CES 2008: Camcorder Manufacturers Lean (Slightly) towards Online Video

January 9, 2008 – The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week saw the launch of several new trends that better enable camcorders for online video production. Panasonic and Canon, respectively, launched smaller body designs and a new frame rate for higher end users. Although not specifically marketing these new tools to Web users, camcorder manufacturers stumbled on newly released features that coincidentally enable the online videographer. Not realizing the goldmine that they are sitting on, it seems camcorder manufacturers might be catching on to what the rest of Web 2.0 users have known for years: user-generated content is taking over the Internet.

 

In 2007, only a select number of camcorder manufacturers realized the potential of online video.  The lesser-known electronics company, Pure Digital, became very well-known when they launched the Flip Ultra, an uber-cheap camcorder with a simple 2x zoom and no virtually manual functions. Instead, the upstart company boasted an unprecedented simplicity – just plug the camcorder directly into the computer via a flip-out USB port, and upload to your video sharing site such as its partner, AOL Video.  All software is built into the camcorder, and no tape, DVD, or memory card is necessary. Soon after, Sony launched the NSC-GC1 Net Sharing Cam, which offered similar functionality and could trade on its prominent brand name recognition to sway new consumers.

In 2008, camcorder makers are continuing the trend by scaling back on size for shooting on-the-go. Although not specifically dedicated to online video, some of the new Panasonic camcorders have potential. The electronics company launched the standard definition Panasonic SDR-S7 and high definition Panasonic HDR-SD9 camcorder. Both record to removable SD/SDHC memory cards, making it convenient for transferring video to the Web for sharing. 

“We see that SD [cards], and small-size, and weight [features] will continue as more and more Flash-memory type camcorders come out,” said Lou Olivieri, Product Category Specialist of Imaging at Panasonic, in an interview with CamcorderInfo.com

 

Canon this week launched the Vixia HF100, Vixia HF10, and Vixia HV30 prosumer camcorder with a 30P (progressive) shooting mode. Unlike standard video recording at 60i or 24P resolution, 30P captures 30 full frames per second on the image sensor. This allows for cleaner downconverting for most online video, which typically has a 15fps rate. It’s a simple math issue. The process only has to remove every other frame, and the motion will render more smoothly. 

“It won’t affect the speed of uploading [online video], as much as it will improve the quality of the viewing experience and the quality of being able to pause or extract a still image from motion video, said Mike Zorich, Marketing Director of the Video Division of Consumer Imaging Group at Canon. “It really increases the functionality of how you can use it. If you shoot in 30P, you’ve got smoother playback on your computer screen…and cleaner resolution photos,” he said.

 

With an updated, faster Digic DV II image processor, users can also pull clean still frames from the video easier for posting thumbnails and other still images. Canon’s move to 30P was fueled, in part, from customer feedback. News photographers demanded an easy way to extract still frames from video to be put into multi-media news coverage with both video and photo galleries.

The Digital Still Camera Model: Why Online Matters
Digital still camera makers already know that people love sharing their videos online. Sony and Casio last year included uploading software for easy online sharing. The Casio Exilim EX-S880, EX-Z77, EX-Z1080, and EX-V8 all include YouTube Uploader program that directly imports the camera’s video file to the popular video site via a computer and docking station. Sony went a step further with the Cyber-shot DSC-T2 pocket camera that uses embedded software built into the body for direct upload to photo and video sites such as YouTube, Photobucket, and Flickr.

 

While digital still camera makers have spearheaded the online short video movement, camcorder manufacturers are slowing following.  The difference now is that instead of simple movie clip sharing, it’s about professional video. For the time being, the manufacturers only seem to have a vague notion of the immense power of online video. In some cases, such as Panasonic’s ultra-compact SDR-S7, manufacturers have released new tools or features to help online video production without realizing or advertising their potential. Portability, simple file transfer, and web-optimization tools are a necessity for the online video producer. Consumers can only hope more camcorders that meet the demand in the coming months.