Samsung's First HD Camcorder and First DVD-Flash Hybrid - SC-HMX10 and SC-DX10

by David Kender

Published on Jul 11, 2007 3:40 PM
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Samsung SC-HMX10

  
   
July 11, 2007 – Today Samsung finally threw its hat into the ring and announced their first high definition camcorder. The SC-HMX10 ($799) records to SD/SDHC cards or an 8GB internal flash memory, capturing in H.264 at 720p. Samsung is among the last major camcorder manufacturer to enter the market. At the same event, Samsung also announced the SC-MX10 ($299), a standard definition flash camcorder, and the SC-DX10 ($549), a hybrid DVD-flash memory camcorder with 4GB internal capacity. 
 

The SC-HMX10 was first mistakenly announced during the Consumer Electronics Show in January of this year. Samsung later retracted the announcement, anticipating this mid-year announcement instead. Details given at that time appear to remain true (except for a price cut), and several new features have emerged. The SC-HMX10 features a single 1/4.5” CMOS chip with a gross pixel count of 1.5MP. It offers a 10x optical zoom and 100x digital zoom. Samsung will become the second camcorder manufacturer to feature a touch screen LCD (2.7”). Until this time, Sony has cornered touch screens, making them a core element of their renowned ease of use.
 

Samsung SC-HMX10 from another angle

With several HD formats to choose from, Samsung has opted for H.264 over AVCHD, HDV, and others. Recording to the 8GB of internal flash memory, the codec allows for 90 minutes of recording time in the highest quality. The camcorder offers five quality settings in total. The SC-HMX is spec’d for SDHC cards, which are expected to offer much higher capacities within the year. The battery life has a matching 90 minutes of expected life. Additional features on the SC-HMX10 include a mic input, located on the rear of the body, and HDMI, component, and USB ports in the LCD cavity.
 

Samsung SC-MX10

Also announced was a standard definition step-down model, the SC-MX10. With approximately the same body design as the HMX10, this MPEG-2 camcorder has a 1/6” CCD with a gross pixel count of 680K. The SC-MX10 has no internal memory, recording solely to SD/SDHC cards. It ships with a 512MB card. It features a much larger 34x optical zoom (1200x digital zoom) and has a longer battery life, reportedly up to 2 hours on a single charge. The MX10, however, has no touch screen.
 

Samsung SC-DX10


 
The SC-DX10 includes a 1/6” CCD with a gross pixel count of 1MP. The zoom extends to 26x optical and it features the same touch screen technology as the SC-HMX10. Samsung was quick to point out that unlike the competitors’ models, the SC-DX10 can transfer footage from flash memory to DVD under the camcorder’s own battery power, and does not require a hardwire power connection.

All camcorders feature a new iCheck button that gives status information on remaining battery time and memory capacity. The three new camcorders also offer a new SwivelGrip hand grip that makes them easier to hold.

The SC-HMX10 retails for $799 and will be available in September; the SC-MX10 has an MSRP of $299 and will be available in August; the SC-DX10 retails for $549 and will be available in October (all estimated street prices).