Introducing the DCR-SR100: Sony’s First HDD Cam

Las Vegas, CES, January 4, 2006 - Today Sony introduced its first hard disk drive (HDD) camcorder, the DCR-SR100, following in the 2005 footsteps of Panasonic and JVC. The DCR-SR100, which will not be available until May 2006, offers 30GB of non-removable hard drive storage space, onto which seven hours of high quality video can be recorded. It features a 1/3-inch 3000K Advanced HAD CCD with a Primary Color Filter and 3 megapixel still image capture, measuring up to 2016 x 1512 in 4:3 aspect ratio, and 2016 x 1134 in 16:9. The lens is a 30mm Carl-Zeiss Vario Sonnar T with 10x optical zoom and 120x digital zoom capability.

 Veering away from the world of MiniDV and DVD, the DCR-SR100 is Sony’s first step into the burgeoning HDD market. Unlike the Panasonic SDR-S100, which records onto SD cards, the design and recording technology of the SR100 instead seems to closely match the JVC Everio G-series. The GZ-MG70, the top G-series model, also features a 30GB internal HDD. The MG70’s imager is slightly smaller, at 1/3.6 inches (which will probably give the Sony a leg up in low light situations), and is capable of stills only up to 2.12 megapixels (versus the SR100’s 3 megapixel count). They share comparable 10x optical zooms.

It is unknown yet how the SR100 compares in usability to the JVC and Panasonic models. Both competitors tend towards including good manual control options, particularly Panasonic, who designed the SDR-S100 with fully independent shutter speed, aperture, and gain control. Sony typically shies away from manual control options, and focuses instead on automatic controls.

Sony’s new SR100 is equipped with a 2.7-inch widescreen LCD. The LCD is a touch panel, with anti-solarizing SwivelScreen technology, including a 3D Menu system and the additional LCD controls for zoom and record. Unlike JVC’s GZ-MG70 and Panasonic’s S100, Sony has opted to retain a 123K color viewfinder, the use of which instead of the LCD can significantly improve battery life. The inclusion of the viewfinder, as well as the larger horizontal body, gives the SR100 more of a prosumer feel.

Features	Panasonic SDR-S100	JVC GZ-MG70	Sony DCR-SR100
CCD Size	1/6”	1/3.6”	1/3”
CCD Count	3	1	1
Pixel Count Gross (video)	800K X 3	2120K	3000K
Pixel Count Effective (video)	640K X 3	1.2 MP
Pixel Count Effective (still)	710K X 3	2.0 MP
Maximum Still Resolution	2048 x 1512	1600 x 1200	2016 x 1512
Optical Zoom	10x	10x	10x
LCD Size	2.8”	2.5”	2.7”
Ports	S-Video out, Video and Audio Out, USB, Headphone	S-Video out, Video and Audio Out, USB	Analog Inputs, USB
16:9 stills?	yes	no	yes
16:9 still max resolution	1920 x 1080	n/a	2016 x 1134

The DCR-SR100 uses the same compression engine as Sony's DVD cams, such as the top-selling 2005 camcorder, the DCR-DVD403 (Review, Specs, $489). The engine uses a variable bit rate system, meaning scenes with less motion will record at a lower megabyte-per-second rate, which therefore extends the total amount of recording time available on the hard drive. At its maximum rate, the SR100 records at 9 Mbps in top quality, 6 Mbps in SP mode, and 3 Mbps in LP mode. This allows for up to 7 hours of DVD-quality video in its highest setting, and more than 21 hours in the lowest quality setting. The SR100 records video in the MPEG-2 format.

By comparison, the Panasonic SDR-S100 records at a slightly higher maximum rate of 10 Mbps. It, too, uses a variable bit rate system. The JVC GZ-MG70 records at a maximum of 8.5 Mbps, with options for 5.5 Mbps, 4.3 Mbps, and 1.5 Mbps. 

The SR100 features a Video Stream Buffer Protection. This technology allows for up to seven seconds of lost footage (due to shakes or minor drops) to be saved in the buffer memory, and then later restored to its original place in the recording. Another noteworthy element is the inclusion of analog inputs, which allows for analog to digital conversion. However, because the camcorder has no FireWire out, there is no analog to digital pass-through. The SR100 also offers features such as Super NightShot, to help when recording in low light situations, Super SteadyShot electronic image stabilization, and Spot Focus and Spot Metering to allow for one-touch adjustment of focus and exposure levels in particular areas of the frame.

The 30GB hard disk drive will be protected by physical shock absorbers, as well as G-sensor Shock Protection to help prevent data loss. It is unclear as of yet whether this feature will function the same way as JVC's Drop Detection, which performs an emergency, near-instantaneous shutdown when the camcorder senses a sudden shift in gravity, as with a drop.

In addition to the larger still pixel resolution over the GZ-MG70, Sony also adds a built-in flash for optimizing still image quality in lower light situations. A new addition to the still features is the PictBridge technology, a standardized system which makes it easier to transfer information directly from cameras to printers.

The JVC GZ-MG70, by comparison, takes smaller stills (1600 x 1200) but also has a built-in flash and includes options for ISO setting and EV adjustment. The Panasonic SDR-S100 has a large still feature set, including widescreen (16:9) stills, and all of the same manual control options found on the video mode.

The Sony SR100 is microphone-ready for Dolby Digital 5.1 Channel Surround Sound Recording. While the built-in microphone only records on four channels, the SR100 does have an active interface shoe, into which an attached or wireless microphone can fit, creating 5.1 channel sound.

Sony ships the DCR-SR100 with a rudimentary editing and DVD burning/backup software package. When connected to a Sony Vaio computer, a one-touch system on the body of the SR100 allows for instant backup to a DVD. Archivability is a critical element to hard disk drive camcorders, as relying on the internal drive as the sole storage device is not a decision most users would consider wise.

Some current HDD camcorders’ file formats have proven to be incompatible with most non-linear editing programs by encoding their MPEG-2 files with an .MOD file extension. This has left consumers with no alternative other than the manufacturer’s bundled software, which is generally inferior to an advanced editing programs like Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro. The SR100 avoids some of these compatibility issues by formatting video files with the .MPG extension, but users will still lack access to the Dolby Surround Sound. Dolby has not licensed their technology to the majority of editing program manufacturers. In order to take advantage of the 5.1 channel sound, users must edit with the included Sony software.

In comparison to the JVC GZ-MG70, the DCR-SR100 will likely offer similar video performance. Sony does include more usability features (such as a hot shoe, a viewfinder, and the capability of analog to digital conversion) than any of the five models in the JVC G-series or the Panasonic SDR-S100. The question is: will Sony, a larger name brand, be able to capitalize on their first steps and grow in the HDD market?

Sony offered no information on their future plans for Hard Drive based camcorders and whether there will be many more models like the DCR-SR100.

The DCR-SR100 will not ship until May, at a retail price of about $1100.