Hitachi Announces Two New DVD Camcorders

by News Editor
Published on Jan 13, 2004 12:00 AM



Right off the heels of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Hitachi has announced two new DVD camcorders, the DZ-MV550A and DZ-MV580A. The new models feature a lighter design and apparently a more comfortable grip. The higher model also now has a 16 x 9 recording mode.

''Constantly improving our products based on the latest engineering innovation and user feedback, Hitachi brings the latest DVD camcorder to market with greater recording flexibility and user convenience,'' said Leo Delaney, vice president of marketing for Hitachi America, Ltd., Home Electronics Division. ''With 16x9 widescreen television sets taking hold of the market, it was time to give users the option of this format and introduce an easier menu system for quick access to the most important functions.''

In a move similar to Sony's introduction of the Easy Handycam function, Hitachi has added a Quick Mode function which simplifies the menu system with the touch of a button.

On a double sided disk the camcorders can record either 40, 60 or 120 minutes of video depending on the quality. The camcorders feature a USB 2.0 connection for transferring video from the camcorders to a PC.

The DZ-MV550A has a 1/4 in. 680K pixel CCD with a 2.5 in. LCD screen and an 18x optical zoom lens. The DZ-MV580A offers only a 10x optical zoom but has Megapixel stills.

The camcorders will be available in the second quarter of 2004 at $799 and $899.