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.

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.

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.