Ah, yes, those intriguing hybrid digital camcorders. With the ability to record to both MiniDVD or hard drive what more could you want? But are they all they are cracked up to be? Gizmodo takes a look at one such digital camcorder in their Hitachi DZ-HS300A review. The verdict? Great idea, not so good execution.
Video quality on the Hitachi DZ-HS300A is described as, “subpar at best.” The problem seems to be the MPEG2 encoding, which created smearing and ghosting effects for the reviewer.
The software for the DZ-HS300A wasn’t that great either, so the reviewer made do with freeware software to rip the footage to the computer. However, with limited in-camera editing features and even transitions, you may not need to even utilize a PC.
Despite all of these things, the reviewer still recognizes that a lot of people will find this camcorder very attractive for its hybrid, multi-format recording capability. Definitely worth reading if you are in the market.
