Already feeling the pinch of a mere 25GB per layer on a Blu-ray disc? Neither are we, but it looks like Sony and Panasonic have been busily working on ways to boost capacity nonetheless, and they’ve now devised a new method that seems to be on the fast track to becoming a standard. The best news is that it doesn’t involve a change in Blu-ray optics, but rather something called the Maximum Likelihood Sequence Estimation evaluation index (or i-MLSE — the “i’ is just for kicks, it seems), which is a new means of estimating the read error rate of discs on the fly that has apparently be made possible thanks to “recent hardware advancements.” According to Sony and Panasonic, that should now allow discs to hold up to 33.4 GB per layer, but it’s not exactly clear what that means for existing Blu-ray players (a little firmware assistance seems to at least be a conceivable option, though). There’s also no timeline for a rollout just yet, but Sony is reportedly now set to propose widespread adoption of i-MLSE to the Blu-ray Disc Association, of which it just so happens to be the leading member.

New standard could pave way for higher capacity Blu-ray discs originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jan 2010 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s hard to imagine complaining about a stylish compact camera that packs a stabilized 28-128mm zoom range and does 720p video capture at 30fps, but Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-FP8 didn’t garner any raves from the crew at PhotographyBLOG either. Image quality was found to be decent in well-lit conditions and no more than ISO 800 — typical limitations on cameras with such tiny lens and body. Little is said about the video quality but we were adequately pleased with the sample videos linked from YouTube. The only major flaw indicated was the “permanently exposed” lens, but we can’t imagine it being a deal breaker for most of you nice folks out there, right?

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 reviewed: as good as ‘a loaf of plain white bread’ originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

Continue reading Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: Digital Cameras

Engadget’s Holiday Gift Guide: Digital Cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kaitlyn Chantry is the editor-in-chief of CamcorderInfo.com. And she’s been so kind as provide us with her favorite camcorders picks in every key price range.

Flip MinoHD

Don’t be confused by imposters: the ultracompact Flip camcorder is still the hot girl that everyone either wants to have or wants to be. At $230, the second-generation MinoHD is more expensive than all those Flip clones, but you get what you pay for. It’s sleek and stylish—especially when you can design your own—and has decent video quality (for a tiny, trendy camcorder). Most importantly, it’s so easy to use that your granny could make herself the next YouTube star. [Review]

Note: Gizmodo actually preferred Flip’s Ultra HD, but only because it’s substantially cheaper than the MinoHD. More on that in our mini cam Battlemodo.

JVC Everio GZ-HM200

The JVC Everio GZ-HM200 doesn’t exactly roll off the tip of your tongue, but for just $580, it might roll its way into your heart. It can’t quite compete with the big dogs in our testing labs, but its digital image stabilization is surprisingly effective and the color accuracy left us slack-jawed. The HM200 is also small, easy to use, and has decent options if you want a little control over your video. And we just love having two SDHC memory card slots. [Review]

Canon Vixia HF20

The Canon Vixia HF20 is all about getting the complete package. It lacks the huge lens and high resolution of its big brothers, but it does have the sexy interface and powerful performance we’ve come to expect from a Canon camcorder. At $800, you’re definitely paying for that clear, sharp video and fantastic design. The HF20 is for people that want to save a little cash, but still want to own the cool toys. [Review]

Panasonic HDC-TM300

If you’re spending over a grand on a consumer camcorder, it’s pretty hard to go wrong. But this year’s Panasonics are the crème de la crème. They’ve got great auto features, are stuffed full of manual controls, and are smoking hot performers in low light. The TM300 (Panasonic’s 32GB flash memory model) feels like it was personally sculpted for your hand—and at $1300, it won’t break the bank. [Review]

There are obviously a lot of other great camcorders this year—for every budget and level of experience. Read all of CamcorderInfo’s picks for the 2009 Select Awards here.

Kaitlyn Chantry is the editor-in-chief of CamcorderInfo.com. She has reported on and reviewed everything from video games to coffee cups. CamcorderInfo has been using scientific lab testing and comparative analysis to provide consumers with comprehensive, unbiased camcorder reviews since 1997.

We teamed with HD Guru Gary Merson again, this time to find the best TVs under $1000. This economy has really shocked prices. Forget the off-brands. You can now get a top-name good-looking 50″ TV for $700, and more…

Note: Due to the unprecedented price fluctuations seen on TV pricing this week from online retailers, don’t be startled if the prices we brazenly quoted here are off—by pennies or by hundreds. The model numbers are there for a reason, so you can check prices yourself when you’re ready to cash out.

Panasonic X1 Plasma Series

Plasma HDTVs provide the best picture performance and these 720p Panasonics—shown up top—are the value champs. Plasma screens have a wider viewing angle than any LCD panel, excellent contrast and color fidelity. The X1s include 600Hz refresh for full motion resolution, an SD card reader for digital photos and an anti-reflective screen coating (the shiny one). Available in 42-inch and 50-inch screen sizes. If you’re going to set it up at a distance of 9 feet or more, it’s almost silly to spend extra for more resolution.

The best deal is the TC-P50X1, a 50 incher selling for $689.98 at Electronics Expo (via Amazon).

Panasonic S1 Plasma Series

The S1s are Panasonic’s least expensive 1080p line to feature its energy saving, high contrast, deep black level Neo PDP plasma technology. In addition to the full 1080 line motion resolution and an anti-reflective screen coating (the shiny one), there’s an SD card reader. If you’re looking for a Full HD 1080p TV with the excellent performance and don’t care about features like internet connectivity or THX-certified picture and sound modes (which the step-up G10 line has), these are the HDTVs for you. Available from 42-inch to 65-inch screen sizes.

Under $1,000, your best shot is the TC-P42S1, a 42-inch set now selling for $797.95 at Amazon.

LG LH30 Series

LG’s LH30 is the first step-up from the baseline, maintaining a nice low price but delivering surprisingly good picture quality. This model has a wide-viewing-angle IPS LCD panel, dull-finish anti-glare screen coating (better than the shiny anti-reflective coating at cutting down natural-light reflections, but at a slight cost of contrast), pro color-calibration mode and “Picture Wizard.” They add 1080p resolution and Smart Energy Savings for low power consumption. Offered in a range from 32 inches to 47 inches.

We were impressed to find the 47-inch 47LH30 locally for $900, and on Amazon for $938.15.

LG LH40 Series

The LH40 line adds 120Hz to plenty of models below $1000. If that’s something you value, this is your best bet. Everything else here comes in the LH30 line, too. It’s available in screen sizes ranging from 32 inches to 55 inches.

Locally, we spotted a 47-inch 47LH40 for $980, though it was over $1000 on Amazon. The 42-inch 42LH40 may be the best pick: It’s currently $823 on Amazon.

Samsung B550 Series

This series represents Samsung’s top 60Hz 1080p HDTVs. They provide excellent overall performance without any of the fancy features found on its higher-end models. They incorporate Samsung’s Touch of Color bezel and its 6ms response time LCD panel, and are available in 32-inch to 52-inch sizes. Currently, the 46-inch LN46B550 is priced at $999 on Amazon.

For this story, Gary picked out 10 total deals. He is running the other five on HD Guru, so go have a look. If you came across any other good deals lately, let us know in comments, but be ready to defend the quality, not just the super sick price.

Gary Merson is the HD Guru, the industry’s leading HDTV journalist. He’s been reviewing TVs for well over a decade, and recently wrote a guide to choosing an HDTV.