Sanyo Releases Upgraded VPC-HD1a, Drops Price

July 13, 2006 - Today Sanyo announced the VPC-HD1a, slightly modified upgrade from their original model, the VPC-HD1, which was released at CES in January. The MPEG-4 high definition camcorder now uses a traditional LCD display rather than the Organic LED (OLED) screen. Other upgrades include an faster frame rate for the 320 x 240 shooting mode, 16:9 still capture, and in-camera editing capability, and a reduced price of $699, down $100 from the original.

The camcorder, which records video at 720p, received mixed reviews following its release earlier this year. While convenient, the performance did not nearly match other HD camcorders. The upgrades for the VPC-HD1a do not address these issues.

The camcorder, which records video at 720p, received mixed reviews following its release earlier this year. While convenient, the performance did not nearly match other HD camcorders. The upgrades for the VPC-HD1a do not address these issues.

The biggest change, the loss of the OLED, comes as a result of Sanyo and Kodak having disbanded a manufacturing partnership in January. OLEDs do not require backlighting and consumer less power, but are more expensive to produce and are prone to water damage.

Sanyo is also attempting to capture the “shift by consumers towards on-the-go viewing,” said John Lamb, Senior Marketing Manager, for SANYO Fisher Company’s Audio Video Division. The 320 x 240 resolution size has been doubled in frame rate, from 15 frames per second to 30fps, optimizing clips for video iPods and other portable media devices.

Still functionality has also been expanded to include widescreen stills, at a maximum resolution of 3.8MP. The new model will retain the pop-up flash and maximum 4:3 still resolution of 5.1MP.

The new in-camera editing feature claims to use an A>B editing deletion and easy combining of clips. No pictures or screen captures have yet been made available. The original VPC-HD1 shipped with an impressive two-disc collection of post-production software. The VPC-HD1a is expected to offer the same package.  

The VPC-HD1a is expected to become available in September of this year at an MSRP of $699. The original VPC-HD1 will continue to sell until then. Read the press release for more details.