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.

Samsung BD-P1500 review by EngadgetHD.com

by Ben Drawbaugh, posted Jun 4th 2008 at 9:25AM

Samsung has always led the way when it comes to Blu-ray players. It was the first to market, months before even Sony or the PS3. Sammy has also released more generations of Blu-ray decks than any other manufacturer at four. Sure, Samsung players have had a few problems, and with few exceptions customers have been forced to upgrade their units to get new features, but overall every previous Samsung player has been a solid performer -- thus, we don't expect you to be floored when hearing that the BD-P1500 fits the same mold. Also, like its predecessors, the BD-P1500 braves the way with new features, but unlike the original BD-P1000, there's a lot of competition now. But even so, we're still not sure how many will choose it over a PS3.

The Good
· Dolby Digital Plus and TrueHD decoding.
· Dolby Digital Plus and TrueHD encoding to DTS via S/PDIF works great for those without HDMI audio.
· Player bitstreams all codecs.
· Passed both the video resolution and film resolution loss test on the HQV test disc. (Player set to 1080p60)
· Same great menus and scrub bar as the BD-UP5000.
· Resume works on some discs.
· At 6 seconds, it has the fastest eject from off of any player we've tested.
· Component and HDMI will both output at the same time, unless resolution is set to to 1080p24. If it is set to 1080p60, then component runs at 1080i60.
· Bonus View works as advertised.
· Best looking Samsung Blu-ray player yet.
· Perfect picture and audio quality -- including 24p.

The Bad
· We wish it had a native resolution setting like Pioneer & Sony's Source Direct feature.
· Only way to change the resolution is to stop the disc.
· Only way to make the scrub bar show up is to hit pause.
· Still don't like the non-backlit remote.
· Load times aren't stellar; 34 seconds to load a disc, 47 seconds if the player is off.
· No coax digital output.
· No discrete analog out -- first Samsung BD player without them.
· No DTS-HD MA support until firmware update.
· No BD Live until firmware update.
· Resume doesn't work on some discs (BD-J limitation).

Conclusion

There's a lot to like about this player, but it's hard to believe that after 2 years and 5 players, Samsung still doesn't have a "full featured player." Sure BD Live isn't for everyone -- and in fact, many don't even have internet connectivity behind their HDTV -- but with BD Live and DTS-HD MA currently missing from this one, the only thing really left to like over the previous model is the price. And since the PS3 sells for the same -- unless you find the BD-P1500 on sale -- we wonder who'd prefer the BD-P1500 over Sony's multifaceted console. The good news is we don't have anything exceptionally bad to say about the BD-P1500; in fact, it works as advertised in every way. So if you're in the market for a standalone player, and don't care can wait for BD Live and DTS-HD MA decoding, this is currently the player to beat.

For more information, please link here:

http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/04/samsung-bd-p1500-review/

Review by PCMAG.COM for Samsung YP-S5

The PCMag.com holding 6,600,000 unique users/month gave a very positive review result for YP-S5.

by Tim Gideon

When the YP-K5 was released by Samsung in 2006, its unique built-in, slide-out speaker design was a real head turner. And though the device was bulky, it had strong battery life and even a pair of decent earbuds. The update, the new flash memory–based YP-S5 (commonly known as the S5), keeps its predecessor's innovative design but loses some of its bulk. Available in 2GB ($130 list) and 4GB ($180) capacities, the S5 features the familiar Samsung graphics, a top-notch interface, and the snazzy feather-touch buttons found in all of the company's players. The pull-out speaker is a fun option for the beach or a hotel room, and you get nice Bluetooth 2.0 features here, too. The player's robust EQ options—particularly when paired with an upgraded pair of earphones—make your music shine.

The sleek S5 comes in black or white and appears to have no buttons on its front face when its 3.8-by-1.8-by-0.6-inch (HWD) frame is powered down. In fact, the only physical attributes are a 1.8-inch, 176-by-220-pixel screen, a power/hold switch, a headphone jack, and a proprietary connection (which connects to USB via provided cable for PC syncing). Turning on the 3-ounce player reveals a four-button array of controls, with an Enter button in the center, along with Back and Menu keys. The underlit controls switch orientation depending on what the device is doing at the time. The slide-out speaker offers stereo output through a good-looking circular design imprinted on its metallic surface. I found the included earbuds better than average, but as always, I advise upgrading if you want to maximize the audio quality from your player.

Navigating the menu system is intuitive and enjoyable. Samsung players have developed a reputation over the years for superb graphics and intelligent interface organization. The only annoyance that folks are likely to encounter with navigation is the sensitivity of the touch controls: It's easy to misfire, and the buttons often fail to respond to a first tap.

File support, however, is not a strong suit. For audio, you can load MP3, WMA, and unprotected AAC files. Video is limited to SVI—Samsung's proprietary codec (you'll need to convert files with included software), and photos are JPEG only. No one wants to do homework to load video and photo files onto a player, so it's beyond me why manufacturers don't make devices with better compatibility.

The menu is broken down by Music, Videos, Pictures, FM Radio, Datacasts, Prime Pack, File Browser, Bluetooth, and Settings. The former three selections are organized in the typical Samsung way, allowing you to search music by artist, album title, and various other factors, while video and photos are organized by filename or folder. Photos can take a while to load and don't look particularly good on the player's small screen. The same can be said of videos. I've seen poorer displays for viewing, but the S5's certainly isn't a joy to watch.

The FM radio is easy to use, with 30 programmable presets—and it offers FM recording. Datacasts houses podcasts and audiobooks, keeping them separate from your music. Prime Pack is a odd designation for a grab bag of extra features—like voice recording, which works simply and organizes your recorded files for you; a world clock; an alarm; and preloaded games. (I'm not so hot at the included baseball game—I've got no swing whatsoever, and I hit about seven batters with the ball when I pitched.) The File Browser is simply a grand list of everything on the player, organized by type.

Samsung has started to step up its Bluetooth 2.0 offerings, and it shows in the S5's list of wireless capabilities. You can pair a stereo headset or a mobile phone, and transfer files to and from the S5 to other Bluetooth devices. Pairing your phone means you can place and receive calls via the player's mic and a pair of earphones—without ever having to pick up your phone. When Samsung's P2 debuted this feature, pairing was a big deal, and we like seeing the company roll it out in less-expensive devices.

Like Sony with its Walkman line, Samsung outfits its players with high-quality EQ settings. I wholeheartedly urge you to bypass the Rock and other standard presets and play with the user EQ, where you can easily customize your own sound. When I checked out the audio through a pair of Ultimate Ears UE11 and fiddled with the EQ to my liking, the results were fantastic.

Powered by an internal rechargeable battery, the S5 has a claimed battery life of 24 hours for audio and 4 hours for video. Its results on our own battery rundown tests will be posted here shortly.
I like the S5—I really do. It just wouldn't be my first choice among Samsung's quality line of portable media players. The slide-out speaker looks cool but sounds, well, like a tiny speaker with little bass. To some, this won't matter, and the ability to break it out on a bike trip or at the swimming pool and have some background music, without toting around an extra speaker dock, is a huge plus. I tend to gravitate more toward models like the YP-T10, which has an almost identical user interface and feature set but is slimmer. One last bit of advice for Samsung: We want better video support! Compatibility with more files would make every player in the company's line far more valuable.

For more information, link to http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2314477,00.asp

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's IT News Highlights

Below are highlights of the latest news from across Samsung’s key product categories and across the CED industry:


Samsung and Industry-Wide CED News Highlights for 6/2/08


HDTV News:
· Engadget HD - Samsung's Blue Phase LCD technology gets detailed - http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/01/samsungs-blue-phase-lcd-technology-gets-detailed/
· CNET - Philips 42PFL5603D review (LN52A650) - http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/philips-42pfl5603d/4505-6482_7-32815331.html?tag=bubbl_1
· I4U - LG Launches New Stretched LCDs - http://www.i4u.com/article17735.html
· Engadget HD - Westinghouse's 16-inch PT-16H610S portable LCD reviewed - http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/05/31/westinghouses-16-inch-pt-16h610s-portable-lcd-reviewed/


HDTV FYI:
· EE Times - Wireless HD preps for large-screen debut (Samsung mention) - http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=208401268
· Engadget - Time Warner Cable looks to bring internet content to TVs - http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/30/time-warner-cable-looks-to-bring-internet-content-to-tvs/


Blu-ray / DVD / Home Theater News:
· Yahoo! Tech - Cheaper Blu-ray players finally on the way? (Samsung mention) - http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/22160
· Engadget - Toshiba knows no shame, plans to release super-resolution DVD player - http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/30/toshiba-knows-no-shame-plans-to-release-super-resolution-dvd-pl/
· AV Revolution - Philips BDP7200 Blu-ray Player - http://www.avrev.com/home-theater-video-players/blu-ray-players/philips-bdp7200-blu-ray-player.html
· CrunchGear - Blu-ray sales see massive increase, finally outselling DVD - http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/05/28/blu-ray-sales-see-massive-increase-finally-outselling-dvd/
· Engadget HD - BDA granting 11 China-based manufacturers with Blu-ray licenses? - http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/01/bda-granting-11-china-based-manufacturers-with-blu-ray-licenses/
· AP - Blu-ray DVD format may not dominate for years - http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iOjP449CjK1vfEVQ_1gCCs31zJkwD911E8OG0
· Switched - Blu-ray Slow to Catch On, May Not Dominate for Years - http://www.switched.com/2008/06/02/blu-ray-wont-dominate-for-years/
· Engadget HD - Poll: Are you replacing your DVDs with Blu-ray Discs? - http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/05/31/poll-are-you-replacing-your-dvds-with-blu-ray-discs/
· Dealerscope - Blu-ray Discs Coming to Supermarket Kiosks - http://www.dealerscope.com/story/story.bsp?sid=108003&var=story


Blu-ray / DVD / Home Theater FYI:
· Blu-ray - Just bought a Samsung BD-P1500 for $287 - http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=51942


MP3 Player / PMP / Camcorder News:
· Hollywood Today – Pets get a home at MTV Home suite (S2) - http://www.hollywoodtoday.net/?p=4844
· Electronic House - Rock ‘n Roll with Samsung’s ‘Pebble’ MP3 Player - http://www.electronichouse.com/article/rock_n_roll_with_samsungs_pebble_mp3_player/C157
· PC Magazine - Samsung YP-S5 - http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2314477,00.asp
· GearLive - Samsung La Fleur T10 MP3 player - http://www.gearlive.com/news/article/q208-samsung-la-fleur-t10-mp3-player/
· CRAVE – CNET - Shuffle backlash brewing? - http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9956656-1.html
· Gizmodo - iRiver Spinn Analog PMP Gets UK Release Date - http://gizmodo.com/394342/iriver-spinn-analog-pmp-gets-uk-release-date
· CRAVE – CNET - Iriver T7 Stix and L Player set for U.K. launch - http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9957042-1.html
· Engadget - Thanko's solar-powered DAP urges you outdoors - http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/31/thankos-solar-powered-dap-urges-you-outdoors/
· Gizmodo - RCA Releases New Mini-Camcorders With Expandable Memory, Water Resistance - http://gizmodo.com/394412/rca-releases-new-mini+camcorders-with-expandable-memory-water-resistance
· Engadget - Creative's Vado Pocket Video Cam unboxed on video - http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/31/creatives-vado-pocket-video-cam-unboxed-on-video/


Corporate News:
· Newsday – Despite strains, sponsors look for Olympic boost - http://www.newsday.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-beijing-hopeful-sponsors,0,5249151.story


General Industry / Trade / Competitor News:
· CRAVE – CNET - Best Buy to recycle electronics for free - http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9957196-1.html
· I4U - Circuit City Survey Finds what Dad’s Want for Father’s Day - http://www.i4u.com/article17743.html
· TWICE – Best Buy Tests Free Recycling Program - http://www.twice.com/article/CA6565908.html
· Electronic House – Best Buy Trial Recycling Program Hits 117 Stores - http://www.electronichouse.com/article/best_buy_trial_recycling_program_hits_117_stores/

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.