Hitachi Digital Camcorder Records To 8cm DVD-RAM

theluckman writes: "Hitachi is scheduled to release this digital camcorder in "early 2001". It can record 60 minutes of high quality (6M bps) digital video or 120 minutes of standard quality (3M bps) digital video. Also can store up to 2000 jpg's at 1280x960. All stored on an 8cm DVD-Ram disc (2.8 GB capacity). Add tons of specs and USB support and it seems like what the digital video world has been waiting for." It's sure intriguing, but raises the same pitfalls as Sony's CD-R camera discussed a few months back -- building a camera around a delicate mechanism is a difficult task. I'd be nervous about entrusting important moments to this.

Comments

Delicate mechanisms?

[Bill Currie]

What about trusting important moments to delicate media? Open a regular camera at a bad time and "poof", no more photos. Mechanics can be made VERY robust. Photographic film cannot: it's either light sensitive, or it's not (and useless for taking photos). Similar for magnetic media: get too close to a big magnet and your moments are gone.

I'm not saying dvd would be better, just not worse. They all have their advantages and disadvantages.

Bill - aka taniwha
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