Do disposable video cameras make sense?

CVS is going to start selling a disposable video camera (USA Today). It costs $29.95, then you need to pay an extra $12.95 to get your video burned onto a DVD. And, of course, you don't get to keep the camera. Meanwhile, the company can most likely keep using the camera's innards over and over, since it's all digital. It also only records 20 minutes of action, and you can only play back the most recent scene you shot.

CVS is the exclusive vendor, and Pure Digital Technologies is the manufacturer. They currently make all-digital disposable still cams, and they appear to have some heavyweight backing and executives from larger companies.

On the other hand, you could always go to Fry's (or a nicer store) and spend a couple hundred bucks on an open box cam. You can find an even better price on a used videocam from craigslist.

But, for those special moments when you've, (just as an example) got Paris Hilton cooling her heels in the car, this might make sense.

Apparently the parts costs on this camera is $35, so just as long as they can find enough people in a similar situation it might be profitable. It also doesn't make that much sense for hobbyists, since they could assemble something probably even better for a similar price. But, if this becomes popular, it will probably also have an effect on the prices for related components like memory cards.

Miscellania · Wed, 06/08/2005 - 15:52 · · Importance: 1