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Sanyo VPC-HD1 Camcorder Review
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HD comes up as a buzz
phrase in previous years, moving from the marketing meeting rooms of
manufacturing companies, from the halls of Congress, and right down into
consumer awareness. Till the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1, however, the cost of
making high quality video has been unreachable for many. HD at under
USD800 holds with it the promise of highest level of development in
technology for the people. |
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Ease of Use
The Sanyo VPC-HD1 (USD500)
is a disappointing disparity from what we think easy to use. First of
all, the "Easy" mode you would receive on the majority of Sonys and
Canons is not present on the HD1. No clear "Auto" mode exists, as there
is available on majority of Panasonics and JVCs. This will be a main
problem for freshmen latching onto a low-priced high account camcorder,
the right target market for the HD1.
Even
expert users will determine this as a displeasing device. The menu set
up is indistinct, with little philosophy describing why certain
functions come out in the Screen Settings Menu and others in the Options
menu. Handling is very bad, with a badly shaped joystick. Sooner or
later, you will know how to pick your path by the controls, but the
joystick will never become more pleasurable.
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Conclusion
We can state that Sanyos
Xacti VPC-HD1 is a high account camcorder just in name. Does it match
the technical needs? Of course: It shoots at 720p. But does it come up
to the expectations? Does it exceed what you have found in standard
class camcorders? No, it does not. Actually, many standard account
camcorders, just as the Canon Optura 600, Panasonic PV-GS300 (USD470),
and GS500 (USD1040), make much better images, both in sharpness and
color schemes. The HD1 did not match with the results of Sonys
consumer-oriented HD cam, the HDR-HC1, nor do we anticipate it to match
the upcoming HDR-HC3. Although we desire that you could find a
beneficial HD camcorder for USD700, the truth is that the technology is
not there. The VPC-HD1 is a definitely gimmick thing.
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Then how is Sanyo acting
this? Did they arrive at some astonishing technological development,
beating the research and development departments of Sony, Canon and
Panasonic, which have jointly been in charge for all developments in
camcorders technology throughout the past, for thirty years? No. We
think they are employing a still camera chip rather than a video camera
chip. While both are Charge-coupled devices, there are complex technical
dissimilarities between the recording style of a still image and a video
image. That is the reason we often develop such worse still pictures out
of camcorders and worse video results out of still cameras. By employing
a still chip, Sanyo can cheaply develop "HD" resolution video, while it
misses the color performance or dynamic series of even the most bad
entry level camcorders. The reality is that the majority of still
cameras use 1/2.5 chips and there are lots of makers producing them
inexpensively. All things direct to the VPC-HD1 possessing a still
camera chip, the similar method used by "toy" MPEG4 camcorder makers,
whose items retail for USD200.
Though Sanyo states they
preferred the MPEG4 format above the MPEG2 (seen in DVD camcorders and
majority of flash media and hard disk drive cams) in the hopes of
bettering picture quality, the 9Mbps bit rate is distinctly too
bounding, as is the codec. Right at present, there are no suitable chips
that make nice MPEG4 video in the hurry. Match the 9 Mbps data rate with
tape-based HD camcorders, which records at 25Mbps. Thats above double
the information for each second making it onto the recording medium.
Little surprise the Sanyo made up no match.
The deficiency of a live
view on the Liquid crystal display is nearly too Inconsistent to
address. The power to observe changes immediately in exposure and color
tone is an essential characteristic on all camcorders even in the
lowest-end and cheapest models. Its nonexistence would make handling of
the HD1 a joke.
Sony in the recent past
lowered the cost of the HDR-HC3 to below USD1500. Thought that is still
almost double the price of the Sanyo, the picture quality, handling, and
stability is more than double as good. In its justification, the Sanyo
captures first class still images--but no superior than those from a
decent point-and-shoot camera that ranges under USD400.
Our conclusion is that
Sanyo is benefiting the lack of knowledge of ignorant consumers. No HD
camcorder must give this low quality of video results. This camcorder
does not merit to be named HD.
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