Sony Unveils New Camcorders
September 02, 2003
New York, NY - Sony's latest consumer digital video camcorders will be available this fall, the company has announced.
The new DCR-PC330 MiniDV Handycam camcorder is a single-CCD, 3.31-megapixel consumer model, while the DCR-IP1 MICROMV Handycam camcorder (with its eight ounce weight and 1 9/16 inches x 3 5/8 inches x 2 3/4 inches measurements) is about the size of a deck of cards.
The new DCR-PC330 model has a Advanced HAD CCD imager, a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens, and a new advanced primary color filter, which together create outstanding video and digital photographs. The new model also has a new smooth interval record feature for time-lapse recording.
Along with a 2.5-inch SwivelScreen hybrid touch panel LCD for an easy-access, easy-to-see menu, the new 3-D user menu is customizable into a Personal Menu, for one touch personal shooting style. The DCR-PC330 camcorder weighs just over a pound with its battery.
The new three-color filter uses proprietary technology that quadruples the area for each primary color resulting in more true-to-life photographs and video. Like the human eye distinguishes color through red, green and blue photoreceptors, the new primary color filter utilizes the same colors to deliver vibrant and color-rich video and still images.
The manual focus ring together with the 10X optical/120X precision digital zoom gives the user even more options for creativity and composition.
Digital still photos are captured as JPEG files directly to Memory Stick or Memory Stick PRO flash media. To boost convenience, users can capture up to 890 photos at maximum resolution (2016 x 1512) with a 1GB Memory Stick PRO card. A 16MB Memory Stick media card is supplied.
Users may also shoot video in the MPEG Movie EX format, which captures MPEG1 video clips with audio onto Memory Stick or Memory Stick PRO media up to the length of the media capacity. Video can also be shot to the MiniDV tape and converted in-camera to the MPEG movie format later. MPEG Movie EX can be used to send video as an e-mail attachment or insert video clips into Web pages and presentation materials.
The DCR-IP1 MICROMV Handycam camcorder features Carl Zeiss optics, a 10X optical/120X precision digital zoom and a one-megapixel Advanced HAD CCD imager. The imager can capture stills at 1152 x 864 resolution and produce video with 520 lines of horizontal video resolution.
To protect this optics package so every video experience is as good as the first, the DCR-IP1 model is the first Sony Handycam camcorder to incorporate an automatic, retractable lens cover that opens and closes when the camcorder is powered on or off. And to help minimize camera shake, the camcorder adds Super SteadyShot picture stabilization.
The Handycam Station comes with all the necessary inputs, including S-Video and an audio/video terminal for hooking the unit up to a TV as well as a USB 1.1 port and an i.LINK (IEEE-1394) interface for connection to compatible PCs. With its USB Streaming, it can stream live and recorded video via a USB connection and video conferencing software like the Microsoft NetMeeting application directly from the docking station.
The Handycam Station is slightly angled and rotates to 90 degrees so users can rotate the camcorder into shooting position. Power and A/V connections are embedded in the unit.
Additional features include:
i.LINK Interface -- The i.LINK MICROMV interface allows for high-speed, bi-directional digital communication between two MICROMV Handycam camcorders or with compatible Microsoft Windows ME/2000 operating system (and later) PCs loaded with compatible software.
2.0" Precision SwivelScreen Hybrid Touch Panel LCD Display -- The LCD provides 211,000 pixels with touch screen technology to transform the LCD into a convenient control pad with the supplied stylus. The hybrid system allows for increased visibility in challenging lighting situations such as bright sunlight. And a new 3-D menu system uses bit-mat technology for animation and special effects to offer more user-friendliness.
MPEG Movie AX Mode -- Through the MPEG Movie AX Mode, the DCR-IP1 camcorder allow users to capture MPEG1 compressed video and audio directly to the Memory Stick Duo media or Memory Stick PRO Duo media for up to the capacity of the media. In addition, this mode captures MPEG1 (352 x 240) at 30 frames per second.
MICROMV tape is 70 percent smaller than MiniDV tape and provides up to 60 minutes of high-quality digital video footage. It also has a 64K memory chip that allows for a multi-search function to access different recorded sections of the tape as one would a DVD, creating a thumbnail image of each recorded scene on the tape.
The model accepts both Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick PRO Duo flash media. About one-third the size of standard-size Memory Stick media, users can capture 900 one-megapixel digital images on a 512MB Memory Stick PRO Duo media card. Other supplied accessories include an 8MB Memory Stick Duo media with adapter, MovieShaker video editing software, A/V and USB cables.
The DCR-PC330 camcorder is expected to be available in October for about $1,700.
The DCR-IP1 model with the Handycam Station will be available in November for about $1,200.
For more information, visit
www.sony.com/di
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