Samsung SC-HMX10 Camcorder Review

For the infrequent shooter who only needs a camcorder for a few yearly family events, the MPEG-4 video from the SC-HMX10 is adequate. Yes, we saw a fair amount of compression artifacting (blocky bunches of pixels) that superior formats like HDV can better stave off. However, this type of MPEG-4 is space efficient and less processor-intensive to edit than AVCHD. These are key criteria for those who just want to capture the moment and are less concerned with creating the perfect video.

The SC-HMX10 offers five quality settings, three high definition and two standard definition: Super Fine (HD), Fine (HD), Normal (HD), Standard (SD), and Economy (SD).

Media (8.0)
The Samsung SC-HMX10 offers two choices for recording media, both solid-state. The primary media is a non-removable 8GB flash media. Using only this media, you’ll get approximately 88 minutes of video in the highest quality and 533 minutes in the lowest quality.

The second media option is a removable SDHC card. The SC-HMX10 is compatible is capacities up to 16 GB. SDHC cards range in price depending on capacity, and the prices are always falling. Though no card comes included with the camcorder, it’s certainly a good idea to pick one up. A 4GB card can hold around 44 minutes of video in highest quality and 267 minutes in the lowest quality.

Editing (5.0)
While Samsung’s version of the H.264/MPEG-4 may not carry the quality (or potential quality) of AVCHD, it has a clear advantage in editing. The camcorder outputs each video clip as a single, unified file in the .MP4 format. Many manufacturers break up their files, splitting them apart into component files. This requires you to use a shoddy, middle-man software to put them back together (muxing them). No such trouble here, which is a blessing for point-and-shooters that have enough trouble simply wrapping their minds around editing video. The .MP4 files can be dropped right into timelines on most editing software.

Secondly, the H.264 files are not as processor-intensive as AVCHD. Working with the Samsung’s video still requires a relatively robust computer, but a two- to three-year-old computer should be fine.