Hitachi has introduced two new camcorders that offer users the option of either recording directly to DVD or to an integrated hard disk drive. They costs $600 – $800 depending on capacity and features.
The DZH500A model records to DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM and DVD+RW formats, sports 30x optical zoom, SD memory card slot for still photos and 30GB hard disk drive, for $800. It goes on sale in April. The DZHS300A version has an 8GB hard disk drive, 25x optical zoom and SD memory card slot.
Both camcorders enable you to record content directly to hard disk then upload it to a Mac or PC using USB 2.0. This saves you from having to switch tapes or DVD media. You can also burn content from the hard drive on-the-fly onto the DVD in the camcorder.
The camcorders also share a 1-second quick start feature, “Cinema Res” image processing, drop-proofing and more.