GoPro Hero 8 Media Mod Review

If you’ve been following me for a while you know that I’ve tried a lot of action cameras. I probably tried about 100 action cameras. And with most action cameras you get great video quality but the sound quality isn’t that great from the internal microphone.

This is kind of the case with GoPro 8. The internal microphone in GoPro is probably one of the better ones that I’ve tried so far but it could always be better. So GoPro came with something to make the microphone recordings better, that’s called the Media Mod. You can buy it for about $80 at Amazon.

When you install this on your GoPro 8, the GoPro 8 isn’t waterproof anymore. That happens because you have to remove the battery door in order to install the Media Mod on your GoPro 8. So if you have this installed on your GoPro definitely don’t take them in water because they’re both going to die.

GoPro Hero 8 Media Mod installation

The Media Mod is kind of like a plastic case that slides over your GoPro 8. With this plastic case you get 2 shotgun microphones: one on the front of the case and one on the back. You can either use the front or the back or the front and the back together. You can select that right on the GoPro. It depends on how you’re holding the camera, if you plan on talking behind the camera or if you plan on talking in front of the camera. you can select which microphone you should use.

You also have two cold shoe-mounts so you can attach a light, an external microphone or depending on your setup you can make this set up yours. It gives you more flexibility to things that you can actually attach to the GoPro.

GoPro Hero 8 Media Mod Display Mod

In the back of the Media Mod, we have an HDMI port and you can technically use that with the cable so you can see whatever you have on your GoPro on the TV. But the main purpose for that HDMI port I believe is going to be that the display mode (selfie-screen) that’s coming out in the next month or so.

We have a USB-C port so you can charge the GoPro. And just below that have a 3.5 mm audio jack so you can attach any external microphones. Personally I believe that a 3.5 mm audio jack is the most important thing for this Media Mod.

GoPro Hero 8 Media Mod External Mic

I personally use the Deity V.Lav external microphone with my Media Mod. I believe I paid about $50 at Amazon for this one and I feel that this one offers the best value for the money.

But again different people have different microphones: more expensive, cheaper, etc. You can select all that from GoPro’s settings menu depending on the microphone that you have connected.

GoPro Hero 8 Media Mod backside

I have done some sample recordings and there wasn’t that much of a difference whenever I was using the microphone on the Media Mode and whenever I was using the internal microphone on the GoPro 8. I did notice a difference whenever I was recording behind the camera so whenever you are recording behind the GoPro 8 it sounds much better if you are actually using the Media Mod because you get a sound right into the camera. Otherwise, the sound would kind of go around the camera because the internal microphone on the GoPro 8 is placed on the front.

I’ve noticed how much better the external microphone sound and that’s why I said that having a 3.5 mm audio jack was the most important thing for Media Mod.

There is also a bit of a downside using the media mode with your GoPro 8. Of course, the GoPro is going to be heavier and bigger. Whenever you are trying to take out the SD card, you have to take everything apart. It takes 2-3 minutes to do that. Not to mention that if you are using any mount with your GoPro the screw can only go on the left-hand side of the Media Mod.

GoPro Hero 8 Media Mod setup

But for getting better sound with an external microphone because that was the most important thing for me, I think the media mode is totally worth it. A built-in Media Mod microphone could have been a bit better in my opinion. Mostly when you’re spending $80 for a plastic case.

Media Mod is made out of super cheap plastic. Not mention that I’ve had Media Mod for a few days and it’s scratched all over so pretty much every time you touch the media mode you get scratches on the plastic. But for me, it’s worth it because I can actually get better sound for the GoPro 8. GoPro 8 has some of the best video qualities out there: we have better image stabilization than most action cameras and so on.

For me, it’s totally worth buying Media Mod for $80 just so I can get an external microphone in an easier way. Because there was another way before the Media Mod but it didn’t look that great and was a bit more difficult to use.

Find the GoPro 8 on Amazon

I use the Deity V.Lav external microphone with the GoPro 8. Check it out on Amazon.

Watch full review in video format with audio samples:

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