UPDATE: Samsung Announces, Then Unannounces High Def Flash Memory Camcorder

UPDATE: January 8, 2006 - Hours after Samsung announced their first high definition camcorder, the SC-HMX10, they alerted the media that the camcorder should not, in fact, have ever been announced. Samsung has "officially" taken the HMX10 off the charts and will no longer comment on it, other than to say that the initial specs are subject to complete change and that an official announcement is due some time this summer.

Below are the details of the SC-HMX10 as it was originally announced on January 7th.

 

The SC-HMX is a compact camcorder that records high def video to SD or MMC memory cards, or the 4MB of built-in memory. But at $849.99, the SC-HMX10 is expensive. Although the camcorder was announced today, it won’t be available until September of 2007. This high price and late availability puts it in a tough position. For only a hundred and fifty dollars more, you can buy a HDV camcorder like the HV10 that can hold a lot more video. In addition, other manufacturers will probably have cheaper models by then.  

 

The SC-HMX10 includes a 10X optical zoom and a 2.7-inch LCD wide aspect touch screen. The 1080i or 720p resolution video is captured by a 1.5-megapixel image sensor that can also capture still images. However, Samsung didn't say what format the video is captured in. It doesn't appear to use any of the existing formats (such as AVCHD). It's likely to use an older MPEG-4 compression.

The SC-HMX10 is priced at $849.99 and will be available in September 2007.

 

Samsung also announced two new flash memory standard definition camcorders: the SC-X300 ($369.99 MSRP) and the SC-X300L (MSRP $479.99) The SC-X300 is a compact flash memory camcorder with a rubber-like design that is intended to protect it from knocks and harsh use. It is built around a 680k pixel CCD sensor,  includes a 2-inch LCD screen, and a 10x optical zoom. The SC-X300L model adds a wired remote lens that can be attached to a helmet or bike handelbars for filming outdoor action videos. Both will be available in February.