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Hitachi
Hitachi DZ-BD7HA
Hitachi is paving its own path. While the camcorder industry has been duking it out with the HDV and AVCHD formats, Hitachi decided to skip that and venture into an even bigger format war, one being waged between hundreds of companies with billions of dollars at stake: Blu-ray versus HD DVD. Hitachi is firmly in the Blu-Ray camp, though few could have anticipated it releasing a camcorder in that format so soon. By and large, the electronics industry agreed that a) it was too early to pick a winner, and b) the challenge of shrinking the technology would be too difficult and expensive right now. Thus they created the AVCHD format. They were correct to do so, because the world’s first Blu-ray camcorder, the Hitachi DZ-BD7HA ($1,600 MSRP), is indeed too difficult and too expensive. Read on to find out what went wrong.
Hitachi is paving its own path. While the camcorder industry has been duking it out with the HDV and AVCHD formats, Hitachi decided to skip that and venture into an even bigger format war, one being waged between hundreds of companies with billions of dollars at stake: Blu-ray versus HD DVD. Hitachi is firmly in the Blu-Ray camp, though few could have anticipated it releasing a camcorder in that format so soon. By and large, the electronics industry agreed that a) it was too early to pick a winner, and b) the challenge of shrinking the technology would be too difficult and expensive right now. Thus they created the AVCHD format. They were correct to do so, because the world’s first Blu-ray camcorder, the Hitachi DZ-BD7HA ($1,600 MSRP), is indeed too difficult and too expensive. Read on to find out what went wrong. Archive Review
$399.95
Hitachi DZ-HS300A
The Hitachi DZ-HS300A ($599 MSRP) is an interesting camcorder, even in a year marked by a veritable flowering of diversity. There are standard definition cams that record to DVD, flash, HDD, and tape in DV and numerous flavors of MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 compression, not to mention a wide range of HD cams that record to as many media types. The Hitachi DZ-HS300A marks another emerging trend: dual media video recording, to both DVDs or to an onboard 8GB HDD. If you’ve ever spent a day recording a family reunion with a DVD camcorder, and filled up a fistful of DVDs before lunch, you already may have fantasized about this unit...
The Hitachi DZ-HS300A ($599 MSRP) is an interesting camcorder, even in a year marked by a veritable flowering of diversity. There are standard definition cams that record to DVD, flash, HDD, and tape in DV and numerous flavors of MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 compression, not to mention a wide range of HD cams that record to as many media types. The Hitachi DZ-HS300A marks another emerging trend: dual media video recording, to both DVDs or to an onboard 8GB HDD. If you’ve ever spent a day recording a family reunion with a DVD camcorder, and filled up a fistful of DVDs before lunch, you already may have fantasized about this unit...
Archive Review
$78.58
Hitachi DZ-GX3300
The Hitachi DZ-GX3300A is Hitachi’s top of the heap camcorder this year, and let me tell you, the heap is pretty low. The performance was disappointing and handling was simply abysmal. Hitachi adopted the design from last year’s Panasonic DVD camcorders, which were wisely ditched by Panasonic in order to standardize the look and optimize the handling of their consumer MiniDV and DVD line. This begs the question we have for the GX3300 – what’s the point of a powerful imaging system if your very design prohibits you from using it?
The Hitachi DZ-GX3300A is Hitachi’s top of the heap camcorder this year, and let me tell you, the heap is pretty low. The performance was disappointing and handling was simply abysmal. Hitachi adopted the design from last year’s Panasonic DVD camcorders, which were wisely ditched by Panasonic in order to standardize the look and optimize the handling of their consumer MiniDV and DVD line. This begs the question we have for the GX3300 – what’s the point of a powerful imaging system if your very design prohibits you from using it?
Archive Review
$250.00
Hitachi DZ-MV730
The DZ-MV730 is Hitachi’s entry level DVD camcorder this year. It is armed with a mediocre imager, standard among lower-end DVD machines, and performs accordingly. While it also lacks a USB port, a big detriment to convenience-hungry consumers, the camcorder might be a nice, cheaper option to the DZ-MV780 or Sony's DCR-DVD7.
The DZ-MV730 is Hitachi’s entry level DVD camcorder this year. It is armed with a mediocre imager, standard among lower-end DVD machines, and performs accordingly. While it also lacks a USB port, a big detriment to convenience-hungry consumers, the camcorder might be a nice, cheaper option to the DZ-MV780 or Sony's DCR-DVD7.
Archive Review
$68.56
Hitachi DZ-MV780
The DZ-MV780, Hitachi’s second best DVD camcorder this year (and personally highly anticipated), features some improvements to last year’s DZ-MV580 including a new design and a widescreen mode. But even with an increase in CCD pixel count, the camcorder performs slightly worse in low light than last year’s model. The good news is that it is very affordable, available for as low as US$620.00.
The DZ-MV780, Hitachi’s second best DVD camcorder this year (and personally highly anticipated), features some improvements to last year’s DZ-MV580 including a new design and a widescreen mode. But even with an increase in CCD pixel count, the camcorder performs slightly worse in low light than last year’s model. The good news is that it is very affordable, available for as low as US$620.00.
Archive Review
$49.89
Hitachi DZ-MV580
Boasting an MSRP of $749.95, the Hitachi DZ-MV580 is the industry’s second least expensive DVD camcorder, falling short only of its less advanced sibling, Hitachi’s DZ-MV550. With added features and the largest imager of any DVD camcorder so far, the Hitachi DZ-MV580 is giving other DVD camcorders of its caliber a run for their money.
Boasting an MSRP of $749.95, the Hitachi DZ-MV580 is the industry’s second least expensive DVD camcorder, falling short only of its less advanced sibling, Hitachi’s DZ-MV550. With added features and the largest imager of any DVD camcorder so far, the Hitachi DZ-MV580 is giving other DVD camcorders of its caliber a run for their money.
Archive Review
$549.00
Hitachi DZ-MV550A
With an MSRP of $669.95, the Hitachi DZ-MV550 is a DVD camcorder of remarkably low price, considering what it has to offer. With this low-priced, stripped-down machine, Hitachi promotes DVD-RAM technology with SD card compatibility and pushes the envelope of DVD camcorder market price.
With an MSRP of $669.95, the Hitachi DZ-MV550 is a DVD camcorder of remarkably low price, considering what it has to offer. With this low-priced, stripped-down machine, Hitachi promotes DVD-RAM technology with SD card compatibility and pushes the envelope of DVD camcorder market price.
Archive Review
$31.67
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