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Sony's Webbie HD reviewed: cheap but not a bargain
With everything going on at this year's CES we didn't get a chance to do more than take a few pictures of Sony's unfortunately named Webbie HD (aka the MHS-CM1), a tiny little camcorder that shoots in high-def yet costs just $200. Michael at Diffusion had the opportunity to review one and, while he liked everything on the camera's spec sheet, in practice found it to be a "low priced, low quality disposable HD camera." It shoots 720p and not-quite-1080p video (maxing out at 1440 x 1080) as well as 5 megapixel stills through a 5x optical zoom lens. Overall image quality was found to be poor, thanks in large part to exposure settings that could never settle on the right values themselves yet couldn't be manually tweaked. Given the price really there's not much reason to complain, as it seems perfectly serviceable for those who worry about cost more than image quality, but if you were hoping for a prosumer cam at a plaything price, keep searching.
Sony Webbie HD cams hands-on
We couldn't help but notice Sony's cute little Webbie MHS-CM1 and MHS-PM1 HD cams hiding in the corner while we were scoping out the VAIO P and the Walkman NWZ-X1000, so we snuck a few shots. They look and feel really nice, and while we didn't get a chance to check the video quality, the PM1's swiveling screen certainly brings something new to the Flip-esque form-factor. Check 'em out in the gallery!%Gallery-40937%
Sony's MHS-CM1 and MHS-PM1 Webbie HD cams teach your kids to upload
Tired of seeing your child come home from school in tears, only to find that all the cool cats in the playground were telling him / her to get a real pocket camcorder if they wanted to join the clique? Never fear, as Sony has just introduced two new Webbie HD cameras for giving your youngsters the chance to capture spontaneous moments in glorious high-def. The MHS-CM1 and MHS-PM1 both grab live action video in 1,440 x 1,080/30p and take stills at 5 megapixels; uploading the MP4 results are said to be a snap thanks to the embedded software that handles most of the hard work. They're available in two designs and three "stylish" colors (eggplant, orange and silver), and while the CM1 (available now for $200) gets gifted with a 2.5-inch swivel LCD and a 5x optical zoom, the four-ounce PM1 (ships in April for $170) goes screenless and sticks to a 4x digital zoom.%Gallery-40934%
