By Joonyoung Ryu, ZDnet Korea, and CNET Asia staff (products@asia.cnet.com)
Nov 20, 2006
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/hd-world/0,3800011581,61968890,00.htm

	An example of a domestic HD camcorder: DCR-SR100

The current hottest topic is High Definition (HD) video. Products using LDD, PDP or DLP panels with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 are being released into the market one after another, along with HD-class camcorders. According to retail market researcher GfK Korea, the Korean market for HD camcorders occupied 17 percent (based on sales) of the entire camcorder market, which represents eye-opening growth from 3 percent in the same month of last year. Of course, this percentage may vary depending on how you define HD.

HD literally means "clear image", and it was used to refer to high-quality images in the past. But now, thanks to technological advances, HD refers to devices with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080. The industry's standard for real (full) HD is defined as 1080i, whereas enthusiasts and early adapters would consider 1080p. Even now, all HD camcorders support 1080i, whereas Sony and JVC produce and market camcorders supporting 1080p.

	Example of a semi-professional HD camcorder: Sony HVR-V1N

The appeal of the HD camcorder lies in its excellent image quality. However, to enjoy the high-quality images, you should have a display screen that can input/output the HD signals. In addition, producing a high-quality motion picture with excellent images requires digital video editing. Therefore, you should have a high-end PC to edit HD data, which takes up a large amount of disk space compared with those required by common video formats. Unfortunately, HD displays are still too expensive for consumers to afford.

The most important criterion in choosing an HD camcorder is what you intend to use it for. To record just your everyday life in better-quality image, any domestic HD camcorder is sufficient. Products of this class may offer automatic focus adjustments and other settings when you press the Record button. There is no particular operation and setting.

But if you want to get "really good" videos, you need to use a semi-professional product with manual adjustment functions. If you are to produce a commercial video, you should use a professional-class product. The HD camcorder for experts generally has connection capabilities to various external devices through the XLR (Balanced Cable). In addition, videos produced by such professional HD camcorders are excellent in image as well as audio, which may be processed in professional editing equipment. However, as the price range and size of such professional camcorders are not for common consumers, it is important to examine a camcorder thoroughly before buying it.