High-Def Camcorder Upgraded for Low-Def Screens By Darryl Wilkinson July 14, 2006 — Sanyo made news earlier this year when the company introduced what it touted as the world's smallest and lightest high-definition digital media camera. The original $800 HD1 is being replaced by an upgraded model, the HD1a. The new model is scheduled to debut in September at $699.99 MSRP. In addition to retaining all the features of the previous model, the HD1a will add a selectable 16:9 widescreen still picture mode, in-camera video editing capability, and a recording mode optimized for viewing on small-screen portable media players.

The HD1a can record both 720p high-definition video and 5.1-megapixel digital still images. Instead of tape- or disc-based recording, both the current and the new model use standard SD flash memory to store digital video and still images. Up to 21 minutes of 720p HD video per Gigabyte can be stored on standard SD or SDHC memory cards. Sanyo says consumers will be able to record up to 84 minutes of HD video on 4 GB SDHC cards when they are become for sale.

The HD1a's "Web-SHG" recording mode allows users to record 320 x 240 pixels video at 30 frames per second - a mode designed specifically to produce video optimized for viewing on iPods and other MPEG-4 capable personal media players.

The unit's 16:9 digital still shooting mode takes 3.8-megapixel widescreen still images which Sanyo says is ideal for viewing on widescreen HDTVs.

The HD1a includes enhanced video editing functions that offer quick A>B segment deletions and facilitates combining of video clips. The feature not only saves desktop video editing time, it also frees up memory card space that can be used for additional recording time.

Other features of the HD1a include a 2.2-inch LCD display (210,000 total pixels) that flips out from the camera and rotates up to 285 degrees, a 10x optical zoom plus a 10x digital zoom, a pop-up flash for still images, and a talking navigation guide.