Panasonic's Two Latest Video Cameras Offer Manual and Intelligent Control

Panasonic has introduced a new pair of tapeless HD video cams, the HDC-SD100 and HDC-HS100. They promise more control, higher fidelity HD images, improved low-light shooting capabilities, intelligent exposure control (iA), and use Panasonic’s latest sensor, the 3MOS.

Full manual control over the exposure, color balance, and focus is a rare addition. This simple pleasure, for those of us that prefer to set their own camera setting, is great brain exercise, and often yields better results than those images capture by the ‘intelligent system’.

While some situations call for finessing the controls, other times you have to grab and shoot. This is where you can appreciate the quick reacting intelligent system. When that, ‘have to grab’ shot comes your way you’ll always be ready thanks to these pannys choice of recording media. The HDC-SD100 uses SD cards only, where the HDC-HS100 has both and SD cart slot and a 60GB Hard Drive.

Some manufactures have been outfitting their latest models with HD picture quality, then turning around and sacrificing the picture quality for...

compression. Sure they can boast crazy long record times, but really, do we need the camcorder running all weekend long. Vacation spots have SD cards for sale. I’d rather have the image be outstanding and get a few less hours of record time, than have all the record time in the world but only produce so so images. There is no such nonsense over at Panasonic.

Panasonic employs an optically refined Leica Dicomar lens to complement their new 3MOS sensor's abilities. Based on their 3CCD design, but with double the sensor area, the 3MOS sensor collects more light and records that light with more clarity, more precise color reproduction, and better contrast.

An improvement in the dynamic range of the sensor means it can see more in the shadows and highlights than any sensor previously used. Also, the 3MOS sensor uses less power and works brilliantly in low light. The 2 lux rating is the lowest I’ve seen. But then, most press releases don’t give a lux rating at all... pretty old school panny.
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Panasonic DMP-BD30K Blu-ray Disc Player

Just Announced
So, you think you want a Blu-ray player? Well your timing is dead on; this is the first Blu-ray player to use newer technologies many avid AV heads have been waiting for. The Panasonic DMP-BD30K Blu-ray disc player uses the ‘final’ standard profile (who knows if it’s really finalized, nonetheless) it is an impressive upgrade. Conversely, HD-DVD has had most of these enhancements from its inception. The upgrade, A.K.A. profile 1.1, gives this Blu-ray player some unique capabilities, among the Blu-ray playing sets. These enhancements include picture-in-picture mode upgrades, which are unusable until Blu-ray disc content catches up, and an internal decoder for both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. These additions compete more directly with HD-DVD.

The Panasonic DMP-BD30K is a quite the upscale piece of technology… literally. The video signal from content recorded in 480i/p, 720p, or 1080i is up-converted using high-speed image processing technology. Pixel Precision Progressive Processing (P4HD) generates each one of the resolution enhancing pixels using information drawn from up to 60 pixels surrounding the original image’s pixels. This debonair disc spinner than categorizes these generated pixels into 16 motion categories: stationary, slow moving, fast, and so on. This image processor effectively does away with those screwy pixels, rendered by older up-scaling technologies, which get stuck or make jagged or choppy images.

Panasonic took this up-converting a step further, they are very seldom out done, by utilizing deep color (12 bit) reproduction via HDMI and 3:2 pull down. CNET reviews were most impressed by these video rendering features. 3:2 pull down optimizes the image processing based on whether the source of the footage is video or film. Sticking with the “Panasonic Family Time” theme, if you own or are looking to own a Panasonic HD camcorder you can watch your cinematic musings with the onboard SD card slot present on the player at full 1920x1080. The price of this player is a bit of a sticking point and you can get a Playstation 3 that plays Blu-ray and does a lot more…for less, although AV purists should be quite content with this decked out disc player’s capabilities.
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5.1 Surround Sound from Headphones?

[Image courtesy Matsushita Electric industrial Co.and Ltd.]

Panasonic is a pioneer. (Is the word pioneer trademarked by the Pioneer Corporation?) In the pioneering spirit they’ve been busily perfecting that most elusive of beasts…getting five speakers and sub-woofer in a pair of headphones. Not just headphones, but wireless headphones to be exact. The Panasonic RP-WF5500 headphones really begin to impress once you discover their ability to work thorough walls and receive transmissions up to 30 meters from the base. The Panasonic RP-WF5500 phones are lightweights too, weighting in at measly 9oz with the battery attached. When you factor in their ability to reproduce a 5.1 channel system with a similar sense of directional sound, they really begin to out shine the competition. These marvels of modern technology are set to hit selves on November 20th. But don’t expect these to be listed on any holiday sale circulars stateside. They‘re only available in the consumer electronics ‘Mecca’ that only the U.S. could have spawned, Japan.

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