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Samsung Full-HD “S” cams to get Wi-Fi connectivity
With wireless connectivity between digital devices now becoming the norm, Samsung is claiming a first by including built-in Wi-Fi and DLNA connectivity into its new S-Series of full-HD digital camcorders.
Samsung HMX-S10 Full-HD cam
Claimed to be the highest-performing full-HD 1080i camcorders in Samsung’s history, the HMX-S10, HMX-S15 and HMX-S16 are said to incorporate Samsung’s proprietary new Victoria Engine processor and a cutting-edge 1/2.3 inch BSI (Back Side Illumination) CMOS imaging sensor which – we’re informed – combine to yield outstanding image quality and low-light performance.
The basic idea behind the inclusion of WiFi technology into the camcorders is to enable the sharing of video clips and still picture content with others without having to worry about fumbling for wires or cables.
Wi-Fi & DLNA Connectivity
The new Samsung HMX-S15 and HMX-S16 are the world’s first to offer both built-in Wi-Fi and DLNA connectivity. The HMX-S15 and HMXS16 feature Samsung AllShare, which allows consumers to easily access, manage and share content including their full-HD videos across other DLNA certified devices.
With the integrated Wi-Fi connectivity, consumers can now forego having to connect any cables to enjoy their HD video or digital still images on their HDTV or computer. Consumers can also take advantage of built-in HDMI connectivity to view their content on devices that may not be DLNA certified simply by connecting to the source via an HDMI cable.
Schneider lens and 3.5-inch touch-screen LCD
Each of the three S-Series camcorders has been given a Schneider Kreuznach Varioplan-HD lens which features 18x Intelli Zoom. Claimed to be significantly more reliable than a standard digital zoom (which often negatively affects the quality of the recorded image), Samsung’s new Intelli-Zoom allows users to go beyond the camcorder’s 15x optical zoom without sacrificing image quality.
Head-on: Samsung HMX-S10 Full-HD cam
The S-Series Kreuznach Varioplan-HD lens is also paired with Optical Stabilisation to help reduce image blur and shaky video, which can be especially helpful when using the camcorder’s full optical zoom. The Samsung S-Series camcorders also feature decent-sized 3.5-inch wide touch-screen LCDs which house a 3D graphic user interface (GUI). The ultra-bright, swiveling, WVGA LCDs and GUI not only offer fascinating visual effects – we’re assured – but grant users uncomplicated, intuitive and easy access to all of the camcorders’ advanced functions.
“Innovative” New Video Processor and BSI CMOS Sensor
Samsung’s full-HD S-Series camcorders are highlighted by a revolutionary new BSI CMOS imaging sensor, designed to absorb more light than other conventional sensors and deliver unprecedented low-light performance. The new BSI CMOS sensor is further enhanced by Samsung’s proprietary new Victoria Engine video processor designed specifically to optimise performance of HD camcorders. Samsung’s new Victoria Engine video processor offers a 3D noise reduction filter that efficiently suppresses noise while preserving details and edges resulting in crisp video and still image quality. The Victoria Engine’s also expands the range of colour expression and improves video quality with the help of other video processing modules such as contrast, white tone and colour tone enhancement. Amazingly, despite all of its advanced features, the Victoria Engine draws a minimal amount of power thanks to 45 nano chip fabrication technology, drastically extending the camcorder’s battery life to more than 2 hours.
SSD (Solid-State Drive) Technology
In keeping with the current trend for completely solid-state, memory-based, recording, these S-Series camcorders make use of internal Solid State Drives (SSD), which undoubtedly have their advantages over Hard Disk Drives (HDD) in digital camcorders.
As well as being inherently more reliable than HDD – which still runs the risk of being affected by bumps and rough handling – solid-state memory recording and playback media are also faster than HDD.
Samsung’s HMX-S16 offers an internal 64GB SSD while the HMX-S15 offers an internal 32GB SSD. Both camcorders also allow consumers to expand memory capacity using an SD/SDHC memory card. The HMX S10 does not feature internal SSD memory and requires the use of a SD/SDHC memory card.
Other Features
The S-Series camcorders offer a variety of unique features such as a flash to help capture 10 mega-pixel digital still images, storyboard printing and the ability to shoot in super-slow motion with speeds of 300 fps at a resolution of 368×208 and 600 fps at a resolution of 192×112. The S-Series camcorders also are equipped with high-definition Time Lapse recording, which Samsung is confident will give consumers the ability to truly experiment with their creativity. When shooting in the Time Lapse recording mode, the camcorder will record a single image at an interval pre-selected by the user, either 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, or 30 seconds, and will save each image as one single movie file.
Availability in Europe
We understand that the models in the S-Series will be available throughout Europe in May or June 2010, though this has not been confirmed by Samsung.
Words: Colin Barrett based on information provided by Samsung (subject to change). Images courtesy Samsung UK. Used by permission.
More information: Samsung UK
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