(Credit:
Sanyo)
Today Sanyo announced a new member of its Xacti line, the Xacti VPC-HD1010 camcorder, a compact and lightweight (9.9 ounces with battery and SD card) full 1080i HD (1,920x1,080) camcorder. The HD1010 has a CMOS sensor that records both 1080i HD video and 4MP still images to either SDHC memory cards or the built-in 40MB internal memory. A built-in pop-up flash sits on top on the camcorder's pistol-grip design, while a 2.7-inch wide-screen LCD display pivots out from the side.
The 1080i HD video is recorded at 60 frames per second in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format. It is also capable of 300 fps slow-motion video. Utilizing Sanyo's Face Detection technology for still images and Face Chaser technology for video, it can recognize up to 12 faces at a time in both stills and video. Stills in 4MP can be shot at up to 7 fps, even while recording video. It includes a fast f1.8 10x optical zoom lens, made of all glass. Sound is recorded at 48 khz. 16-bit on two channels. It will be available in the U.S. in July for around $800.
Coming soon: The HDMI-equipped Xbox 360.
(Credit: Engadget)It looks as if the Xbox 360 will be getting an HDMI-powered overhaul before it even hits its second birthday. AOL's Engadget sports what looks to be an authentic, leaked, back-panel shot of the next generation of the Xbox 360, which includes an HDMI jack directly below the proprietary A/V port found on existing 360s. According to the story, the new unit--codename "Zephyr"--will also offer a 65nm CPU (said to be less prone to overheating) and a much more spacious 120GB hard drive (perfect for downloading the growing list of HD movies and TV shows available on Xbox Live). Pricing isn't specified, but Engadget says the revamped Xbox will be available "soon."
Why does HDMI matter? A recent firmware upgrade added 1080p output to the Xbox 360, but actually getting that resolution is a challenge considering few HDTVs accept 1080p input from component and VGA inputs, which are the only two options on the current 360. Microsoft was always vague as to when and how it would add HDMI capability to its console, and the need for a dedicated HDMI port seems to confirm suspicions that the A/V port on the current 360 just can't support digital video output (thus the absence of a DVI or an HDMI adapter to date). The HDMI-equipped Xbox 360 removes those compatibility problems, adding plug-and-play 1080p support to a larger (and growing) list of TVs, and it obviates another distinction from the HDMI-equipped PlayStation 3.
In fact, all three of these upgrades--the HDMI output, the 65nm CPU, and the larger hard drive--have been rumored for months. I'm hoping Microsoft will take the opportunity to correct some of the 360's other annoyances, particularly the loud fan and optical disc drive noise and the gargantuan external power supply. And while I'm in wish-list mode--why not just make the HD DVD drive internal, so we don't need that kludgy add-on?
Prospective Xbox 360 buyers should definitely hold off until we find out exactly when the new model will hit stores and how much it will cost. Existing 360 owners can take solace in the fact that the hard-drive upgrade will certainly be available separately and that 1080p resolution isn't necessarily the dramatic improvement over 1080i that the TV manufacturers claim it to be.
On Sale Now: $299.99 - $699.95
View the latest prices for Microsoft Xbox 360 (20GB)
Panasonic's gone HD-happy with its recent announcement of two new AVCHD camcorders. The HDC-DX1 and HDC-SD1 are two small, sleek, and sporty high-definition camcorders priced less than $1,500 with some very nice features.
The HDC-DX1 is a DVD camcorder that can record up to 40 minutes of 1080i footage onto a single 8cm dual-layer DVD-R, or up to 20 minutes onto single-layer DVD-RW or DVD-RAM for rewritability. The HDC-SD1 is an SD camcorder that can record up to an hour of 1080i footage onto a 4GB SDHC card.
Both models use three CCDs to record their high-definition video, and feature a 12x Leica optical zoom lens with optical image stabilization to help reduce shake. If that's not enough, they both include 3-inch wide-screen LCDs, HDMI jacks, SDHC slots for SD cards over 2GB. The HDC-DX1 also features a hotshoe for video lights, mics, and other helpful accessories.
Besides the high-definition video, the new HDC camcorders include a five-microphone surround sound recording system with two interesting features. First, the five mics can record Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround sound directly to the AVCHD footage. Second, the microphone array can "zoom in" with the camcorder's lens, filtering out the side channels as the shot gets tighter.
Both AVCHD camcorders will ship in March 2007. The HDC-DX1 will have a suggested retail price of $1,400, and the HDC-SD1 will have a suggested retail price of $1,500.
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