameras and now tablets get-I've had the Evo since launch and I think the Evo takes great pics cos all I do with them is email/post to facebook. I also don't have a hdmi cable and have never needed to plug my phone to TV. It's like the 720p vs 1080p debate for TVs. I don't see anyone complaining to the cable providers that pretty much all tv content we watch on our 1080p TVs is still only in 720p/1080i.I also don't have 4g in my town but I have wifi at work and home so it has not mattered to me as I don't travel a lot.
Bottom line is most of us do not use our phones the same ways these reviewers do so its important to make up your own mind based on your needs.I have the 3D pre-ordered and I can't wait to see the SICK custom roms that come out for the 3D (as long as HTC stick to their word)
I have to agree... And when you have 1080p, then what? Who cares? In one year phones have advanced to the point where they possess all the capabilities of a laptop, and many they do not. I preordered mine on contract for $179! I have an O G Evo that my wife will inherit. I don't need to do any of the things it's capable of. It sure is nice to have it if I so choose. I don't need any of the capabilities of the Evo 3D, but it sure is going to be nice to have. Everyone acts like we're entitled to all this... I'm just excited that this tech is in the reach of common people. Only 720p? To Sprint I say awesome phone, and thanks for doing what you guys do!
Those who say it was not a typo are in denyal. You are just mad. Nuff said
Who cares, everything about this peice of Sprinty goodness is incredible and will be great to brag to others about so yeah lol no biggie.
Haha that sucks I just pre ordered mine today. But I agree, better to have amazing 720 that crappy 1080. I'm alright will it. It's easily 10x better than my Vibrant out of the box anyway. I can't wait!
Again another....NON FACTOR.....Right now the only thing I am waiting for is Friday June 24th 2011 at 8AM and the Evo 3d will be in my hands and out the door no later than 9am. The only way I won't see next Friday is if death happens.....
This phone has double specs on everything from the Evo 4g. If u feel u need to cancle your pre-order for the 3d then you never was a fan of the device anyway. I'm tired of fake people acting like this phone is less then current phones coming it, pure bs. I'm sorry but the specs are out standing for a small company like HTC compared to Samsung and Motorola. If you don't want it don't get it, but unlike Samsung and Motorola, HTC is a quality brand with a real promise.
Just because it's a good phone doesn't change the fact that giving specs then recanting them at the last minute really sucks. Maybe video isn't important to you, and that's fine, but that doesn't mean that for people that video was important for, the phone they've been planning to buy for weeks or months now has to be reconsidered.
If 1080p video recording is so important to someone, they have to be either stupid or...ok, well, just stupid to reply on a phone. Get a real video camera / camcorder if 1080p video is critical to whatever it is you're doing.
And by "you," I don't mean "you, dvdmon" (Levi?)...I mean "you people" in general.
You have a point Craig (Cra1g?), but I think you're missing something. There are lots of people out there who aren't video buffs, and they don't want to be carrying around a camcorder, even of flip size, to add to their gadget load. Still, they do want to have the best quality video their TV's can handle. This doesn't seem unreasonable to me. 720P is fine for me, but I'm still dissapointed because this was a feature I thought would make a qualitative difference in the video I shoot with the phone over 720P. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but I still think its odd when people dismiss this kind of stuff as "whining" because it's not important to THEM, or even worse, they presume to feel they have the right to decide should be important to others.
It's aggravating because it's like buying something (I've already pre-ordered) only to find out it was falsely advertised.
However, it's by no means a deal breaker.
Nope. It sucks but for me the dual core, better screen and sense 3.0 is what makes it a buy for ,me
It was no typo, it was a sales tactic to get people's foot in the door with this phone. if it wasnt for A.C. reaching out to Sprint, sprint probably was going to mention this before launch date anyways. They also probably figure people are lazy and wont care to change their mind anout it.
Given its still a phone, not a video camera a lot of people dont give a damn.
How much 1080p video can you store on a 32GB SD Card? Im not lazy and I will still buy this great phone.
Does not bother me at all. Still getting my EVO 3D on June 24.
I'm more annoyed than mad. Like it was stated above, Id MUCH rather have solid 720 than shitty 1080. From what Ive read it records solid 720P @ 30fps outdoor and indoor. Thats damn good. I just want to know why the Sensation can do 1080 but the Evo 3D can't... Makes no sense. And i dont buy that it was a damn type-o. Thats utter bullshit
The Sensation has a different camera.
Sensation has one 8MP camera.
EVO 3D has two 5MP cameras.
That doesn't matter. Thats a hardware difference. When the Evo 3D records in 2D, it only uses one camera. The Evo 3D has the same processor as the Sensation. There is no reason it cant record at 1080 like the Sensation.
The Sensation's 1080p recording skips frames a lot according to most reviews... I'd rather have a really solid 720p than a jittery 1080p.
From someone who works in publication development, I can confirm mistakes (typos) do happen on finished pubs. Although, I would agree that it is odd that a spec fault like that would make it through tech review, QR, and QC.
something tells me 1080p will still come in an update...
ya me too. it doesnt make sense for it not too. I think it was probably too shitty so they pulled it out. maybe an update later on
Will it shoot 30fps or 24fps?
Typically "720p" means "720p60", which is "1280x720@60fps, progressive recording". Your question is certainly valid, because I have yet to see ANY fps specs for the video recording, and that is a VERY important one.
From the reviews ive read they all say solid 30fps even indoors.
Agreed, this is important to me. Idc if it's 1080p to me thats not important, 720p is just fine. I just wonder about the fps because the Evo 4G wasn't a full 30fps =\
Agreed, this is important to me. Idc if it's 1080p to me thats not important, 720p is just fine. I just wonder about the fps because the Evo 4g wasn't a full 30fps =\
>"Will this affect your decision to purchase the EVO 3D, or is it one spec you can overlook, considering the awesomesauce of all the others? "
No, it won't affect my decision. It is irritating that they would screw up reporting the specs like that, but to me it is not that important- 720p is more than enough, as long as it records smoothly with high quality.
Some people might be irritated, though, and they would have a right to be.
It does seem odd that if the chipset/cpu/software could have enough power to record TWO full 720p video streams at the same time, that it couldn't do a single 1080p. 720p x 2 = 141 million pixels per second. 1080p x 1 = 124 million.
I've yet to see home movies recorded in 1080p that are worth that many pixels. Add in the not-awesomeness of using a camera to record video and I can't imagine anyone being able to justify needing 1080p video recording on their phone.
Of course, I might change my mind if the first hardcore video evidence of a UFO is recorded in 720p on a cameraphone. ;-)
Exactly. As a videographer, I'd say that both 1080p and the "megapixel" war on camera phones is a joke. This is PURELY a spec-sheet game aimed to target unsuspecting consumers and give salespeople another tool in convincing you that a certain phone is better.
The truth is you can't decipher how good a camera is with a simple pixel count. And honestly, it might be the LEAST important factor in the whole setup in this day and age (on camera phones).
aww tits