Hitachi announces updated Blu-ray Disc Hybrid Camcorder

Hitachi's new has Blu-ray Disc Hybrid Camcorder can record onto either Blu-ray Disc, Hard Drive or SDHC format and promises a number of notable improvements from its predecessor such as a seven megapixel CMOS image sensor, face detection, image stabilization and longer recording time.

Adding a few tweaks but keeping the same core design as the company's 2007 DZ-BD7HA Blu-ray camcorder model, the DZ-BD10HA offers the versatility of three format hybrid compatibility along with one-touch dubbing, which allows the user to transfer HD video from the SDHC card or hard drive to a Blu-ray disc, all within the camcorder at the press of a button.

Also featuring “Transcoding”, the camcorder can transfer full HD videos off the HDD or SDHC card to standard definition DVD discs for the sharing of videos with those luddites who don't yet own a Blu-ray player. Face detection provides automatic detection and focus on the face, while O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization) also assist in delivering high-quality results by detecting and canceling camera shake.

At the heart of the DZ-BD10HA is a seven mega pixel CMOS image sensor and recording capability enables more than four hours of FullHD (1920x1080) video or more than eight hours of 1440x1080 video onto the built-in 30 GB HDD.

The unit also boasts improved power consumption and a quiet 8cm BD/DVD drive and overall volume has been reduced by 20% reduction compared with last year’s model.

The Hitachi DZ-BD10HA model Blu-ray Hybrid with built-in 30GB hard disk drive retails for around USD$999. It is available in Japan now and will be available in North America from September 2008.