HD Camcorder Review

Introduction to HD Camcorders

In researching our report on high-definition (HD) camcorders, we found no single resource better than CamcorderInfo.com. Testers there have reviewed nearly all current HD camcorders. Reviews go on for pages and include minutiae that simply can't be found anywhere else. Each review ends with an easy-to-read Comparisons/Conclusions page, which tells the reader how the camcorder stacks up against its closest competitors, and what the reviewer thinks of the camcorder overall -- plus a sort of "profile" section, which describes how happy different types of users (e.g., "budget consumers," "gadget freaks") will likely be with the HD camcorder.

Consumer Reports provides expert, unbiased testing of the most recent camcorder models, although writeups are short. CNet.com and Laptop magazine provide critical, user-friendly reviews of current, popular camcorders.

Many camcorders sold in the U.S. are also available elsewhere. The chief difference is that non-U.S. versions record video in a format that's compatible with TVs used in those parts of the world. Because these camcorders are otherwise identical, some non-U.S. review sites provide useful insight for buyers regardless of where they live. For example, PC Advisor is a British site that reports on camcorders in easy-to-digest yet detail-filled reports, and U.S. versions are available for many of the camcorders covered. Likewise, Australia's Choice magazine, that country's equivalent of Consumer Reports, provides good unbiased testing.

Just as almost all new TVs are now HD, so are almost all new camcorders. Although they're still costlier than standard-definition camcorders, HD camcorders' prices have dropped between 15 and 30 percent in the past year. If you haven't yet made the switch to HDTV, don't worry: You can watch your HD camcorder's movies just fine on a standard-definition TV. In fact, experts say HD camcorders can record standard-definition video better than most SD camcorders.

Still, reviewers say some HD camcorders are just duds. TV superstar and media mogul Oprah Winfrey listed the Samsung SC-HMX10 (*Est. $395) as the first of her Top 10 Favorite Things for the 2007 holiday season, but experts -- and some consumers who bought it -- couldn't agree less.

"It's so easy, even I can do it!" Winfrey says of the Samsung SC-HMX10 HD camcorder on Oprah.com. Expert testers do indeed find this lightweight, soda-can-shaped camcorder easy to point and shoot. The problems start when they try to watch the movies they made.

"Software support turned out to be one of the HMX10's more unpleasant surprises," CNet.com reviewer Lori Grunin writes. She ran into the same brick wall as several users on Amazon.com: The Samsung camcorder's movies crashed popular programs, including QuickTime and iMovie, and they wouldn't play at all on some PCs and Macs. Money magazine gave the Samsung SC-HMX10 a grade of "D" after it kept forcing a tester to reformat, erasing the video each time.

As for film quality, even several Amazon.com users who like the SC-HMX10 HD camcorder agree with the experts that it shoots poorly in low light. Some users said the battery lasted only 20 to 30 minutes, and they couldn't find spare batteries for sale anywhere. The non-American version, the Samsung VP-HMX10, fares no better, finishing dead last in one leading independent test conducted overseas.

The Samsung SC-HMX10 HD camcorder has been steeply discounted from its original $850 price at Amazon.com, but Laptop magazine recommends sticking with a Canon or Sanyo for better results. Or, as CamcorderInfo.com puts it: "A side-by-side with a full 1920 x 1080 Sony or Canon camcorder will have you crying in your beer with remorse, so prepare thyself." Fortunately, Samsung's newer HD camcorder, the SC-HMX20 (*Est. $660), has fixed most of the problems of the older SC-HMX10 and is actually a fine choice for point-and-shooters, according to CamcorderInfo.com.

Reviewers can't agree about another lightweight flash-memory HD camcorder, the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1000 (*Est. $600). User reviews at Amazon.com are mostly positive, and Videomaker magazine -- after noting that the Sanyo HD1000 HD camcorder looks like a phaser on
Star Trek -- calls it "an attractive entry-level option." Laptop magazine reviewer Russ Fischer likes the tiny Sanyo HD1000's portability and video quality, and the fact that you can shoot stills while the video rolls. Money magazine gives the Sanyo camcorder a grade of "B," praising its "purse-friendly" size and good -- although not great -- picture quality.

But other critics find that the Sanyo VPX-HD1000 and its non-U.S. version, the HD1000EX, are among the worst HD camcorders in their tests. Interestingly, different issues are cited. For example, one report says the image jitters around but the audio sounds fine, while another finds the opposite. In both tests, though, the Sanyo Xacti's audio quality can't approach that of better camcorders, including the Panasonic HDC-SD9 (*Est. $555), which delivers good video for $50 less than the Sanyo Xacti. The Panasonic is the best-rated of the lightweight flash memory HD camcorders, and the best budget camcorder in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers.