sony handicam

My first impressions of this small camcorder are very good. The size is perfect as it fits in your purse so it is available at all times. How many times have you thought I wish I had my camera. The battery last about one and a half hoursit is a infolithium battery which means that you can see how much time you have left on it. Plus it will hold and retain its charge over time. The record time on sp is about 85 minutes. This camcorder will accept up to a 16 gig memory card. And you can purchase additional batteries with longer record time. The number of the batteries range between np-fh50 to np-fh100. The touch screen is simple and easy to use. It is powered up when the lcd screen is opened. The controls all have a good placement.The zoom is great works quietly and quickly. The sound is also very good(I could hear every bite the cat atethe screech of the rocking chair and even the tv which was turned low.)No it is not hd but the picture is very good. This camcorder has a quality build and a Carl Zeiss lens. Because of the features you would expect this small beauty to be more expensive. So in the end you get quite a lot of bang for your buck.I wanted to add that with a 8 gig card you get an additionl 174 minutes(nearly 3 hrs. additional record time.The npfh50 battery gives you 3 hrs of additional charge. When this two items are added you have nearly 4 and a half hours of record time. Also the camcorder allows you to choose to record on the internal memory or the memory stick. Plus Amazon has the best prices on the battery and memory card.More detail ...

Good effort but shows how special the Flip is

I was really excited to see the next generation of pocket camcorders come out for 2010 and the Bloggie is the first I know of. It has a larger updated optical sensor and presumably updated firmware and hardware to render better video quality. I bought it as soon as I found out it was available.



My initial impressions are less about the Bloggie and more about what an achievement the Flip cameras are. Here's why:



The Sony Bloggie seems brighter but is more sensitive to movement than the MinoHD. I go over my videos frame by frame to get screen captures and the majority of the frames the Bloggie seems lost on the action and repeats the same bad exposure for many more frames before it adjusts to get the best exposure. The MinoHD on the other hand even though it is over a year old is much quicker at correcting exposure frame by frame focus and light to provide overall better video resolution. This is in spite of the fact that the Sony Bloggie has a bigger optical sensor and the newest hardware. Flip just seems way ahead of every pocket camcorder (haven't tested the Kodaks) in its internal intelligence in detecting focus and exposure. This is what truly gives it the edge.



The Bloggie does have a removable battery or memory card unlike the Flip. But I can't wonder if it's even necessary. I've never needed more memory or another battery in my Flip. Also it presents open compartments that will no doubt gather dirt in the electronics and buttons unlike the Flip which is mostly sealed.



Playback mode? I'm a software developer so I'm not afraid of complicated stuff but I found the playback controls on this frustrating over and over. There are 6 or 7 different buttons you can push on playback to pause ff rw etc and I kept finding myself pressing the wrong one and getting kicked out of play mode. Yes the Flip had this right and so simple! I actually feel like I have taken the Flip's playback for granted thinking it was just without features. But for the same functions- playback pause ff rw the Bloggie feels like it is many times more complex and mysterious even though it's attempting to do exactly what the Flip does so effortlessly mindlessly. As for uploading to Youtube etc. like it is featured to do I guess that's like programming your VCR- possible if you really want to learn it but more like a punchline than useful.



The Bloggie has still image movable lens and other bells and whistles the flip doesn't have but is an order more complicated to use than the Flip. In the end the video even at 1080p is still not as sharp and clean compared to the smooth 720p of the Flip MinoHD.



Other features such as an external mic input are not available on either the Bloggie or the Flip MinoHD but are available on others such as the Kodak Zi8 etc. But this wasn't a factor for me.



I will also ad that looking at the instructions made me understand why this has the stupid name of Bloggie- it is a uniquely Japanese product rushed to market without alot of careful insight into the aesthetic of the American consumer (If I may nothing against Japanese products usually I think them superior.) The instructions are pretty poor considering some of the dummy proof large font easy-to-read stuff I've gotten used to from places like Ikea and yes Flip. These look like they were put together by a technical person in a tight deadline who doesn't speak English well...



Keep trying Sony some good ideas here but mostly I think you need to improve on that smooth auto exposure algorithm!



More detail ...

Excellant Low Light Camcorder

I bought this camera last night and am so impressed with it I wanted to post an initial review ASAP since the camera is so new and there are so few reviews out there for it.



To begin I am new into the HD video but am a techie and have done a lot of research. My primary objective was to get a camera that took good low light video so video in my living room with the kids with normal evening lighting looked good. Also important to me was ease of use so my wife can easily grab it and catch the kids and also a small size for ease of carrying to Disney and such.



After doing a lot of research I initially bought the Panasonic HDC-HS250. One of the popular camcoder web sites claim the new Panasonic cameras with 3 sensors to be the best low light cameras.



Well I had nothing to compare it against but I was VERY disappointed in the video taken in my living room with normal incandesant lighting with this Panasonic. I spent about 1 week learning all the camera settings and no mode or setting improved the low light video. It was fuzzy and grainy with washed out color. Based on the reviews of this CAM being so good at low light I was beginning to wonder if I just had my expectations to high for this technology and this was about as good as you get in this range of camera.



I was also not real happy with the outdoor video. While it was mostly good the greens were far to vivid/bright and just did not look natural.



I was about ready to settle for this camera and then this past Sunday I had family in town. After dinner I took a lot of video in the living room of the family. Apon playing it back I was just disgusted in the quality. I then saw the Sunday add for Best Buy which had this new Sony camera which claimed 2X better low light. I searched the internet for reviews only finding initial reviews with no actual tests since the camera was so new.



I decided to buy the Sony and compare it to the Panasonic. I got the camera home last night and was happy to learn that the charger plugs directly into the camera without removing the battery so I was able to use the camera immediately (The Panasonic has a goofy system where you have to remove the battery and place in a separate charger and then you can EITHER charge the battery OR run the camera not both.).



It still wasn't dark but I took some video and pictures and toyed around with the menu system (I am a man so of course I didn't read the manual!). I found the menu system easy to navigate with nothing terribly hidden or buried in layers to access. There are some features that I found I will need to read up on and the MY CAMERA feature very confusing but I suspect will be very useful after I read up on it and learn how to use it.



I hooked the camera to the HDMI of my 720P TV and was just FLOORED with the quality of the images and video! This is the feeling I hoped to have when I first watched the video from the Panasonic that I never had.



OK so it is around 7pm still light out but no direct sun in the house. I have big windows so this presents a tricky backlighting issue for most cameras. The video and picture from this Sony were just a true as life. The camera handled the tricky lighting automatically with no manual backlighting adjustments. I couldn't wait for dark to test the low light but I was really confident that I had a winner here.



While waiting for dark I test the still pics in both video mode and normal camera mode. The pics were FAR superior to the other camera. I just bought a Nikon D5000 SLR so I have pretty high standards for my pics now and this camera takes very good pics in either mode. I am not sure if it has a faster shutter mode (probably is) because the pics were a little subject to blurring from movement but over all they were as good or better then my old Cannon S45 5 MP camera that took some darn good pics.



So now we come to the true test that I have to believe is very important to most average consumers that want to take family video Low Light.



I was beginning to wonder what the reviewers meant by low light in their reviews. They had all types of fancy tests and terms which I am sure are good BUT please just tell me how the video in my living room at night will look with normal lighting! ! ! ! !



So let me tell you this this camera capture video in low light as good or better them my normal sight. The video of my daughter playing looked exactly like it did for real in that kind of lighting setting all without setting a thing. Then there is LOWLUX mode should you need it which takes two taps to set while recording (I think this takes the camera from 60 frames to 30 frames and probably something else too). This setting is for extreme low light and works wonderfully. I even went into the girls room after they were sleeping. The only light was from the hallway light coming threw the doorway. My one daughter was camping in her sisters princess bunk which had hardly any light and I almost didn't even see her there. I videoed her in auto mode and then turned on LOWLUX. It was amazing I could see better through the camera than with my own eyes. When I played the video back I was surprised to see the my girl fell a sleep with her IPOD headphones on which I couldn't even see with my own eyes.



So there is so much more that can be reviewed with these CAMS that I pass on here because I have to get to work. I thought this article would be real important to many who have the same primary need as me and that is what I focused on.



I can also add that Sony has a new 3 way image stabilization technology in this CAM. I did a few zoom tests before it got dark and I can tell you that it also works FAR better than the other CAM.



So in closing this Camera has FAR surpassed my expectations. It has fabulous low light great still pics small and light great image stabilization VERY quick startup time and super easy to use for my wife with plenty of more advanced gadget settings for me to learn to use. I strongly suggest you spend the money and get this CAM!

















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Excellent detailed image quality with easy user interface in smaller and lighter package than the previous "SR" series!

I have been using a previous generation Sony HDR-SR7 high def 60GB hard drive camcorder and been overall happy with that model.



I then waited patiently for Sony's new "XR" series of camcorders and am very pleased with the Sony HDR-XR100. This newer camcorder is the lowest end model of the four new XR series models which include the HDR-XR100 XR200 XR500 and XR520.



SONY HDR-XR100 PROS:



1. Feels significantly smaller than the previous generation Sony SR models. The dimensions are 2 3/4 x 2 3/4 x 5 1/8 inch (69 x 68 x 129mm). The numbers may seem only slightly smaller than the previous generation SR models but in the hand it feels noticably smaller.

2. This camera without battery weighs 11oz (330g) or with battery 14.5oz (410g). The numbers again may seem like only a small difference with the older SR series but in the hand it feels significantly lighter.

3. Extraordinary convenience of having an 80GB hard drive versus using tape. Just as with the SR series the use of a hard drive continues to be amazing. I cannot imagine ever going back to using tape. One simply uses the camcorder and everything is instantly saved on its hard drive. Whenever one is ready to export their video files you just connect it with a USB cable and the computer will automatically download your video files. 80GB allows for 9 hours and 40 minutes of recording at the highest "FH" mode. At the lowest quality mode LP 80GB will allow for 33 hours and 30 minutes of recording time.

4. Wonderfully easy to use LCD touch screen with intuitive menu options. Even without reading the manual one can quickly understand how to use their camcorder.

5. Nice indexing of your recorded videos that allow for easy selection of playback through the camcorder LCD. Faces can also be indexed so that you may select your videos by a person's face in an index.

6. Very detailed image quality of the video

7. Allows for capturing still photos at 4.0 megapixels. There also appears to be a "smile shutter" feature that allows the camera to detect when your subject smiles and then capture a photo. I have not tried that feature yet.

8. Supports same rechargeable lithium batteries used in previous generation Sony SR series e.g. model no. NP-FH60 or NP-FH70.

9. Can also record on Memory Stick PRO Duo instead of hard drive





WHAT IS NOT AVAILABLE ON THE XR100 (BUT AVAILABLE ON XR200):



1. GPS

2. Flash for photography

3. Larger 120GB hard drive

4. Active interface shoe to power accessories that can mount on top of camera

5. 15x optical zoom (the XR100 has less at 10x optical zoom)





SONY HDR-XR100 CONS:



1. This camcorder just like all others that use a CMOS sensor suffer from the "rolling shutter" phenomenon. The video has a slight jittery quality to it when the camcorder is not on a tripod. The more drastically you move the camcorder during recording the greater the effect. I do not think it's any worse than on any of the contemporary camcorders using CMOS sensors from Sony or Canon.

2. There is no optical viewfinder on the XR-100. I do have one on my older SR7.

3. There is no docking station which I did have on my older SR7. A docking station made it even more convenient to upload videos than having to fiddle with a USB cable.

4. Noisy low-light video quality is still present. I cannot detect any improvement over my older SR7 for low-light video as it remains quite noisy. Please note that the higher end Sony HDR-XR500 and XR520 have some type of special "backlit CMOS" sensor that Sony reports has improved low-light with low noise capability.

5. As is usual for Sony you will have to use Sony's proprietary Memory Stick PRO Duo format if you want to record onto flash memory instead of the hard drive.

6. My previous generation Sony HDR-SR7 had the lens cover open automatically but in my XR100 I have to manually flip a small lever near the lens to open it.



CONCLUSION:



Overall I'm very happy with the Sony HDR-XR100 because it is significantly smaller and lighter than the previous generation HDR-SR7 I own with all of the great convenience that comes from using a built-in hard drive coupled with a wonderfully easy touchscreen LCD. I did not think there were enough differences for me to purchase the more expensive XR200 but you may want to consider the even more expensive XR500 for its possibly improved low-light video capability with the "backlit CMOS" sensor technology that only the Sony HDR-XR500 and XR520 have.More detail ...

Here is a review

Amazon is obviously filled with fake reviews from either fanboys or competing company employes. I bought this camera and even reviewed it compared it to other cameras like the Kodak zi8 (search google for "letsfindjesus bloggie" to find videos of my review). The Sony is the best under $200 camcorder on the market. Its auto focus is quick the colors are rich and accurate and the mono mic actually sounds good. It has a built in usb plug (which is also used to charge) and pretty good face detection. The still camera (unlike the pocket cams) actually takes decent 5 megapixel photos. It has a playback speaker which is loud enough. The 5X optical zoom is smooth and the digital zoom is well... a digital zoom. Bottom line for the price the picture quality and build is mighty good.



There is some negatives I listed them below none are deal breaking.. more of a wish list. The biggest feature missing for me is Steady Shot (image stabilization) on the 1080p and 720/60 frame modes. The Kodak zi8 has this but it looks like crap on 1080p so I guess I would rather not have this feature if the hardware is too slow to process the steady shot. Which is why im guessing Sony didnt include this feature on the higher quality modes.



Pros:



-Very acceptable video quality

-Good sounding mic

-GREAT accurate colors

-5X optical zoom

-for once a decent still camera

-quick zoom

-SD memory card capable and Memory Stick Pro Duo

-Record and upload.. its in a format that just.. Works.

-Mac and PC friendly



Cons:



-Battery lasts a little over an hour (buy an extra!)

-Steady Shot is only on 720P (30 Frames/sec) and VGA

-lens cap instead of hardware lens open/close

-mic is mono (but its not bad)

-no manual focus

-low light (like all low cost camcorders) isnt the best and the focus is slow/struggles in low lightMore detail ...

Good effort but shows how special the Flip is

I was really excited to see the next generation of pocket camcorders come out for 2010 and the Bloggie is the first I know of. It has a larger updated optical sensor and presumably updated firmware and hardware to render better video quality. I bought it as soon as I found out it was available.



My initial impressions are less about the Bloggie and more about what an achievement the Flip cameras are. Here's why:



The Sony Bloggie seems brighter but is more sensitive to movement than the MinoHD. I go over my videos frame by frame to get screen captures and the majority of the frames the Bloggie seems lost on the action and repeats the same bad exposure for many more frames before it adjusts to get the best exposure. The MinoHD on the other hand even though it is over a year old is much quicker at correcting exposure frame by frame focus and light to provide overall better video resolution. This is in spite of the fact that the Sony Bloggie has a bigger optical sensor and the newest hardware. Flip just seems way ahead of every pocket camcorder (haven't tested the Kodaks) in its internal intelligence in detecting focus and exposure. This is what truly gives it the edge.



The Bloggie does have a removable battery or memory card unlike the Flip. But I can't wonder if it's even necessary. I've never needed more memory or another battery in my Flip. Also it presents open compartments that will no doubt gather dirt in the electronics and buttons unlike the Flip which is mostly sealed.



Playback mode? I'm a software developer so I'm not afraid of complicated stuff but I found the playback controls on this frustrating over and over. There are 6 or 7 different buttons you can push on playback to pause ff rw etc and I kept finding myself pressing the wrong one and getting kicked out of play mode. Yes the Flip had this right and so simple! I actually feel like I have taken the Flip's playback for granted thinking it was just without features. But for the same functions- playback pause ff rw the Bloggie feels like it is many times more complex and mysterious even though it's attempting to do exactly what the Flip does so effortlessly mindlessly. As for uploading to Youtube etc. like it is featured to do I guess that's like programming your VCR- possible if you really want to learn it but more like a punchline than useful.



The Bloggie has still image movable lens and other bells and whistles the flip doesn't have but is an order more complicated to use than the Flip. In the end the video even at 1080p is still not as sharp and clean compared to the smooth 720p of the Flip MinoHD.



Other features such as an external mic input are not available on either the Bloggie or the Flip MinoHD but are available on others such as the Kodak Zi8 etc. But this wasn't a factor for me.



I will also ad that looking at the instructions made me understand why this has the stupid name of Bloggie- it is a uniquely Japanese product rushed to market without alot of careful insight into the aesthetic of the American consumer (If I may nothing against Japanese products usually I think them superior.) The instructions are pretty poor considering some of the dummy proof large font easy-to-read stuff I've gotten used to from places like Ikea and yes Flip. These look like they were put together by a technical person in a tight deadline who doesn't speak English well...



Keep trying Sony some good ideas here but mostly I think you need to improve on that smooth auto exposure algorithm!



More detail ...

Wow... Just WOW...

I was looking to replace my JVC Everio that had a 60GB hard drive in it. I loved the convenience of the hard drive since that replaced an older unit I had that used the small tape cartridges. But the prices for the HD capable units are more than I was willing to pay for a camcorder so looked at the units that just used memory sticks.



I have the Sony DSC-TX1 digital camera and was blown away by its optical quality and it even took 720p movies which were just insanely clearer than my 1 year old JVC camcorder. That was when I realized I needed to lose the JVC. Almost all the movies I do are of my son now 6 years old so the better the quality the happier I would be. Too many artifacts with the low definition JVC panning was just ugly ugly ugly and while it had a great response in low light the picture quality was just not what I wanted considering how good everything else with my TV and still camera.



I was initially going to get the 100 version of this since it was so insanely cheap for a 1080 capable camcorder but the bad low light capability put me off since most of what I record is in my house. And the very low numbers for optical zoom also concerned me. But amazon conveniently puts little links under the initial product listing if there's a new version so I saw the 110 and the price was good. I did some digging on Sony's site somewhat confused that the cheap little 100 had 16GB built in but the higher end had none but when I saw the rest of the specs in comparison I felt it was a very good unit to give a test run with. My local brick and mortars didn't have it in stock so I ordered it from Amazon and got the Saturday delivery early on Saturday plenty of time to charge it up and try it out.



I left all settings at default except for the quality setting. That was easy to find and the touchscreen on this unit makes it very easy to operate. As with my sony still camera it has a "user" screen too where you can pin the six most used functions to save you from having to navigate into submenus. I love this feature as it made my touchscreen still camera so simple and quick to use.



So I did four test movies all of the same thing (my 6 year old playing with a huge Geotrax set) at all four of the options for 1080p resolution. The camera is smaller than I had expected very light and fits well in the hand. The only real buttons to deal with in normal operation are the zoom and the start/stop recording which are placed well despite the small size of the unit. If you want to grab a still as well which you can do while recording that button is on top right behind the zoom so it's easy to get at. So use is great no problems.



As I said touch screen menu is great so changing settings as I went was a piece of cake.



Started with the highest 24Mbps then the next down (I think it was 17Mbps) then the "default" one they start you out at 9Mbps then the lowest. When I was done I pulled the card out (nice quick access on the bottom with a great sturdy hinged door). Went into my macbook pro just fine and i started playback.



I have a 13" macbook pro the aluminum unibody that I got about four months ago. So new core2 duo processor nvidia 9400 graphics... And it could not play the highest or second highest quality movies raw... Which told me that they were going to be great on my windows 7 media center. The third and fourth files played but since the laptop is not a 1080 screen it didn't look that good. So I went ahead and pulled the memory card out of the laptop put it in my Dell Zino that runs my beautiful 46" Samsung HDTV and played them all.



One thing I hadn't realized is that when it creates the files it creates them in a native bluray playback format the folder structure and all. So that should make it easy for people who will want to burn to Bluray.



Anyway on the media center i played the highest quality one first. And my jaw dropped and I nearly had to go buy some adult diapers. WOW. That was all I could say or think. WOW. It was just outstanding WAY better than I had expected. And it's not like I'm so unfamiliar with HD that even bad HD was impressive to me - my first HDTV was purchased back in 1999 a huge 60" Mitsubishi diamond line TV. So I've been using HD for over 10 years now. And this just knocked my socks off.



I had nearly no artifacting or blurring or anything with the movement of the camera as I've come to expect from camcorders. Even the blurring was minimal. And the shots of things were just crystal clear. I had a 1080p version of the movie BOLT running on the TV as he played with his geotrax so I zoomed in so that filled the viewfinder and recorded some of the movie. During playback at that scene I couldn't even tell it wasn't the original playing back that it was a recording of the TV from earlier it was that clear.



I was indoors in Wisconsin on a winter day with snow falling so there was no direct sunlight just all clouds. Only one window's curtains open and no lights turned on inside. And the clarity and lighting was excellent. Every bit I could hope for.



So I tried the next down quality and it blew me away. As did the third and then the lowest quality. All looked stunning. When I got down to the lowest I could see some difference between it and the highest but for what I was and will be shooting (my son) I think I'll end up using the default third lowest setting because it was still jaw droppingly good on my HDTV.



I got the 16GB card since the 32GB card was still in the three digit price range and i have a habit of transferring the files to my computer as soon as I'm done shooting anyway. And at the third quality setting the default 9Mbps one a 25 minute clip used just 1.9GB so I should get about 3 1/2 hours on this card at this rate so I'll not have to worry about running out of media for my normal use.



The display is crisp and clear widescreen format and not cluttered when recording. Response to touch was very good only once when selecting something from a bottom of a menu did I have to touch it twice since the first didn't register. Didn't take any pressure to get it to see my pressing.



The still picture while shooting video worked easily enough but they're not great quality so it won't replace your digital camera if you have a good one. But it may give you a decent still shot of something you would have missed otherwise...



All in all this is waaaayyyyy better than I had expected and more than I had even hoped for. 100% satisfied with the unit.



I can't attest to battery usage yet since I have only had it for five hours and only ran about 40 or 45 minutes of recording through it so far. In a few days I'll pop back in here and edit this with the results I've seen with regards to the battery life since this is evidently the first review of this model. More detail ...

Truly HD camcorder in pocket size! Buy Buy Buy!

Excellent EXMOR Sensor and image processing engine the BEST as for today! Small size. Full HD. Fast start. Even with "Limited" features has a lots of them. Camera instantly detected in PC-XP Pro and Mac-OS/X. I do not care about 4MP still shots so won't even bother to talk about it.



Native MTS camcorder format is not supported by many players. It needs to be converted to H.264 usable by BlueRay players ...

I was reading reviews before buying this camcorder and was just amazed how much ridiculous stuff people were saying. Some have no clue what to do with this (or Canon...) HiDef camcorders! Speaking about this CX100 - there is nothing to be scared about. Nor about Canon's or others Sony Canon Panasonic's ... all using slightly different flavors/methods of recording AVCHD. Sony happen to mark their movies with MTS extension. I have ~6 years old Pentium 4 2.8HT/2 GB RAM/XFX with NVidia7600GT card/DirectX 9.x. (Window Media Player +Xvid plugin) playback is not perfect a little choppy but acceptable. Please note that if you computer preview is smudgy and choppy this is NOT a CAMERA fault! Same video is played perfectly fine on Blue Ray player when converted to H.264. I also have new unibody 2008 Mac Book pro OS X - laptop detects camera right away and launching iMovie08 offering video transfer. If you have older non Intel Processor Mac - forget about this camera - and ALL OTHER's AVCHD/H.264 camcorders - most likely they will not be working for you. So please do not write negative reviews do not confuse people OK?



I do not use Component and AV cables (they still in the box). If you do you are downgrading HiDef video to patetic Analog quality. I refuse call it a "Standard Definition". HDTV is new STANDARD! And that other thing is Analog. :) So I use just a HDTV cable to direct view on HDTV and USB cable to move files to Harddrive.



This camcorder when connected via USB cable is detected as external drive not a camera. No big deal to me even more convenient. I prefer to be able to save original files by Copying them to folder I created on my harddrive. When camera is connected to computer make sure - do not delete movies from camcorder this way. Movies "List/Previews" still will be displayed in camera LCD preview. Completely delete files in build in memory only using in-camera controls. And format removable MemStick only in camcorder not in computer. I believe this is typical to all camcorders.



If you already have HDTV - LCD or Plasma you can view footage directly from camera connecting via HDTV cable. It is looking really good on my Samsung LCD as good as any non-studio recorded HD content. But this is only a temporary solution. You'll need to empty memory to take more video's right? I wanted to get the best video from this camcorder and it is all about conversion of MTS to H.264. There are different solutions for Mac and Windows users. Keep reading.

.......................................

PC users:

- You can use supplied by Sony PMB Software to burn your original HiDef files to REGULAR not a Blue Ray DVD-R!!!! This is awesome for someone who already has Blue Ray player anf HDTV! I repeat they can be burned on regular DVD burner to normal DVD-R and then played in the Blue Ray player in full glory with no quality loss which can occur in conversions to other formats. I made disk like that and tried it out - and I can assure you - it is real HD video! No motion blur no hiccups all is PERFECT! Looks like BlueRay players have much better hardware to handle HD content. You can AVCHD DVD directly from camera or from movies you copied to the comp harddrive. For each movie event I create separate folder and later PMB need to 'analyze' each folder befor disk burn.(By the way when PMB burning disk you will see that MTS format is converted to H.264). It is in a Manual too.

- One more way: You can install XVID (free) plugin and you can perfectly play original uncorverted MTS files via Windows Media Player!!!!

- Another way: you can get DIVX 7 Pro for mere $[...] ([...]) and convert to MKV or DIVX PLUS HD format which can be easily played on PC and Mac computers. DIVX player is free is that Pro version which has converter is not free...

- If you have slightly outdated Core 2 Duo comp - make sure you get more memory (4GB+ and better video card with HD support like Nvidia 9000 series DDR3 /Direct X 10/Open GL2.x)

- Allegedly Windows 7 should have better HiDef support and most of the codexes... will see.

.....................................

Mac Users:

- Sony providing PMB software for PC user only. Get over it. But actually Mac user have even better solution not free though...

- You can get Mac version of DIVX player also for $[...] and convert MTS to something more user friendly.

- Or (My choice) you can shell out $[...]+tax for Elgato Turbo.264 HD USB/hardware based encoder/accelerator ([...]) and convert MTS to h.264 then store them on external haddrive

- Quick Time Pro 7 can be used for playing H.264 movies! Again they can be burned on regular DVD-R for BlueRay players. You also can connect your Mac via MiniDisplay Port /HDMI adaptopr ([...]) to any HDTV or projector for bigger trill.

- PS: MacConnection catalog now is listing this CX100 so you see - it is OK it is safe to get Sony HDR CX100! :)

....................................

Finally if you don't have any stinkin' computer or all what you got is one of those anemic 'netbooks' and you still want Canon or Sony H.264 camcorder - No problem. At Costco for $[...] you can get standalone Sony DVDirect MC5 DVD recorder (not a Blue Ray disk recorder regular DVD's) and connect it by USB cable. You can make AVCHD disks readable by Blue Ray players. Never tried myself just repeating what Manual says :). Canon also has similar device but it looks like it is making only analog not HD DVD's. So all you will need is: Camcorder/MC5 recorder/Stack of DVD-Rs (which cost on average ~$[...] each)/new BlueRay Player/720p or 1080p LCD or Plasma HDTV. That's it!



MY OBSERVATIONS and recommendations after first week of playing around.

1. ALWAYS record in highest possible resolution [HD FH].

2. Set color to X.V. COLOR!!! (if you have Sony Blue Ray player/and HDTV supporting that (Sony Panasonic...) you can have advantage of enhanced colors). But it may be better turn it OFF in really sunny day. Colors might be way saturated (red/blue/yellow) almost fluorescent. And even with x.v.color off - believe me camera will produce very nice video! And use of x.v. color could be very beneficial for cloudy days or for dimmer lighting.

3. Make sure that you have image stabilization (STEADYSHOT) tuned ON!

4. ...all other settings I have on Auto. You choose yours.

5. There is bunch of useful presets like Beach Landscape Soft Portrait ... I have to check it out yet.

6. Camera is very light so you'd better hold it steady or attach it to something. I have small tabletop tripod (~$[...]) and I have it attached to the bottom - it works for me like an extra handle.

7. Even when camera is on a tripod - pan (sweep left/right) as slowly and smoothly as you can. Many people have to learn this because some report excessive blur - it not worse than much more expensive camcorders. It is YOU - you need to learn how to "drive" your new toy. Eventually it will come to you no worries.

8. Get a Polarizer or UV filter - to see through the glare of glass or water. This is VERY nice thing to have on a bright sunny day!

9. Tripods? I have Slik Compact XL light and good for travel. Works for me. But much better is Manfrotto 190XDB I saw for $[...] at bestbuy... Very solid built and smooth panning.



RECIPIE to get best video (This is true for ALL camcorders and digital cameras):

- Try to get as close as possible to object you are filming. I think best range is 2 - 20 ft. Next best is 20-50 feet

- Do not shoot in the dusk/dark. Film in well lit conditions. Try to have sun or source of light behind you not in front of you (unless you are shooting Hawaiian sunset... :) In low light - this camera is about the same as any other one's if not better. Do not listen to purists about low light "performance".

- Turn OFF that "Digital Zoom"! 10x of OPTICAL zoom is more than enough for most conditions. Beyond that you will get big quality degradation. Try to apply less zoom as possible. Besides "digital" zoom is using camera sensor reducing resolution to get higher zoom. NOT good!

- Less zoom will make a big difference (unless camera on a tripod) for Image Stabilization it will work better. Try and you will see how is difficult to hold camera still on far zoom range...

- U can use Wide Angle adapter I got ~$[...] Sony VCL-0630X through Pricegrabber and it is just... OK. At max zoom corners will be blurred a bit. You can find better one for $[...] (Sony VCL-HGA07).



CONCLUSION: There are better camcorders over there. I really like new Canon HF S100... But it is around ~900! And this cutie for under 460 --- it can be beat! And even in a "pocket" size - it is real Hi Definition camcorder just use it to full capacity! Later on when I become a PRO cameraman and have tons of money (3500-4000) - I will definitely go for a Scarlet from RED ([...]). But now -- I'm happy with CX100. When I get decent video's I will post it on [...].



... Phew I'm tired of typing. Just go and get it.

UPDATE: I just saw Pricegrabber's new super deal - 455 at [...]! That's $[...] less than I paid)

You'all have a good time! More detail ...

Truly HD camcorder in pocket size! Buy Buy Buy!

Excellent EXMOR Sensor and image processing engine the BEST as for today! Small size. Full HD. Fast start. Even with "Limited" features has a lots of them. Camera instantly detected in PC-XP Pro and Mac-OS/X. I do not care about 4MP still shots so won't even bother to talk about it.



Native MTS camcorder format is not supported by many players. It needs to be converted to H.264 usable by BlueRay players ...

I was reading reviews before buying this camcorder and was just amazed how much ridiculous stuff people were saying. Some have no clue what to do with this (or Canon...) HiDef camcorders! Speaking about this CX100 - there is nothing to be scared about. Nor about Canon's or others Sony Canon Panasonic's ... all using slightly different flavors/methods of recording AVCHD. Sony happen to mark their movies with MTS extension. I have ~6 years old Pentium 4 2.8HT/2 GB RAM/XFX with NVidia7600GT card/DirectX 9.x. (Window Media Player +Xvid plugin) playback is not perfect a little choppy but acceptable. Please note that if you computer preview is smudgy and choppy this is NOT a CAMERA fault! Same video is played perfectly fine on Blue Ray player when converted to H.264. I also have new unibody 2008 Mac Book pro OS X - laptop detects camera right away and launching iMovie08 offering video transfer. If you have older non Intel Processor Mac - forget about this camera - and ALL OTHER's AVCHD/H.264 camcorders - most likely they will not be working for you. So please do not write negative reviews do not confuse people OK?



I do not use Component and AV cables (they still in the box). If you do you are downgrading HiDef video to patetic Analog quality. I refuse call it a "Standard Definition". HDTV is new STANDARD! And that other thing is Analog. :) So I use just a HDTV cable to direct view on HDTV and USB cable to move files to Harddrive.



This camcorder when connected via USB cable is detected as external drive not a camera. No big deal to me even more convenient. I prefer to be able to save original files by Copying them to folder I created on my harddrive. When camera is connected to computer make sure - do not delete movies from camcorder this way. Movies "List/Previews" still will be displayed in camera LCD preview. Completely delete files in build in memory only using in-camera controls. And format removable MemStick only in camcorder not in computer. I believe this is typical to all camcorders.



If you already have HDTV - LCD or Plasma you can view footage directly from camera connecting via HDTV cable. It is looking really good on my Samsung LCD as good as any non-studio recorded HD content. But this is only a temporary solution. You'll need to empty memory to take more video's right? I wanted to get the best video from this camcorder and it is all about conversion of MTS to H.264. There are different solutions for Mac and Windows users. Keep reading.

.......................................

PC users:

- You can use supplied by Sony PMB Software to burn your original HiDef files to REGULAR not a Blue Ray DVD-R!!!! This is awesome for someone who already has Blue Ray player anf HDTV! I repeat they can be burned on regular DVD burner to normal DVD-R and then played in the Blue Ray player in full glory with no quality loss which can occur in conversions to other formats. I made disk like that and tried it out - and I can assure you - it is real HD video! No motion blur no hiccups all is PERFECT! Looks like BlueRay players have much better hardware to handle HD content. You can AVCHD DVD directly from camera or from movies you copied to the comp harddrive. For each movie event I create separate folder and later PMB need to 'analyze' each folder befor disk burn.(By the way when PMB burning disk you will see that MTS format is converted to H.264). It is in a Manual too.

- One more way: You can install XVID (free) plugin and you can perfectly play original uncorverted MTS files via Windows Media Player!!!!

- Another way: you can get DIVX 7 Pro for mere $[...] ([...]) and convert to MKV or DIVX PLUS HD format which can be easily played on PC and Mac computers. DIVX player is free is that Pro version which has converter is not free...

- If you have slightly outdated Core 2 Duo comp - make sure you get more memory (4GB+ and better video card with HD support like Nvidia 9000 series DDR3 /Direct X 10/Open GL2.x)

- Allegedly Windows 7 should have better HiDef support and most of the codexes... will see.

.....................................

Mac Users:

- Sony providing PMB software for PC user only. Get over it. But actually Mac user have even better solution not free though...

- You can get Mac version of DIVX player also for $[...] and convert MTS to something more user friendly.

- Or (My choice) you can shell out $[...]+tax for Elgato Turbo.264 HD USB/hardware based encoder/accelerator ([...]) and convert MTS to h.264 then store them on external haddrive

- Quick Time Pro 7 can be used for playing H.264 movies! Again they can be burned on regular DVD-R for BlueRay players. You also can connect your Mac via MiniDisplay Port /HDMI adaptopr ([...]) to any HDTV or projector for bigger trill.

- PS: MacConnection catalog now is listing this CX100 so you see - it is OK it is safe to get Sony HDR CX100! :)

....................................

Finally if you don't have any stinkin' computer or all what you got is one of those anemic 'netbooks' and you still want Canon or Sony H.264 camcorder - No problem. At Costco for $[...] you can get standalone Sony DVDirect MC5 DVD recorder (not a Blue Ray disk recorder regular DVD's) and connect it by USB cable. You can make AVCHD disks readable by Blue Ray players. Never tried myself just repeating what Manual says :). Canon also has similar device but it looks like it is making only analog not HD DVD's. So all you will need is: Camcorder/MC5 recorder/Stack of DVD-Rs (which cost on average ~$[...] each)/new BlueRay Player/720p or 1080p LCD or Plasma HDTV. That's it!



MY OBSERVATIONS and recommendations after first week of playing around.

1. ALWAYS record in highest possible resolution [HD FH].

2. Set color to X.V. COLOR!!! (if you have Sony Blue Ray player/and HDTV supporting that (Sony Panasonic...) you can have advantage of enhanced colors). But it may be better turn it OFF in really sunny day. Colors might be way saturated (red/blue/yellow) almost fluorescent. And even with x.v.color off - believe me camera will produce very nice video! And use of x.v. color could be very beneficial for cloudy days or for dimmer lighting.

3. Make sure that you have image stabilization (STEADYSHOT) tuned ON!

4. ...all other settings I have on Auto. You choose yours.

5. There is bunch of useful presets like Beach Landscape Soft Portrait ... I have to check it out yet.

6. Camera is very light so you'd better hold it steady or attach it to something. I have small tabletop tripod (~$[...]) and I have it attached to the bottom - it works for me like an extra handle.

7. Even when camera is on a tripod - pan (sweep left/right) as slowly and smoothly as you can. Many people have to learn this because some report excessive blur - it not worse than much more expensive camcorders. It is YOU - you need to learn how to "drive" your new toy. Eventually it will come to you no worries.

8. Get a Polarizer or UV filter - to see through the glare of glass or water. This is VERY nice thing to have on a bright sunny day!

9. Tripods? I have Slik Compact XL light and good for travel. Works for me. But much better is Manfrotto 190XDB I saw for $[...] at bestbuy... Very solid built and smooth panning.



RECIPIE to get best video (This is true for ALL camcorders and digital cameras):

- Try to get as close as possible to object you are filming. I think best range is 2 - 20 ft. Next best is 20-50 feet

- Do not shoot in the dusk/dark. Film in well lit conditions. Try to have sun or source of light behind you not in front of you (unless you are shooting Hawaiian sunset... :) In low light - this camera is about the same as any other one's if not better. Do not listen to purists about low light "performance".

- Turn OFF that "Digital Zoom"! 10x of OPTICAL zoom is more than enough for most conditions. Beyond that you will get big quality degradation. Try to apply less zoom as possible. Besides "digital" zoom is using camera sensor reducing resolution to get higher zoom. NOT good!

- Less zoom will make a big difference (unless camera on a tripod) for Image Stabilization it will work better. Try and you will see how is difficult to hold camera still on far zoom range...

- U can use Wide Angle adapter I got ~$[...] Sony VCL-0630X through Pricegrabber and it is just... OK. At max zoom corners will be blurred a bit. You can find better one for $[...] (Sony VCL-HGA07).



CONCLUSION: There are better camcorders over there. I really like new Canon HF S100... But it is around ~900! And this cutie for under 460 --- it can be beat! And even in a "pocket" size - it is real Hi Definition camcorder just use it to full capacity! Later on when I become a PRO cameraman and have tons of money (3500-4000) - I will definitely go for a Scarlet from RED ([...]). But now -- I'm happy with CX100. When I get decent video's I will post it on [...].



... Phew I'm tired of typing. Just go and get it.

UPDATE: I just saw Pricegrabber's new super deal - 455 at [...]! That's $[...] less than I paid)

You'all have a good time! More detail ...

Truly HD camcorder in pocket size! Buy Buy Buy!

Excellent EXMOR Sensor and image processing engine the BEST as for today! Small size. Full HD. Fast start. Even with "Limited" features has a lots of them. Camera instantly detected in PC-XP Pro and Mac-OS/X. I do not care about 4MP still shots so won't even bother to talk about it.



Native MTS camcorder format is not supported by many players. It needs to be converted to H.264 usable by BlueRay players ...

I was reading reviews before buying this camcorder and was just amazed how much ridiculous stuff people were saying. Some have no clue what to do with this (or Canon...) HiDef camcorders! Speaking about this CX100 - there is nothing to be scared about. Nor about Canon's or others Sony Canon Panasonic's ... all using slightly different flavors/methods of recording AVCHD. Sony happen to mark their movies with MTS extension. I have ~6 years old Pentium 4 2.8HT/2 GB RAM/XFX with NVidia7600GT card/DirectX 9.x. (Window Media Player +Xvid plugin) playback is not perfect a little choppy but acceptable. Please note that if you computer preview is smudgy and choppy this is NOT a CAMERA fault! Same video is played perfectly fine on Blue Ray player when converted to H.264. I also have new unibody 2008 Mac Book pro OS X - laptop detects camera right away and launching iMovie08 offering video transfer. If you have older non Intel Processor Mac - forget about this camera - and ALL OTHER's AVCHD/H.264 camcorders - most likely they will not be working for you. So please do not write negative reviews do not confuse people OK?



I do not use Component and AV cables (they still in the box). If you do you are downgrading HiDef video to patetic Analog quality. I refuse call it a "Standard Definition". HDTV is new STANDARD! And that other thing is Analog. :) So I use just a HDTV cable to direct view on HDTV and USB cable to move files to Harddrive.



This camcorder when connected via USB cable is detected as external drive not a camera. No big deal to me even more convenient. I prefer to be able to save original files by Copying them to folder I created on my harddrive. When camera is connected to computer make sure - do not delete movies from camcorder this way. Movies "List/Previews" still will be displayed in camera LCD preview. Completely delete files in build in memory only using in-camera controls. And format removable MemStick only in camcorder not in computer. I believe this is typical to all camcorders.



If you already have HDTV - LCD or Plasma you can view footage directly from camera connecting via HDTV cable. It is looking really good on my Samsung LCD as good as any non-studio recorded HD content. But this is only a temporary solution. You'll need to empty memory to take more video's right? I wanted to get the best video from this camcorder and it is all about conversion of MTS to H.264. There are different solutions for Mac and Windows users. Keep reading.

.......................................

PC users:

- You can use supplied by Sony PMB Software to burn your original HiDef files to REGULAR not a Blue Ray DVD-R!!!! This is awesome for someone who already has Blue Ray player anf HDTV! I repeat they can be burned on regular DVD burner to normal DVD-R and then played in the Blue Ray player in full glory with no quality loss which can occur in conversions to other formats. I made disk like that and tried it out - and I can assure you - it is real HD video! No motion blur no hiccups all is PERFECT! Looks like BlueRay players have much better hardware to handle HD content. You can AVCHD DVD directly from camera or from movies you copied to the comp harddrive. For each movie event I create separate folder and later PMB need to 'analyze' each folder befor disk burn.(By the way when PMB burning disk you will see that MTS format is converted to H.264). It is in a Manual too.

- One more way: You can install XVID (free) plugin and you can perfectly play original uncorverted MTS files via Windows Media Player!!!!

- Another way: you can get DIVX 7 Pro for mere $[...] ([...]) and convert to MKV or DIVX PLUS HD format which can be easily played on PC and Mac computers. DIVX player is free is that Pro version which has converter is not free...

- If you have slightly outdated Core 2 Duo comp - make sure you get more memory (4GB+ and better video card with HD support like Nvidia 9000 series DDR3 /Direct X 10/Open GL2.x)

- Allegedly Windows 7 should have better HiDef support and most of the codexes... will see.

.....................................

Mac Users:

- Sony providing PMB software for PC user only. Get over it. But actually Mac user have even better solution not free though...

- You can get Mac version of DIVX player also for $[...] and convert MTS to something more user friendly.

- Or (My choice) you can shell out $[...]+tax for Elgato Turbo.264 HD USB/hardware based encoder/accelerator ([...]) and convert MTS to h.264 then store them on external haddrive

- Quick Time Pro 7 can be used for playing H.264 movies! Again they can be burned on regular DVD-R for BlueRay players. You also can connect your Mac via MiniDisplay Port /HDMI adaptopr ([...]) to any HDTV or projector for bigger trill.

- PS: MacConnection catalog now is listing this CX100 so you see - it is OK it is safe to get Sony HDR CX100! :)

....................................

Finally if you don't have any stinkin' computer or all what you got is one of those anemic 'netbooks' and you still want Canon or Sony H.264 camcorder - No problem. At Costco for $[...] you can get standalone Sony DVDirect MC5 DVD recorder (not a Blue Ray disk recorder regular DVD's) and connect it by USB cable. You can make AVCHD disks readable by Blue Ray players. Never tried myself just repeating what Manual says :). Canon also has similar device but it looks like it is making only analog not HD DVD's. So all you will need is: Camcorder/MC5 recorder/Stack of DVD-Rs (which cost on average ~$[...] each)/new BlueRay Player/720p or 1080p LCD or Plasma HDTV. That's it!



MY OBSERVATIONS and recommendations after first week of playing around.

1. ALWAYS record in highest possible resolution [HD FH].

2. Set color to X.V. COLOR!!! (if you have Sony Blue Ray player/and HDTV supporting that (Sony Panasonic...) you can have advantage of enhanced colors). But it may be better turn it OFF in really sunny day. Colors might be way saturated (red/blue/yellow) almost fluorescent. And even with x.v.color off - believe me camera will produce very nice video! And use of x.v. color could be very beneficial for cloudy days or for dimmer lighting.

3. Make sure that you have image stabilization (STEADYSHOT) tuned ON!

4. ...all other settings I have on Auto. You choose yours.

5. There is bunch of useful presets like Beach Landscape Soft Portrait ... I have to check it out yet.

6. Camera is very light so you'd better hold it steady or attach it to something. I have small tabletop tripod (~$[...]) and I have it attached to the bottom - it works for me like an extra handle.

7. Even when camera is on a tripod - pan (sweep left/right) as slowly and smoothly as you can. Many people have to learn this because some report excessive blur - it not worse than much more expensive camcorders. It is YOU - you need to learn how to "drive" your new toy. Eventually it will come to you no worries.

8. Get a Polarizer or UV filter - to see through the glare of glass or water. This is VERY nice thing to have on a bright sunny day!

9. Tripods? I have Slik Compact XL light and good for travel. Works for me. But much better is Manfrotto 190XDB I saw for $[...] at bestbuy... Very solid built and smooth panning.



RECIPIE to get best video (This is true for ALL camcorders and digital cameras):

- Try to get as close as possible to object you are filming. I think best range is 2 - 20 ft. Next best is 20-50 feet

- Do not shoot in the dusk/dark. Film in well lit conditions. Try to have sun or source of light behind you not in front of you (unless you are shooting Hawaiian sunset... :) In low light - this camera is about the same as any other one's if not better. Do not listen to purists about low light "performance".

- Turn OFF that "Digital Zoom"! 10x of OPTICAL zoom is more than enough for most conditions. Beyond that you will get big quality degradation. Try to apply less zoom as possible. Besides "digital" zoom is using camera sensor reducing resolution to get higher zoom. NOT good!

- Less zoom will make a big difference (unless camera on a tripod) for Image Stabilization it will work better. Try and you will see how is difficult to hold camera still on far zoom range...

- U can use Wide Angle adapter I got ~$[...] Sony VCL-0630X through Pricegrabber and it is just... OK. At max zoom corners will be blurred a bit. You can find better one for $[...] (Sony VCL-HGA07).



CONCLUSION: There are better camcorders over there. I really like new Canon HF S100... But it is around ~900! And this cutie for under 460 --- it can be beat! And even in a "pocket" size - it is real Hi Definition camcorder just use it to full capacity! Later on when I become a PRO cameraman and have tons of money (3500-4000) - I will definitely go for a Scarlet from RED ([...]). But now -- I'm happy with CX100. When I get decent video's I will post it on [...].



... Phew I'm tired of typing. Just go and get it.

UPDATE: I just saw Pricegrabber's new super deal - 455 at [...]! That's $[...] less than I paid)

You'all have a good time! More detail ...

Wow... Just WOW...

I was looking to replace my JVC Everio that had a 60GB hard drive in it. I loved the convenience of the hard drive since that replaced an older unit I had that used the small tape cartridges. But the prices for the HD capable units are more than I was willing to pay for a camcorder so looked at the units that just used memory sticks.



I have the Sony DSC-TX1 digital camera and was blown away by its optical quality and it even took 720p movies which were just insanely clearer than my 1 year old JVC camcorder. That was when I realized I needed to lose the JVC. Almost all the movies I do are of my son now 6 years old so the better the quality the happier I would be. Too many artifacts with the low definition JVC panning was just ugly ugly ugly and while it had a great response in low light the picture quality was just not what I wanted considering how good everything else with my TV and still camera.



I was initially going to get the 100 version of this since it was so insanely cheap for a 1080 capable camcorder but the bad low light capability put me off since most of what I record is in my house. And the very low numbers for optical zoom also concerned me. But amazon conveniently puts little links under the initial product listing if there's a new version so I saw the 110 and the price was good. I did some digging on Sony's site somewhat confused that the cheap little 100 had 16GB built in but the higher end had none but when I saw the rest of the specs in comparison I felt it was a very good unit to give a test run with. My local brick and mortars didn't have it in stock so I ordered it from Amazon and got the Saturday delivery early on Saturday plenty of time to charge it up and try it out.



I left all settings at default except for the quality setting. That was easy to find and the touchscreen on this unit makes it very easy to operate. As with my sony still camera it has a "user" screen too where you can pin the six most used functions to save you from having to navigate into submenus. I love this feature as it made my touchscreen still camera so simple and quick to use.



So I did four test movies all of the same thing (my 6 year old playing with a huge Geotrax set) at all four of the options for 1080p resolution. The camera is smaller than I had expected very light and fits well in the hand. The only real buttons to deal with in normal operation are the zoom and the start/stop recording which are placed well despite the small size of the unit. If you want to grab a still as well which you can do while recording that button is on top right behind the zoom so it's easy to get at. So use is great no problems.



As I said touch screen menu is great so changing settings as I went was a piece of cake.



Started with the highest 24Mbps then the next down (I think it was 17Mbps) then the "default" one they start you out at 9Mbps then the lowest. When I was done I pulled the card out (nice quick access on the bottom with a great sturdy hinged door). Went into my macbook pro just fine and i started playback.



I have a 13" macbook pro the aluminum unibody that I got about four months ago. So new core2 duo processor nvidia 9400 graphics... And it could not play the highest or second highest quality movies raw... Which told me that they were going to be great on my windows 7 media center. The third and fourth files played but since the laptop is not a 1080 screen it didn't look that good. So I went ahead and pulled the memory card out of the laptop put it in my Dell Zino that runs my beautiful 46" Samsung HDTV and played them all.



One thing I hadn't realized is that when it creates the files it creates them in a native bluray playback format the folder structure and all. So that should make it easy for people who will want to burn to Bluray.



Anyway on the media center i played the highest quality one first. And my jaw dropped and I nearly had to go buy some adult diapers. WOW. That was all I could say or think. WOW. It was just outstanding WAY better than I had expected. And it's not like I'm so unfamiliar with HD that even bad HD was impressive to me - my first HDTV was purchased back in 1999 a huge 60" Mitsubishi diamond line TV. So I've been using HD for over 10 years now. And this just knocked my socks off.



I had nearly no artifacting or blurring or anything with the movement of the camera as I've come to expect from camcorders. Even the blurring was minimal. And the shots of things were just crystal clear. I had a 1080p version of the movie BOLT running on the TV as he played with his geotrax so I zoomed in so that filled the viewfinder and recorded some of the movie. During playback at that scene I couldn't even tell it wasn't the original playing back that it was a recording of the TV from earlier it was that clear.



I was indoors in Wisconsin on a winter day with snow falling so there was no direct sunlight just all clouds. Only one window's curtains open and no lights turned on inside. And the clarity and lighting was excellent. Every bit I could hope for.



So I tried the next down quality and it blew me away. As did the third and then the lowest quality. All looked stunning. When I got down to the lowest I could see some difference between it and the highest but for what I was and will be shooting (my son) I think I'll end up using the default third lowest setting because it was still jaw droppingly good on my HDTV.



I got the 16GB card since the 32GB card was still in the three digit price range and i have a habit of transferring the files to my computer as soon as I'm done shooting anyway. And at the third quality setting the default 9Mbps one a 25 minute clip used just 1.9GB so I should get about 3 1/2 hours on this card at this rate so I'll not have to worry about running out of media for my normal use.



The display is crisp and clear widescreen format and not cluttered when recording. Response to touch was very good only once when selecting something from a bottom of a menu did I have to touch it twice since the first didn't register. Didn't take any pressure to get it to see my pressing.



The still picture while shooting video worked easily enough but they're not great quality so it won't replace your digital camera if you have a good one. But it may give you a decent still shot of something you would have missed otherwise...



All in all this is waaaayyyyy better than I had expected and more than I had even hoped for. 100% satisfied with the unit.



I can't attest to battery usage yet since I have only had it for five hours and only ran about 40 or 45 minutes of recording through it so far. In a few days I'll pop back in here and edit this with the results I've seen with regards to the battery life since this is evidently the first review of this model. More detail ...