Panasonic SDR-H200 30GB 3CCD Hard Disk Drive/SD Palmcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I took the plunge and bought two of them (One for my brother). My reason for this is:

1. the predominance of editing software available for MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, etc. as well as the ability to play on practically any regular DVD player. My Aunts, Uncles, relatives and friends do not care for, nor ever will buy a BluRay Player and a 42"+ Panny, although I do (more about that in a sec). Thus sharing compatibility is more important to me than obtaining the latest AVCHD, although I may for other reasons in the future. I know I can down convert but the extra steps, increased price, limited industry supported software (for unconverted .mt2s files), the new h.264 compression standard and the increased horsepower required for PC use are all compelling reasons to stick with SD in the home and for sharing - not only the finished product but also raw footage with others and having zero complications.

I have a 2GB RAM, P4, 3.0 Ghz, etc. laptop but 8 out of every 10 others I know use centrino technology, 1.8 Ghz, 256-512 RAM, etc. which just isn't gonna drive h.264 footage nicely is it. Same goes for desktop setups. Try downloading and watching 720p video from the Windows Media HD Video website if your computer leans more towards the latter to see what I mean. SD footage won't encounter these snags. Once again, I am speaking from the point of view of sharing with the people I know who for the most part will never upgrade to the latest PC / Home theatre (or at least not in the next 5-10 years).

2. USB 2.0 Hi Speed Transferring, i.e. 100 MB files transferred from card/ HDD in about 15 seconds. Editing, Rendering, Authoring is a breeze.

3. I wanted a MEMORY MAKER, not a home movie studio. This unit fits in the palm of your hand (almost bordering on too small) and easily slips into a LowePro camera bag.

4. I have a 32-bit PCMCIA SD/SDHC card reader (not 16) that I bought to replace my laptop 4-in-1 media reader. Standard readers that most people have today on their desk or built in to their laptop will not read the new SDHC cards available at 4GB+ capacities. More mention of this should be made in my opinion. Also, these new cards will not work in older devices that do not support SDHC. The SDR-H200 does support SDHC.

I experimented recording to the card and then transferring footage to my laptop. The 32bit cardBus adapter is 10-16X faster than USB 2.0. It is just awesome. The reason I mention this is because of the 1 major gripe I encountered, Namely...

...Transferring HDD footage requires disconnecting the battery from the unit and connecting a DC cable to it from the AC power adapter. Then USB 2.0 cable out to computer. Sooooooo, this means always needing to be around power instead of just turning on the camera and transferring the HDD footage randomly anywhere. It's not that big of a deal but I like having Zero restrictions ;) So using SDHC cards frees me from that restriction, hence the mention of the 32bit cardBus reader (YES they exist - interfirm - http://www.synchrotech.com/products/media-adapters_01.html)! ***If you follow suit and get this adapter make sure you download and install the correct driver from the website because there's no Windows XP/ Vista substitute that will do it for you like we're used to!!

Another Note - if you transfer files directly from the card they show up as .mod files. Windows media player 11 recognizes them and plays. Other players don't, so you simply change them to .mpg. Sektionschef created a great program that automatically converts multiple .mod files (i.e. all of your stored clips) to the .mpg extension all at once! Very cool. It's called

5. 3CCD over single chip, this unit uses 3CCD RGB, nice. A handy F1.8 for dimly lit environments works pretty good. The 10x optical zoom is very smooth, speed contollable by the amount of pressure used on the toggle switch and there was no focus hunting in Auto mode. The O.I.S. doesn't help much when zoomed in on a subject and you're moving around so staying wider helps unless you're into using tripods. But zooming in fully on a WestJet airplane taking off produced good results.

Another nice feature is the auto fade in and fade out when you start and stop recording. It effectively smooths over those slight but noticeable camera movements that sometimes occur when the record button is pressed non-gently, awkwardly, haphazardly or whatever. This setting can be switched on or off. I like it, but you may not want to use it if you're into utilizing post-editing software because you can't remove an already recorded fade.

Here is a few clips I uploaded you can check out. I recommend downloading and playing the clips on your computer video player over using the website streaming player because the web player compresses the video resolution...

Indoor, Available Light, Auto, Setting = XP (higest SD quality) - Outdoor light is completely overcast.
http://files.filefront.com/MOV007mp...;/fileinfo.html

Outdoor - Auto, Zoom in on airplane, XP, Completely overcast sky
http://files.filefront.com/MOV009mp...;/fileinfo.html

Low Light, Indoor, Coffee Shop, XP Mode, Auto
http://files.filefront.com/MOV002mp...;/fileinfo.html

Finally, does the footage measure up? YES. There is no comparison to watching footage on the laptop as compared to a monitor, TV or Plasma. When I watched it on my laptop I was like hmmmm, oh yeah, that's pretty good. But when I ran my footage from the camera through a Yamaha RX-V2700 Receiver with 1080i/1080p upsacling to a 42" Panasonic Plasma via HDMI I was blown away! You will be extremely PLEASED if you run your footage through a home theatre HDMI setup. The same goes for a DVD disc.

I also tried S-Video out directly to TV with included AV cables (no HDMI/ no receiver) and I would still rate the footage as GREAT. Fortunately, you can do this running on straight battery power and a remote control is included! I also ran it through my 23" Samsung LCD HDTV computer monitor and... you guessed it, great. In all cases the picture turns out to be very crisp, clean and vibrant.

So although I love the new HiDef footage, etc. I took my chances in sticking with SD for home video purposes and am more than pleased. No regrets. The unit shoots in 16:9 or 4:3 and has no problem saturating my entire 42" screen. Even my mother who is expecting plenty of baby footage from my brother was more than impressed and could tell that it was a quality pic.

So, if you are looking for a memory maker and anticipate bringing it along on trips or to the ball game or whatever you'll be happy to own this unit.

The menu is simple and clean, and you can easily switch from recording to HDD/ SD/ SDHC card at the push of a button. There is plenty of manual settings you can tinker with but auto mode does the trick nicely.

It is simple, handy and fun which is exactly what I wanted. This unit delivered that. 4 out of 5 stars for not being able to transfer HDD footage to computer without power adapter (but to its credit, the adapter is conveniently small). Since it also holds 7 hours of highest quality footage this shouldn't be too much of a bother unless you're a frequent downloader. I peronally will buy an 8GB SDHC card (110 minutes) off of eBay and leave it in the unit so that I'll have options baby :)

The unit comes with ImageMixer editing software and is very easy to use and import your video with directly from the camera - it's a good added value piece of software.

This is my first review here and always appreciate when others have taken the time to share their experience with new products that I'm interested in buying too. I hope my taking the plunge this time helps. Enjoy!

One more thing... READ the manual you lazies, there are things you should and need to know.

P.S. It takes decent one push 2MP still photographs too in a pinch (not outstanding but not too bad - it's nice knowing that it's there if necessary)!You can find a still I posted here...
http://www.pana3ccduser.com/showthread.php?t=14208&page=4&pp=10

Bruce

Click Here to see more reviews about: Panasonic SDR-H200 30GB 3CCD Hard Disk Drive/SD Palmcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

Product Description:
The Panasonic SDR-H200 3CCD Hard Disk Drive/SD Palmcorder Camcorder is perfect for recording long events. It features extended recording for extended shooting fun. The internal 30 GB hard disk drive holds as much video data as about 22 8-cm DVD discs. That means you can record for around 27 hours non-stop. This SD Card/Hard Disk camcorder is perfect for people who want to shoot for hour after hour without worrying about memory space. 3CCD Camera System/ Optical Image Stabilizer /Minimum Illumination1 Lux (Magic Pix)High Speed Shutter - 1/60 - 1/8,000 sec. (Moving Picture) / 1/30 - 1/2,000 sec. (Still Picture) / IrisAF/Manual / Backlight Compensation LCD Monitor -2.7 wide (123K pixels) /Manual Focus Ring /Microphone -Stereo Zoom Mic /Wind Noise Reduction / Date Recording Wide Mode (16 - 9) / Digital Zoom -10x - 700x /Recording Modes -XP/SP/LP Still Picture -JPEG / Built-in SD Slot (SD/SDHC) / DPOFMax. 999 stills PictBridge Compatible / S-Video Out / Video Output -AV out / USB 2.0 High Speed (mini B)Dimensions (H x W x D) - 3.27 x 2.98 x 4.76 inches Weight -1.01 lbs

Want to read more honest consumer review about Panasonic SDR-H200 30GB 3CCD Hard Disk Drive/SD Palmcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom now ?

Sharp Aquos LC52D64U 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased the Sharp LC52D64U via a direct promotion with Sharp USA. The deal I was offered was too good to pass up. I have never bought a large format TV in my life and always got by with a Sony CRT 27" in my bedroom running SD TV. I was just fine with that for many years and when I moved into a new apartment with a nice big (and empty) living room and ordered HD cable, I decided to consider purchasing a large HD panel TV.

When I did my research, I was overwhelmed at the number of choices, formats and connections types, such as LCD, plasma, projection, 720i, 720p, 1080i, 1080p, Hdmi, HD channels recievers....argh!?!?!?!

Well after I did enough research, this Sharp LCD has everything that I need for at least the next 5 years. I am running a Tivo Series 3 HD reciever pumping 1080i HD channels over digital cable into one of the 3 available HDMI ports. The image quality is, to say the least, MAGNIFICENT!!!! The deep blacks and rich colors really cut through exceptionally well. I have not yet played an HD DVD or Blu-Ray movie through it, but if the 1080i HD channels look this great, I can only expect the same from watching Spiderman 3 on Bluray at 1080P when it's available this late October.

When I was researching large format panel TV's, my eye kept going to plasmas like Panasonics and the Elite series from Pioneer. Suffice it to say, these brands were very much out of my budget and consdered LCD's instead. So I did some research on the Aqous series and found alot of useful information. I also read many reports of the Sharp Aquos series suffering from a bad phenomenom known as "banding" and a recent review of the LC52D64U on cnet.com indicated that the problem was still present in this new model. This made me nervous about buying the TV, but then Ireminded myself that those reviewers have eyes like a hawk and scrutinize every little detail that an average consumer (like me) probably wouldn't even notice until pointed out.

Well I don't know if I can't see it, or if it is not present in my particular unit, but I have NOT experienced any "banding" issues that may appear as color bleed, ghosting effects or ongoing pixilation.

Sharp does offer Aquos models that have a higher refresh rate as much at 120 hertz. This unit, I believe, operates at a 60 hertz refresh rate. The higher 120 refresh rate is supposed to handle fast moving images (such as football player running across a field) and improve the image so as to reduce any bluriness or undesireable pixilation.

Well I do not watch alot of sports, so this is not a deal breaker for me. There were a few times I was watching a movie and saw some pixilation occurring due to fast moving images. But as long as you watch your 52" sharp LCD from a practical viewing distance and loose yourself in the entertainment and not scrutinize every single image that's on the screen, you probably won't notice it when it does occur, if at all.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with the Sharp LC52D64U. Remember that to get the most out of this LCD panel, be prepared to spend some money and feed it a high resolution data feed for both audio and video. Everything I am sending it comes in at full 1080i/1080P, if not upscaled from 720/480. I plan to get the new X-Box 360 elite and it has an HDMI output port and many of the newer games run at 1080P, so I can only imagine that there's more visual pleasure to come my way.

I hope this non-technical review was helpful. Now go out and buy this damn thing and be a happy couch potato!!! :-)

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sharp Aquos LC52D64U 52 Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Product Description:
Large-screen 52 flat-panel TV offers full HD Spec 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution. Sharps proprietary Advanced Super View/Black TFT Panel with multi-pixel technology provides a native 2000:1 contrast ratio and a dynamic contrast ratio of 10,000:1 with Enhanced Picture Contrast Technology, 4ms response time and wide viewing angles (176 degree horizontal x 176 degree vertical). Multi-pixel technology divides each pixel into two sections and adds an advanced driving system to provide 60 percent improved color reproduction. Built-in ATSC/QAM/NTSC Tuners provide access to DTV and analog TV channels. Includes two HDMI inputs and two HD component video inputs. Compatible with 1080p signals. Features a sleek piano black cabinet with subtle, recessed bottom-mounted speakers. Included table stand easily removes for wall mounting applications. Flat-panel TV offers 16:9 LCD panel, S-video input, 15 watt speaker system and removable stand. Screen measures 52-1/32 diagonally.

Want to read more honest consumer review about Sharp Aquos LC52D64U 52 Inch 1080p LCD HDTV now ?

Samsung SC-DC173U DVD Camcorder with 34x Optical Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If you are looking for a camera that records to DVDs and doesnt cost an arm and a leg, buy this one. It is a decent camera if you take into account the price. The quality isnt the best however its good enough for the average customer just wanting to shoot video of family events. If you are looking for top quality, pay more. It is true you get what you pay for. For me the camera is good enough for what I use it for... a once in a while camera moment.

I've read over a couple of other reviews stating they are having a hard time getting their camera to read discs. I use the Sony mini DV-R discs and have never had a problem. They are a little more expensive however they are top quality and work great with this piece of equipment.

Also I have transfered the mini-discs to larger ones using a panasonic dvd recorder using Sony (Large) DVD-R disc and havent had a problem either.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung SC-DC173U DVD Camcorder with 34x Optical Zoom

Product Description:
Why use a camcorder with tapes when you can use this one that records directly on a DVD? With the Samsung SC-DC173 DVD Camcorder you'll have a record of the major moments that matches your most vivid and happiest memories. You'll write those incredible moments directly to a blank DVD; once you're done, you can simply pop the disc into a computer or DVD player and begin sharing your movies. Before sharing, you can preview your video on the 2.7 inch LCD screen. See if you've caught everything - the 680,000 pixel CCD, 33x optical and 1200x digital zoom help you capture every detail brilliantly. 1200x digital zoom 4-in-1 multi-memory card slot compatible with SD - MMC - MemoryStick - Memory Stick Pro Digital image stabilization - Virtually eliminates shake due to normal handheld movement MPEG-4 recording - MPEG4 provides enhanced video image quality and maximizes the amount of video you can record. In addition, MPEG4 even lets you quickly and easily share video clips via email May be used as a Webcam when connected to a PC via USB 16 - 9 recording and viewing - Samsung's 16 - 9 recording option ensures that the entire image is recorded. Once your movies are captured in widescreen format, you can enjoy viewing them without having to lose any of the images on your wide-format HDTV screen Supports DVD-RW/-R/+RW/+R (dual layer) - With Samsung's advanced technology, even a person without any knowledge of DVD formats can easily handle it, because you can use any type of Recordable DVD Is PictBridge compatible Samsung's Audio Enhancements & Effects reduce unwanted ambient sound, improve stereo separation, voice, and music playback, and lets you add echo sound effects Features USB 2.0 connectivity (Windows98, 2000, XP) Unit Dimensions - 2.36 x 3.44 x 4.78 / Weight - 0.95 lbs. Supplied accessories - AC adapter, battery pack, A/V cable, USB cable, software CD Accepts 30mm

Want to read more honest consumer review about Samsung SC-DC173U DVD Camcorder with 34x Optical Zoom now ?

Panasonic VDR-D210 DVD Camcorder with 32x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a very nice 'palm'corder. I've put it through its paces the past couple of days. It does use more than just the Panasonic mini-disks . . I'm using Maxell. Their website says it will also use Sony and TDK disks. Of course, you can't play the mini-disk on an outside DVD player until you "finalize" the disk while still in the camera...just like if you were using a regular DVD Recorder. Then it played on both of my DVD players just fine. It pays to take an hour or so and read the book, which was very clear. The movies are clear and bright. I'm particularly looking forward to reducing the hand shakiness on zoom with the OIS. It did not have the capability of using a USB cable to go to a computer, or have a video light, but if I wanted those features, I would have bought the higher-end model. I'm very satisfied. Can now pass down my older 8mm camcorder to one of my children!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Panasonic VDR-D210 DVD Camcorder with 32x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

Product Description:
Item #: PANVDRD210.
Customers also search for: Panasonic® DVD Palmcorder® Camcorder, 037988980284

Get 19% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Panasonic VDR-D210 DVD Camcorder with 32x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom now ?

Hitachi DZMV350A MiniDVD Camcorder with 2.5" LCD and Digital Still Capability Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)A great camera with many wonderful features. The manual is chocked full of information, all except the most important feature:Format your disc before recording!!!!From the get-go with DVD-R, it prompted me to format the disc. But with DVD-Ram, It did not tell me to format the disc at the start.I took movies of my trip to Europe and was able to view them back through the finder/display. However, when I got to the end of the disc, I was prompted with a notice to "format the disc now" and that all video will be lost if I do format!! I couldn't believe I had to lose all my Europe footage all because I did not format the disc BEFORE I started recording. London Eye - gone!Meusse-Argonne Cemetary in France - gone! Hitachi could not help me.Again, great camera but Format first!!!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Hitachi DZMV350A MiniDVD Camcorder with 2.5 LCD and Digital Still Capability

Product Description:
Because you can record directly to DVD, remove the disk and play it back on a home DVD player, you can easily share your important moments with family and friends. This dual format DVD camcorder, the DZMV350A, offers both DVD-RAM and DVD-R recording and playback, as well as the capability to shoot and store nearly 2, 000 still photos plus an SD card capability. The Disk Navigation feature not only enables direct access to any scene or photo, but provides a host of in-camera editing functions.

Want to read more honest consumer review about Hitachi DZMV350A MiniDVD Camcorder with 2.5 LCD and Digital Still Capability now ?

Dekcell USB Slim External Rewriteable DVD +/- RW Drive, DVD Burner Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Same as other customer.Ive struggled for weeks now, to make this drive work on my Sony Vaio w/ WinXP.Same error, "USB device not recognized or malfunctioned."Ive tried every drive I could find on the planet, to no avail.And BrilliantMedia's web site is no help.Giving up.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dekcell USB Slim External Rewriteable DVD +/- RW Drive, DVD Burner

Want to read more honest consumer review about Dekcell USB Slim External Rewriteable DVD +/- RW Drive, DVD Burner now ?

Panasonic VDR-D230 DVD Camcorder with 32x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Product is very easy to use with a good manual included and movie pictures are very clear especilally when made in daylight. Zooming option is excellent but a bit difficult to control when maximized. Camera option to use light at night improves picture quality significantly. However, not all discs are compatible with this camera. Can't use Sony DVD-R and Sony DVD+RW dsics for handycams. Was successful so far with Maxwell DVD-R discs for camcorders.Info which discs to be used is lacking when purchasing this camera.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Panasonic VDR-D230 DVD Camcorder with 32x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)

Product Description:
Record all your memories to DVD discs with the VDRD230 Palmcorder. With a 32x optical zoom and optical images stabilization, you'll get terrific close-up footage to enjoy for years to come. The VDRD230 records to 8cm DVD-R, DVD-R, and DVD-RAM discs. A 2.7-inch Wide LCD monitor swivels to help you keep an eye on your recording.

Want to read more honest consumer review about Panasonic VDR-D230 DVD Camcorder with 32x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black) now ?