Word on the street is Panasonic is getting ready to debut their first AVCHD camcorder. Not much is known about this elusive cam except it will have 3 CCDs and a 4GB SDHC card with enough space for 85 minutes of 6Mbps video or 55 minutes at 9Mbps. It can't be too much longer until we see this thing, Sony, the co-developer of the AVCHD format, is sporting its own camcorders. Of course if you want to do any kind of editing with this footage you might as well forget it.

(via Engadget)

I agree with video analyst John Ferrick and his assessment of the current state of high definition products. Consumers are drawn to products with the term "HD" and don't really understand what they need, which leaves them at the mercy of a sales associate. Heck, I'm trying to sort it all out myself. In Ferrick's article, he discusses the different options available for camcorders, players, TVs and how everything got so confusing. If you are struggling to understand what HD, HDV, Blu-ray, HD DVD, AVCHD, 720p, 1080p and 1080i are all about, this article might help you. Or, it might confuse you even more.

As for me, I haven't upgraded to HD to yet. I am sitting on the fence, waiting...

Richard Baguley of Camcorderinfo.com has written a column dissecting the newly marketed consumer-grade HD format, AVCHD. He provides a brief description and analysis of the format, plus what you should expect from the format as it matures. Short and sweet little read for anyone following the format.

More specific information on Sony's newly announced AVCHD camcorders, the HDR-UX1 and HDR-SR1 is now available. To summarize: Sony's intention is to create a 1:1 ratio between SD and HD camcorders sold (in Japan, at least.) In 2005, 30% of consumer camcorders sold were HD-capable. Pricing for the DVD-based HDR-UX1 is approximately $1,400, and the hard drive-based HDR-SR1 is a bit more at ~$1,500. They will launch in September and October, respectively, and later in the US. The AVCHD discs will not be readily playable on standalone DVD players, but they will play on PCs with the release of special software. Sony's upcoming Playstation 3 will support playback of the discs, as well. The HDR-UX1's recording limits are pretty disappointing at 15-32 minutes on standard DVD-Rs (or 27-60 min. on dual-layer DVD+Rs). At their high price point, I'd imagine it would take some very willing consumers to buy into these new AVCHD camcorders, and the recording restraints put a pretty significant damper on the overall package.

Camcorderinfo.com is currently liveblogging from a Sony press conference where new camcorders are being announced, including two ACVHD cameras, the HDR-XU1 and the HDR-SR1. Keep checking back as the press conference continues.

Sony is set to unveil the first AVCHD camcorder on Wednesday, July 19. A joint development by Sony and Panasonic, AVCHD is a new consumer-friendly high defintion video format that can be recorded to 8cm DVDs using the MPEG4 AVC/H.264 compression system. Considering that the new format was first announced back in May, it is surprising to see that Sony is already prepared to reveal a new camcorder based on the technology. The 20 minute recording limit (on mini-DVD) is a pretty major hindrance that might mark AVCHD as another short-lived Sony format, but we'll have to wait and see how the technology is received...