Ah, memories. There once was a time when,
as a kid, you could do all sorts of goofy, hilarious, and oh-so embarrassing
things and only your folks would be the benefactors. Nowadays with digital
cameras and camcorders, you can go from potty-training mishap to YouTube in no
time. Consider Sony’s brand new 64GB HDR-CX520V and 32GB HDR-CX500V. Despite
the storage size, the specs for these handy cams remain the same. Each provides
12-megapixel stills, Optical SteadyShot (with three-way shake cancellation…there’s
gotta be a better way to say that), and FaceTouch auto focus (which enables you to
identify a face and prioritize it in the shot). All this at a solid 60p output
and backed by an Exmor R CMOS sensor with BIONZ processing, providing high-quality shots in low-light situations. But what about preserving those memories? 64
gigabytes is a lot memory, but in HD-quality the number of hours left can
quickly become measured in minutes. Enter the Sony DVDirect camcorder-to-DVD
recorder.
Sony’s camcorder-to-DVD recorder is capable of burning AVCHD DVDs with
5.1-surround sound directly from a camcorder’s drive or a memory stick. Once
burned the discs are playable on compatible Blu-ray drives, giving you memories
clearer than they were in reality. The recorder can also accept video files
over FireWire, USB, or composite, converting the files into videos with
accompanying chapters and customs menus in a painless and straightforward
process. While it may lack the robust features of a PC DVD creator suite, the
DVDirect record is an excellent fit for those looking at a streamlined means of
creating high-quality movies. The unit itself is compact, stylish and rather
idiot-proof, and is also capable of lesser tasks like making slide shows from
photo albums or burning albums from mp3s.
Both the camcorders and the camcorder-to-DVD
are coming out this Septermber. The new 32GB HDR-CX500V and 64GB HDR-CX520V will
for $1,100 and $1,300 respectively, while the DVDirect camcorder-to-DVD
recorder will set you back $230. All in all if you’re looking to buy get into
the home movie business Sony offers a robust package for about $1,300. Which is
about the same cost of the HD-TV you’d need to appreciate these things on.
