Canon rolls out direct DVD HD vidcam
updated 09:45 am EDT, Mon May 7, 2007
Canon HR10
Canon followed its PowerShot upgrades thos morning with the release of the HR10 HD camcorder. The camera maker labels the new entry as one of the easiest ways to capture HD video: owners can record footage at up to the full 1920x1080 resolution of HD directly to mini DVDs, allowing rough edits to be played immediately from Blu-Ray and DVD players that support AVCHD (H.264) movies. Also new to Canon's HD home user cameras is a specially tuned 2.7-inch LCD which the company says is viewable at up to 135 degrees off-center and has a much-improved color range for accurate previews.
The HR10 likewise shares many of the features of existing models: the 10X optical zoom lens can take 3.1-megapixel still images during the shoot or pull 2-megapixel images after the fact. Video can be scaled to a 24 frames per second, progressive scan Cine mode for replicating the speed of movie theater video.
Canon plans to ship the HD camera in August for $1,199.
thos morning
05/07, 12:45pm reply
? typical.
msuper69
Mac Elite
Joined: Jan 2000
don't be fooled
05/07, 02:24pm reply
Don't be fooled into buying into this technology. You won't be able to edit the footage in apps like iMovie or Final Cut, since they're using the h.264 format, which does not have frame-level accuracy. H.264 is a highly compressed format good for distribution, but not for when you need to edit the video accurately. Do not buy cameras like these unless you want to be stuck without good editing options.
WiseWeasel
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 1999
Not for us
05/07, 05:51pm reply
Assuming that people who read and post here are proficient in technology, this camcorder is not for us. It is for ordinary ignorant consumers who want to shoot their video directly to DVD in HD and play it back in their set-top devices. They don't want (or need, or know) how to edit that video, so the fact that they can't do it (easily) doesn't mean anything to them.
If I had money for a HD camcorder, I'd go with the Mini-DV, tape-based model, with the standard FireWire. Even iMovie HD will gladly accept that stream and capture flawlessly.
vasic
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 2005