Mobi Master Blog

Sony HVR-A1E review

The Sony HVR-A1E boasts an incredibly small size,
and providing the 180i standard, the camera offers
you a host of advanced features for professional
use.  The HVR-A1E uses technology such as CMOS,
the camera is an ultra compact camcorder that is
capable of providing HDV in the full 1080 line
resolution.

By building on the affordability of HDV, the
HVR-A1E providers you with a migration path from
standard definition while retaining the qualities
of the popular DVCAM range such as ease of use
and multiple connections.

The HVR-A1E is ideal for situations in which space
is limited.  The camera also broadens the range
of HDV tools available for professional users,
as it really does deliver HD for everyone.

Afforable
The HVR-A1E really means that high definition is
for everyone. Through the HDV format, this camera
allows you to capture HD pictures on a standard
DV cassette, providing both a cost effective
format and full 1080 line resolution.

The HVR-A1E also offers you the ability to choose
the most appropriate recording format for your
production.  With this camera, you are able to
switch between HDV, DVCAM, and DV recording
which gives you full flexibility to record in
standard or HD mode.  You can also take still
pictures as well, which adds to the list of
already impressive features.

Professional use
As a professional company, Sony realizes that
your needs are different to that of a consumer.
As a result, the HVR-A1E incorporates many specific
features to help support your needs.

Compact design
This camera helps to bring the realm of HD to
an even wider range of production.  A lightweight
and compact design means that HDV shots can be
achieved even when limited on space.  No matter
where your shoot may be, you can count on the
Sony HVR-A1E to deliver.

Sony HDR HC3 review

Home video enthusiasts all across North America are
impressed with the vast range of recording features
offered by the Sony HDR-HC3 handycam video camera.
With both HD and SD modes of recording, you can make
the move to high definition without retaining
compatibility with standard definition equipment.

The HC3 video camera sets the new standard in resolution
quality with its clear vid image sensor, which
captures precise detail and superior color.  The dual
record mode will allow you to capture 2.3 megapixel
stills while shooting high definition video.

The smooth slow recording captures fast movement
with precise detail for playing back in slow motion.
Now, you can record what you want however you want
to record it. The HC3 from Sony is everything you could
expect and more.

2.1 megapixel clear vid CMOS sensor
The clear vid CMOS sensor provides a level of stunning
detail and clarity with amazing video and still
image performance.  Unlike the traditional CCD
imagers, CMOS sensors require much less power, which
provides better performance for your battery.

Dual record
While you record in HD, you also have the ability
to capture a 2.3 megapixel still image directly to
the memory stick duo media.

HDV/DV format recording
The HDR-HC3 is capable of recording and playing back
both HD and SD video recorded on the standard
Mini DV tape.

Real time HD codec engine
Sony developed a real time MPEG encoding and decoding
system with a reduced energy consumption along with
a compact size to fit inside of a personal video
camera.  The codec engine provides MPEG 2 compression,
with the recording and playback of clear HD images
at the same bit rate of DV.

10X optical/80X digital zoom
The optical zoom provided by the HDR-HC3 will bring
the action up close from far away.  The digital
zoom interpolation will make the digital zooming
clearer, with less distortion.

Touch panel
The 2.7″ wide (16:9) LCD screen will provide an
excellent viewing clarity with improved resolution.
The 211K pixel LCD screen rotates up to 270 degrees
for multiple viewing angles, while providing a
sharp, detailed image for monitoring or playback.
The widescreen format makes shooting in 16:9 mode
and composing shots easier than ever before.

With amazing features and video quality, the Sony
HDR-HC3 high defintion video camera is truly one
of the best Sony offers.  If you’ve been looking
for the perfect HD camera, the HDR-HC3 offers you
more features than you can shake a stick at.

Sony HDR-FX1 review

The Sony HDR-FX1 is the world’s first consumer 1080i
high definition video camera.  A revolution of form
and function, the HDR-FX1 will allow you to play
and record interlaced high definition video at
resolutions of up to 1440 X 1080 for professional
quality video with plenty of vivid colors and amazing
detail.

The HDR-FX1 also features the real time HD codec
engine, which offers you professional level MPEG 2
video compression, and a 14 bit HD digital extended
processor for increasing the speed of the processor.

The camera images are captured on three chip advanced
HAD CCD system that provides an increased detail along
with improved video performance without the color
blending that is found with other cameras.

The HDR-FX1 also offers an amazing amount of control
for the user, which includes manual zoom, focus, and
iris control.  The picture profile will allow you to
create a number of preset video modes for a variety
of shooting.  The composing shots are easier than
ever with the 3.5 inch LCD display and the extra
large electronic view finder.

Other features of this amazing camera include:

Manual zoom and focus rings
Dual independent zoom and focus rings provide precise
and detailed control over the amount of zoom and
overall focus of the image.  Fast framing when
zooming in and finely detailed focus are easier
than ever with the natural feel the rings provide.

Super shot system
The Sony steady shot image stabilization system
will control a wide range of shake and even vibration
frequencies.  This system achieves a very high level
of smoothness without degradation of video like
other types of stabilization systems.

Manual iris control
By turning the iris dial found on the side of the
camera, you can manually adjust the amount of light
that enters the camera.  The iris is adjustable
from f1 to f11 in 24 easy steps.

Picture profile
This will allow you to set the manual adjustments
for a shoot into any one of the six available presets,
so you can call them up at any time at the touch
of a button.  This is very handy when shooting
under the same conditions frequently, as the options
don’t need to be reset each time.

Offering you a slew of other features and benefits,
the Sony HDR-FX1 is truly one of the best high
definition video cameras you can buy.  With an
affordable price, this is something everyone who
loves to take pictures and make videos shouldn’t
be without.

Sony BRC-H700 review

The Sony BRC-H700 high definition video camera is
designed for a variety of remote acquisition
applications, especially in television production
for recording programs and for use as a weather
or even traffic camera.

The PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom) camera can display images
onto a large screen in auditoriums, teaching
hospitals, sporting events, trade shows, and even
concerts.  This unit is also ideal for distance
learning applications in which clear high definition
images need to be projected onto electronic white
boards during a presentation or other function.

The Sony BRC-H700 also features three 1/3 inch HD
CCDs with 1.07 megapixels, delivers accurate color
reproduction, and is ideal for taking pictures or
videos in low light environments.

The BRC-H700 has a wide pan range of 340 degrees
and a tilt range of 120 degrees.  Both the pan
and tilt speeds are variable within the range of
.25 to 60 degrees a second, so the camera can
capture both fast and slow moving objects with
minimal rocking vibration.  The camera also
includes a 12X optical auto focus zooming lens,
which allows for a zoom capability of up to 48X
when used in combination with the 4X digital
zoom.

You can also control the BRC-H700 by external
devices which include the optional RM-BR300
remote control via Sony’s VISCA protocol.  Local
controls such as PTZ settings and any of the 16
presets can easily be accessed.

The BRC-H700 has a card slot that accepts a
variety of optional interface cards, including
the HD-SDI, SD/SD, i.Link, and even connections
for use with computers.

Other features include an image flip function
for installation flexibility on ceilings or other
flat surfaces and up to 16 presets for operational
ease of use.

High Definition Video

HDTV or high definition television normally refers
to any video system of higher resolution than the
standard definition.  The original HD specifications
date back to the early 1980s, when Japan first
experimented with a 1025 line television standard.

Japan presented their parameters at an international
meeting of television engineers in Algiers in 1981
and Japan’s NHK presented their analog HDTV system
at a Swiss conference in 1983.  Except for these
early formats, HDTV is digital broadcast and
therefore it’s introduction will sometimes conincide
with the introduction of DTV, or digital television.

The signals for high definition require a high
definition television or a computer monitor in order
to be watched or viewed.  High definition video
will normally have an aspect ratio of 16:9.  The
aspect ratio of the regular widescreen film that is
shot today is normally 1:85:1 or 2:40:1.  The
standard type of television has a 4:3 aspect ratio.

High definition television resolution is 1080 or
720 lines.  With the contrast, regular digital
television is 480 lines or 576 lines.  The current
quality with DVD is not high definition, although
high definition systems such as HD-DVD and Blu-Ray
are both expected to be and ship later on in 2006.

The most noted feature with high definition video
is the fact that it’s so life like.  There is HDTV,
and HD video cameras.  High definition is very
popular these days, with television being at the
top of the list.

High definition video cameras are getting just as
popular, as they offer you the chance to capture
memories like never before.  HD offers you video
like never before, making you wonder if things are
this good now - just what will video in the future
actually be like?

Finding Your Format

It’s quite impossible to choose a camera without
knowing which format best fits your needs.  Below,
you’ll find many of the most popular formats.

DVCPRO HD
Based on the standard definition of DVCPRO format,
the DVCPRO HD from Panasonic uses a data rate of 120
MBps and intraframe compression, both of which will
provide strong protection from generational loss.

The DVCPRO HD also has supporting cameras and decks
that use FireWire I/O, which is a very important
feature for keeping an eye on your bottom line.  The
cost of the equipment is a bit pricey, as it can
cost upwards of 80,000$.

HDCAM
The HDCAM format from Sony is based on DigiBeta and
can record in 24p, 25p, 50i, and even 60i.  It
uses a high data rate of 140MBps, which produces a
great looking picture with few glitches.  Because
of the very unusual 17:6:6 color sampling scheme,
the color detail is half of DVCPRO HD.  The
picture is top of the line, proving to be among the
best available on the market.

HDV
There is quite a bit of buzz surrounding HDV as
the newcomer to the high definition marketplace.
With high compression rates, HDV has enabled
high quality shooting and editing with low cost
tools, including the convenience of high
definition video to Mini DV tape.  This has also
helped to open up the HD field to a wide
variety of videographers and producers who
would never have even considered going high
definition otherwise.

The biggest drawback to going the HDV route is
also the greatest strength - high compression.
Both audio and video can suffer dramatically
from too much compression.  The audio in theory
isn’t up to CD quality, although some users
report that they are perfectly happy with it.

Editing HD Video

Working with the video of camcorders such as the Sony
HDR-HC1 can produce a serious business.  HD video
contains four times the number of pixels that
standard definition offers, and it’s much more
heavily compressed.

Keep in mind that you need a powerful computer with
a lot of memory to deal with the extra data and
compression.  Pinnacle for example, recommends a
minimum 512 MB of RAM and a graphics card with 128
MB of RAM for standard resolution video, although
that goes up to a GB of RAM and a 256 MB graphics
card when working with 1080i HD video.

You can find plenty of software available that
supports editing high definition videos.  For example,
the latest versions of Pinnacle Studio and Ulead
Media Studio 8 can import and edit files in HDV
format.

Even though the high definition video with these
types of looks great when played back on an HDTV,
at the present time is there is no way store HD
video on a DVD.  The only way you can store HD
video for playback is on your PC or the same type
of media you used in your HD camcorder.

There is however, a new generation of high definition
optical media format coming soon.  Products that
are based on the HD-DVD and Blu-ray disc formats
are very expensive, and they will remain that way
for the near future.

HD-DVD players were announced a while back that
they will cost $500 and up, and will be available
very soon.  You’ll also need one of the new HD-DVD
drives to write to the disc, which will cost as
much again.  You can expect the same story with the
Blu-ray disc, as both the recorders and the players
are going to be expensive for a while to come.

There is one other option as well.  There is a
DVD player from KISS, the DP-600, which can play
back high definition files that have been compressed
to Microsoft’s Windows Media 9 format.  This can
at least provide a stop gap until the price of the
HD-DVD and Blue-ray disc players and writes come
down to an affordable price.

You can always play back the recorded video you
have through the camcorder itself, although you
shouldn’t expect to be able to write it out on a
disc with the current available equipment and
preserve its quality.  If you wait it out, the new
generation of available media will be everything
you need for your HD video.

Canon XLH1

On September 18 of 2005, Canon broke new ground in
the digital video camera industry, announcing the
XL H1, which was Canon’s first DVC featuring high
definition.  Originally developed based on the needs
of professional and enthusiast videographers, the
XL H1 retains the operability of Canon’s very popular
XL2 while increasing the professional function and
supporting high definition recording.

The flagship DVC for the company of Canon, the XL H1
is ideal for use all across the spectrum of
professional content making, from film and television
production to filming weddings.  The XL H1 also
comes equipped with a HD 20X zoom video lens, the XL
5.4-108 mm L IS II, which contributes to Canon’s
development aim of delivering the highest possible
quality of recording available today.

As Canon’s first HD video camera, the XL H1 camcorder
and 20X HD video zoom lens will provide broadcasters
with a low budget 1080i resolution option for ENG,
documentary or even reality television productions.

Film makes will also fall for the extensive Cine
controls and 24 frame rate option the XL H1
has to offer.  Canon’s custom jackpack features
include uncompressed digital HD-SDI output for
seamless integration into broadcast studios or high
quality image transfer to non linear editing systems.

The genlock feature will allow movie sets to
easily synchronize camera settings across multiple
camcorders and SMPTE time codes will allow for
streamlined tape and edit management.

The XL H1 also offers three 1/3 inch 1.67 megapixel
interlaced CCDs that capture images at 1080i
resolution.  It also features selectable frame
rates of 50i and 25F, so capturing fast motion and
just about everything else is possible with the
XL H1.

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!