CES 2009: Samsung Crams 64GB SSD in Full-HD Camcorder The HMX-H106 from the company's new H-Series
By Alex Vochin, Gadgets Editor 6th of January 2009, 10:50 GMT
Although Samsung has prepared a huge line-up in the field of HDTVs for this year's International Consumer Electronics Show, the Korean company has also taken into consideration the fact that most people are looking for other devices to complement said highdefinition TV sets. So, they'll also be showcasing four high-definition camcorders from the company's new H-series, one of which, the HMX-H106, is touted as being the world's first flash memory camcorder to feature a built-in 64GB SSD.
Before going into further details regarding Samsung's new H-Series, it's important to mention the fact that all the four new models (HMX-H106, HMX-H105, HMX-H104 and HMX-H100) are very similar, the main difference being the storage capacity. Thus, while the H106 features the aforementioned 64GB SSD storage unit, the HMXH105 and HMX-H104 come equipped with 32 and 16 GB solid-state drives, while the HMX-H100 relies solely on an SDHC card. The previous models also sport SDHC slots, which can be used for extending the available memory.
Samsung's decision to go all-SSD seems to be quite a logical one, since HDDs require more power and are also a lot more prone to damage than SSDs. Plus, Samsung is one of the first companies to experiment with SSDs, so it was expected to incorporate such a storage solution in just about any device possible. Anyhow, back to the camcorders. All four fresh H-series devices have been equipped with Schneider Kreuznach Varioplan HD lenses, which feature a 10x optical zoom and are paired with Samsung's new Optical Image Stabilizer to help reduce the blur found in footage as a result of vibrations and hand shake. Furthermore, these Schneider lenses feature a 37mm wide-angle focal length, thus making the camcorder a very good solution for recording wide-angle images.
Another very important component of Samsung's new cameras is represented by the 2.2megapixel, 1/4.5-inch CMOS sensor, which features a very good level of light sensitivity. They feature 2.7-inch touch-screen LCD displays, which can be used either for reviewing the footage or accessing some of the camera's functions. Unfortunately, no pricing details have been provided for the time being, but we'll be sure to keep you updated as things unfold.