Five Hottest Upcoming Camcorders according to infosyncworld

infosyncworld has an article listing five of the most anticipated HD camcorders coming to the stores in 2009, starting with the Canon Vixia in February.

They say it's the Canon Vixia HF S10, Panasonic HDC-HS300, Samsung HMX-R10, JVC GZ-HM200 and the Sony MHS-PM1 Webbie that is going to blow your mind, if you have the dollars to buy them.

Check out the full article here.

Sony MHS-PM1 Webbie HD reviewed by camcorderinfo

The MHS-PM1 also comes with internal software that allows for quick, seamless video and image upload to YouTube as well as other media hosting websites. With all these features and options, it is clear Sony is hoping to grab a big chunk of the ultra-compact market and steal some of the spotlight away from Pure Digital's Flip series of camcorders. The camcorder is available in three colors—eggplant, orange, and silver. Lens & Sensor The MHS-PM1 has a fixed lens, which means the lens has no moving parts and cannot perform an optical zoom. The lens is able to rotate, however, thanks to a swivel-joint system on the top of the camcorder. This gives the MHS-PM1 the capability of capturing footage at odd angles, and it also helps deal with the viewing problems created by the stationary LCD on the back of the camcorder. The MHS-PM1 is packed with a huge 1/2.5-inch CMOS sensor, which corresponds to a whopping effective pixel count of 5 Megapixels. This sensor is nearly twice the size of the 1/4.5-inch CMOS sensor found in the Flip MinoHD.

What is High Definition Video?

Image source: http://www.justintylermoore.com/

High-definition (HD) video generally refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition (SD) video, most commonly at display resolutions of 1280×720 (720p) or 1920×1080 (1080i or 1080p). This article discusses the general concepts of high-definition video, as opposed to its specific applications in television broadcast (HDTV), video recording formats (HDCAM, HDCAM-SR, DVCPRO HD, D5 HD, XDCAM HD, HDV and AVCHD), the optical disc delivery system Blu-ray Disc and the video tape format D-VHS.

The current high definition video standards in North America were developed during the course of the advanced television process initiated by the Federal Communications Commission in 1987 at the request of American broadcasters. In essence the end of the 1980s was a death knell for most analog high definition technologies that had developed up to that time.

High definition video (prerecorded and broadcast) is defined threefold, by:

• The number of lines in the vertical display resolution. High-definition television (HDTV) resolution is 1080 or 720 lines. In contrast, regular digital television (DTV) is 480 lines (upon which NTSC is based, 480 visible scanlines out of 525) or 576 lines (upon which PAL/SECAM are based, 576 visible scanlines out of 625). However, since HD is broadcast digitally, its introduction sometimes coincides with the introduction of DTV. Additionally, current DVD quality is not high-definition, although the high-definition disc systems Blu-ray Disc and the defunct HD DVD are.
• The scanning system: progressive scanning (p) or interlaced scanning (i). Progressive scanning redraws an image frame (all of its lines) when refreshing each image. Interlaced scanning draws the image field every other line or "odd numbered" lines during the first image refresh operation, and then draws the remaining "even numbered" lines during a second refreshing. Interlaced scanning yields greater image resolution if subject is not moving, but loses up to half of the resolution and suffers "combing" artifacts when subject is moving.
• The number of frames per second or fields per second. The 720p60 format is 1280 × 720 pixels, progressive encoding with 60 frames per second (60 Hz). The 1080i50 format is 1920 × 1080 pixels, interlaced encoding with 50 fields per second. Sometimes interlaced fields are called half-frames, but they are not, because two fields of one frame are temporally shifted; video engineers use the term 'picture' instead. Frame pulldown and segmented frames are special techniques that allow transmitting full frames by means of interlaced video stream.

Source: Wikipedia

JVC Everio GZ-HD320 First Impressions Camcorder Review at camcorderinfo

From the review:

The GZ-HD320 is only JVC's second generation model to use a CMOS sensor. It's smaller than the sensor in the GZ-HD40, which had a 1/3-inch CMOS. However, it seems likely that this is not the replacement for the HD40, merely an expansion of the HD line. We know that JVC is working on something big right now, a 9-megapixel camcorder, though any more details are scarce. The GZ-HD320 also has a new processor, called the HD Gigabrid Premium Engine. JVC promises a 30% reduction in power consumption and a 2.5x faster DVD burning time.

Buy JVC HD Camcorders at Amazon.

Check out the full review at camcorderinfo

JVC GZ-HD320 and GZ-HD300 targeted at female users

Available in "Precious Silver," "Rouge Red" and "Royal Blue", wonder if they will release a "Hello Kitty Pink" version ;)

The products measure 53 x 68 x 113mm and weigh 325g. The size is as small as that of the company's GZ-MG330, a camcorder that supports the SD-video standard. While using an HDD as a recording medium, the new models have "a size equivalent to that of the SD-card models," said Kenji Asakawa, manager of the Product Planning Department at the Camcorder Division of JVC.

To reduce the size and the weight, the company made two improvements. One is the zoom lens developed in collaboration with Konica Minolta Opto Inc. In order to support high resolution images while reducing the diameter of the lens, the companies revised the layout of the lens. Compared with the GZ-HD40, JVC's existing HD camcorder, the lens volume was reduced by 40%, according to the company.

Via TechOn

Nikon D90 (with video recording) review at Camcorderinfo

From the review: If you haven't heard already, the Nikon D90 is the world's first digital SLR capable of recording video. The video feature has grabbed a lot of attention in the gadget world simply because it represents an innovation in the industry. It has excited videographers and enthusiasts yearning for the ability to change lenses and adjust every last setting.

Unfortunately, the D90 suffers from first generation syndrome, and runs into all sorts of problems when recording video. Manual controls are peculiar or unusable, auto focus is non-existent, and its 1280 x 720 maximum picture quality just doesn't cut it when compared to a dedicated HD camcorder. Recording videos for extended intervals also caused the D90 to run into overheating issues—prompting a swift shutdown of video mode. With Canon releasing the EOS 5D Mark II (a DSLR that records full 1920 x 1080 video) right on the its heels, it might not be long before the D90 is just another digital camera with an unsatisfactory video performance. The D90 retails for $999.95 (body only), or for $1299.95 if purchased with a new, Nikkor 18-105mm ED lens.

Read the full review at camcorderinfo.com

SDXC: New Generation of Memory Cards, holds up to 2 Terabytes

From the press release:

SDXC Memory Cards Provide Consumers with Massive Storage, Incredible Speed in Familiar, De Facto Standard.

The next-generation SDXC (eXtended Capacity) memory card specification, announced on Jan. 7 at the 2009 International CES, dramatically improves consumers' digital lifestyles by providing the portable storage and speed needed to store weeks of high-definition video, years of photo collections and months of music to mobile phones, cameras and camcorders, and other consumer electronic devices. The new SDXC specification provides up to 2 terabytes storage capacity and accelerates SD interface read/write speeds to 104 megabytes per second this year, with a road map to 300 megabytes per second.

The SDXC specification, developed by the SD Association, leapfrogs memory card interface speeds while retaining the world-leading SD interface. Specifications for the open standard will be released in the first quarter of 2009. SDHC, Embedded SD and SDIO specifications will also benefit from the new SD interface speeds.

"SDXC combines a higher capacity roadmap with faster transfer speeds as a means to exploit NAND flash memory technology as a compelling choice for portable memory storage and interoperability," said Joseph Unsworth, research director, NAND Flash Semiconductors, at Gartner. "With industry support, SDXC presents manufacturers with the opportunity to kindle consumer demand for more advanced handset features and functionality in consumer electronics behind the ubiquitous SD interface."

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SDXC is also the first memory card specification to provide 2TB storage without hindering the high-speed performance necessary for high-end photography. It will provide maximum speeds even when the SDXC specification achieves its maximum 2TB storage capacity.

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The SDXC specification uses Microsoft's exFAT file system to support its large capacity and interoperability in a broad range of PCs, consumer electronics and mobile phones. The exFAT system was designed for increased compatibility with flash media, from portability of data to interoperability with multiple platforms and devices on removable media.

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The SD Association is a global ecosystem of more than 1,100 technology companies charged with setting interoperable SD standards. The association encourages the development of consumer electronic, wireless communication, digital imaging and networking products that utilize market-leading SD technology. The SD standard is the number one choice for consumers and has earned nearly 80 percent of the memory card market with its reliable interoperability and its easy-to-use format. Today, mobile phones, Blu-ray players, HDTVs, audio players, automotive multimedia systems, handheld PCs, cameras and camcorders feature SD interoperability. For more information about SDA or to join, please visit the association's web site, http://www.sdcard.org.