Our Pivo Pod Review | Does It Work?
I have wanted to do a Pivo Pod review for some time now. I saw the Pivo advertised all over Instagram (formerly known as Pivo Silver and Pivo Active).
I had some YouTube content I wanted to shoot, so I pulled the trigger and went for it. I went to the website and bought the Pivo Pod (formerly known as the Pivo Pod Silver).
What Is The Pivo Pod?
The Pivo Pod (which charges via USB cable) is a smartphone mount that allows you to place your cell phone on, and while filming yourself on video and moving around, the phone will follow your movements with Pivo auto tracking and face tracking. This allows you to move freely as the video subject, just as if a real-life camera person were filming you.
The hands-free motion-tracking concept is unique, as many video creators need the camera to follow them while they walk, run, ride horses, or sometimes talk while shooting film.
And while a cameraperson might be the top option for self-recording, having an extra person around and available isn’t viable, so something like the Pivo Pod becomes an excellent alternative.
Automatic tracking and face tracking accessories like the Pivo camera tracker remove the restriction of standing directly in front of the camera or smartphone to film yourself. Now, you can move freely in any direction (even a 360-degree rotation around the tripod) at whatever speed you desire, and a Pivo smartphone mount option works exactly for what you want to do.
This means more possibilities for creating content, which means shooting more video ideas can come to life with the ability to move.
How Does The Pivo Work?
The Pivo uses facial, body, or horse tracking (yes, for horse riding) for tracking. You can select which you want it to use depending on your activity on the app.
One of the issues I found was that if I got too close to the phone, the face tracking was out of frame, or the body was too tight to be tracked, and the tracker would lose me until I corrected and came back into the frame.
So yes, the Pivo Pod auto-tracking does work. It will track you, even with faster movements. It’s not perfect, but it does get the job done. Without it, I could not have done these types of videos. One of the keys to getting the top results from your Pivo is knowing each sensitivity and what will work best for what you have planned.
For example, I should have lowered the sensitivity of the video for the exercises where I didn’t move side to side since the tracking speed didn’t need to be so high. Finding the proper speed will make for great videos.
A Few Other Highlights Of The Pivo Pod Mount
The Pivo Pod app is straightforward to use and is available on both iOS and Android.
When first turning the Pivo tripod mount on, it looks to see if the app is open on your phone. Once the unit and the app are connected, you can change the settings via the app on your phone.
As mentioned above, sensitivity is changed on the app, but the app also has 12+ quick create modes which might be your thing if you are more creative than just recording regular video.
The app is where all the settings changes are made, and it also has all the fun features and effects that might be fun to use for some.
The ability to rotate completely 360 degrees made it easy to do various movements and workouts without worrying about going out of the camera’s frame.
A great feature of the Pivo is the auto-zoom. For example, if you want to walk away from the camera, the Pivo does great tracking, even as you move far away from the tracker. You can see that in my video at the end of this article.
I haven’t needed to use it, but there is the ability to do hands-free calling or live stream, similar to Facetime.
The remote control that comes with the Pivo mount is used for those who prefer to turn off the motion tracking and control the motion tracking manually. This defeats the purpose of why I got the Pivo Pod to start with, but for others, such as makeup tutorials, presenters, etc., this might be a handy option.
The Smart Capture Feature For Taking Photos With Your Smartphone
One of the coolest features of the Pivo is the Smart Capture system for taking photos with your smartphone. Yes, the Pivo can take photos and videos.
With the help of the Pivo camera app, you can choose up to four different modes, or “triggers,” that will tell the app when to take a picture with your phone, almost the same as if it were a remote control. For example, you can create a trigger on the app so that when you say the word “cheese,” a photo will be taken with your smartphone.
The other three options for setting a trigger on your smartphone are gesture, still motion, or action capture.
The 2 Models To Choose From
Pivo Lite Features
Pivo Lite features:
Pivo Pod Features
Pivo Pod features:
There are two choices of Pivo to select from, the Pivo Pod Lite and the Pivo Pod.
The 2 Pivo Pods are constructed similarly and generally look the same (one thing to mention: the Pivo Pod Lite comes in several color options, while the standard model only comes in black and silver).
Let’s take a look at both versions.
The Pivo Pod (formerly known as Pivo Pod Silver and Pivo Active)
The main Pivo model has recently gone through a few facelifts as the product evolved and other products offered became less relevant.
Originally this version was called the Pivo Silver and then was re-branded as the Pivo Active, a pod for those who need more options for recording not just slower movements but faster motions, like workouts and dancing. Eventually, Active was made the primary model and is now the primary Pivo option.
This action-tracking gadget has a remote control for those who prefer to manually control the unit when automatic tracking may not be wanted.
I chose the Pivo Pod because it can do faster motion-tracking twice as fast as the Pivo Lite version, making the device a great option for faster movement, like horse riding or workouts.
Oh yeah, this version of the Pivo has a setting specifically for tracking your horse riding activities.
Since I wanted to capture quick motion workouts, this model was my best option. If you want the pod with the most automatic tracking versatility for motion, this is the Pod you want.
The Pivo Pod Lite Or Pivo Pod Red
The Pivo Pod Lite is a great tool, but it’s not intended for fast-motion activities. The primary user of the Pivo Pod Lite would be anyone who wants some tracking but for less overall movement.
Presentations, makeup tutorials, and dance videos would be great fits for the Pivo Pod Lite. It also does not offer the horse tracking option.
Note: Amazon sells these and some of the older, discontinued models, which you can see HERE.
My First Impressions Of The Pivo Pod (Active/Silver)
I was excited to do this review after watching other Pivo reviews on YouTube. Straight out of the box, I noted that the gadget was relatively compact, nearly the same size as a baseball.
It comes with the unit, a micro USB charging cable, and instructional booklets and literature.
Even though the Pivo smartphone mount unit is relatively small, the device has some weight, making it feel like a quality device. It’s certainly not a hollow or cheap plastic gadget as I half expected.
The Pivo Pod has a slot on the top for your phone to sit in (Pivo supports iOS and Android phones, I use the iPhone), which tightens and loosens with the turn of a small knob. The opening is wide enough to hold your phone in landscape or standard positions.
The bottom of the Pod has a standard ¼’ universal thread for tripod mounting (which is how I use it and recommend it). The product website has package deals that include a tripod if you need one.
The instruction booklet mentions that a Pivo app must be downloaded to the phone, as it will connect to and communicate with the Pivo camera turning the power on and when filming.
What Happened When I Used The Pivo
I was looking for cardio ideas to do that I could record for some Youtube video ideas I had. I decided to use the Pivo Pod for a series of HIIT workouts I wanted to record, ten videos doing various exercises. So I had an excellent opportunity to use the it in several situations and with multiple kinds of movement.
Here is where I should mention that the Pivo mount is the best for activity tracking because the device has four different tracking settings on the Pivo app for speed. Two higher speed settings can help the unit keep up with even the fastest movements.
I used the highest setting while shooting these videos, which probably wasn’t the way to go.
The Pivo still tracked well, but I had some videos I was shooting in which I didn’t move a lot, but being on the highest sensitivity, made a lot of unnecessary zooms and slight adjustments.
Have Questions? We Have Answers.
Pivo FAQ
My Final Thoughts On The Pivo Pod (Pivo Pod Silver/Active)
Pivo Pod Pros
Pivo Pod Cons
Is the auto-tracking perfect? No. Does it work? Yes, it does. And quite well, for that matter. And because of that, I think it’s an excellent tool for anyone doing self-recording.
The Pivo Pod is the best choice for the active-minded who need something that can move quickly with them. You will find that by having something handy like this tool at your disposal, you can come up with and create more videos than you would have been able to do without it. You will make more content. You will make better content. You will have more content ideas.
It doesn’t just allow you to track videos with full 360-degree motion tracking. The Pivo gives you a chance to make more videos. It’s not a real-life cameraperson, but it’s the next top thing.
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