Hdd--the-evolution-of-camcorders-continues
By Christine Peppler
For those of us who have lost precious home movies on removable media that becomes damaged or inoperable, who have misplaced those same disks or flash media never to be found again, or who have missed capturing an important moment because we forgot to bring additional storage media, it is time to rejoice.

The age of the hard disk drive has dawned. Finally.

The first offerings were introduced more than two years ago with moderate fanfare. JVC and Sony have led the way with models which offer 30GB hard drives. Although even greater feats are surely in the future for the newest members of the family, these forerunners certainly offer some impressive advantages for home movie makers. Taking just a few moments to examine some of their finer points may point buyers in the right direction.

• Large storage capacity.

Depending upon the recording mode, a 30 GB HDD can capture and store up to 7-21 hours of film without stopping to insert alternate media or to download to computer.

• Cost efficient.

Current HDD models start around $500 and therefore, are at the mid to high end of the market. However, savings are to be had as the purchase of mini DV tapes, media cards, compact flash, and the like are no longer necessary cutting down on the ongoing cost of the device.

• A fix for the forgetful.

For those who forget to tote along separate storage media an HDD can be a life saver. In addition, for those who have inadvertently filmed over existing movies, the HDD will eliminate these heartbreaking moments as they automatically begin recording where the film left off.

• Functions that make working with movies easier.

Current HDD models have received acclaim for allowing users to easily sort through footage without the need to rewind or fast forward. Images appear on a thumbnail grid and can be sorted, deleted, rearranged, and

dubbed directly on the camcorder. Such features receive accolades by reducing frustration and the time required to work with recorded images.

Obviously, even a great hard drive does not have infinite storage and certainly damage to it can occur, so back up will continue to be necessary. Current JVC models tout a shock absorbing suspension system to protect the hard drive and even a sensor that can shut power off when the is in the process of being dropped but in the case of prized footage, it's better to be safe than sorry. Downloading to a PC which allows further editing and storage or burning to DVD is advisable. Hitachi is said to be developing a model that will allow users to burn directly to DVD from the camcorder; no PC required.

It appears that everyone should stay tuned as bigger and better things are surely in store for HDD camcorders. However, for consumers currently shopping for their next device, a hard disk drive model is certainly worthy of consideration today; not only for HDDs future as the leader in the industry but also for the features they currently possess that make home movie making a joy.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Christine Peppler
Thanks to ongoing technology updates, the camcorder of today is a more skilled tool with which to capture images. Unfortunately, this also makes them a bit harder to master and to select when shopping. Learn more about such devices at homemedias.info, the author's online home electronics store.