Stories by: Jim Feeley

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Sanyo Xacti VPC-WH1 waterproof camcorder 12/10/2009 14:02:00

Compared with footage from the best 1080p HD camcorders, the Sanyo Xacti VPC-WH1's 720p HD video (at 30 frames per second) exhibits noticeably - but not disastrously - reduced resolution, sharpness, colour accuracy, and motion. The VPC-WH1's overall video image quality is middling.
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Panasonic HDC-TM300 HD camcorder 08/10/2009 14:03:00

In 2008, we knocked the hard-drive-based Panasonic HDC-HS100 HD camcorder for its lacklustre video quality. But 2009 is looking up for the company, as the excellent Panasonic HDC-TM300 delivers some of the best still and video images we've seen from a small camcorder. The HDC-TM300, which stores video on both an internal flash drive and an SDHC card, provides robust and innovative features that justify the camera's relatively high price (RRP: US$1300).
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JVC Everio GZ-X900 HD camcorder 08/10/2009 14:01:00

JVC's Everio GZ-X900 high-definition camcorder ($1,999 as of October 7, 2009) has a sleek design, includes a few innovative features, and generates acceptable HD video under bright lighting conditions. Unfortunately, the unit's noticeably subpar low-light performance renders it a poor choice for common everyday use.
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Sanyo Xacti VPC-FH1 HD camcorder 08/10/2009 14:00:00

The Sanyo Xacti VPC-FH1 is a low-priced digital camcorder that delivers good-looking video and stills, with image quality just slightly trailing that of HD camcorders priced nearly three times as much. Indeed, with an RRP of just $799, it's pretty hard to go wrong.
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Sony HDR-XR200V camcorder 07/10/2009 09:30:00

The GPS-enabled Sony Handycam HDR-XR200V certainly sports innovative features, but it lacks the video quality needed to make it stand out from--or even measure up to--the best small AVCHD camcorders we've seen this year. It's a Sony camcorder with overall performance on a par with the Sanyo Xacti VPC-FH1, a camera that costs half as much.
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HD pocket camcorders: What's the catch? 30/04/2009 01:59:00

Not all HD footage is created equal. High-definition 'pocket' camcorders make compromises in video quality so as to shrink the cameras' cost and size. While their small size makes them convenient, it's important to be mindful of their considerable limitations. Here's a rundown of the cons that might burn a hole in your pocket.
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Panasonic HDC-HS100 camcorder 31/03/2009 17:00:00

The Panasonic HDC-HS100 camcorder is a better camera than it's predecessor the Panasonic HDC-HS9, with improved image quality and greater usability. However, the $2089 HDC-HS100 has only narrowed, not closed, the image-quality gap between its own video and that of the top HD camcorders in its class. If you disregard image quality, the HS100 is a clear winner - but it's hard to ignore a "small" thing such as image quality, especially at this model's price.
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JVC Everio GZ-HD40 camcorder 30/03/2009 15:40:00

A compact model with a beefy 120GB hard drive, the JVC Everio GZ-HD40 records to two formats: the compact and increasingly common AVCHD, and the higher-quality MPEG-2 Transport Stream (TS). Although it has decent automatic and manual image control, the JVC Everio GZ-HD40 is like a bilingual exchange student lacking perfect mastery of either his native or secondary tongue. It's a good HD camcorder, but better values abound.
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The rise of online video 22/08/2006 19:23:00

Apple says it has sold over 30 million videos through its iTunes Store since October 2005. That's impressive. But YouTube, currently the most popular site for sharing amateur video, claims to serve up 100 million video viewings each day. That's stupefying.