The Gadget Blog - New Gadgets & Tech Talk » Camcorders

High Definition: The New Frontier in Home Recording

Jennifer — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 22:58:34 +0000

(ARA) – This holiday season, high definition (HD) video is taking center stage. With HDTV sets now available for less than $1000 and HD programming widely offered by cable and satellite providers, many consumers are ready to take the plunge. Whether or not an HDTV set is on this year’s wish list for your family, there’s no denying that HD is here to stay.

What many people may not realize is that the transition to HD isn’t limited to HDTV sets and broadcast programming. In fact, new technology is making it possible to capture and record your own home movies in HD. To get started, you’ll need a high definition camcorder, sometimes referred to as an HDV camcorder. With HDV camcorders commanding around $1,500, they’re not exactly inexpensive, but as with all new technologies, prices quickly fall.

Imagine capturing the holiday festivities in stunning HD quality to later enjoy on your HDTV set. Soon you will. By connecting your HDV camcorder to your computer, you’ll be able to create professional quality edits, titles, fades, special effects and much more with a click of a mouse. Once your home movie is ready for sharing with family and friends, you’ll need to save your footage and somehow offload it from your PC.

That’s where Blu-ray comes into the picture. Launched earlier this, Blu-ray Discs offer up to a whopping 50 gigabytes of capacity. That’s over 10 times more capacity than today’s 4.7 gigabyte recordable DVDs. As wonderful as they are, DVDs don’t have enough storage capacity to handle HD video, but Blu-ray Discs do. In fact, you could store up to four hours worth of HD quality home videos on a 50 gigabyte recordable Blu-ray Disc.

“Many computers purchased in the next few years will come with a Blu-ray recording drive pre-installed, much like most of today’s computers are equipped with a DVD burner,” commented Bruce Youmans, vice president of product research and development at TDK, the first company to introduce recordable Blu-ray Discs. “That will encourage a large number of consumers to experiment with making their own HD videos.”

Of course, you’ll need a way to play your home burned Blu-ray Discs on your HDTV. The final piece of the puzzle is a Blu-ray player. Several Blu-ray players are already on the market and numerous others are slated for launch. Every week, Hollywood studios are releasing more and more titles on pre-recorded Blu-ray Discs, so it’s easy to see how this new format could become the hub of your entertainment universe.

From capturing and editing your home movies, to saving and viewing your creations in remarkable quality, the HD revolution is in full swing. If you haven’t already, it’s time to go HD with your holiday wish list.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Gifts Under $900: High Definition that fits in the palm of your hand

Jennifer — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 22:49:59 +0000

For that person on your gift list that adores leading-edge technology, the world’s smallest and lightest high-definition video/still camera is now even better.Following the immense popularity of its predecessor, the SANYO Xacti HD1A is a hybrid digital camera that shoots high-definition digital video and high-resolution 5 megapixel stills, housed in a compact body designed for convenient, one-handed operation and one-thumb control of most key functions.

It is incredibly compact, measuring 3.1 W x 4.7 H x 1.4 D inches (7.9W x 11.9H x 3.5D cm) so it easily fits into a shirt pocket. And it’s very light, weighing 8.3 ounces/235.3 grams (including battery and a standard SD memory card), so the technophile on your gift list will never suffer arm fatigue common with using larger camcorders.

This CameraCorder has been upgraded to include a 30 frames-per-second 320 x 240 pixel video recording mode, which is optimal for viewing MPEG-4 video clips on a video iPodï¿½ or other portable video players, as well as improved in-camera video editing capabilities. The 2.2-inch LCD display flips out from the camera and rotates up to 285 degrees on axis for taking video or still images even in difficult locations.

Another new feature of the 720p high-definition video, 5.1 megapixel, 10X optical zoom (10X digital zoom) HD1A is a 16:9 shooting mode that allows users to capture 3.8 megapixel stills in the same widescreen format as the high-definition videos for eye-catching viewing on a 16:9 television screen. Other features include a pop-up flash and docking station that enables easy connectivity to PCs and TVs and provides fast recharging.

The HD1A can record up to 21 minutes of 720p HD video per gigabyte (GB) on a standard SD or SDHC memory card or up 84 minutes on the soon-to-be released 4GB SDHC card (cards sold separately). Alternatively, HD1 users can record in Standard Definition mode (640 x 480 pixels at 30fps progressive) for up to one hour per GB of recording capacity. Users can quickly switch between high-definition and standard-definition recording modes by simply pressing the “HD/Norm” button located beneath the LCD display. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $899.99. More information is available at www.sanyo.ca.

Credit: www.newscanada.com

Gifts Under $550: You can now shoot digital video and stills in wet conditions

Jennifer — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 22:45:52 +0000

Afraid to get your digital camera or camcorder wet? SANYO has designed a high-performance hybrid CameraCorder that is also splashproof.Combining DVD-quality digital video with high-resolution still digital imaging, the SANYO Xacti CA6 is designed for convenient, one-handed operation and one-thumb control of most key functions.

Measuring 3.0 W x 3.9 H x 1.4 D inches (7.6W x 9.9H x 3.5D cm), the CA6 fits easily into a shirt pocket. And weighing less than 6 ounces/170.1 grams (including battery and a standard SD memory card), users will not suffer arm fatigue common with larger camcorders.

The 6 megapixel, 5X optical zoom (12X digital zoom), 640 x 480 resolution MPEG-4 CA6 (housed in an iPod white with orange accented body) is designed for outdoor enthusiasts because of its IEC international IPX4 Splash Protection. Its splash-proof water resistance makes it practical to use around the pool or at the beach. It’s also rugged enough to safely take photos or shoot video with wet hands while fishing and ice fishing, hiking, boating, skiing, snowmobiling or enjoying other outdoor leisure activities (although the CA6 should never be immersed in water).

The 2.0 inch amorphous silicon color TFT LCD display screen enables easier viewing and can be laid flat against the camera body while sharing the stills and video with others. Simultaneous shooting of 6 megapixel still images and 640 x 480-pixel video clips is possible with a simple press of the shutter button during the shooting of a movie clip. (Depending on the mode used to take still images, simultaneous video clip shooting may be interrupted. While shooting video clips, using the digital image stabilizer may change the angle of view for still images.)

This CameraCorder offers five video recording modes, including the Web-SHQ mode specifically designed to capture video destined for the video iPod or other MPEG-4 capable personal media players. Shooting in Web-SHQ mode, videos are captured at 320 x 240 pixels at a smooth 30 frames-per-second, which is ideally suited for some of the most popular personal media players available. It can also serve as a high-quality webcam for live, person-to-person video over the Internet.

The CA6 can record up to one hour of standard-definition (VGA: 640 x 480 pixels) MPEG-4 video or up to 515 six megapixel digital still images per gigabyte (GB) on a standard SD or SDHC memory card or more than four hours of VGA video or more than 2,000 digital images captured on the soon-to-be released 4GB SDHC memory card (cards sold separately). The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $549.99. More information is available at www.sanyo.ca.

Credit: www.newscanada.com

A new era of technical gift giving has arrived

Jennifer — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 22:36:49 +0000

Nothing captures the holiday spirit more than a homemade gift from the heart – but move over tape and scissors – today’s tech products can create special and unique gifts that will wow anyone on a holiday gift list. By channeling tech know-how into creative gift giving, both the giver and receiver can enjoy the end result. With a little help from Sony, it is easier than ever to incorporate modern technology into traditional gift giving.Why not.

. encourage the kids to take on a director role and explore their creative side? Using a Sony Handycam Camcorder, digitally capture plays and concerts and ensure these special moments are forever remembered. Save the footage for next year and create the perfect home talent reel for everyone to enjoy.

. help Grandparents commemorate a joyous occasion? Turn to a Sony Cyber-shot Digital Camera and capture family celebrations. Next up – print the pictures using a Sony photo printer and create a holiday themed photo album.

. do something special with old memories? Surprise Mom and Dad this year and convert a VHS wedding video into a modern, jazzed-up DVD – with special features and all. Using a Sony VAIO Notebook and easy-to-use editing software, anything old can look new again.

This shopping season, leave the mall behind and take gift giving indoors with the whole family. From scrap-booking to personalized music CDs, brighten up the holidays with personal gifts that have personal style.

More information is available online at www.sonystyle.ca.

Credit: www.newscanada.com

New Generation of Camcorders Records Holiday Memories Directly on DVD

Jennifer — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 20:46:51 +0000

(ARA) – From holiday celebrations and New Year’s parties to birthdays and graduations, memories fade, but videos of the occasion preserve the moment. DVD camcorders, which combine the versatile capabilities of a camcorder with the unbeatable convenience of DVD media, are the perfect solution.Because these dream machines record directly on mini DVD media instead of using camcorder tapes, viewing your footage on a big screen is as simple as taking the disc out of the camcorder and putting it in a DVD player. There’s never any need to copy the footage to tape or connect your camcorder to the TV with messy cables. Imagine how easy it will be to share your footage with family and friends!

Videography has come a long way in the past few decades. Before digital camcorders, there were VHS camcorders, and before that, home movie buffs had to use cumbersome 8mm film. Each development in technology made it easier to capture memories, as cameras and media became smaller and produced clearer images. For the home videographer, DVD camcorders and mini DVD media represent a major technological leap forward, greatly simplifying the whole process of capturing, preserving and enjoying memories.

Because the discs are recorded in real-time and frequently must be handled in less than ideal field environments, the new DVD camcorder format demands tough, reliable recording media. Fortunately, long time recording media leader, TDK, has come up with a solution.

Designed specifically for DVD camcorders, the company’s ScratchProof Mini DVD is tough enough to withstand whatever comes its way. The discs are up to 100 times more scratch resistant than standard DVD media, and they also resist smudges and dust, common contaminants that can interfere with the performance of optical recording media. Anti-UV protection further ensures the discs’ worthiness for heavy duty use in the field, where discs may be exposed to direct sunlight. Hard coating surface technology ensures your DVD discs can survive everything from accidental mishandling to food and beverage spills and an unrelenting environment.

Mini DVD media can be played in virtually any home DVD player or computer DVD drive. The discs are widely available in recordable DVD-R and rewritable DVD-RW formats. For recordings you want to preserve for the long-term, using DVD-R media is recommended, while DVD-RW is the way to go if you want to re-record on the same disc. DVD-R and DVD-RW discs provide universal compatibility with DVD camcorders, so you can’t go wrong with either choice.

In addition to delivering unprecedented convenience and ease of use, DVD camcorders and mini DVD media capture your memories in stunning detail, and enable you and your loved ones to enjoy once in a lifetime memories year after year.

Courtesy of ARA Content