Tag: standard definition
CES 2009: Sony reveals latest HD/SD Handycams with ridiculous optical zooms
I’m sure there’s a competition among camcorder manufacturers this year to see what the biggest optical zoom they can put on their latest models is. Sony’s latest standard definition camcorders boast a 60x optical zoom.
Sony’s has launched nine new models in its SX range, with features including a choice of recording formats (DVD, hard disc or Memory Stick) depending on model, one second quick start-up, SteadyShot image stabilisation and Carl Zeiss lens…
CES 2009: Samsung intros new YouTube-friendly camcorder, plus an ergonomic high def one
Samsung is just one of several companies showing off its latest range of camcorders, with a model to suit most consumer needs, from YouTube enthusiasts to budding high definition filmmaker. We’ve already seen the H Series of HD handhelds, but Samsung is also catering for those who haven’t jumped on to the high definition bandwagon yet, but are most definitely riding along on the YouTube train.
The SMX-F34 camcorder can’t boast the same filming resolution as the H Series – we’re talking strictly standard definition (up to 720 x 480) here — but it does have a ridiculously large 34x optical zoom range that can be boosted to 42x with the Intelli-Zoom function…
Bad eyes or missing equipment? One in five Americans can't tell HD from SD
One in five Americans can’t tell the difference between high definition and standard definition TV according to a recent piece of research.
In fact, that’s probably a little misleading. More people probably would be able to tell the difference if they were shown a standard definition broadcast and a high definition broadcast (or, better yet, a Blu-ray film) side-by-side. What’s actually happening is that viewers aren’t sure when they’re watching normal TV and when they’re viewing higher resolution TV.
There are likely many reasons for this problem…
High definition discs outsell VHS tapes: is it really a milestone?
According to research from Video Business, the combined sales of Blu-ray and HD DVD high definition discs was greater than that of VHS cassettes sold in the first half of 2007.
Although standard definition DVD sales also slumped by around 5% in the same period, due mainly to a weak bunch of new releases, the dominant disc format is hardly challenged by these findings.
Sales of pre-recorded video tapes are all but non-existent now, with most consumers preferring the greater convenience, features, quality, and smaller form factor of DVDs.
