Sony Electronics today announced the DCR-PC1000 MiniDV camcorder, the world's first CMOS technology consumer camcorder. The DCR-PC1000 is ushering in the next generation of camcorder technology. CMOS technology is an alternative to typical CCD technology, which serves in the camcorder to convert the light coming in through the lens into an electronic signal. The announcement is also signifigant because Sony is now becoming a competitor in the consumer 3-chip market, a market originaly created by Panasonic's low priced 3CCD camcorders, which have been very popular over the last 18 months.
CMOS chips have advantages over CCD chips because they are less expensive to produce and offer some other picture quality and processing options. CMOS chips also consume less power than CCDs, allowing for longer battery life. The DCR-PC1000 includes three, 1/6 in. CMOS chips with 790K gross pixels and 670K effective pixels for video. Each of the three CMOS chips are dedicated to either red, green or blue - allowing the camcorder theoretically to produce better, richer and more accurate than one chip camcorders. However, as of now, there are no one chip CMOS camcorders to compare the DCR-PC1000 by.
CMOS chips have previously been used in high end digital cameras, and very low end imaging products like web cams. One of the difficulties presented by the CMOS chips is a higher noise level than you would experience with a CCD chip. Sony was able to overcome this and other issues with the CMOS chip only by coupling the new technology with their new "Enhanced Imaging Processor." Sony representatives claim that without this processor it would have been impossible to bring a CMOS camcorder to market that had video quality that came close to current CCD models.
The announcement of the DCR-PC1000 is also signifigant because it marks Sony's first 3 chip camcorder to be introduced below $1,500. Previously, the DCR-HC1000 was Sony's lowest priced 3 chip camcorder priced at $1,700. In 2003, Panansoinc changed the dynamics of the camcorder industry dramatically when they introduced their PV-DV953 3 CCD camcorder at just under $1,500. Before that, no 3 CCD camcorder had been introduced under $2,000. Over the past 18 months, Panasonic has continued to drive the prices of their 3 CCD models down and embarked on an agressive marketing campaign to push the benefits of 3 CCD technology. After breaking the $1,500 barrier, Panasonic followed with a $1,000 3CCD camcorder, a $700 3 CCD camcorder, and now, at this year's CES they have introduced a $600 3 CCD camcorder. Up until now, Panasonic has had no 3 CCD, or 3 chip competition for their consumer level 3 chip camcorders. The Panasonic models have been selling very well, especially online, and it appears that Sony is finally reacting to Panasonic and wants to compete in the consumer 3 chip camcorder market, with its emphasis on video quality.
The DCR-PC1000 could provide stiff competition for Panasonic's top 3 CCD consumer camcorder, the PV-GS400, which sells for around $1,200, exactly the price point that the DCR-PC1000 should come into. The PV-GS400 has been praised for its manual control, video perofrmance and low light perofrmance, however, recently there have been issues with an audio noise defect that has forced many owners to return their camcorders. The defect has hurt sales of the PV-GS400, and may provide an opening for Sony to take market share away from Panasonic.
The DCR-PC1000 includes a 10x optical zoom and a Carl Zeiss T* Lens. The DCR-PC1000 also includes a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio 2.7 in. LCD screen with Sony's hybrid LCD technology. Sony is also including a Handycam station with the new camcorder for connecting it to outsuide sources. The handycam station includes a S-Video, RCA and Firewire jack. As for other manual controls, the DCR-PC1000 includes manual white balance and 24 steps of exposure control. Sony did not clarify whether or not the camcorder has manual gain control.
The DCR-PC1000 also addresses a major complaint of Sony camcorders which more advance shooters have been making regarding control picture functions through the LCD touch screen. This publication has been particularily vocal against the touch screen for more advance shooters - clearly the market which the DCR-PC1000 is aimed at. Sony has added a new assignable manual dial to the left front area of the camcorder. The dial bypasses the touch screen LCD and can be assigned to either manual focus or manual exposre. However, the exposure control on the DCR-PC1000 is still a combination of shutter speed and aperture.
The DCR-PC1000 can also do analog-to-digital pass through to convert analog video to digital video on the fly. In a suprising move, Sony has not placed a microphone input jack or a headphone out jack on the DCR-PC1000. It is a suprising move because of the high price of th e camcorder. Sony has also modified the accessory shoe on the DCR-PC1000 with a smaller shoe, meaning that all existing accessories designed for the camera shoe standard, which as been around for decades, will not work with the DCR-PC1000 or any of the Sony 2005 camcorders for that matter. The DCR-PC1000 also includes Sony's fake 24P feautre that was included on the DCR-PC350.
For digital stills, the DCR-PC1000 uses Sony's unique form of pixel shifting called "Pixel Offset Technology" to produce 2.7 Megapixel CCDs, which the camcorder saves to Memory Stick Duo. The stills from the camcorder have a maximum resolution of 1,920 x 1,440 pixels. Sony also is including USB streaming, SteadyShot, the Easy Handycam button, and Sony's Picture Package software.
The DCR-PC1000 will be available in April for $1,300.
CMOS chips have advantages over CCD chips because they are less expensive to produce and offer some other picture quality and processing options. CMOS chips also consume less power than CCDs, allowing for longer battery life. The DCR-PC1000 includes three, 1/6 in. CMOS chips with 790K gross pixels and 670K effective pixels for video. Each of the three CMOS chips are dedicated to either red, green or blue - allowing the camcorder theoretically to produce better, richer and more accurate than one chip camcorders. However, as of now, there are no one chip CMOS camcorders to compare the DCR-PC1000 by.
CMOS chips have previously been used in high end digital cameras, and very low end imaging products like web cams. One of the difficulties presented by the CMOS chips is a higher noise level than you would experience with a CCD chip. Sony was able to overcome this and other issues with the CMOS chip only by coupling the new technology with their new "Enhanced Imaging Processor." Sony representatives claim that without this processor it would have been impossible to bring a CMOS camcorder to market that had video quality that came close to current CCD models.
The announcement of the DCR-PC1000 is also signifigant because it marks Sony's first 3 chip camcorder to be introduced below $1,500. Previously, the DCR-HC1000 was Sony's lowest priced 3 chip camcorder priced at $1,700. In 2003, Panansoinc changed the dynamics of the camcorder industry dramatically when they introduced their PV-DV953 3 CCD camcorder at just under $1,500. Before that, no 3 CCD camcorder had been introduced under $2,000. Over the past 18 months, Panasonic has continued to drive the prices of their 3 CCD models down and embarked on an agressive marketing campaign to push the benefits of 3 CCD technology. After breaking the $1,500 barrier, Panasonic followed with a $1,000 3CCD camcorder, a $700 3 CCD camcorder, and now, at this year's CES they have introduced a $600 3 CCD camcorder. Up until now, Panasonic has had no 3 CCD, or 3 chip competition for their consumer level 3 chip camcorders. The Panasonic models have been selling very well, especially online, and it appears that Sony is finally reacting to Panasonic and wants to compete in the consumer 3 chip camcorder market, with its emphasis on video quality.
The DCR-PC1000 could provide stiff competition for Panasonic's top 3 CCD consumer camcorder, the PV-GS400, which sells for around $1,200, exactly the price point that the DCR-PC1000 should come into. The PV-GS400 has been praised for its manual control, video perofrmance and low light perofrmance, however, recently there have been issues with an audio noise defect that has forced many owners to return their camcorders. The defect has hurt sales of the PV-GS400, and may provide an opening for Sony to take market share away from Panasonic.
The DCR-PC1000 includes a 10x optical zoom and a Carl Zeiss T* Lens. The DCR-PC1000 also includes a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio 2.7 in. LCD screen with Sony's hybrid LCD technology. Sony is also including a Handycam station with the new camcorder for connecting it to outsuide sources. The handycam station includes a S-Video, RCA and Firewire jack. As for other manual controls, the DCR-PC1000 includes manual white balance and 24 steps of exposure control. Sony did not clarify whether or not the camcorder has manual gain control.
The DCR-PC1000 also addresses a major complaint of Sony camcorders which more advance shooters have been making regarding control picture functions through the LCD touch screen. This publication has been particularily vocal against the touch screen for more advance shooters - clearly the market which the DCR-PC1000 is aimed at. Sony has added a new assignable manual dial to the left front area of the camcorder. The dial bypasses the touch screen LCD and can be assigned to either manual focus or manual exposre. However, the exposure control on the DCR-PC1000 is still a combination of shutter speed and aperture.
The DCR-PC1000 can also do analog-to-digital pass through to convert analog video to digital video on the fly. In a suprising move, Sony has not placed a microphone input jack or a headphone out jack on the DCR-PC1000. It is a suprising move because of the high price of th e camcorder. Sony has also modified the accessory shoe on the DCR-PC1000 with a smaller shoe, meaning that all existing accessories designed for the camera shoe standard, which as been around for decades, will not work with the DCR-PC1000 or any of the Sony 2005 camcorders for that matter. The DCR-PC1000 also includes Sony's fake 24P feautre that was included on the DCR-PC350.
For digital stills, the DCR-PC1000 uses Sony's unique form of pixel shifting called "Pixel Offset Technology" to produce 2.7 Megapixel CCDs, which the camcorder saves to Memory Stick Duo. The stills from the camcorder have a maximum resolution of 1,920 x 1,440 pixels. Sony also is including USB streaming, SteadyShot, the Easy Handycam button, and Sony's Picture Package software.
The DCR-PC1000 will be available in April for $1,300.
