Production Notes: I’ve Found a New Baby

The DV.COM reviewed Samsung SC-HMX20C Full HD camcorder. Stefan Sargent, the reviewer wrote an interesting story.

I’m thinking it’s about time I write a column without getting on a soapbox. No ranting. I promise. Just plain, straightforward, honest, true-blue journalism.

Let’s just talk about my new baby.

Samsung SC-HMX20/XAAC

She’s a Samsung SC-HMX20C/XAA camcorder. Records FULL 1920 x 1080 at either 60i or 30p on its own internal 8GB of memory or on a push in SDHC Flash Card. This is not 1440x1080 HDV, this is the real thing. OK, the VBR compression is high but the result is terrific. Oh, I forgot, she also shoots slo-mo at 300fps; however the image size drops to a miserable 448x336. Perfect for golfers but not for PLUs (people like us).

You can buy 8GB Transcend SDHC cards at 30 bucks each at NewEgg here. That will give you 71 minutes of true HD recording — actually 142 minutes if you use the built-in memory as well. Compare $30 for a 8GB SD card with the cost of a SXS Sony 8GB EX1 card @ $487 here. That’s $30 vs. $487! Unreal.

Dear techie freaks, the link to all of the groovy Samsung data is here.

Here are stills from my Sony HVR-V1U vs. Samsung SC-HMX20C shoot out. The Sony V1U is roughly $4,500, weighing in at 4 lbs — the new Samsung is $850, weighing in at 1 lb.

Now spot the difference! Hmmm. Samsung is cheaper and lighter. Sony wins on picture detail but not by much. You can download 105 MB of 1920x1080 ProRes QuickTime files here.

But that name SC-HMX20C/XAA! Poor dear. Whatever happened to real names like Tahoe, Ranger, Impala, Edsel? Did the car manufacturers steal them all? (Not a rant. Just a passing comment.)

How would you like to be called, SC-HMX20C/XAA? I guess “SC” would do for short. But wait, Samsung have a SC-HMX10. So we can’t call you just plain “SC”. Maybe, “SC 20.”

“Good morning SC 20. Nice to meet you.”

“I am not a number - I am a free cam!”

“I agree. You are not a number. I name you SUSIE. My Little Black-Eyed Susie.”

“Free! Free! Free at last! Be seeing you.”

“Come back Susie, you’re not that free. But I’ve got to say I’m glad that you’re here. I’ve always had a small, cheap camera to throw around. In my days of film, it was a Bell and Howell Autoload.

Bell and Howell Autoload 16mm camera

The Autoload takes 50ft pre-loaded 16mm film cartridges. Mount it on a helmet for chase sequences and parachute jumps. Put it on conveyor belts with an assistant ready to catch it at the other end. Leave it in the middle of The Avenue of Americas and cars drive right over the top of it. Despite all the adventures, my 16mm Autoload never got hurt.” “

Wow! Am I going to have fun with you!”

Casio EX-F1 still camera/camcorder

“Hope so, Susie. I was interested in the Casio EX-F1. But it’s really a still camera that does movies. Then I discovered you with the same Sony IMX017CQE CMOS chip inside, but a real movie camera.”

“I know the Casio EX-F1, my cousin, sort of.”

“Susie, here’s the plot: we’re sending you up in a helicopter tomorrow.”

“Noooooo! Perhaps we could start with a conveyor belt shot.”

“Conveyor belts?! No such luck. The local San Rafael quarry isn’t talking to me since I let NBC News use my quarry explosion shots.”

San Rafael Rock Quarry hillside blast.

We are alone. I’ve left Susie in the edit suite, she can’t hear me. First her good points. Her movies look almost as good as my Sony HVR-V1U. Stunning. I was blown away. Better pictures than the overrated Canon HV20 (eBay for you my girl).

I did a three-camera shoot off here. At first glance Sony and Susie are equal — if you look really hard, the Sony V1 is a tad sharper but that could be just a sharpness setting. To the average viewer they look the same — the big difference is Susie’s zoom is nowhere near wide enough.

Susie with an aspheric RedEye wide angle. She’s cozy on a REDpod.

Susie needs a wide angle lens attachment for run and gun shooting. With the help of a 49mm to 62mm ring, I’ve added a RedEye aspheric. It’s a trade off between picture quality and getting a usable wide angle. On many shots, wide is better than pin sharp.

The viewfinder is bright. In low light Susie outperforms the Sony V1. Flipping from 60i to 30p gives an extra boost to low light performance.

Switching from 60i to 30p is simple. Changing the shutter speed is a pushover. There’s manual exposure and focusing. Mike audio in is a mini jack with no level control.

If you’re as confused as I am about how Susie’s 1/1.8” sensor compares with Canon’s HV20’s 1/2.7” or a 1/2” sensor, try reading this. I could be wrong, but it seems Susie’s sensor is bigger than 1/2”.

Now the bad.

First off, the REALLY bad. When I transfer the files from the card or her internal memory to my MacPro disc drive, QuickTime can’t read them. I emailed Samsung USA and they know nothing.

A passing good Samaritan, Mei Lai Wah, saw my video on Vimeo and posted:

By installing the avc1Decoder QuickTime component by MyCometG3, available free on Apple's download page, I can view 1080 60i clips from the Casio EX-F1 on a MacBook Pro.

I found MyCometG3 using Version Tracker and installed it. Bingo. How I love instant success. I could actually see the files in QuickTime. Whoo hoo! I can even import into FCP at a full 1920 x 1080. But editing ain’t easy. Susie’s timeline in FCP hates any other format. Perhaps I’m doing something wrong.

I’m lucky, I have a nanoConnect box and a BlackMagic HD-SDI card. I feed HDMI from Susie into the nanoConnect — then to the BM card. I can import right into FCP. It’s a real time transfer but it works and I get a normal ProRes timeline.

The camera is well designed but the docking cradle for HDMI out and power in╔ sucks.

HDMI comes out from a docking cradle. Whoever designed this gismo should go back to college and wear a DUNCE cap for a week. The camera sits at a crazy angle and the unit only works on mains power.

The manual comes on a CD. I had to print out 133 pages and get them bound at Kinkos. Shame on you Samsung, $850 bucks and you can’t print a $5 manual? And it’s not very good manual either. Says that a shutter speed of 1/30 will make the action appear slower. Huh? Will 1/250 make it go faster?

Here’s another classic from the manual, copied and pasted for your enjoyment: Face Detect might be displayed even if the subject to be recorded is a person like although its not a person.

Come on, Samsung. Hire a good technical writer who can speak and write in English.

Susie loves to ride on my Jeep. Today she wanted the Raynox DCR-FE180PRO lens.

All cameras have their good and bad features. Love the good and forgive the bad ones. Susie’s REALLY GOOD feature is her weight. She weighs just 1 lb.

You don’t want to put a heavy camera on an auto suction mount nor at the end of a 20ft. polecam. As for flying your new Sony EX1 up in a model helicopter — forget it. Susie to the rescue. She’ll go anywhere. Yes, today it’s the helicopter ride.

“Noooooo!”

“Susie, you’ll love it. I promise you.”

Last minute check out from Mars. Hang on tight, Susie!

I’ve teamed up with Oscar and Mars from Stratus Vision.

Mars, who designed and built the 'copter, is mounting Susie onto a lightweight aluminum plate. The neat thing is that Susie’s video output goes to a tiny transmitter so that Oscar, who is controlling the camera mount’s pan and tilt servos, can see exactly what Susie is shooting.

I switch her on — press the record button — and she starts instantly (so unlike my Sony V1). We’re good for 71 minutes of record time at 1080i. I run back to my Sony on a monopod, ready to shoot the takeoff.

The moment of truth. Susie takes off for the first time. “Wheeee! Geronimo!”

Mars spins up the electrically powered rotor blades — choof, choof, choof, and then, sheer magic — Susie takes flight. The video coming from the air is great and vibration free. Amazing! Better and cheaper than shooting from a real 'copter.

Oscar, Mars and I are excited. We are shooting an HD movie from the air and what we’re seeing is silky smooth. Good girl Susie. We love you madly.

Oscar controlling the camera, me (white shirt) shooting the flight, Mars piloting the chopper.

Susie is my third video camera. I wouldn’t use her as my prime camera, but for shoots that need an HD camera weighing almost nothing, she’s perfect. Now to fire her out of a cannon.

“Nooooo! I love the chopper but please not the cannon!”

Stefan Sargent has a production company in San Francisco. He has made a zillion TV commercials, pop videos and corporate films. Stefan's docs have been screened on the BBC, the Discovery Channel and somewhere else. You can find Stefan's Web site here.

If you would like to read the original script, please link to http://www.dv.com/columns/columns_item.php?articleId=196604125

Review by ARN: June 2008's 9 Coolest Gadgets

June 2008's 9 coolest gadgets
iPhone killers, Wii for Windows and huge TVs
Martyn Williams (IDG News Service) 24 June, 2008 15:11:48

With summer finally upon us, the sunshine's (sort of) beating down. The weather's getting (a bit) hotter, and so are the gadgets. Here's our top nine products announces in Japan this month.
This month in we've seen a number of classy gizmos emerge from the Far East: from the HTC Touch Pro smartphone — the business-oriented sister handset of the Touch Diamond — to Asus' Wii-like motion-sensitive control. There's even a few TVs for good measure.

Hands-on with HTC's Touch Pro
The strongest impression I took away from HTC's Touch Pro was of the bright, crisp screen on the Windows Mobile 6.1 handset.
From the front the HTC Touch Pro looks much like the Touch Diamond that was launched last month but with the two in my hand it was obvious that the Touch Pro is thicker. The reason is a slide-out Qwerty keyboard that appears from the back of the phone and makes for much easier typing. Each of the keys is beveled so that there's an obvious distinction between each one — a handy feature on a keypad that's relatively small.
In spite of its small size, the well-contoured keyboard and predictive text input system meant that the first sentence I typed on the Touch Pro came out perfectly, something that can't be said for every smartphone I've tried.
The keyboard has been improved from previous models with a fifth row of number keys above the main keyboard. Personally, I hate having to hold down a shift or function key to tap out numbers on smartphones, so the number row is a welcome addition.
The phone felt solid and well-made and the phone's body slid smoothly when the keyboard was pulled out. It wasn't so heavy that it weighed on my hands when typing, another occasional problem on smartphones that restricts use. HTC said it weighs 165g. The 2.8in LCD screen was a pleasure to look at. It has VGA resolution (640 pixels by 480 pixels) so the images appear very sharp and text looks superb. Strong colours enhanced the screen image.
The HTC Touch Pro should be available from August in major markets worldwide. No price was announced.

Samsung slow-mo HMX20 video camera
Samsung has launched a high-def video camera that can also snap high-resolution digital photos and take smooth slow-motion video.
The Samsung HMX20, which was shown as a prototype at CES in Las Vegas in January, can manage 1080p full HD (1,920 by 1,080 pixels) video and 8MP images. It's also capable of snapping pictures while video is being recorded, a feature that is becoming popular on cameras but is still not standard.
A special feature is the 300 frames per second (fps) shooting mode for slow-motion video. Video is usually recorded at 30fps and becomes jumpy when slowed down, but by recording at 300fps it can be slowed down by as much as 10 times and still appear smooth. Data is recorded on to the internal 8GB of memory or SD or MMC memory cards. Priced at around £428, the camera will initially be available in South Korea.
Launch details for other markets have not been set.

Asus Eee Stick
Taiwan's Asus is bringing Ninetendo Wii-like wireless gaming to the PC.
Eee Sticks are a pair of motion-sensitive controllers that gamers can use to bowl, slash swords and play other games on a PC.
Initially, Asustek plans to bundle the controllers with its popular Eee PC low-cost laptops, and the desktop Eee Box that will be available in mid-August.
Next year, the Eee Sticks will be sold in packs with five to eight games for around £33 to £41. So far, Asustek has only inked licensing agreements with a handful of game companies for their games can be used with Eee Stick.
The company plans to talk with more game developers, including Electronic Arts, to expand its offerings.

Sony all-glass Sountina speaker
Fashioned entirely from glass, Sony's Sountina cylindrical speakers emit sound in a 'circle' of 360 degrees, allowing listeners to hear in equal fidelity regardless of their location.
Apart from the tweeter, the Sountina, also known as the NSA-PF1, includes a 13cm woofer and a 7cm mid-range speaker.
The speakers pack quite a punch, too, as Sony demonstrated at a launch event, when music travelled at least 100m in the open space around its headquarters building lobby.
In the dark, the Sountina can also contribute to the ambience with illuminations. Under dim lighting, the glass resonates with colours that alternate between blue, amber and purple making it something like a sleeker and more modern version of a lava lamp.
The Sountina is tagged at $9,600, and is set to go on sale on June 20 in Japan. Sony has plans to release it internationally but there is no precise schedule.

Panasonic Strada car navigation system
Panasonic's new Strada F-class car navigation system gives drivers the power and convenience to operate home-based devices from remote location, as long as they have a mobile phone signal.
Commands from the navigation system are sent to the owner's mobile phone over a Bluetooth link and then back to the home via a cellular internet connection. A home unit receives the commands, which are input through the car's navigation system screen, and follows the instructions.
The gadgets at home need to be capable of network control. Additionally the F-class models can also link up with Panasonic home network cameras. While it's only possible to get a still image and not streaming video, it is enough to give owners a clear picture of what's happening at home.
And the system can also be used to program a digital video recorder to catch TV shows, as long as the recorder is from Panasonic. The Strada F-class hard-disk drive car navigation systems will go on sale in Japan this June at retail price of $3,380. There are no plans to sell them overseas.

Sharp 108in LCD TV
The world's largest LCD monitor can now be yours, if you have a deep wallet. Sharp has finally launched the 108in LCD monitor that was first unveiled in January 2007 at CES in Las Vegas.
Now it's available to customers worldwide, built-to-order, for $102,000 (£51,000). The Full HD (1,920 pixels by 1,080 pixels) monitor comes with a wide array of input sockets. There's analogue RGB and DVI computer inputs, 3 High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) inputs, two composite video inputs, two sets of component video inputs and one S-Video input. The entire set weighs an impressive 195kg and consumes 1.1kW when in use.
Samsung Omnia
Bearing more than a passing resemblance to the iPhone, the Samsung Omnia has a prominent 3.2in display that takes up almost the entire front panel of the phone.
Underneath the otherwise clean front surface are three buttons. The screen has 240 pixel by 400 pixel resolution (Wide QVGA), which makes it lower resolution than the iPhone or other likely competitors such as the HTC Touch Diamond.
The quad-band (850/900/1800/1900MHz) phone will operate on both Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and supports 7.2Mbps High-speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) and Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) data networking.
Great for mobile video fans is the format support: DivX, XviD, H.263, H.264, Windows Media Video and MP4. The camera has 5Mp resolution and other features include GPS, Bluetooth and FM radio. The Samsung Omnia measures 112x57x12.5mm and will go on sale in Asia this month and in Europe in July.

Toshiba promises Cell-TV, Sony promises bigger OLED
Get ready TV fans! Two cool new sets are coming soon! Toshiba plans to put a TV powered by the Cell processor on sale before the end of 2009.
The Cell TV will use the chip for some heavy-duty graphics processing to allow for real-time upscaling of standard-definition TV to high-def, and to display multiple video streams simultaneously for quick navigation of many TV channels.
Meanwhile Sony said a 27in OLED TV will be here soon. Prototypes of the set have already been shown but CEO Howard Stringer recently confirmed at a US conference that it's heading towards becoming a product. "Within the next 12 months, we haven't given a date," he said when asked to be more specific on timing.

For more information: click the link below:

http://www.arnnet.com.au/index.php/id;1367857671

Engadget.com: Samsung SC-HMX20C HD camcorder review

Samsung SC-HMX20C HD camcorder review
by Darren Murph, posted Jun 17th 2008 at 11:05AM
Shortly after spending some quality time with the world's most diminutive HD camcorder, we were able to corral another remarkably small competitor -- one that shoots 1080p. Samsung's SC-HMX20C wasn't built to fit into the average back pocket, but its array of features more than made up for the size. After a week of wrapping our palm around this critter and capturing clips from everything ranging from America's pastime to a leisurely walk in the 'hood, we're ready to disclose our thoughts on the matter. Interested? Catch the full review after the jump.

Design

Samsung's SC-HMX20C is small. Real small when you consider the resolution at which this thing captures at. The unit can fit within one's palm, and while it is a bit heavy, toting it around in a cargo pocket wouldn't be entirely out of the realm of possibility. The device itself felt extremely solid, the flip-out LCD was sturdy, and overall, we were very impressed with how it fit in our hands when shooting. It should be noted that the SDHC / MMC+ card slot is tucked behind the same door as the battery, but it's not like you have to remove the battery to access the card slot. Additionally, the video outputs are hidden behind a small door which is concealed behind the flip-out LCD. Not a problem for us -- just letting the quirks be known.

User Interface

Touchscreen LCD monitors can always be hit or miss, particularly on handheld camcorders. We're pleased to say that the flip-out touch panel on this unit was undoubtedly useful and well implemented. The screen did have a thing for maintaining fingerprints, but it never became more than a minor annoyance. It recognized haphazard touches and only misread our true intentions once or twice during an entire week. Our only real dig here was the slight pause between menu switches; momentary lag was introduced when traversing between a deep menu item and one closer to the top, but it never proved to be anything more than a slight irritation.

The menu system itself was exceptionally well-crafted. A "Quick Menu" button pulled up the six most popular selections (Storage Medium, Resolution, White Balance, Focus, Exposure and Shutter), and at no time did we feel the screen was too cluttered with options. The in-depth menus were yet again well thought out and easy to navigate, making on-the-fly tweaks relatively easy to achieve. Switching between Movie Mode, Photo Mode and Playback Mode was even simpler, as Samsung provided a dedicated button just beside the Photo Capture button solely for swapping between that trio.

We also appreciated the twin record and zoom buttons; users can zoom in / out and stop / start recording by hitting the thumb buttons on the unit itself or by selecting them on the flip-out display. Again, a minor -- albeit thoughtful -- touch. Overall, the SC-HMX20C was designed for the average joe / jane to pick up and fire up without ever having to tear into the user's manual. Sure enough, the only time we ever referenced said pamphlet was just to make sure we didn't miss anything while surfing around the UI ourselves. Granted, this also speaks volumes about its intended audience. Yeah, it does 1080/30p and 1080/60i (along with 480/60p and an SD-only SlowMotion mode), but this camcorder isn't made for professionals. That being said, folks obsessed with archiving every single family outing in stunning HD will find plenty to love.

Video performance

Okay, so the UI is remarkable, but how's about the actual performance? First off, we were quite amazed to find that the 8GB of internal storage space could hold around 71 minutes of 1080/30p or 1080/60i in Super Fine mode. Knock those resolutions down a bit (but c'mon, who is going to do that?), and you can fetch upwards of 2 hours without even slapping your own SDHC card in there. A fully charged battery showed about 90 minutes of life, and even with heavy LCD use, it proved quite accurate.

Capturing video was a cinch, and we really appreciated how the camcorder kept track of files internally. Upon connecting it to a Windows XP-based machine, it simply mounted as a drive and enabled us to pull the MPEG-4 clips over to our PC's hard drive. Simple as that. Be forewarned though -- playing back said clips via QuickTime requires a pretty potent computer. Otherwise, Full HD clips will skip and stutter as your rig attempts to churn through.

Overall, we'd have to say we're pretty pleased with the unit's ability to log clips. Yeah, we wish that totally novel SlowMotion mode was available in HD, and we wish the low light performance was a touch better (as with every other camcorder out there), but we really can't find too much to kvetch about. While shooting in broad daylight, we were satisfied with results when keeping in mind that the target audience is novice / amateur users. Clips were free from excessive grain, the audio capture was sufficient and playback on both a computer and an HDTV was up to par. The 10x zoom was decidedly smooth and snappy, as well.

While shooting in low light, the expected grain monster reared its ugly head, but such is the case with all small, handheld camcorders to be frank. In other words, we wouldn't recommend this unit for those who find themselves using it primarily at night or in dimly lit scenarios, but those who wander outside every now and then during the day (imagine that!) will probably be pleased with what it can do. One other note on the SlowMotion: it's a sweet feature, and it sure adds some wow-factor, but the inability for it to function in HD is a real bummer for us.

Photo performance

Alright, we get that you aren't seeking out a camcorder for its still shot abilities, but hey, Sammy included it, so we tested it. Put simply, the image capture mode isn't half bad, and it's actually passable in daylight. Don't get it twisted, however -- we'd still strongly recommend carrying your trusty P&S / DSLR around and using that when possible, but if you're trying to do everything yourself and just can't find time to fish out that shooter, the SC-HMX20C should suffice. Of course, we're comparing its results to other camcorder results that we've seen in the past, and from that, we came away reasonably happy with what it could do.

Wrap-up

Let us restate: the SC-HMX20C isn't meant to be looked at seriously by pros. The $849.99 (or so) price tag is proof of that. For individuals seeking a small, easy to carry camcorder that will capture family vacations, impromptu get-togethers and your kid's school play, we can certainly say this one's worth the price of admission. If you're looking for expert features and an XLR jack for connecting your boom mic, you won't find that here. But the bundled CyberLink DVD Suite for HD (which includes PowerDVD 7.3, PowerProducer 4.2 and PowerDirector 6.0 for HD) was very much appreciated.

For what it is (and for what it costs), Sammy's latest HD camcorder excels. After a week with it, we simply couldn't find enough niggles to tell you to look elsewhere if you're already close to pulling the trigger. Do we wish the LCD backlight was a wee bit brighter? Sure. Do we wish the low-light performance was a smidgen better? Of course. But at the end of the day, is the SC-HMX20C a solid buy for the price? We think so. Take a peek at the (completely unedited) clips below to get a very loose feel for what this unit can do.

For more information, link to http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/17/samsung-sc-hmx20c-hd-camcorder-review/

Review: Here's How Magazine, Samsung SC-HMX20C

The Here's How magazine posted Samsung SC-HMX20C review.

The Here’s How magazine is a Grade A, the sister publication of Marketnews Magazine, Serving Canada’s Consumer Electronics, Computing & Digital Imaging Industry for thirty years.
Coverage can be found at: Here’s how Magazine, Section: Home Video Hands-on, Issue: June/July, 2008.

Style: This compact camcorder is truly a thing of beauty, with a lovely molded shape and very nice materials and textures. All controls are right where they should be.

Menus: Menus are well designed and self-explanatory

Unique Feature: There are also some unique features, such as the ability to shoot standard-definition video at 300 frames per second .

Picture Quality: I was very impressed with the picture quality: colors were very natural and detail was excellent.

Price: The SC-HMX20C has a significant price advantage over other camcorders in the market.

Followings are the copies of the magzine:

Samsung SC-HMX20C Camcorder Review

Reviewed by Sean

It has been a year since Samsung released the SC-HMX10, a high definition camcorder. Now Samsung released C-HMX20C, the next generation of SC-HMX10 supporting full high definition which is 1920x1080 resolution. SC-HMX10 seems to be a quite competitive product in its design and functionality.

Samsung has offered me to review its new SC-HMX20C camcorder that would be launching soon. Then, I have spent for a while to get to know SC-HMX20C and here is my review.
Let’s look at the appearance first and then its performance.

Appearance
Having only a few buttons, the design of SC-HMX20C looks so simple.
The first impression when I saw the SC-HMX20C camcorder was that it looked like a can of Coke or bear, a cylinder shaped body. Since SC-HMX20C is the next generation of the SC-HMX10, the design prototype seems to be the same and the shape led me to easily grab the SC-HMX20C with my little hand. However, it seemed to be a little heavier than its appearance.

The front side is full of 10x optical zoom lens which has a focal length of 6.3mm ~ 63mm and a 30mm filter diameter. Along the side arc of the lens, the built-in stereo microphones reside. When you use two hands to operate the camcorder, you have to be aware of not covering the microphone area with hands.

The right side is composed of a leather hand strap which rotates 150 degrees downward from the main body. This swivel angle is enough to move the body to capture views.

The back side has the mode button that changes modes: camcorder, digital camera and playback. A record stop/start button is located slightly on the right side with the power switch located underneath. Along the bottom curve, there is a cover in which the removable battery and SD/SDHC memory card can be inserted.

The left side is the main part. When you open the LCD cover, you can see the 2.7” LCD. The LCD panel is composed of the Q.Menu button, zoom in/out jog and the record start/stop button. The LCD panel also rotates 90 degrees upward and 90 degrees downward. On the main body side, the HDMI port and USB port are lined up. You can also find the built-in speaker, an additional Q.Menu/i.Check and flash light button on the main body.

The top side consists of the zoon in/out jog which is located on the right position to control with the right hand.

The zoom in/out jog feels so soft when operating it. This would be one of the pros of this product.


The SC-HMX20C package also includes a docking station where you can place the camcorder on it and which provides additional HDMI, USB, and component connections.


Performance
The more I use SC-HMX20C, the more I like it. The video quality is perfect. I have a 47” LCD Full High Definition TV which supports 1920x1080 resolution. I connected SC-HMX20C and my Full HD TV. The recorded videos from SC-HMX20C were perfectly played well and the LCD screen of my Full HD TV displayed the recorded contents as detail as I can see the makeup on my wife’s face. As I watch the screen, I could understand the power of the Full High Definition functionality.

However, the recorded video files could not be played well from my PC directly. The specification of my PC is a Pentium 4 Intel 2.8GHz with a built-in graphic on the main board. The video files seemed to be heavy for my PC to run. I have not tried to use a separate graphic card. But I think you should have a high performance PC to fully enjoy what you have recorded from your PC.

The user’s guide specified the PC system requirements as follows:
OS: Windows Vista/XP (Service Pack 2)
CPU: Intel Pentium4, 3.2GHz/AMD Athlon 64FX, 2.6GHz recommended
Memory: 512MB (1GB or more recommended)
USB Port: USB2.0
Resolution: 1024x768, 16bit color or more
Video Card: nVIDIA Geforce 7600GT or more, ATi X1600 series or more

Also, the provided DVD Suite software runs best under Intel Core2Duo processor or the CPU that supports MMX, SSE, SSE2 or 3DNow.

SC-HMX20C provides 8GB of built-in memory. You can also use an external SDHC or MMCplus card for additional memory. But I think 8GB of the built-in memory is enough. 1GB holds a little over 8 minutes of recording time with the best quality. This allows 71 minutes with 8GB memory. One day, I went to a picnic with SC-HMX20C and I could fully use the built-in 8GB memory with the provided battery. The battery capacity was enough for me to use 8GB.

Since the LCD is the touch pad screen, I could easily manage files and control the menu. Although finger prints remaining on the LCD is a weak point, it was not a big deal.

There are some functions of SC-HMX20C that I liked most as follows:

1. Continuous still image capture during video recording:
When recording video, still images of HD quality in JPEG format can be stored up to 5 pictures per second.

2. Slow motion video recording.
This was a good feature when I analyzed my golf swing to see what I need to correct. The 30 frames per second provided super slow motion speed.

3. Image stabilizer
The electronic image stabilization is another favorite for those who are not quite as steady handed or are in a moving motion. Also it is good when recording video while zooming in. This must be a necessity feature.

4. Still image
SC-HMX20C is also used as a 6.4 megapixel digital camera. This is more than enough to get good quality images for non professional users. Although the sensor is not super high quality and it will not replace a good high quality CCD sensor, the SC-HMX20C camera is worth looking at and using on holidays.

5. Touch screen LCD
The 2.7” touch screen LCD is really convenient when I operate the camcorder.

6. Quick power up
As soon as the power button is pressed to turn on the camcorder, the LCD boots up immediately. This quick response allowed me to get ready to take shots.


Menu and Setting Screens
It would be too much to cover all the setting that SC-HMX20C supports. I took some image cuts of the main setting menu for the camcorder to help you understand more about the camcorder.


There are 6 screens that cover the settings. Each setting has a child setting and so on. Followings are screens shots for the video setting menu and camera setting menu. As you can see, many of the same settings for the digital camera are also available for the camcorder. Some of the exceptions are features such as image stabilization and Color Nite.


The digital camera has a 6.4MP CMOS sensor and it performs quite well as an ordinary digital camera for general users. With setting the Continuous Shot feature on, I could continuously get shots of moving image while pressing the Photo button. This led me to select the best shot among them. Even, I could get still images in the Full HD quality (1920x1080) while recording video. The still images taken at dusk have some noise. This would be more common for the CMOS sensors than high quality CCD sensors. However, it would be OK for me since many other digital cameras have CMOS sensors.

Specifications
Following is the product specification in general.
System
Signal Type: NTSC
Video Format: H.264 (MPEG-4 AVC)
Audio Format: AAC (Advanced Audio Coding)
Sensor Type: CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor)
Sensor Size: 1/1.8”
Number of Pixels: 6.4MB
Lenz: F1.8~2.5 (10x Optical Zoom, 100x Digital Zoom)
Filter Diameter: 49mm
Focus Distance: 6.3~63mm
Storage Media: 8GB built-in Flash Memory, SDHC/MMC+
Dimension: 2.6”x2.65”x5.47”
Weight: 1.01 lb

LCD Monitor
LCD Size/Pixels: 2.7”, 230K pixels
LCD Type: TFT LCD, Touch LCD

Video Recording Spec
Recording Format: H.264
Recording Resolution: HD: 1920x1080i (60i30p), SD: 720x480
Recording Quality: Super Fine/Fine/Normal
Audio Format: AAC
Number of Channel: 2 Channels (Stereo)
Speaker: Yes (built-in)
Microphone: Yes (built-in)

Still Image Spec
Format: JPEG
Resolution: 3264x2448 (8M interpolation), 2304x1728(4M), 3M, 1.5M, 340K
Quality: Super Fine

Interface
USB: USB2.0
IEEE1394: No
Composite: Yes
S-Video: Yes
Component: Yes
HDMI: Yes
Direct Print System: DPOF, PictBridge

S/W and PC OS
Compatible OS: Windows XP/2000/Vista (32bit, 64bit), Not Compatible with MAC
Bundle PC S/W: Cyber Link DVD Suite


Pros:
Easy to use and carry
Good design
Touch screen LCD (2.7” large LCD)
Ultimately quick start up
Good video quality of 1920x1080 resolution: Full HD quality
6.4M CMOS sensor
8GB of built-in memory and 1.5 hours of battery life
10x video/camera optical zoom

Cons:
A little heavier than its appearance
Takes time when changing modes (video -> camera -> Play)

Conclusion
I was quite impressed with the Samsung SC-HMX20C Full HD camcorder. The only thing I could enjoy the full HD quality screen was through watching TV channels proving HD broadcasts. However, I could record and playback the full HD contents that I made by myself from SC-HMX20C. I felt like I was a movie director ^.^ Even though the quality of video and still images in a low light environment are not as good as in a bright situation like outdoors, the quality was perfectly OK for me.
SC-HMX20C is easy to operate. 8GB of built-in memory which holds up to 71 minutes with the full HD quality (1920x1080i) is enough to take video for a day with the provided battery. If you need additional external SDHC card, you would definitely need another battery.
In general, I think that SC-HMX20C would be one of the best Full HD camcorders in the world so far.

Reviewed by Sean: http://goitworld.blogspot.com

IT News from PC World

June's Coolest Gadgets
Martyn Williams, IDG News Service
Monday, June 16, 2008 2:00 AM PDT
Every year it happens: as the summer approaches in northeast Asia and the weather heats up, the gadgets get hotter too. I was lucky enough to get my hands on HTC's Touch Pro smartphone the day it launched in Taiwan. The phone is a business-oriented sister handset to the Touch Diamond that was announced last month and is quite an impressive phone. Read on for a hands-on report.
Also this month: innovations in PC gaming as Asus brings Wii-like motion-sensitive control to Windows and innovations in car navigation as Panasonic links its networked home appliances with a car navigation system for remote control. To top it all off, the future looks bright too as Toshiba and Sony both promise some pretty cool-sounding TVs before the end of next year.

Samsung Slow-Mo HMX20 videocam

Samsung has launched a high-def video camera that can also snap high-resolution digital photos and take smooth slow-motion video. The HMX20, which was shown as a prototype at CES in Las Vegas in January, can manage 1080p full HD (1,920 by 1,080 pixels) video and 8-megapixel images. It's also capable of snapping pictures while video is being recorded -- a feature that is becoming popular on cameras but is still not standard. A special feature is the 300 frames per second (fps) shooting mode for slow-motion video. Video is usually recorded at 30 fps and becomes jumpy when slowed down, but by recording at 300 fps it can be slowed down by as much as 10 times and still appear smooth. Data is recorded onto the internal 8G bytes of memory or SD or MMC memory cards. The camera has been announced for South Korea where it will cost 899,000 won (US$857). Launch details for other markets have not been set.

Samsung Omnia

Bearing more than a passing resemblance to the iPhone, the Samsung Omnia has a prominent 3.2-inch display that takes up almost the entire front panel of the phone. Underneath the otherwise clean front surface are three buttons. The screen has 240 pixel by 400 pixel resolution (Wide QVGA), which makes it lower resolution than the iPhone or other likely competitors like the HTC Touch Diamond. The quad-band (850/900/1800/1900MHz) phone will operate on both WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) and GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and supports 7.2M bps (bits per second) HSDPA (High-speed Downlink Packet Access) and EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) data networking. Great for mobile video fans is the format support: DivX, XviD, H.263, H.264, Windows Media Video and MP4. The camera has 5-megapixel resolution and other features include GPS (Global Positioning System), Bluetooth and FM radio. It measures 112 millimeters by 57mm by 12.5mm and will go on sale in Asia this month and in Europe in July.

Hands on with HTC's Touch Pro
The strongest impression I took away from HTC's Touch Pro was of the bright, crisp screen on the Windows Mobile 6.1 handset. From the front the phone looks much like the Touch Diamond that was launched last month but with the two in my hand it was obvious that the Touch Pro is thicker. The reason is a slide-out Qwerty keyboard that appears from the back of the phone and makes for much easier typing. Each of the keys is beveled so that there's an obvious distinction between each one -- a handy feature on a keypad that's relatively small.
In spite of its small size, the well-contoured keyboard and predictive text input system meant that the first sentence I typed on the Touch Pro came out perfectly -- something that can't be said for every smartphone I've tried. The keyboard has been improved from previous models with a fifth row of number keys above the main keyboard. Personally, I hate having to hold down a shift or function key to tap out numbers on smartphones, so the number row is a welcome addition.
The phone felt solid and well-made and the phone's body slid smoothly when the keyboard was pulled out. It wasn't so heavy that it weighed on my hands when typing -- another occasional problem on smartphones that restricts use. HTC said it weighs 165 grams. The 2.8-inch LCD (liquid crystal display) screen was a pleasure to look at. It has VGA resolution (640 pixels by 480 pixels) so the images appear very sharp and text looks superb. Strong colors enhanced the screen image. It should be available from August in major markets worldwide. No price was announced.

Asus Eee Stick
Taiwan's Asus is bringing Nintendo Wii-like wireless gaming to the PC. Eee Sticks are a pair of motion-sensitive controllers that gamers can use to bowl, slash swords and play other games on a PC. Initially, Asustek plans to bundle the controllers with its popular Eee PC low-cost laptops and the desktop Eee Box and will be available in mid-August. Next year, the Eee Sticks will be sold in packs with five to eight games for around NT$2,000 to NT$2,500 (US$66 to $82). So far, Asustek has only inked licensing agreements with a handful of game companies for their games can be used with Eee Stick. The company plans to talk with more game developers, including Electronic Arts, to expand its offerings.

Sony All-glass Sountina Speaker
Fashioned entirely out of glass, Sony's Sountina cylindrical speakers emit sound in a "circle" of 360 degrees, allowing listeners to hear in equal fidelity regardless of their location. Apart from the tweeter, the Sountina, also known as the NSA-PF1, includes a 13cm woofer and a 7cm mid-range speaker.
The speakers pack quite a punch, as Sony demonstrated at a launch event, when music traveled at least 100 meters in the open space around its headquarters building lobby. In the dark, the Sountina can also contribute to the ambience with illuminations. Under dim lighting, the glass resonates with colors that alternate between blue, amber and purple making it something like a sleeker and more modern version of a lava lamp. The Sountina is tagged at ¥1 million (US$9,600), and is set to go on sale on June 20 in Japan. Sony has plans to release it internationally but there is no precise schedule.

Panasonic Strada Car Navigation
Panasonic's new Strada F-class car navigation system gives drivers the power and convenience to operate home-based devices from remote location, as long as they have a cell phone signal.
Commands from the navigation system are sent to the owner's mobile phone over a Bluetooth link and then back to the home via a cellular Internet connection. A home unit receives the commands, which are input through the car's navigation system screen, and follows the instructions. The gadgets at home need to be capable of network control.
Additionally the F-class models can also link up with Panasonic home network cameras. While it's only possible to get a still image and not streaming video, it is enough to give owners a clear picture of what's happening at home. And the system can also be used to program a digital video recorder to catch TV shows, as long as the recorder is from Panasonic. The Strada F-class HDD (hard-disk drive) car navigation systems will go on sale in Japan this June at retail price of ¥354,900 (US$3,380). There are no plans to sell them overseas.

Sharp 108-inch LCD TV
The world's largest LCD monitor can now be yours -- if you have a deep wallet. Sharp has finally launched the 108-inch LCD monitor that was first unveiled in January 2007 at CES in Las Vegas. Now it's available to customers worldwide, built-to-order, for ¥11 million (US$102,000).
The Full HD (1,920 pixels by 1,080 pixels) monitor comes with a wide array of input sockets. There's analog RGB and DVI computer inputs, 3 HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) inputs, two composite video inputs, two sets of component video inputs and one S-Video input. The entire set weighs an impressive 195 kilograms and consumes 1.1 kilowatts (kW) when in use.

Toshiba's Cell-TV, Sony's Bigger OLED
Get ready TV fans! Two cool new sets are coming soon! Toshiba plans to put a TV powered by the Cell processor on sale before the end of 2009. The Cell TV will use the chip for some heavy-duty graphics processing to allow for real-time upscaling of standard-definition TV to high-def, and to display multiple video streams simultaneously for quick navigation of many TV channels.
Meanwhile, Sony said a 27-inch OLED TV will be here soon. Prototypes of the set have already been shown but CEO Howard Stringer recently confirmed at a U.S. conference that it's heading towards becoming a product. "Within the next 12 months, we haven't given a date," he said when asked to be more specific on timing.

Review by Ottawa Citizen: Swivelling Samsung Full HD camcorder

The Ottawa Citizen nmagazine posted the Samsung's SC-HMX20C Full HD camcorder in the Section: Business & Technology, Issue date: June 10, 2008.

Here is its short summary:
Swivel:

The camera has a unique swivel grip which easily changes the way you can hold it from up in front of your face to down low.

Slow Motion Recording:

The 300 frames per second super slow motion recording speed lets you analyze your golf swing to see what you're doing wrong.

Still-Picture:
It has a 6.4-megapixel still camera so you can take good quality images

Touch Screen LCD:
The HMX20C has a 2.7" touchscreen LCD viewfinder, which is really handy when recording .

Image Stabilizer:
The Electronic Image Stabilization is a real boon for those of us who aren't quite as steady-handed as we once were. It really comes into play when recording video while zooming, and is an absolute necessity in my view.

Reviewed by About.com: Samsung SC-HMX20C

I recently had a chance to try out the new Samsung SC-HMX20C. The camcorder records 1920 x 1080 high definition video to an internal 8GB flash memory drive, or onto a removable SDHC/MMC card. The HMX20C has a 10x optical and 100x digital zoom, and comes with a dock to transfer video to your computer as well as some basic DVD authoring software.

THE GOOD:
Size
The Samsung HMX20C is a small bullet size camcorder. I often photograph bands, and I was able to fit the camcorder in one of the slots in my camera bag designed for a SLR lens when I took it on a shoot. This would be an easy camcorder to put in a small bag and then carry in a purse or a tote bag on vacation. While I didn’t exactly toss it around, I think it could handle a little bumping around in a bag.

Ease of Use
I thought the HMX20C was very easy to just pick up and use. The controls were easy to find, and the record and zoom controls were located both on the camcorder itself as well as LCD screen. If you’re someone who likes to hold the LCD screen while recording your video then the controls on the actual LCD screen could come in handy.

Video Quality
The HMX20C has some of the best video quality I have ever seen from a Samsung camcorder. I took the camcorder into a variety of low light situations and was really impressed with how it was able to compensate on it’s own in different lighting conditions. The video always looked pretty good no matter where I was recording.

External Microphone Jack The external microphone jack on the HMX20C wins it major point in my book. A lot of consumer camcorders no longer have external microphone jacks, and their on-board microphones are pretty sub-par. While many consumers won’t use the external microphone, it’s nice to have that option there. If you ever plan on recording anything like interviews, or even a short film and external microphone is really necessary with any camcorder to get a decent sound quality.

THE BAD:
No Viewfinder
One thing I wasn’t crazy about with this camcorder is that the only way to view what you’re recording is through the LCD screen. While most people do use the LCD screen to look at what they’re recording, LCD screens use an amazing amount of battery power. It would be nice to have a viewfinder option for times when you wanted to save your battery, or in situations where there’s heavy glare and you can’t see the LCD.

Controls on LCD screen
I listed this in the positive, but for me personally it was a bit of a negative. I like to hold the LCD screen as I tilt a camcorder to get a particular shot. When using the HMX20C I found myself constantly accidentally hitting the record button or zoom. I eventually got used to it, but it was a bit of a challenge at the onset.

Touch Screen LCD Apparently the touch screen LCD is catching on…and I hate it. Touch screens are really easy to use, and look great…but touch screens also tend to pick up all the grease (or whatever else) is on your fingers leaving behind fingerprints on your shiny screen. With the HMX20C your LCD is the only way you can see what you’re recording so your choices are to either see everything through your fingerprints, or to constantly wipe the screen off.

For more information, link to: http://camcorders.about.com/od/camcordertoppicks/fr/SamsungHMX20.htm

Samsung raised the bar for camcorders

Canada.com reviewed Samsung's SC-HMX20C Full HD camcorder.

When my son was a little gaffer -- which is too long ago to even think about most of the time -- I was a typical dad who took pictures of everything he did.
We have photo albums stuffed with the first step, the drooling smile of the first teeth -- literally thousands of them.
I wished for the ability to take video, but I didn't want to go out and buy a great big camera to haul around along with all the other paraphernalia we had to carry. So we went without video of all those precious moments that are best displayed in video.

I wish there were camcorders like Samsung's brand new SC-HMX20C available then. Announced at this year's CES in Las Vegas, the SC-HMX20C isn't available in Canada yet, but the expected release toward the end of May will put a terrific quality camcorder into the hands of home consumers -- although pricing also isn't available at this time.

Well, while I have my regrets about not having video, you don't need to -- this new camcorder pretty well has it all. It has a 6.4-megapixel still camera so you can take good quality images, and it's a full HD video camera that shoots at 1920 x 1080 resolutions. With that resolution, you can take your videos directly off of the camera and play them on your HD TV -- see junior drooling on the 60-inch in High Def!

The HMX20C is only 2.6 inches wide x 2.65 inches high by 5.47 inches, and weighs just 1.01 pound. The onboard 8GB of memory holds up to 90 minutes of recording at 1920 x 1080. You can easily add a memory card to increase the capabilities.

The 10X zoom lens offers you the ability to take those close-ups you want, and the 300 frames per second super slow motion recording speed lets you analyze your golf swing to see what you're doing wrong. If you're like me though, slowing down my golf swing just makes it look even worse.
The HMX20C has a 2.7-inch touchscreen LCD viewfinder, which is really handy when recording. The pop-up flash provides that extra bit of light when you need it, and the Electronic Image Stabilization is a real boon for those of us who aren't quite as steady-handed as we once were. It really comes into play when recording video while zooming, and is an absolute necessity in my view.

You can easily download your images and videos onto your PC, running Windows XP or greater. If you're a Mac user, sorry, you're out of luck with this camera. You can use USB 2 to download images, or use the HDMI cable to connect your camera directly to your HDTV to watch your photos and videos directly.

The lithium battery will give you about 1.5 hours of recording time, which is enough to fill the onboard flash memory. An extra battery is never a bad idea though, so if I were buying this camera, I'd get a battery for sure, as well as one of the extra SDHC/MMC+ memory cards.

The camera has a unique swivel grip which easily changes the way you can hold it from up in front of your face to down low, so you can take a kid-level shot of first steps, or get that all-important close-up of Lassie's adoring eyes. I may make a bit of fun of that feature, but it's actually pretty handy for taking all sorts of different pictures/videos and it'll soon be a feature you'll really like.
Samsung has supplied some software to put on your PC that will let you do basic editing of your videos to add those final touches before you show grandma and grandpa.

The onboard microphone records AAC audio, so you'll capture all the audio you want from your video shoot.

This is a nice, easy to handle camcorder that really takes advantage of the technology available to give home users the best possible videos at a decent price.
If you're looking for a good quality digital camcorder that can take stills or videos with equal aplomb, is easy to use, feature-packed and takes HD images, then you owe it to yourself to look around for this camera.

PROS: High Def video, decent quality stills, many features, the super slow motion video and the cool swing grip make this a very desirable camcorder.

CONS: Won't work on a Mac, some might find it a bit cumbersome to use because of the weight and you must use the camera in your right hand -- like most camcorders.
E-mail Hill at: mhill@sp.canwest.com, and find past columns on the web at: http://www.canada.com/topics/technology/columnists/hill.html.