DXG delivers DXG-566V HD camcorder for $149

DXG is no stranger to bottom-end, über-cheap kit, and while the vast majority of its products are simply laughable, this one may just be cheap enough to respect -- maybe. The all new DXG-566V HD, set to debut officially at CES, sets a new bar for HD camcorders, as this bugger rings up at a mere $149. You heard right, for under two bills you can snag a craptastically designed handheld camcorder with a 5-megapixel sensor, a 3-inch flip-out LCD monitor, 32MB of onboard memory, an SD expansion slot and the ability to capture video at 1,280 x 720. 'Course, you better pack along quite a few SD cards (there's no SDHC support to speak of) if you're headed to a graduation or the like, but hey, what else did you really expect for $149? Click on through for one more look.

[paperless @ Jan 4th 2008 2:25PM]

Am i the only one thinking its not that bad?

You will just have to cough up a bit more for an SD card.
The 32MB of onboard memoery are kind of useless, sure it can hold a few pics but if you really want to use this as a camcorder you will need an SD card that will have enough space for your (most likely crap quality) pictures.

[nd @ Jan 4th 2008 2:40PM]

no you're not. but since this is engadget, we don't get electronics news reporting, we get electronics news opinions. seriously, why can't you guys just friggin report the stuff instead of interjecting worthless opinions and sarcasm?

[Brodie @ Jan 4th 2008 2:37PM]

@nd - It makes the Engadgeteers feel important!

[Todd @ Jan 4th 2008 2:47PM]

REPLY To: nd

If you want just the facts go somewhere else. Apparently you aren't smart enough to weed through the opinion of the writers. Some of us who read these articles actually enjoy people putting a bit of humour into an otherwise boring set of facts.

Todd

[PEZ @ Jan 4th 2008 4:43PM]

@Todd - mind your business.

[nd @ Jan 4th 2008 4:10PM]

hahaha...from weblogsinc.com (engadgets parent company):

"All of our blogs are 100% unfiltered and certified to be the complete, unvarnished truth. We don't tell our bloggers what to write."

uh huh....

[booticon @ Jan 4th 2008 4:17PM]

@nd: I think you're being the ass. This is a /blog/. And not only that, but the statement you quote is still true: they state the facts and throw in some humor (which, by the way, exists, and is subjective even if you don't think it's funny). A couple of the reviews aren't the greatest (*coughRyanBlock'sZune2Reviewcough*), but you take the good with the bad. And at Engadget, the good *far* outweighs the bad.

[tiuk @ Jan 4th 2008 3:21PM]

My next party camera? I think so.

[jakep_82 @ Jan 4th 2008 3:25PM]

According to the press release it does support SDHC cards. So tack on $80 for a 16GB SDHC card and you can probably record for at least a couple hours. Unfortunately it only has 2X digital zoom. No optical zoom at all.

[drfrankken @ Jan 4th 2008 3:26PM]

me gustaría esa camara para hacer pequeños cortos para mi web!

[wiedzmin @ Jan 4th 2008 3:31PM]

Wow, this looks so much better than the Aiptek A-HD... I wonder if it performs better in low lighting conditions...

[Mike Street @ Jan 4th 2008 3:54PM]

This is totally a YouTube friendly camera.

[Electromodo @ Jan 4th 2008 4:04PM]

Well, video cameras are now involved into the megapixel rush, following the still cameras.

There is no doubt the camera will produce an awful quality with such optics, but I actually welcome this camera. HDTVs will render SD useless in a very short time. So all cameras will be HD.

What I do not welcome though, is the low quality crap the consumers are getting used to. Look at the YouTube picture quality. And people consider it "satisfactory"? Shooting with crappy $100-$200 video cameras or cell phones, doing no editing afterwards, then enjoying it with friends? Where is the world going to?

[rcappo @ Jan 4th 2008 4:07PM]

I would rather have the big TV shows that are still in 640x480 get some of these cameras and provide crappy HD instead of 'good' SD.

If the FCC would have done it right, it would have mandated that every TV show has to be in HD 16:9 format by Feb. 2009.

As for this camcorder, I might have to look into getting one to use with my HD setup.

[mainfr4me @ Jan 4th 2008 4:15PM]

@nd - Have you ever held or used one of DXG's cameras? They really are towards the bottom of the line quality. If you have been around Engadget for a while, relax, and realize that this is normal fair. Relax, put on a pot of decaf, and simmer.

This is interesting though for projects, because as I see it, you could outfit a bunch of people with these for fairly cheap, and if they get destroyed, who cares? Plus the solid state-ness of the SD format is very nice so there isn't as likely a chance of losing something due to gummed up heads, jammed tapes, etc.

We'll see when it comes to real-life performance.

[JeffreyT @ Jan 4th 2008 5:34PM]

Bought an Aiptek A-HD just the other day. Love its remarkable crappiness. Great video quality for 100 bucks. Audio sucks. If this camera is similiar to the Aiptek offering, it will be fun. Thoughts on the Aiptek if anyone is interested at http://thewiiport.com/?p=995

[SteveMB @ Jan 4th 2008 5:49PM]

I have said this 5 times and I'm going to say it 10 more. DXG cameras suck. I own one and it is just a piece of junk. I'm pretty confident when I say that DXGs suck.

[Todd in Sonoma @ Jan 4th 2008 6:20PM]

All camcorders that cost only $150 suck. I wonder what sucks worse, though. Does this suck worse than a Casio Exilim digicam for videos? If they both have the same quality of video, then perhaps it's best to buy the digital camera and have the best of both worlds.

[SteveMB @ Jan 4th 2008 10:27PM]

DXG brings suckiness to a whole new level.

[LloydChiro @ Jan 4th 2008 6:14PM]

I've been looking at buying a camcorder. What jumps out at me with this camera is the 3" screen. I'm not aware of any other camcorder that has a 3" screen; others have 2.5" or 2.8".

I just don't know if I can handle having such small optics. With this camera, are we looking forward to high definition crap that might as well be SD because of camera shake and high compression? I'd rather have low resolution video with good colors and sharp movement than high definition YouTube.

[guilt+1 @ Jan 4th 2008 8:33PM]

I previously owned a DXG camcorder and it did exactly what I needed at the time. It was super cheap and served me well on my trip to the US. I figured that it was a step up from a disposable and yet if it got stolen during my trip, well, no big deal. A year later I sold it to my friend who then gave it to his son to use. 3 years on it's still going strong. It's never going to win awards for its picture quality and I would safely say the same is true of this HD version but it is cheap enough to give to your kids and or take on holiday without fear of breaking it, losing it or having it stolen from you.

It serves a valid purpose for someone who wants something better than a disposable camera but doesn't want to risk taking their Red ONE camera to the beach.

[MannyV @ Jan 4th 2008 8:51PM]

It's cheap, that's for sure. For talking-head types of things, it may be the ticket. It does support SDHC, according to the release.

No firewire port, so you can't use it as a tethered camera. Too bad...it would make for a pretty killer webcam.

[minutefilms @ Jan 5th 2008 1:34AM]

Who says there's no HDHC support!? Here's a quote form the original news release (http://www.cameratown.com/news/news.cfm/hurl/id%7C4819):

"Compact, lightweight and easy to carry along, the DXG-566V HD is perfect for vacations, road trips and just about any occasion that you want to capture. What’s more, the DXG-566V HD also captures still photos with a resolution of up to 8 Megapixels. It features a high-resolution 5 Megapixel CMOS sensor, 2X digital zoom, 3" camcorder-style flip-out LCD screen, with support for high-capacity SD cards for more recording time, so you’ll never worry about missing out on those unique once-in-a-lifetime video moments. Record your son’s first homerun, your little girl’s first piano recital, grandma’s 75th birthday – all in high-definition video."

[DarkLightConnection Unbanned @ Mar 10th 2008 9:01PM]

This is not a DXG camera..

It's just rebranded chinese crap.... http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/20/exemode-rolls-out-cheapo-dv580hd-camcorder/