The Canon HV20 is now official and will be available in April … in the U.S! Yes, last night the gadget blogs were ablaze with reports of the Canon HV20 being released in Japan, and now it is official for the U.S. There are some major improvements to both design and function that should make consumers very excited. For starters, the form factor has been changed to horizontal form rather than the upright design of its predecessor. This was a source of anxiety for some when fingers would get in the way and certain buttons were hard to use. As for functionality, there is quite a list of upgrades to be had with the Canon HV20.

The Canon HV20 could become the camcorder of choice for amateur videographers who are just starting out. The HV20 features the coveted 24P frame rate due to its progressive CMOS sensor (which clocks in at 1/2.7″ in size), and a Cinema color mode that will change colors to appear more like film.

Also new to the Canon HV20 are microphone and headphone jacks, a feature much missed on many camcorders today. These, along with an accessory shoe, will allow for more flexibility and quality when recording audio.

For connectivity, the Canon HV20 now features an HDMI port for direct connection to your home theater system. Firewire, USB, component, and composite outputs are also still included. The Instant AF system has also been carried over, which allows for fast, accurate focusing. A 10x optical zoom, 2.7 widescreen LCD, and recessed battery compartment are also featured.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly for some, Canon claims they have improved low light performance from a minimum of 5 lux to 3 lux. This was a point of some distaste before, but if Canon’s claim holds true this will be one powerful camcorder.

Look for the Canon HV20 to be available in April for around $1100.

Press release