LONDON, October 8 /PRNewswire/ --

- Video Sharing Rises as Internet Makes Celeb Status More Achievable

Arguments over the remote control may be a thing of the past as more than half of Britons now use social media to share their lives online more than they watch television, according to new research from Flip Video.

More than half (58%) of 18 to 24 year olds visit a social networking site every day with 42% of 25 to 34 year olds admitting the same frequency. TV is now really taking a back seat for this audience, with 61% of 18 to 24 year olds and over half of 25 to 34 year olds spending more time online than watching TV.

The new research(1) from Flip Video coincides with the launch in the UK of the Flip Mino, a miniature camcorder that enables users to shoot and share videos online quickly and easily; putting the power of video in everyone's pocket.

Creating and watching videos online is a growing trend; nearly a third of 18-24 year olds now watch videos online every day, with two thirds admitting that this is significantly more than last year. As a nation, 45% of the UK admit to watching more videos online compared to the last year. Almost three-quarters (73%) of 18-24 year olds and 59% of 25-34 year olds watch videos online at least once a week.

But the internet is not just about watching; the younger generation is increasingly creating and sharing their own videos, with nearly one in five (18%) 18-24 year olds and 17% of 25-34 year olds doing this at least once a week.

The internet's capacity to make anyone a celebrity may be the catalyst for this growing trend; according to the research, 36% of 18 to 24 year olds and 34% of 25 to 34 year olds would like to be a celebrity and around 60% of both groups think websites like YouTube have made it possible for anyone to become famous.

The new Flip Mino is expected to fuel this trend further, making video creation easier than ever before. It has a slim, compact design and boasts a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that powers up automatically while plugged into a computer and provides more than four hours of recording time on a single charge. At just GBP119.99, it is great value, and it is available from Amazon, PC World, Currys and other major retailers and e-tailers across the country.

A simple user interface features one-touch recording and a signature flip-out USB arm, which make the Flip Mino extremely easy to use. It holds 60 minutes of TV-quality video on 2GB of built-in memory; no tapes or additional memory cards are required. Built-in software enhances the 'shoot and share' experience, allowing swift and easy upload of videos to social media websites including MySpace and YouTube.

Ray Sangster EMEA President of Flip Video said:

"The so called iPod generation is less interested in what's on traditional media and more interested in creating their own content and sharing it with their friends."

"Flip Mino is the social accessory for this group. It's simple, small, sleek and easy to use. It's a must have for social networker."

Flip Video camcorders are used by celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Paris Hilton, Lily Allen, Stella McCartney, Travis, the Kooks, and Katy Perry.

Flip Video has redefined the camcorder market across the globe and the Flip Mino will continue this trend in the UK. The one millionth Flip Video unit was sold earlier this year. Since its USA launch in May 2007, Flip Ultra has become the best selling camcorder in the USA(2)2, and is Amazon's top selling digital camcorder in the US.

Images for this story can be found at: http://www.kaizo.net/releases/flip-mino

Notes to Editors

About Flip Video UK Ltd

Based in Windsor (UK) with headquarters in San Francisco (USA), Flip Video UK Ltd. is a pioneer in developing simple, affordable digital imaging solutions for the mass market. The revolutionary Flip Video family of camcorders ignited a new category of video cameras that puts the power to shoot and share video into the pockets of everyday consumers. Flip Video camcorders are the world's first with on-board software to enable editing, organising, and seamless video uploading to YouTube, MySpace and other video sharing sites. As part of its Flip Video Spotlight Programming, the company pledged to deliver 1 million camcorders to help non-profits use the power of video to change the world. For more information, visit http://www.flipvideo.co.uk

Legal information

Flip Video products in the UK are from Flip Video Limited. Please ensure that you do not use the brand name Pure Digital in any reference to Flip Video products due to legal constraints in the UK. The website to reference is http://www.flipvideo.co.uk. If you receive a Flip Mino which includes a Pure Digital log and you photograph it yourself, please obscure any Pure Digital logos. Kaizo has a wide collection of high resolution photography without Pure Digital branding if required. If you have any questions about this, please don't hesitate to ask.

(1) Independent research of 2,782 participants undertaken by Lightspeed Research, September 2008

(2) Source: NPD research, July 2008

For more information contact: Alex Myers/ Emma Potter/ Alisha Benson/ Sarah Mayer, T: +44(0)20-3043-4191, E: flipvideo@kaizo.net