Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

Gadgetell Quick Review

Pros:   Small form factor, does HD video capture.  Macro mode is welcome for close up shots.
Cons: Low light performance is not great.  No lens cover.
The Crux:  If you’re looking to shoot a couple of things really quickly and want it in HD, this is a terrific device.  It’s not going to replace a real HD camcorder, but is very good for a pocket HD cam.

Full, in-depth review with video samples after the break.

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It is widely known that the future of Blu-ray is in 3D and a feasible idea for this was shown by Panasonic at the CEATEC show in Japan although it was pre-production.  However they have now made a bid to be king of this future market with a proposal to the BDA (Blu-ray Disc Association) regarding a way of producing two way (left and right eye) full High Definition discs.

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Blu-ray has always been fighting against the tide, struggling against high prices, general reluctance to move on from DVDs, and now the “credit crunch” as well.  In fact, many people were beginning to think that the victory against HD-DVD may have been in vain due to the apparent lack of consumers, and that the aim of 5 million units to be sold this year was laughable.  However it would appear that both parties are in the process of being proved wrong with figures released by Sony showing some interesting truths.

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YouTube has always been the scourge of those of us who like to watch really good looking video.  Not just the quality of the content, but the actual video quality.  It first started out with high quality videos that were a pretty big step up from the normal quality.  Now, the site is taking the quality up in two ways.  First with video and also with sound.

Possibly the biggest improvement to those who care most about the poor video quality is the availability of HD video.  To be more precise, 720p HD video.  It might not look much different than the high quality in the standard YouTube video screen, but put it in fullscreen and there is a definite improvement.  It looks just about as good as the 720p trailers from Apple. 

Find out how YouTube has improved its sound quality after the break.

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Sections: Web, Websites, Online Music/Video, Google

Remember HD DVD, the now-dead next-gen format?  Well it turns out that Netflix is getting ready to bring those rentals to an end.  The news comes as little surprise as Netlfix announced way back in February that they decided to support the Blu-ray format. 

The original announcement was that they would phase out HD DVD rentals “by the end of 2008” and well, that time is just about here and the rentals will officially come to an end on December 15.  Which means that at that time, if you have any HD DVD titles in your queue, they will be replaced with a standard DVD.

Via [EngadgetHD]

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RadioShack’s Black Friday ad is now out and here’s what they are offering to those brave folks willing to wait in line for the 6AM opening:

• Canon PIXMA MX300 Office All-in-One Printer (Requires Purchase of EX-Z9 Camera) - Free after $50.00 MIR.
• Memorex MCC228 HD Digital Camcorder- $79.99 (regularly $119.99)
• TDK DVD+R Discs (50-Pack) - $7.99 (regularly $27.99)
• TDK DVD-R (50-Pack) - $7.99 (regularly $27.99)
• Casio EX-Z9 8.1MP Digital Camera Bundle- $99.99 (regularly $139.99)

Keep reading to see the entire list.

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Sections: Audio, Video, Computers, Gadgets / Other, Imaging, Web

After a bit of a delay, Dish Network has confirmed that they will be releasing the DTVPal DVR mid-December.  However, you can pre-order it starting next week.  Originally introduced as the EchoStar TR-50 when it was shown at the Consumer Electronics Show the beginning of the year, the slightly modified HD personal video recorder now has a spiffy new name to match its new look.  Continued after the break.

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If the just released Flip Mino HD would be available in any of the local stores in the country where I’m currently residing, I would certainly not hesitate in getting this as a gift to myself.  In fact, I might even get another one for my son.  The Flip Mino may be so cool and attractive enough to get you to buy it even before you take a look at its specs.  In fac,t you don’t have to worry about the specs, as you would certainly not be short changed in this department.

The Flip Mino HD is Pure Digital’s take on HD-capable camcorder market.  And instead of clashing with the other HD-capable camcorders in coming out with their own units touting support for large-capacity storage SD cards, Pure Digital opted to use built-in 4GB flash memory only.  For some camcorder users this would be enough for a one-hour video which they can easily upload to YouTube or other video sharing sites.  Find out more after the break.

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The pre-Black Friday deals keep pouring in.  Not satisfied with actually making all their money on the day after Thanksgiving, some companies have been cutting prices early. 

If you’re in the market for an HDTV, 6th Avenue has the Panasonice Viera TH-42PZ80U 42” 1080P Plasma HDTV for just $807 and free shipping.  If you’re a NY or NJ resident, your price will be higher since you have to pay sales tax up front.  That’s a pretty good deal on this TV since it usually runs for about $900-$1300 at various stores. 

To get the TV at that price, go to 6ave.com and make sure you use the coupon code AFL5 at checkout for 5% off. 

Go get the TV at [6thAve]
via [BFads.net]

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The quality of cameras in phones has risen exponentially in the last few years from poor VGA to the fairly good 3 megapixel and beyond.  But there is always progress to be made, and Sony Ericsson have outlined some fairly ambitious aims in the release of their four year plan for smart phones; not only with cameras but other aspects of the phones as well.

However I will begin with cameras, and Ericsson’s vision is that by 2012 the cameras on phones will be capable of 20 megapixels and even the ability to shoot full HD video.  This is incredibly ambitious in four years, especially considering the current economic climate, but there is nothing to suggest that it cannot be done.  This will certainly have far reaching effects regarding home videos allowing near professional home films to be made via phone cameras, which would be pretty cool! 

Keep reading for more info on where Sony Ericsson plans to take phones.

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