Samsung At CES: 1080/30p Camcorder SC-HMX20C

[Jerry Jones]

I've never been a big fan of Samsung camcorders, but it seems
they're introducing a 1080/30p camcorder at CES:

http://tinyurl.com/ywmamc

Kind of interesting.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Hulk]

Wow looks very impressive.

Questions:

1. Size of the sensor
2. Recording format (I'm sure it's AVCHD but I didn't see it specified)
3. Bitrate

Things are moving quickly in the consumer HD market.

First Sony gets out some decent AVCHD camcorders
Then Canon lets loose the HG10
Then Sanyo put a decent small form factor camcorder out there with the HD1000
Now Samsung a with a sensor that can do 1080p with bursts of 300fps. That is one fast sensor and related electronics. Obviously it has a buffer large enough to hold enough data for the burst.

Things are getting interesting in the video world.

[Jerry Jones]

These new models just happen to be somewhat improved -- in some respects but not in all respects -- over the first generation model I own.

But what I thought was THE MOST SIGNIFICANT fact regarding the new Sony camcorder announcements was the fact that ONLY ONE (1) NEW HDV MODEL was introduced.

Just one!

Pretty much validates what I've been saying all along about the HDV format already dying out.

Frankly, I'd rather have a first-generation AVCHD camcorder than a more mature HDV camcorder.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

First Sony gets out some decent AVCHD camcorders.

[Jerry Jones]

Apparently, according to CamcorderInfo.com, this interesting new Samsung camcorder can also do 1080/60p!!

http://tinyurl.com/33velr

...and according to Engadget.com...

...there's a WiFi-enabled model that allows for streaming of the HD video to a
high definition TV:

http://tinyurl.com/2qeycc

Now that validates the other thing I've been saying all along.

Hard disks, flash memory, and wireless high definition video streaming.

This is why the high definition DVD formats are as dead as DISC-o.



Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Jerry Jones]

Sony's new AVCHD mini DVD camcorder models:

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Sony-Announces-Two-New-High-Definition-DVD-Camcorders--HDR-UX10-and-HDR-UX20-33966.htm

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Jerry Jones]

Note how both new Sony AVCHD models feature 1920 x 1080 recording capability -- compared to my Sony HDR-UX1's 1440 x 1080 capability -- but these new Sony models lack the manual controls of my Sony HDR-UX1 and they also lack microphone inputs and headphone jacks.

Improved in some respects, but far worse in other respects.

Not good.

I'm happy to have my Sony HDR-UX1 at the sale price I paid.

It was a great deal.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[paulw]

I agree with you. I have been looking at HD Cams over Xmas and there seems a general dumbing down of the consumer units. Most likely as a cost cutting thing..

[Jerry Jones]

If the Samsung model is using the Ambarella chip mentioned in this news release...

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS135314+07-Jan-2008+BW20080107

...then it really can do 1080/60p.

Isn't Ambarella supplying Samsung?

I think so.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Elie]

I'm very skeptical about a Korean based camcorder, the feature set may be extensive however quality and workmanship remains questionable for a camcorder.

Even there cellphones are flakey at best.

Before anything Chinese or Korean based, I would strongly recommend the Canon HV20 which sells for $670 at B&H, it supports 24P 1080 and it's getting awesome reviews.

http://www.simplydv.co.uk/Reviews/canon_hv20.html

http://www.videomaker.com/article/13252/

http://www.cinevate.com/images/brevisonice.wmv

[Jerry Jones]

Most of us are.

I bought a Samsung MiniDV camcorder and had to send it back; it was a joke.

The quality was worse than what one would have gotten with a cheap Aiptek.

The CMOS sensor in this Samsung 1080p camcorder is quite small, too.

Not sure how good it is.

Should be interesting, however.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

I'm very skeptical about a Korean based camcorder

[Jerry Jones]

I suspected it might be too good to be true.

Here's the catch:

"Though the captured video is progressive, the camcorder is only capable of exporting interlaced video.

In other words, 1080i.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Jerry Jones]

Too bad the HV20 is tape-based.

I prefer the flash memory.

The newest Canons -- announced yesterday -- should be just as good as the HV20 in terms of image quality, but better in terms of the ease of use associated with flash memory.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

I would strongly recommend the Canon HV20

[Jerry Jones]

Canon high definition flash memory camcorder introduced yesterday:

http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/canons-vixia-high-def-camcorder-get-official/

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Elie]

Thanks Jerry, looks like a good camera!

Cheers!

[Hulk]

The Sony camera looks pretty good except for those 1/5" sensors. From the quote regarding 11 minutes of video from 1.4 GB that would seem to imply an average bit rate just shy of 17Mpbs. Which would (hopefully) mean bitrate spikes of 20Mbps or more.