Sony finally lets you use SD memory on HandyCams, freshens up pro shooters with SSDs

Sony has just announced yet another mad plethora of HandyCams, this time spreading its back-illuminated Exmor R sensor throughout the whole range. With it comes the ability to expand storage via Memory Stick, SD or SDHC cards, much improved “quick AF” functionality, as well as a six-blade aperture producing a more appealing “bokeh” — quite an advanced consideration when talking about humble consumer recorders. The flagship XR550V (250GB HDD) and CX550V (64GB SSD) models also feature a wide-angle G lens, 12 megapixel stills, assignable manual control dial, and dedicated mic and headphone inputs. On the professional front, the company is offering the AX2000 and HXR-NX5U, with both recording AVCHD at rates up to 24MBps and producing 1080p footage. A 20x optical zoom is also nice, but for the $3,500 price of the cheaper AX2000, we’d expect nothing less. Check out the source links below for further details, including full pricing and availability.

Sony finally lets you use SD memory on HandyCams, freshens up pro shooters with SSDs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSony (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments

Panasonic blows it out with 3D Blu-ray deck, HDTVs, channels and $21k camcorder

Had enough of the CES barrage? Nah. Panasonic just cut loose a few new releases of its own, with the highlight of the bunch being the planet’s first integrated Full HD 3D camcorder. Dubbed a “professional” device, the camcorder won’t be available to order until April, and it’s expected to make the filming of 3D content easier due to having the camcorder itself, the lenses, camera head and a twin memory card recorder smashed together in a single body. Users will also find stereoscopic adjustment controls on the twin-lens, solid state-based system, and we’re told that it’ll automatically recalibrate itself sans the need for any external equipment. ‘Course, the $21,000 MSRP is apt to turn away most everyone not being financed by a movie house, but hey, at least we’re fairly certain it’ll be reduced to a few bills by 2012. In related news, Panny is also partnering with DirecTV to launch a trio of dedicated 3D channels starting in June, and the two are already in talked with AEG, CBS, Fox Sports, HDNet, MTV, NBC Universal and TBS to develop additional 3D programming that’ll debut between 2010 to 2011.

Oh, and you’ll obviously need a new setup to view said content, and that’s where Panny comes in (again). The outfit unleashed a new range of 3D-capable (thanks, RealD!) Viera plasma HDTVs and Blu-ray 3D players, and all it takes to enjoy mind-melting 3D content in the comfort of your abode is “a stylish and lightweight pair of active-shutter glasses.” Oh, joy. The complete line will be fleshed out later this Spring, with screen sizes ranging from 50- to 65-inches. In one of the most brilliant moves of the show, Panny’s also including just a single set of 3D glasses with its multi-thousand dollar televisions, which is sure to leave a bitter taste in the mouth of Sir Buyer who has to plop down an extra hundie or two to get specs for the whole family. At any rate, the DMP-BDT350 Blu-ray player will handle 1080p content in both the second and third dimension. The last bit is new partnerships with Netflix, Skype, Twitter and Pandora (among other outlets), all of which are being added to the Viera Cast library that’s accessible on select Blu-ray players and HDTVs. Catch the full rundown after the break… if you dare.

Continue reading Panasonic blows it out with 3D Blu-ray deck, HDTVs, channels and $21k camcorder

Panasonic blows it out with 3D Blu-ray deck, HDTVs, channels and $21k camcorder originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audiovox goes wild at CES: digiframes, camcorders, remotes, iPod sound systems

Are you ready for this? No, we mean are you ready for this? We sure hope so, ’cause Audiovox is about to drop eight new products on you here in the desert. Kicking things off is the Acoustic Research brand with two new iPod / iPhone-friendly sound systems: the ARS1i (36-watts) and ARS2i (50-watts). Both of these guys arrive with twin 2.5-inch carbon fiber woofers, two dome tweeters, AM / FM radio functionality, a bundled remote, backlit LCD, soft touch front keys and an auxiliary input jack. The latter also touts a built-in rechargeable battery and portable handle, and while it will list for $199.99 this Spring, the lesser-specced sibling will sell for $50 less.

Moving on, there’s the RC60i and RC66i iPod clock radios from RCA, with the latter running on standard alkaline batteries and designed for the on-the-go crowd. That one will sell for a penny under $100, while the AC-powered RC60i will be offered at $79.99 when they hit this Spring. Staying on the RCA beat, there’s the new line of Small Wonder pocket camcorders. The EZ4000 is a rugged, waterproof version that can capture 1080p clips onto a microSD card for $169.99 (available this Spring), while the palm-sized EZ5000 ($169.99) and EZ5100 ($199.99) look entirely more like a conventional camcorder and offer up 720p / 1080p video recording, 8 megapixel still shots, a 2.4-inch flip-out LCD and a rechargeable battery. The smaller EZ1000, EZ2000 and EZ3000 models round things out on the low end, with full specifications of these in the press release after the break.

The outfit is also introducing the DPF8100 ($129.99) and DPF8300 ($129.99) digiframes, both of which are a part of the newly created Décor series; if those are just too classy for you, there’s also a 7-inch DPF7407 ($129.99), which fits squarely in the cutely named Celebration series. Closing things out are the $39.99 RCA Voice Control Remote (which gladly listens to commands that you bark at it), a gaggle of new AR outdoor wireless speakers, a few new Jensen in-car head units and Zentral Home Command smartphone remotes. Feel free to dig in for more information on those just past the break.

Continue reading Audiovox goes wild at CES: digiframes, camcorders, remotes, iPod sound systems

Audiovox goes wild at CES: digiframes, camcorders, remotes, iPod sound systems originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brickhouse Lets You Play Spy in the Office

BrickHouseID.jpgWhat geek doesn’t love some good, affordable spy gear? Even if–no, make that especially if–it’s as goofy as this new product from BrickHouse Security. The ID Card Hidden Spy Camcorder lets you spy in the office, thanks to a camera concealed in this ID card. You can record 352-by-288 AVI video, 1280-by-1024 pictures, add a time and date stamp, and record for 2 hours continuously. Video and images are stored on 4GB of memory. This James Bond-worthy covert gear is yours for only $99.

While you’re spying around, here are some questions you can try to answer: Why would you be wearing an ID card in your office? Why would you be wearing one in any office? Are people not supposed to notice the two holes in the top of the card? And why do the last two lines on the card say “Posts” and “No.”? I’m going to spy around the BrickHouse office to see if I can find out.

Kodak deals Slice touchscreen camera, Pulse digiframe and Playsport camcorder

Just in case you had any doubts, CES is in full swing. Kodak just blurted out a galleria of new goods, starting with the all-new Slice touchscreen camera (shown above). As you likely expected, this is the outfit’s first touchscreen P&S, boasting a 3.5-inch rear display, a search function to sift through “up to 5,000” photos on the internal memory, a direct tag feature, 14 megapixel sensor, 5x optical zoom, built-in optical image stabilization and 720p (30fps) video capture. It’ll ship this April in black, nickel and radish (yeah kids, radish) for $349.95. Next up is the April-bound Pulse digital photo frame, which boasts a 7-inch display (800 x 600 resolution), integrated WiFi, 512MB of storage and a $129.99 price tag. Rounding out the bunch is a load of new EasyShare cameras (all detailed in the press release below), as well as a Playsport camcorder, which offers up waterproof 1080p action with electronic image stabilization, a 2-inch LCD, 5 megapixel still shots, smart face tracking technology and an SD / SDHC card slot. There’s also an HDMI output and USB connectivity, and you’ll find black, blue and purple editions shipping this April for $149.95. You’re stoked, aren’t you?

Continue reading Kodak deals Slice touchscreen camera, Pulse digiframe and Playsport camcorder

Kodak deals Slice touchscreen camera, Pulse digiframe and Playsport camcorder originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceKodak 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6  | Email this | Comments

Axon head-mounted camera records what police see when they keep an eye on Mayberry

Taser International, not content with zapping people with electricity, now wants you to be able to capture the action on video — hands-free. Similar to the helmet cam used on television sports, the Axon system includes a Linux-powered tablet PC, an eye-level HeadCam that records audio and video (using IR in low-light), and a corresponding account on Evidence.com, an online, real time app for accessing and analyzing the data — sure to become law enforcement’s third favorite web portal (after Sprint’s GPS data dispersal site and Garfield Minus Garfield). The system — which will cost $5,700 per officer every three years — made news recently when a Fort Smith, Arkansas officer was cleared of any wrongdoing in the death of a man who had threatened his wife with a handgun. The policeman was wearing an Axon camera at the time, which the county prosecutor said that the video allowed him to “observe what happened with complete objectivity.” Currently officers in San Jose are using the system as part of a free trial, with other departments around the country expected to get in on the action in the near future. And who knows? At the very least we can hope that some hilarious law enforcement hijinks finds its way to YouTube. Get a closer look in the gallery below.

Axon head-mounted camera records what police see when they keep an eye on Mayberry originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PhysOrg  |  sourceTaser International  | Email this | Comments

Easy Shot Clip camcorder is pretty small, pretty cheap, but not very pretty

The last time we saw Concord Keystone around these parts our minds were collectively blown by something called the QuantumGravity watch. It looks like its newest product, however, is a little more… conventional. The Easy Shot Clip is a plain-looking, 2-inch long camcorder with 2GB of storage (for up to 2 hours of 640 x 480, 30 fps video), mounts for a neck strap, stand, shirt clip, bicycle mount, and a helmet, and one solitary button. But the best thing? Even if it does retail for $70, we’re sure it’ll be hitting bargain bins and dollar stores in short order. Look out for it at CES next week, or everywhere else in February.

Easy Shot Clip camcorder is pretty small, pretty cheap, but not very pretty originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Broadcom announces 1080p camera phone chip, single-chip Blu-ray decoder

Broadcom’s busting out some big muscle on the video chip front today, launching both a 1080p smartphone camera chip and a single-chip Blu-ray player chip. The BCM2763 mobile phone chip supports full 1080p video recording and playback, as well as 20 megapixel stills with face / smile detection and image stabilization. There’s also support for 3D gaming at 1080p, and HDMI support is included so you can plug into a TV and actually see all those pixels — and a 20-to-50 percent reduction in power usage means you’ll be able to play video over HDMI for “up to 16 hours,” although we’d like to see that claim tested in a real handset before we totally buy it. Broadcom’s also hyping its new BCM7630 single-chip Blu-ray solution, which offers BD decoding and support for streaming apps like Netflix, Pandora, Vudu and CinemaNow all on a single chip — and manufacturers can combine it with the new BCM7632 for 3d-Blu-ray support. Single-chip means cheaper Blu-ray decks — so sure, we’ll take it. No word on when any of these chippies are going to end up in production hardware, but we’re hoping to hear more about that at CES.

Broadcom announces 1080p camera phone chip, single-chip Blu-ray decoder originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista  |  sourceBroadcom BCM7630, Broadcom BCM2763  | Email this | Comments

Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: Video Cameras

Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today’s bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the holiday season.

Whether you want them to or not, there’s a good chance you’ve got a family member or two (or more) that feel compelled to capture every single moment on video, including those times when all you’re doing is sitting around watching previously recorded memories. That’s just an inevitably we face each and every family gathering, and if you must endure, might as well get them the best possible fidelity, right? Then again, maybe you are that memory-capturing individual — in either case, we think we’ve got a few suggestions to maximize your holiday enjoyment.

Continue reading Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: Video Cameras

Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: Video Cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Palm Precorder brings video recording homebrew to the Pre

If you like your software homebrewed with just a hint of alpha then boy do we have an app for you. The WebOS homebrew community just released Precorder; an app that lets your Palm Pre record audio and 30fps 480×320 pixel video in H.264/AVC format — you can even control the built-in LED for recording in low-light situations. Unfortunately, there’s no video preview presented while recording but hey, it’s alpha software bro… and it’s free. Check a video sample after the break.

Continue reading Palm Precorder brings video recording homebrew to the Pre

Palm Precorder brings video recording homebrew to the Pre originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourcePalm Infocenter, WebOS Internals (Precorder)  | Email this | Comments