Panasonic Updates HD Consumer Camcorders

By Geoff Duncan Published April 3, 2007

It was only last December that Panasonic announced its 3CCD HDC-SC1 and HDC-DX1 high-definition camcorders; now, scarcely four months later, the company has introduced the successors: the HDC-SC3 and HDC-DX3 (Japanese).

Both the SD3 and DX3 fully support H.264 and will capture video at resolutions up to 1,920 by 1,080 pixels, an increase over the 1,440 by 1,080 resolution offered by the earlier models. Like their predecessors, the cameras offer the same capabilities, and are distinguished primarily by the media they use to store video: the SD3 stores video to SD cards, while the DX3 will write video to DVD discs.

Recommended Videos

Standard DVDs aren’t designed to store high-definition video, so the DX3 stores video using the AVCHD format, jointly developed by Sony and Panasonic to enable storage of high-def video on standard DVD media. The upshot is that DVD discs with AVCHD video can’t be played back in standard DVD players (although some Sony and Panasonic models might be able to take firmware upgrades which support the format). Computers will also need AVCHD-savvy software to play or process AVCHD video.

Panasonic has also kicked up the video compression used by the cameras: Panasonic says a 4 GB SD card can hold about 40 minutes of high resolution video, while an 8 CM DVD can hold 14 minutes of high-def video per side. With the SD3, storage time can be expanded with higher capacity SD cards: 8 GB SDHC media is now entering the market. If those recording times aren’t good enough for you, the cameras also support lower-resolution video at 1,440 by 1,080 pixels.

Otherwise, the cameras carry much the same specs as their predecessors: a Leica Dicomar lens; a 3CCD system which uses separate capture for red, green, and blue light components; mechanical image stabilization; 5.1 surround sound capture with a "zoom mic" function to let users focus the mic’s attention on a subject; 3-inch LCD viewfinders, 12×optical zoom, USB 2.0 connectivity, and PictBridge compatibility.

Here’s the bad news: the Panasonic HDC-SD3 and HDC-DX3 are due April 25, but only in Japan: the company currently has no plans to bring the cameras to international markets. And it’s a shame, because Panasonic is pricing the improved models lower than their predecessors, with the SD3 carrying a price tag around ¥150,000 and the DX3 going for around ¥140,000 (that’s about $1,275 and $1,190, respectively), about $170 and $250 cheaper than the previous models.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Audio / Video

The Sonos update interview: ‘We just got taken by surprise’

The bio page for Sonos executive Eddie Lazarus as seen on an iPhone in front of Sonos speakers.

In addition to a press release that details seven commitments Sonos is making to its customers following a catastrophic update to its platform and application earlier this year, the company offered an executive for an interview. I spoke with Eddie Lazarus — the company's chief strategy officer since January 2024, and chief legal officer since January 2019 — for about a half-hour over Zoom. (He also served as chief financial officer from August 2022 to January 2024.)

We touched on what happened, and if it really was just a problem with the app — or a larger problem with the greater Sonos platform. (Spoiler: It was both.) We talked about the findings of the company's internal review. We talked about whether its initial reaction was enough. We talked about CEO Patrick Spence accepting responsibility for the debacle, and why customers should have faith in him — and in Sonos — going forward. (Not everyone does.)

Audio / Video

Marshall updates its Monitor headphones with a little help from Billie Joe Armstrong

Marshall Monitor III ANC worn by Billie Joe Armstrong.

Marshall has updated its Monitor ANC wireless headphones, which are now in their third generation. The new cans keep the same overall design as previous Monitor ANC models, but now include Marshall's Soundstage spatial audio technology and a much bigger battery for up to 100 hours of playtime. You can buy the Monitor III ANC for $349 -- a $30 increase over the previous model -- starting September 24.

To highlight the launch of the new model, Marshall has partnered with Green Day frontman and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, who's a longtime user of Marshall's guitar amps. Marshall says that the Monitor III ANC inject "some desperately needed rock ‘n’ roll into the monotonous world of noise-canceling headphones," while Armstrong provides a slightly more punk perspective: "What better way to flip off the world than to put your headphones on so it's just you and the music?"

Audio / Video

You Asked: Panasonic is back, what is IAMF, and more on the LG C4

You Asked

On today’s episode of You Asked: Panasonic is back -- so, what comes next? Rtings.com weighs in on the LG C4 and shows us what respect and integrity looks like. And remember that Samsung and Google partnership designed to take on Dolby Atmos? What’s up with that?
What is IAMF?

Let’s kick things off with an email from Norman, who wants more info on the Samsung and Google partnership that aims to take on Dolby Atmos with what has been called IAMF, or Immersive Audio Model and Formats. Norman wants to buy a new TV and soundbar, but he doesn’t want to do so until he knows some existing devices will support it -- or that it’s coming to products in 2025.