Samsung’s new VM-X300 digital camcorder has one of the fastest start-up to record times around, only 3 seconds. The sleek rubberized camcorder has a flip screen that rotates on an articulated hinge. Controls are simplified since it’s aimed at the consumer market. Videos are stored on SD cards and resolution is DVD quality, 720 x 480 at 30fps. Everything sounds great except it’s encoded in the MPEG-4 ASP codec. HELLO, ever heard of H.264?

[Via Akihabaranews]

The Sanyo Xacti is fast becoming the hot item on every videophile’s list, okay maybe just mine. The latest Xacti E1 holds the distinction of being the first waterproof consumer camcorder but before you go dive happy, it only works to a depth of 5 feet and for 30 minutes. So essentially its something to have around the pool only. It does however encode in H.264 onto an SD or SDHC memory card and like all other past Xacti’s the integrated CMOS sensor can capture still images. No pricing yet but look out for it in stores this June.

Detailed specs after the jump.
(more…)

It’s the DXG 589V, the world’s first digital camera that records videos and plays games. Similar in design to the lauded Sanyo Xacti, its compact design is held in your hand vertically with a twist up screen. The lens snaps pics compliments of a 5 megapixel CMOS sensor and records 640 x 480 MPEG-4 video at 30 frames per second.

Perhaps its most unique feature is gaming. Turn the unit sideways and the screen orients itself resembling a Gameboy. There’s a d-pad that rests on the side of the lens barrel and action buttons on the right which by the way look eerily similar to someone else’s design. Gameboy-like or not, it doesn’t play Gameboy games. Instead, the 589V comes with 20 built in games.

If you’re still unsure about it, how about video recording direct from any video source (TV, DVD, VCR) to take on the go? SD card storage and hey, it even works as a digital music player so if you look at the big picture - it’s the convergence device everybody wants right?

$199.99 available now at your local Best Buy and Circuit City.

Sanyo just announced their new mid-range Xacti DMX-CG65 digital pocket camcorder. Still sporting the 6 megapixel CCD and 5x optical zoom but all recordings now support H.264. Use it with the new 8 GB SDHC cards and you can record up to 10 hours of footage.

Japan only for now but it’s a Xacti so it’ll show up in other parts of the world sooner than later. The Japanese will get the obligatory silver and black models along with a green goblin color. Not sure how I feel about that one.

This gorgeous little number is Canon’s new TX1 digital camera, and Canon wants you to think of it as a hybrid imaging device. Its tall, camcorder-style design gives engineers more front-to-back room to work with, permitting Canon to fit a 10x optical zoom lens inside. The lens retracts into the camera body when powered off. Consider yourself teased.

If you’re not rubbing your legs together in lusty anguish, then this will send you over the top: the TX1 also records HD video at 720p. Optical image stabilization and a 1280×720 30fps movie mode should make for excellent quality video, allowing you to ‘have it all’ in one sleek package.

Canon packs in the latest in their digital processor line, the DIGIC III, giving it 2.2 frames per second continuous-shooting speed. Throw in Face Detection autofocus and ISO settings from 80 to 1600, and this ultracompact is set to catch anyone’s tech-loving loins ablaze. Look for this very soon, set to sell for about $500.

Victor is keeping the lead on the growing HD camcorder market with the GZ-HD7 (part ot the Everio series), bringing a full 1920 x 1080i resolution to the table. This “full HD” camcorder, with its 60gb hard disk and HDMI output, looks to kick the ass of anything else out in the consumer market, far outshooting the current max resolution of 1440 x 1080i. Your naughty movies have never looked better.

Victor will bring this to the market in March, and will be asking ¥200,000 (roughly $1650 US) for the unit.

[via Tech-On]

While browing through the SciFi channel’s website, trying to find the synopsis for this week’s BSG episode, I stumbled upon this little device from JVC. It’s a DVD burner that works with their Everio line of hard-disk camcorders. It just connects to the camcorder via USB and voila! Instant DVD’s.

A fantastic way to quickly burn off dailies at the end of each shooting day on set, or a way to dump your footage to watch later without the need for a computer. You can also use the drive to watch DVD’s on a JVC camera or monitor. Sadly this version doesn’t work with JVC’s new Everio HD camcorder, so it’s only for standard definition for now. It’s gonna retail for $200.

[SciFi Tech Blog]