Hitachi's video camera records on DVD-RAM and includes an MPEG-2 codec........
nikkeibp.asiabiztech.com
Hitachi Unveils DVD Camera, Home Multimedia Station
September 8, 1998 (TOKYO) -- Hitachi Ltd. opened its "Vision 21" technology
exhibition Sept. 1 in Ebisu, Tokyo, and among the multimedia prototypes
attracting interest are a digital video camera featuring an optical disk and a home
multimedia station or information terminal for home use.
The optical disk camera or "DVD camera" shown at the exhibition is a digital
camcorder with an 8cm DVD-RAM drive for recording video in the MPEG2
format.
Hitachi will start commercializing the technology as a DVD camera in 1999, when
8cm DVD-RAM standards have been finalized, and when the optical disk has
been perfected in terms of vibration-resistance and other requirements.
Hitachi expects the retail price to be under 200,000 yen (US$1,450), to position
the product against existing digital camcorders.
In addition to the DVD-RAM drive, the new camera features a single-chip
MPEG2 encoder and can store 30 minutes of video per disk (1.5GB single side).
At 704 x 480 pixels, the resolution is compatible with wide-screen television and it
provides an image quality similar to a tape-based digital camcorder.
The prototype camera measures 15cm (W) by 10cm (H) by 4cm (D). However,
a mock-up that Hitachi showed as an indication of the commercial design was
comparable in size to a typical digital camcorder. The DVD camera will likely
weigh no more than 500 grams, an official at Hitachi said.
Hitachi's other major exhibit, the home multimedia station (HMS), is a
remote-controlled personal computer for the home that will likely be used as a
video deck for recording pictures on DVD-RAM disks. It uses Microsoft's
Windows CE operating system and is powered by Hitachi's SH4/SH5
microprocessor.
The HMS also has a DVD-RAM drive, MPEG2 codec chip, hard disk drive, and
PC card slot. Compatible with several interfaces, it comes with analog video
terminals, an IEEE 1394 port, a USB port, and an Infrared Data Association
(IrDA) port. Connections to an IRD (integrated receiver/decoder) for satellite
digital broadcasts and to the Internet also are supported.
The prototype HMS records 80 minutes of video at a transfer rate of 4Mbps
(equivalent to VHS standard mode) or 150 minutes at 2Mbps (equivalent to VHS
x3 mode) on DVD-RAM disks that store 2.6GB on a single side.
Hitachi will use the 4.7GB DVD-RAM standard in designing a commercial
version of the HMS, and is aiming to release the product in late 1999. The price
should be around 150,000 yen (US$1,090), but Hitachi hopes to reduce the final
price below 100,000 yen (US$730).
"We want to make the HMS affordable for a large number of buyers," said
Ryoichi Oba, a senior engineer at Hitachi's Multimedia Systems R&D Division.
Also at the Vision 21 was an ultra-mini version of Hitachi's original "MPEG
camera." The prototype is a mere 250cc in size, or small enough to fit in the palm
of one's hand, and it weighs just 250 grams.
The MPEG camera now available uses a PC card (type III) hard disk as the
recording medium, but the ultra-mini model uses a 192MB CompactFlash that can
record around 20 minutes of MPEG1 video. Hitachi plans to sell the camera in
1999 for under 100,000 yen.
(Nikkei Multimedia) |
