08/30/2007

High-definition camcorders enter the mainstream

High-definition camcorders enter the mainstream
Tag: camcorders, digital camcorders, sony camcorders, sony digital camera,Digital wholesaler, digital product wholesaler
Most digital camcorders shoot video at about 350 to 500 lines of resolution, which corresponds to the resolution of a commercial DVD. Those who own an HDTV, which can display up to 1080 lines of resolution, may be eyeballing a high-definition camcorder, which can record twice or three times as much resolution.
You'll get the full benefit of high-definition footage if you plug the camera into your HDTV for playback. You can also transfer footage to a computer for editing. Most consumer and professional video-editing software supports (or will soon support) the HDV format used by most HD camcorders. Note, however, if you burn HD footage to a DVD, you'll have to convert it to standard definition. HD DVD burners are becoming more available, but remain expensive. HD camcorders can also be used to record standard-definition video, and most excel when doing so. Professional digital product wholesaler www.rihey.cc
While the ability to edit footage and the need to use the camcorder as the playback device are certainly issues, the biggest thing keeping HD camcorders out of the mainstream has been their price. The latest introductions from Sony and Canon have largely jumped that hurdle, and street prices of those camcorders are competitive with higher-end standard-definition models.
In reviews, the Sony HDR-HC3 (*est. $1,130) and the Canon HV10 (*est. $1,100) run neck and neck, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. At CamcorderInfo.com, the Sony HDR-HC3 is the highest rated camcorder currently on the market. In a review written by David Kender and site founder Robin Liss, editors say that the camcorder blends Sony's high image quality with ease of use. In the HD mode, the picture is very sharp overall, with good color balance. Saturation is also good, but it is not excessive and does not detract from the image.
In his review for CNet.com, Denny Atkin also likes the Sony's HD image, and says that the level of detail is a dramatic improvement over the best miniDV camcorders the site has tested. He adds that in SD, "video quality remains good, with reasonably good detail, accurate color, and sharp images in outdoor shots." One negative is that low-light performance in SD is not as good as in high-definition, where it is excellent.
Like other Sony camcorders, reviews say the HDR-HC3 is very easy to use. Manual controls, while more plentiful than other Sony models, have been pared back compared to Sony's first HD camcorder, the HDR-HC1. Sony's Easy button now takes over almost all user functions. Since most people will be using the camcorder as the playback device for the videos they shoot, Sony has wisely included an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) output, keeping the camcorder-TV connection all-digital and making hookup much easier.
The Canon HV10 high-definition camcorder also draws its share of praise. At CamcorderInfo.com, editors say that when shooting in HD, colors are perfectly balanced with just the right amount of saturation. In addition, the image is said to be remarkably noise-free, but while the image's apparent sharpness was good and far better than most SD video, it did have a slightly soft look to it. Standard-definition recording is called "outstanding." Color balance remains excellent in SD, and while resolution is obviously reduced from HD, detail remains good. Noise levels also remain low. Find digital product just inwww.rihey.cc
Another of the Canon HV10's strengths is the presence of more extensive manual-control possibilities. According to CamcorderInfo.com, the manual controls are easy to use and intuitive, but novice shooters might find the camcorder's many features and options confusing. Ergonomics can also be an issue. Specifically, the controls are very small, and some, such as the jog dial and the mode dial, are spaced too closely together. The camera's auto mode generally works fine for point-and-shoot users, but there were some issues with certain shots, such as strong light from windows and low-light situations. In general, David Kender describes the camcorder's low-light performance as "terrible." Interestingly, in his head-to-head comparison of the Sony HDR-HC3 and the Canon HV10, New York Times technology reviewer David Pogue gives the nod to the Canon camcorder based, in part, on its better low-light performance.
In addition to small and awkwardly placed controls, the Canon HV10 suffers from another serious ergonomic issue, according to reviews. Unlike the Sony HDR-HC3, which has a more traditional horizontal design, the HV10 uses an upright, pistol-grip form factor that can be clumsy to use for anything but point-and-shoot videography. In her review at CNet.com, Lori Grunin writes that she had to "steady the camcorder with my left hand while making adjustments with my right, which wasn't always practical." That said, she found the Canon HV10 to be "lightweight (1.1 pounds), attractive, jacket pocket-friendly, and functional." All reviewers found the lack of an HDMI port to be a serious and unfortunate omission.
While the Sony and Canon HD camcorders are priced to compete with high-end mainstream SD models, Sanyo has introduced Xacti VPC-HD1 (*est. $550) , an HD camcorder that aims at the middle of the market. One significant difference between this Sanyo HD camcoder and more expensive HD models is that it shoots video in 720p. While that still meets the HD specification, both the HV10 and HDR-HC3 shoot in the higher 1080i format.
Sound and Vision magazine's Michael Antonoff generally likes the Sanyo HD camcorder. He notes that it is the "smallest, lightest (just over a half pound), and least expensive high-def cam to date." The small size (3.125 x 4.75 x 1.5 inches) is possible because the camcorder records to SD cards, but high capacity cards are need to record videos of any length. He adds that the automatic mode makes the camcorder easy to use for point-and-shooters, but there are also plenty of manual controls for more experienced users. At CNet.com, David English says that while the camera has limitations, "the HD1 is an important technical milestone."
On the other hand, CamcorderInfo.com editors are not impressed with the Sanyo VPC-HD1. Editors say that many standard-definition camcorders, including the Panasonic PV-GS300 and PV-GS500, produce better images, and that while the price of the Sony HDR-HC3 is almost twice as high, "the image quality, handling, and durability is more than twice as good," according to David Kender.
Complicating the HD-camcorder landscape, Sony has just introduced the Sony HDR-UX1 (*est. $1,190) , a camcorder that can record HD video on current DVD media. The catch is that it uses a different compression scheme, called AVCHD. The promise is that Blu-Ray HD players will be able to read the discs directly, and that next-generation video-editing software will support the format. But for now, working with AVCHD video is very difficult, as users must rely on Sony's own software for the task and the discs can not be read by most DVD players or PCs that are not loaded with the required software. Reviews say that this is a terrific HD camcorder, but major compatibility and workflow issues still need to be resolved before it can be unconditionally recommended for most users.
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From www.consumersearch.com

08/29/2007

Types of digital camcorders

Types of digital camcorders
Tag: camcorders, digital camcorders, sony camcorders, sony digital camera,Digital wholesaler, digital product wholesaler, minidvd, multipaks.
Digital camcorders have overtaken non-digital camcorders for both consumers and professionals, and prices continue to drop. Unlike VHS and 8mm camcorders, which can only record about 240 lines of video resolution, digital camcorders capture 400 to 500 lines of sharp images -- that's about the maximum resolution of a regular TV. You can also copy digital video onto VHS tape, so friends and family can watch your movies on a VCR, and if you have a DVD recorder or a DVD burner on your computer, you can burn your digital video onto a standard DVD disc. Find MPM, digital camera, incar dvd , http://www.rihey.cc/
There are a number of competing digital camcorder technologies. While much of the excitement in the marketplace has moved to miniDVD and HD camcorders, miniDV models continue to be popular and offer some powerful advantages. MiniDV camcorders record to miniDV tapes, which are available in discount stores, drugstores and pretty much everywhere else; they cost under $3 each when purchased in multipacks. Each tape stores 60 minutes of best-quality video, and you can erase and re-record tapes. Footage can easily be transferred to your computer for editing (usually through a FireWire port), and the resulting digital video files are compatible with nearly all media players and video-editing software. In general, experts say that despite new technologies, miniDV still provides better video quality than most miniDVD or hybrid camcorders, but the gap is closing. MiniDV camcorders also tend to be less expensive.
MiniDVD camcorders don't use tapes; they record to 3-inch miniDVD discs. DVDs offer many advantages over recording on miniDV tapes. Since material on DVDs can be accessed almost immediately, there's no rewinding or forwarding of tapes. It's easier to find and delete any unwanted scenes on a DVD than on a tape. Most discs need to be finalized in the camera before they will play in a home DVD player (finalizing takes from seven to fifteen minutes per disc). A few older DVD players, however, may not be able to read the small DVDs. Although most home DVD players can play DVD-R/-RW and DVD+R/+RW formats, many won't play DVD-RAM discs. Quality and cheap digital product in www.rihey.cc
 DVD camcorders need particular types of DVD formats, but all give you at least one write-once format (DVD-R or DVD+R) and one rewritable format (DVD-RW, DVD+RW or DVD-RAM). When bought in multi-disc packages, mini write-once discs can cost less than $1 each, while miniDVD-RW and +RW discs cost about $2 to $3 each. Mini DVD-RAM discs, which are harder to find, cost about $3 to $8 each in multipacks.
While consumers are flocking to the technology, miniDVD camcorders have a few significant drawbacks compared to miniDV: reviewers say that editing the video they produce can sometimes be a challenge. Some cheaper DVD camcorders don't have a way to transfer footage to a computer. Higher-end models do include a computer interface (USB or FireWire), so you'll be able to transfer video to a computer, but according to several reviews, video-editing software sometimes has trouble reading a DVD camcorder's image files. In addition, miniDVD uses MPEG-2 compression. That gives rise to two issues. One is that it makes it harder to isolate one particular frame when editing video. And compression, especially when it is poorly executed, can degrade video quality and introduce a host of artifacts. MiniDV video, on the other hand, is not compressed, which is why it looks better than the video from all but the best miniDVD camcorders.
But if all you are looking to do is record some video and pop it into your DVD player or into an envelope for grandma to enjoy, there is no simpler solution than miniDVD. With competing technologies, the camcorder itself must double as the playback device, or some post-shooting processing must be done on a PC to create a video that can be viewed on a TV. However, with a miniDVD camcorder, all a user has to do is shoot, finalize and view, and DVD-R discs in particular are compatible with most home DVD players.
A small handful of digital camcorders use memory cards instead of DV tape or miniDVDs. While these camcorders have the advantage of being very small, they generally don't provide the best video quality according to reviews. A 2GB memory card (*est. $40) will hold about 25 minutes of top-quality video, so you'll probably want to keep a few on hand for long recording sessions; 4GB high-capacity SD (HCSD) cards can hold 50 minutes or so, but are relatively expensive (*est. $150). More digital product just in www.rihey.cc
Lastly, a few digital camcorders can record to an internal fixed or removable hard-disk drive (HDD). Equipped with HDDs as large as 30 gigabytes, these camcorders can store up to 440 minutes of top-quality video, and the best can produce video that compares favorably with miniDV. One negative is that HDD cameras are relatively expensive.
From www.consumersearch.com

08/28/2007

Hot trends in Personal media players(mp3, mp4)

Hot trends in Personal media players(mp3, mp4)
Tag PMP ,mp3, mp4,Bluetooth,blue-tooth,wi-fi,green products,trend,
1: Wi-Fi personal media players
2:blue tooth media player
3:green media player
Everything's connected nowadays. Every gadget hooks up to your PC or Mac, you can connect digital cameras and mobile phones to your telly, and web cams work with your PS3 console. But what about wireless connectivity?
I've already talked about Bluetooth music in this Tech Trends series, but Wi-Fi MP3 players are another important trend. Actually, it's broader than that – we should really talk about personal media players (PMPs) when referring to the devices that are getting Wi-Fi'd up, as it's as much about video and photos as it is music.Whatever you call them, though, the trend is clear: our PMPs are increasingly shipping with connectivity that goes beyond the traditional USB cable.
Over the next six months, we'll see how this affects how we discover and consume content, as well as sharing it with each other. Wi-Fi PMPs aren't, as such, a brand new idea, as anyone with an Archos 704, Sansa Connect or Microsoft Zune will tell you. However, the fact that Wi-Fi could soon become a standard feature in these devices is shown by Archos' recent Generation 5 launch, where wireless connectivity was a key feature in all three of the firm's new PMPs, while it's also a big part of iRiver's new PMPs like the W10 and even its new Mickey Mouse player.
So, Wi-Fi is going to be in more PMPs in the months ahead, but what will we use it for? Two things jump out: getting music and video onto the devices (or streaming it to them), and sharing this content with other users. The former is fairly straightforward, since Wi-Fi in a PMP allows it to theoretically connect to music or media stores when you're in range of a network and download stuff. It'll need the billing mechanism to be worked out beforehand (for example, a subscription to a music service like Rhapsody or Slacker).
It's not a stretch to imagine a Wi-Fi iPod that connects to iTunes either. But it's the sharing aspect of Wi-Fi that's most intriguing, particularly at a time when the music and movie industries are grappling with issues around DRM and file-sharing – on the one hand, a past-time for dirty rotten pirates, but on the other a huge opportunity to spread content without spending loads of money on marketing. I've ranted here before about how Microsoft should pay Zune users to share music with each other, and it seems that the company's thoughts are veering in that direction.
The next six months should see the first tentative attempts at making device-to-device file-sharing a reality, without enraging the record labels, broadcasters and movie studios. There's plenty of questions around how it would work (see below), but for the early adopters who'll be snapping up Wi-Fi PMPs as they come out, it'll be an exciting time.
The next article is blue tooth media player
2: Blue tooth media player
Wire, huh? What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. Well, it does keep chickens in their place I suppose, but apart from that, wires are intrinsically rubbish. They get in the way, get tangled up, and when they're white and attached to an iPod, they get you mugged.Thankfully, one of the key Tech trends of 2007 is Bluetooth audio, which does away with wires altogether.
It's a relatively new thing, mind. For years, Bluetooth headsets were just about making voice calls while walking down the street looking like you were ranting away to the voices inside your head.Now, though, thanks to the A2DP Bluetooth profile, music has got in on the wireless act. It's featuring increasingly inside mobile phones, MP3 players and hi-fis, but even if you don't fancy upgrading your existing gadgets, there are converters to help you go wire-free. www.rihey.cc
The next six months will see plenty more mobile phones coming out with A2DP support – in fact, it'll soon become a standard feature in any music-focused phone. What'll be interesting will be to see if more manufacturers bundle Bluetooth headphone/headset combos in with their new handsets. Certainly the likes of Nokia and Sony Ericsson are trumpeting their swish new Bluetooth music gear. More Bluetooth headset manufacturers will catch onto the music wave in the next six months too, which should result in a flood of A2DP-capable headphones, from the expensive to the affordable.Bluetooth will also become a more standard feature in MP3 players, as manufacturers realise that wire-free music is a big selling point. Samsung's YP-T9 is a good example of the kind of player I'm talking about, but Bluetooth is on the roadmap of anyone who's anyone in the MP3 world. Including Apple? Hopefully, yes. Much of the speculation around the company's next-gen iPods concerns whether they'll be widescreen and touchscreen models.
But Bluetooth would also be a welcome feature, even if it does mean doing away with those iconic white earphone wires. In the meantime, more headphones manufacturers will find a way to make the iPodBluetooth-friendly.At a slower pace, Bluetooth technology will make its way into the hi-fi world, with more models coming out following the example set by Philips' BTM 628 and BTM 630 systems and the iSymphony V1BLUEe.
As more people become aware of Bluetooth music, gadgets like the iBluon Bluetooth stereo audio transmitter will become more popular too. Finally, the second half of 2007 will see a shedload of standalone Bluetooth speakers released, following in the footsteps of Samsin's SBS-6600, GEAR4's HouseParty Blu, and Linx's B-Tube.Put simply, in the next six months, Bluetooth is going to increasingly become a standard feature in just about every music product category you can think of. www.rihey.cc best dorpshipping digital product supplier.
3: Green media player
Technology companies make money from flogging us technology as often as possible. They don't tend to make money from hugging trees. So when you see a company like Dell announcing plans to become the greenest technology company on Earth, you get a sense of why eco-gadgetry is increasingly seen as a vital business strategy by tech firms.
In Dell's case that involves reducing the carbon intensity of its global operations, planting trees for every notebook and PC it sells. It's also offering free recycling for used Dell kit. Many technology firms are taking measures, and those that aren't are increasingly being held to account by the likes of Greenpeace.
The second half of 2007 will see a lot more publicity around how green (or otherwise) our gadget-makers are. Publications like Greenpeace's Greener Electronics Guide are helping – it ranks PC and mobile manufacturers on how green they are. The latest edition put Lenovo at the top of the list, followed by Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Dell and Samsung. Sony pitches in at 11th spot, while Apple languishes in 14th.
Does this sort of pressure force companies to up their game? It seems so. Lenovo was bottom of Greenpeace's previous edition of the report just four months before, while in early May, Apple came out and announced plans to phase out the most toxic chemicals used to manufacture its products. That hasn't stopped Greenpeace from lobbying to ensure the upcoming iPhone handset is as green as possible though.
What's clear is that in the next six months, us consumers will have far more information on how green our favourite technology firms are (oh, and blogs like Hippyshopper will help too). Businesses will also have access to schemes like the Green Technology Initiative that'll teach them how to reduce carbon emissions from their IT kit, while everyone can learn from info like the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's green tips guide.
So, technology companies see the business benefits of going greener, and there's going to be much more info available for us consumers to assess whether they're actually doing it. What remains to be seen is if that really changes our buying habits – will we resist that tempting 60-inch plasma screen when we find out it hoovers up more electricity than a football stadium? If green gadgetry has a future, it'll be down to us.
http://www.rihey.cc professional MP4,MP3,digital product wholesaler
ARTICLE FROM: www.techdigest.tv

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