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Ask Engadget: Best consumer-level HDD camcorder?
Seems like the holidays are always good for sparking up a discussion on camcorders -- after all, what better time to have one than when everyone in your extended family's family is gathered together at your house? Take a break from the turkey and gift bags and give Chaz's question some thought. "I've been looking for a decent HDD-based camcorder. I just want to use it for normal everyday use, and maybe to record some live performances, like dance shows and stuff like that. I'm not looking to spend a fortune, and I'm obviously looking for the biggest bang for my buck. Thanks for any advice!" Chaz might just be onto something here, as these memories you're making this week will be lost forevers and evers unless someone pulls out the camcorder and lights up the red light. If you've recently purchased a hard drive-based camcorder, why not toss in your advice? As for us, we'll point to Samsung's SC-HMX20C and simultaneously ask you to send in a question of your own to ask at engadget dawt com.
Recommendations for best HDD-based camcorder?
This week's extra special holiday edition of Ask Engadget just so happens to involve some technology that we reckon our HD readers would love to have a say on. Yep, we're talking about HDD-based camcorders, presumably of the high-definition variety. If you consider yourself suitably equipped to give a recommendation on which one is the best for an average consumer, head on over to Engadget Classic and drop some knowledge.
Hitachi reveals Blu-ray / HDD / SDHC DZ-BD10HA high-def camcorder
Far from being the first Blu-ray hybrid camcorder from Hitachi, the DZ-BD10HA ups the ante even further by tossing in a third format. Yep, this Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) camcorder can record to BD, SDHC or the 30GB hard drive. Additionally, you'll find a 7-megapixel CMOS sensor, push-of-a-button dubbing from HDD / SDHC to Blu-ray, a host of editing functions, a transcoding feature to transfer HD videos to vanilla DVDs, face detection and optical image stabilization for good measure. The pain? $1,099 when it lands in North America next month.
Canon gets official with VIXIA HD camcorders, HF11 gets reviewed
Thanks to an early jump in Japan, we already knew that Canon's VIXIA line was getting a refresh, but now we can rest easy knowing they'll be coming to America. The HF11 Dual Flash camcorder (32GB in addition to an SDHC slot) and HG20 (60GB) / HG21 (120GB) HDD camcorders all boast 1,920 x 1,080 capture modes, Instant AutoFocus, SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization and 24Mbps recording to the AVCHD format. The whole lot is expected to ship next month for $1,199, $949 and $1,299 in order of mention, and the increasingly intriguing HF11 has already spent some quality time on Camcorder Info's review bench. Check out the in-depth writeup below before pulling that trigger in the heat of the moment.[Thanks, Robin]Read - Canon VIXIA releasesRead - Canon VIXIA HF11 review
Hands-on and unboxing: JVC Everio HD40 camcorder
We got a chance to peek JVC's latest line of Everio camcorders in a controlled environment a few weeks back, but we finally managed to snag a retail HD40 (that's the flagship model in this series) and take it off to our own special corner. Of course, we tackled the first things first: unboxing and hands-on. Early impressions are that the unit is surprisingly light, though it's on the bulky side. Granted, there is 120GB of storage in there, so it may be a fair trade off for some. We're letting the battery charge up and plan to shoot some video with it over the weekend; we'll be writing up a full review here shortly. 'Til then, enjoy the gallery below (complete with comparison shots with the impressive Samsung SC-HMX20C). %Gallery-26877%
JVC's Everio GZ-HD5 / GZ-HD6 HD camcorders do 1080i with ease
Mmm, you can almost smell all those pixels from your cubical chair, now can't you? JVC's getting our minds in a tizzy today with two new HD camcorders that are compact for carrying and big on resolution. Both the GZ-HD5 (available in black and silver) and the GZ-HD6 (just silver) each capture video at 1,920 x 1,080 and feature Genessa technology, HDMI, component, i.LINK and mini-USB connectors, an SDHC slot and audio in / out to boot. The only major difference between the two is the internal hard drive: with the HD5, you'll get 60GB to store all sorts of antics on, while you can double that with the extra capacious HD6. As predicted, each device is touting that elusive open offer price tag for now, but considering that we've only a fortnight before they hit the streets, we suppose we'll know soon enough.[Via Impress]
JVC showcases HD Everio GZ-HD3 HDD / SDHC camcorder
JVC hasn't shown off any of its fancy Everio camcorders in quite awhile, but it's making a noticeable return with the HDD / SDHC-compatible GZ-HD3. This handheld camcorder does it up right with a built-in 60GB hard drive, MPEG-2 HD recording (though not Full HD, reportedly), and the ability to capture onto SD / SDHC flash cards. Unfortunately, not a whole lot of details beyond that are readily available, but while you wait patiently for a release date and price, feel free to click on for a few more glamor shots.
Sony offers up hard drive upgrades in camcorder line
While we'd already seen a couple of noticeable offerings from Sony that mysteriously touted larger than usual internal hard drives, it now seems that a bevy of Sony's Handycams are eligible for an upgrade. According to the SonyStyle website, the DCR-SR42 and DCR-SR62 can grab an "A" on the end of its title and double the HDD capacity from 30GB to 60GB for $100. The DCR-SR82 can morph into the DCR-SR82C and go from 60GB to 100GB for just a Benjamin, while the DCR-SR200 and DCR-SR300 can make the same leap in size for $200. So there you have it, nothing revolutionary, but a whole lot more capture time can be yours if you've been holding out on picking one of the smaller models up.[Via CamcorderNews]
