Camcorder Inisder
New Sanyo Hi-Def Tapeless Cams, Free Pinnacle Video Editing Software, DVD Updates
Next-Gen 720P High-def Tapeless Camcorder
Sanyo continues to dazzle and amaze with its next generation of Hi-Definition tapeless camcorders. The new model is called the Xacti HD700 and represents a breakthrough, low-cost camcorder at $600 MSRP. The original Sanyo Xacti HD1 broke new ground almost two years ago with its breathtaking 720P High-def resolution, but more importantly because it recorded that video on a flash memory card- NOT tape. Fast forward to the last quarter of 2007 and we find that Sanyo has not only come out with a second generation HD2, but also has entered the “entry-level” 720P High-def camcorder market with its HD700.
The new Sanyo Xacti HD700 is not only a high-quality 720P high-def camcorder, but it also records 7.1MP digital stills on a SD or SDHC memory card. Interestingly, the HD700 is available in three colors- silver, red and brown. The HD700 is 16 percent smaller and 10 lighter in weight than the flagship Xacti HD2.Video on the new HD700 is recorded in the new MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format standard.
The new HD700 is also an excellent digital camera. Its 7.1-megapixel (7.1MP) capture resolution is great for getting sharp and clear images. Behind every good digital camera is an excellent lens, and the HD700 has a 5X all-glass zoom lens with an equivalent 35mm zoom range of 38mm - 190mm. That is an amazing feature in and of itself in such an affordable camcorder. Beyond the 5X optical zoom, there is a built-in 12X digital zoom feature, and when combined with the optical zoom, it gives an equivalent zoom range of 60X. And the ISO sensitivity has been increased to ISO 3200, so you’ll be able to capture images in relatively lowlight and still maintain good quality.
Another terrific digital still capture feature is “Face Chasing,” which is Sanyo’s method of Face Detection. Face Chasing helps to take better pictures of people by focusing on them, not on the background. The new Face Chasing function can detect up to 12 faces at a time.
A big improvement, in my opinion, with the HD700 is the new 2.7-in. widescreen LCD display. In previous models, when the 720P High-def mode was selected, you would have to contend with the “letterbox” effect as displayed on a standard 4x3 aspect ratio LCD monitor. This didn’t seem very natural. So Sanyo fixed it with a new 2.7-in. 16x9 widescreen LCD monitor. This new LCD display screen can also rotate up to 285 degrees off axis to capture images from non-standard viewing angles.
So how much 720P video can you record on the new HD700? Sanyo claims up to two hours, 46 minutes on an 8GB SDHC card. Of course, if you shoot in Standard Definition video, you can record much more. SD/SDHC memory cards are not included with the HD700.
Out of the box, the HD700 is compatible with a wide variety of video editing applications. For the Windows PC platform, Adobe Premiere Elements 3.0 is included. Premiere Elements 3.0 can import the native MPEG-4/H.264 files directly from the memory card. Burn your footage to DVD in two simple steps, complete with a DVD menu and scene index or easily assemble your movie by rearranging clips with drag-and-drop simplicity. The video clips recorded by the HD700 are also directly compatible with Apple’s free bundle of video editing software like iMovie 08.
Additional features of the HD700 include Digital Image Stabilization, Super fast startup time (1.3 seconds), HDMI playback through an included Docking Station, Super Macro mode for 1cm close-ups, In-Camera Editing, Wind Noise Reduction, Remote Control and a SIMPLE mode to help entry-level users. Still images can even be printed quickly without a computer thanks to a PictBridge port.
The HD700 looks like a serious contender for the entry-level, high-def camcorder market. For more information and additional specifications on the new Sanyo HD700, please visit www.sanyodigital.com.
Pinnacle’s Studio 11
Free Video Editing for the YouTube™ Generation
In this YouTube™ generation, it seems that everyone wants to put his or her video up on the Internet. Pinnacle, one of the leaders in the consumer video editing market, is introducing a free product for download that should go a long way toward making that conversion task easy and fun.
Its new product is called VideoSpin; it’s aimed at the video shooters who don’t have much experience editing or streaming video. But with VideoSpin, editing your video is an easy task. Download VideoSpin from www.videospin.com. With VideoSpin you’ve got the basics, tools and instructions to be your own video producer. You simply drop in your video clips and add pictures and music. You then add transitions and titles, then click Make Movie. You can then share your newly created movie via your PC or upload it to video-sharing Web sites such as YouTube™.
The VideoSpin software doesn’t include the ability to convert your final videos into the video file formats needed by YouTube™, Internet video, PSP, iPod, etc. But for $15, a bundle of such codecs (MPEG2, MPEG4, DIVX, etc.) can be obtained from Pinnacle.
Naturally, Pinnacle hopes that you entry-level video producers will get bitten by the “video editing bug” and will want to do more. For you more advanced producers out there, the standard video editing software tools such as Pinnacle’s Studio 11, Studio 11 Plus or Studio 11 Ultimate can also be purchased. For more information on Pinnacle’s VideoSpin or Studio editing applications, please visit www.videospin.com or www.pinnaclesys.com.
High-def DVD Format War
How much longer will the Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD format war continue? Well, according to a new report from Forrester Research — about 18 months. According to the report, there will be “pitched battles” where each side is putting up its best effort to promote its format over the other competing one.
The report says that few consumers are getting cozy with either Blu-ray or HD-DVD, although the start of lowering prices for both formats is starting to turn purchasing heads. The biggest problem, the report says, is that most potential early adopters still aren’t convinced about the perceived value of high-def DVDs over traditional DVDs.
However, the report predicts something what I’ve been saying for some time- that Blu-ray will ultimately prevail over HD-DVD. Why? Because the Sony Playstation 3 gaming console, now widely available, has a Blu-ray playback built-in. But standalone Blu-ray players still aren’t anywhere near “critical mass” pricing acceptance levels, to tip the balance toward Blu-ray yet. For that to happen, I think that such Blu-ray players should approach $250.
Making DVDs from Internet Movies
The DVD Copy Control Association, the group that licenses the anti-piracy DVD security feature on each commercially released movie DVD, just cleared the way for movies bought over the Internet to be burned to a DVD and to be playable ANYWHERE. This can dramatically change the way that movies are sold and distributed.
The new process will allow content to be burned to one disk, but not copied to others. Until now, Hollywood has been so paranoid about copying such content, that all downloadable movies could only be played on computer screens or portable devices. The problem is the quality using this older analog method has always been much lower than a standard commercial released DVD.
But there are still issues to be dealt with. Many DVD burners, especially on older computers, will have to be upgraded to allow the burn. Studios must still decide which films they will allow to be burned to a DVD and how much to charge for the option. Stay tuned for further developments.
Leading High-def DVD Disk Makers Holding Back
Two of the world’s largest Taiwanese optical disk makers, CMC Magnetics and Ritek, are reportedly unwilling to invest in large-scale production of either Blu-ray or HD-DVD disks. Why? Apparently, the royalty fees are high and there is the possibility that the cost of production equipment may drop drastically in the future. CMC is technologically capable of making BD and HD DVD discs, but will not set up volume production capacity until global demand takes off, according to company chairman Robert Wong. Ritek currently focuses production on the relatively highly profitable DVD+R/-R DL (single-sided double-layer) discs. However, Ritek has used existing equipment for production of DVD discs to turn out HD DVD discs in small volumes for some clients. Due to the conservative attitude of these leading Taiwanese disk manufacturers, Japan-based makers, including Sony, Matsushita Electric Industrial, TDK and Mitsubishi Kagaku Media (Verbatim), will continue to dominate the global production of Blu-ray or HD-DVD discs.
