GoPro HD Hero 2 Brings New Features to the Trails and Slopes

Everyone’s favorite sports cam has undergone an overhaul, resulting in the all new GoPro HD Hero 2. Following the success of the original HD Hero, the HD Hero 2’s big upgrades come in the form of Wi-Fi Remote Control, Video Streaming and “Professional Image Capture.” According to GoPro, the HD Hero 2 is also supposed to be much easier to use than its predecessor.

Touted to be “twice as powerful as GoPro’s original HD Hero camera,” the Go Pro HD Hero 2 can capture up to 11-megapixel pictures, courtesy of its new 11-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor. GoPro says the new sensor will offer twice the low light performance courtesy of the new sensor, and a brand new image processor that’s twice as fast in order to handle the more complex data. The wide-angle lens has also been redesigned to accommodate the new sensor, and is apparently twice as sharp. Users can now capture ten 11-megapixel pictures in a one-second burst mode and .5-second time-lapse mode for successive action within the frame.

The GoPro HD Hero 2’s compatibility with the company’s new BacPac and Wi-Fi remote products is the other part of the deal here. The BackPac is a rectangular antennae that attaches to the back of the HD Hero 2 in order to provide a long range for the Wi-Fi-Remote control. This way, the camera can be controlled from a distance, and up to 50 GoPro cameras can be controlled at one time. The HD Hero 2 can now stream live video in addition to recording it to an SD/SDHC card. The best part is that the HD Hero can be controlled via a smartphone, tablet or computer running the free GoPro application.

And perhaps most importantly, the GoPro HD Hero is “dead simple to use,” according to the press release. The LCD menu is now language-based rather than relying on obscure codes that required the use of a manual to set. However, GoPro still did no install a rear-mounted LCD on the new HD Hero 2, but rather relies on the LCD BacPac accessory for that convenience. As a result, you won’t be able to use the Wi-Fi BacPac if you’re using the LCD BacPac. Sacrifices.

The GoPro HD Hero 2 is now available from GoPro’s site or Best Buy for $300, which is identical to the HD Hero when it was first announced. The original HD Hero has been reduced to $240 and $230, depending on the sports package. Like the original GoPro HD Hero, the GoPro HD Hero 2 will ship in three different packages: Outdoor, Motorsports and Surf Edition.

GoPro HD Hero 2 Specs

• Professional 11MP Sensor
• 2x Faster Image Processor
• 2x Sharper Glass Lens
• Professional Low Light Performance
• Full 170º, Medium 127º, Narrow 90º FOV in 1080p and 720p Video
• 120 fps WVGA, 60 fps 720p, 48 fps 960p, 30 fps 1080p Video
• Full 170º and Medium 127º FOV Photos
• 10 11MP Photos Per Second Burst
• 1 11MP Photo Every 0.5 Sec Timelapse Mode
• 3.5mm External Stereo Microphone Input
• Simple Language-based User Interface
• Compatible with Wi-Fi BacPac™ and Wi-Fi Remote™
• Long Range Remote Control of up to 50 GoPro Cameras per Wifi Remote
• Wi-Fi Video/Photo Preview, Playback and Control via GoPro App
• Live Streaming Video and Photos to the Web