The predictably named successor to the Xacti E1 has finally arrived, and it's just as waterproof as the original. The Xacti E2 records MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 video at 640 x 480, snaps stills at 8-megapixels, captures content onto SD / SDHC cards and features a 2.5-inch flip-out LCD for easy viewing of what footage you're snagging. There's also a 5x optical zoom and Face Chaser technology, the latter of which uses a "proprietary Sanyo algorithm to compensate for distracting up-and-down or side-to-side camera movement, keeping your subject steady and easy to follow." The 9.1-ounce device (in brilliant blue or pearlescent white) is available now in the US for a penny shy of $400.

[Via Macworld]

We won't fault you for forgetting all about Samsung's SC-MX20 -- after all, it was crammed deep beneath a host of other Sammy camcorders when announced at CES earlier this year. Nevertheless, we've received a few more vital details about said shooter today, and aside from boasting a 680K pixel CCD sensor (720 x 480 resolution), this one also features a 34x optical zoom, Advanced Image Stabilization, face detection, an SD / SDHC card slot, a battery good for three hours, a 2.7-inch LCD monitor (on a swivel, no less) and ten automatic scene modes for extra good times. Additionally, the unit packs a special shooting mode that captures in a resolution and format perfect for YouTube, so those terrified of converting will surely be breathing a sigh of relief. Expect this one to land next month in red, white, black and blue for a very manageable $279.99.

Toshiba has let us know just how incredible its SpursEngine SE1000 chip really is, but all that talk has never amounted to much -- until now. Packed away in a dusty corner of Computex 2008 was Corel's demonstration booth, which just so happened to have a few rigs set up with a Cell-optimized version of its DVD MovieFactory application. One station utilized the SE1000, while the other relied solely on a 3GHz Intel Core 2 Quad CPU to transcode 1080p H.264 video to 480p. According to onlookers, the SpursEngine-based machine completed the task nearly twice as fast as the hamstrung opponent, proving that maybe Toshiba does have something worth waiting for on that PCI-Express card. Too bad there's still no mention of a price.

As the camera / camcorder world continues to embrace video sharing sites, it's no surprise to see this little critter emerge from the labs of JVC-Victor. The pictured dual codec LSI chip handles both MPEG-2 and H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC formats, theoretically cutting out the painful encode process from YouTube uploads. Granted, most of the technobabble behind the thing is lost in machine translation, but we do get the idea that it'll start showing up in the outfit's Everio line shortly.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

After slipping past their original spring release date, Panasonic's PZ850 series of plasmas are no longer the only ones with YouTube support, but those desiring internet features, high contrast ratios and easy-access calibration settings can expect them on shelves this summer. The 46-, 50- and 58-inch versions should all be available in mid-June, with the 65-incher rolling out in August. Other than the IP features (Picasa access is also part of the package) the THX-certified PZ850s support h.264 playback from the SD card slot, RS-232C, 24p native playback, and a variety of display modes and settings to get the picture just the way the director intended, the way you like it, or anywhere in between. Check after the break for a list of prices, and our video hands on from CES 2008.

Though not nearly as sexy (or well-spec'd, for that matter) as Sony's recently-unveiled HDR-TG1, AgfaPhoto's DV-5000Z still manages to hold its own on paper. Measuring in at 4.7- x 2.75-inches (12- x 7-centimeters) and weighing just over 7-ounces (200-grams), this HD camcorder features a 5-megapixel Micron CMOS sensor, 2.5-inch flip-out LCD, 3x optical zoom and an SD / SDHC slot to store everything on. As for shooting capabilities, it'll capture clips at 1,280 x 720 (using H.264 compression) and snag 16-bit stereo sound all the while. You'll also find USB connectivity, a rechargeable Li-ion and video out, natch. Unfortunately, there's no mention of this €249 ($393) device ever coming Stateside, but it'll be ready to roll in Russia later this month.

On the same day that Texas Instruments chose to showcase a new chip that would enable HD recording capabilities on cellphones, On2 Technologies is taking a moment from its hectic day in Barcelona to trumpet an all new 1080p hardware RTL video decoder. The Hantro 8190 reportedly supports Adobe Flash along with H.263, H.264, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, VC-1, Sorenson Spark and VP6 video formats, and it can even handle JPEG images up to 16-megapixels. According to On2, the device was created to be easily integrated with ARM, MIPS and "other embedded CPU and DSP cores," and can supposedly decode 1080p H.264 video at 30 frames-per-second using a clock frequency of just 165MHz. As it stands, the Hantro 8190 is currently available for licensing, but only time will tell who's going to bite.

Mark down "plays well with others" on Pinnacle's report card, the company's upcoming Pinnacle Video Transfer can take an analog video input and record the source to any USB 2.0 storage device, including an iPod. Video is recorded straight to the H.264 format, with user-selectable quality of Good, Better and Best. You can even charge the iPod you're transferring to. Supported devices include the PSP, PSP Slim, USB flash drives, USB hard drives and the iPod video, iPod nano third-gen, and iPod classic. The Pinnacle Video Transfer should hit stores January 15th for $129.99.

Granted, portable OTA tuners are a dime a dozen these days, but an interesting twist has been introduced by Korea's Inkel. The AirwayHD manages to boast a diminutive size while internalizing the process of converting OTA streams into manageable files using the H.264 codec. Reportedly, the device can compress files to one-fourth of their original size without any PC software intervention, and it should make life pretty easy for those hoping to view recorded content on their portable media player. No word on a release date just yet, but it'll only run you about ₩100,000 ($106) when it eventually lands. Check out a few more pics after the break.

Not willing to be left behind by all those other dictionary-packin' PMPs out there, Maxian has decided to launch a device of its own to both entertain and educate. The E900DIC boasts a stylish white enclosure, simplistic control scheme, and a "Saydic" dictionary that even touts text-to-speech capabilities. Details regarding the actual formats that this thing supports are scant, but we do know it features a DaVinci chipset and plays nice with H.264. Unsurprisingly, this one looks to be a Korean exclusive, but those parked near Seoul can reportedly snag one for between ₩400,000 ($430) to ₩500,000 ($538).

[Via MobileWhack]

Look out YouTube fanatics, your next digital camera has arrived. Casio's latest pair of Exilims don't deviate much from their predecessors, but a recent agreement with YouTube has enabled the duo to boast a "unique YouTube capture mode," as well as bundle in software "to provide ideal settings for recording, storing, and uploading video." The 8.1-megapixel Exilim Card EX-S880 ($299.99) touts a 2.8-inch monitor, SD / SDHC support, and comes in black or red motifs, while the 7.2-megapixel Exilim Zoom EX-Z77 ($229.99) trims down with a 2.6-inch LCD but arrives in four varying colors. Both cameras' YouTube capture mode records in 640 x 480 H.264, and provides "two step" access to get your clips from the flash card to the web. Look for the video-savvy pair to land in retail outlets next month.

Seems like only yesterday -- ok, 4 days ago -- we were telling you about the DViCO M-4000SA HD media player. Now they're back with the M-5100SH which bests the former with 1080p support, HDMI output, and H.264 decoding. It still packs Ethernet for plenty of in-home media streaming and of course DViCO will be more than happy to throw in a 3.5-inch, 512GB SATA disk for a fee. But why not save some bills-per-byte and double your capacity with a 1TB Hitachi disk purchased elsewhere. You can also add WiFi and an optional ATSC tuner to create a full-featured 1080i video recorder. Decent but standard stuff so far; what's odd is the pricing. The cylindrical M-5100SH is only available for pre-order and will cost $439 when it ships next month in Japan and presumably parts beyond. Meanwhile, the boxy M-4100SH offers all the same features as the M-5100SH yet costs only $359. Oh, and it's available domestically now. Of course, black MacBook owners already know the premium paid for aesthetics. Peep the M-4100SH slab after the break.

[Via Impress]

Read -- M-5100SH
Read -- M-4100SH

Fujitsu just announced a world's first H.264 chip capable of encoding/decoding 1920 x 1080 (60i/50i) video in real time. The chip features 256MB of onboard FCRAM and ultra low 750mW power draw when encoding video. That means lickity quick, MPEG-2 quality processing with only a third, or half the required storage. The ¥30,000 ($247) MB86H51 chip is available to OEMs starting July 1st after which you'll find it bunged into the latest up-scale, consumer-class video recorders.

[Via Impress]

Not too long after Pioneer went and introduced its second generation Blu-ray player, along comes Panasonic to follow suit, but unlike the BDP-LX70, we've got a pricetag as well as a few tempting reasons to pick this one up over the competition. The DMP-BD10A packs an audio upgrade that brings 7.1, Dolby True HD, and DTS-HD on board, and it incorporates Panasonic's EZ-Sync system for "one-touch operation" of your home theater. The overall design doesn't deviate too far from that seen in the first iteration, but you will find 1080p upconversion via HDMI, a 14-bit DA converter with 4x oversampling, support for BD-J, and compatibility between select HD camcorders via the AVCHD (H.264) codec. Notably, Panasonic is giving users two reasons to seriously considering its new offering, as the fairly reasonable $599.95 pricetag looks even better when you consider the five BD films (Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Transporter, Fantastic Four, and Crash) you'll be getting right in the box.

[Via Impress]

What's this? High def video content available on the iTunes store? Ah, bullocks, it's only in the form of video podcasts available from the Washington Post. While we're still left desperately wishing iTunes would actually sell us some content in a format that would actually look good on a large HDTV, the Washington Post isn't exactly blowing it out with its poorly encoded, 250MB vidcasts. Still, unless you're willing to dive in and hack that Apple TV, this is about the only HDTV you're gonna get on yours for the time being, so grin and bear it.