fractalhorizon

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ProSCORE
67
negative
mixed
positive
8 pros
4 cons
Review date: October 19, 2009
ProSCORE
100
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7 pros
0 cons
Review date: October 19, 2009
ProSCORE
100
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15 pros
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trustedtrusted
have ithave it
love itlove it
[i]2 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Review date: October 19, 2009
ProSCORE
22
negative
mixed
positive
2 pros
7 cons
Review date: October 19, 2009
ProSCORE
100
negative
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9 pros
0 cons
have ithave it
love itlove it
Review date: October 19, 2009
ProSCORE
100
negative
mixed
positive
6 pros
0 cons
have ithave it
love itlove it
[i]1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Review date: October 19, 2009
ProSCORE
80
negative
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positive
4 pros
1 con
Review date: October 19, 2009
ProSCORE
60
negative
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3 pros
2 cons
Review date: October 19, 2009
ProSCORE
100
negative
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3 pros
0 cons
Review date: October 19, 2009
ProSCORE
75
negative
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positive
6 pros
2 cons
Review date: October 19, 2009
ProSCORE
50
negative
mixed
positive
10 pros
10 cons
Review date: October 19, 2009
ProSCORE
92
negative
mixed
positive
12 pros
1 con
love itlove it
have ithave it
Review date: October 19, 2009
ProSCORE
0
negative
mixed
positive
0 pros
1 con
Review date: October 19, 2009
ProSCORE
97
negative
mixed
positive
31 pros
1 con
trustedtrusted
have ithave it
love itlove it
[i]2 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Review date: October 19, 2009
ProSCORE
100
negative
mixed
positive
12 pros
0 cons
trustedtrusted
have ithave it
love itlove it
[i]4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Review date: October 19, 2009
ProSCORE
0
negative
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positive
0 pros
2 cons
Review date: October 19, 2009
ProSCORE
67
negative
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4 pros
2 cons
Review date: October 17, 2009
ProSCORE
78
negative
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positive
7 pros
2 cons
Review date: October 17, 2009
ProSCORE
75
negative
mixed
positive
3 pros
1 con
Review date: October 17, 2009
ProSCORE
0
negative
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0 pros
2 cons
Review date: October 11, 2009
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- fractalhorizon updated 10 products
*
October 19, 2009 at 6:50 am
Agreed: "WiFi"
Disagreed: "now supports lossless formats"
Agreed: "affordable price next to the competition"
Disagreed: "adjustable screen brightness"
Agreed: "built-in microSD card slot for storage expansion"
*
October 19, 2009 at 6:49 am
*
October 19, 2009 at 6:48 am
Agreed: "lots of apps"
Disagreed: "battery sucks"
Disagreed: "Poor Customer Service"
Disagreed: "2009 low end version is a complete scam to get users to splurge for the upgraded 32GB version"
Disagreed: "bad battery life"
*
October 19, 2009 at 6:47 am
Disagreed: "Zune is so far about the only PMP that can't play Blu-Ray "Digital Copy" files. "
Agreed: "applications are slow to start"
Agreed: "480x272 screen resolution - current gen iPod Touch has 480x320"
Agreed: "built to promote proprietary audio and video stores"
Agreed: "sold in the USA only"
*
Updated Google Reader
October 19, 2009 at 6:46 am
Tapped as "love it"
Tapped as "have it"
Agreed: "Can integrate with other services via Atom feeds."
Agreed: "Recommendations generated by comparing your feeds with other users"
Agreed: "Familiar "starring" interface"

A technophile down under. :)

1.  avatar jwblue

I read your review of the the Sony Vaio JS all in one series and you stated that it could not display 1080p. 7 people agreed.

http://www.productwiki.com/sony-vaio-js-series/

> can't display full 1080p (the main reason for buying the enhanced Blu-ray model)

Was this a consistent problem?

Streaming video from the internet is a big issue with me. I know 1080p is not prevalent for streaming from the internet right now, but I want to be able to use the computer I buy for a while.

What is strange is the X45000HD graphics card that comes with the system is supposed to be handle 1080 according to the specifications.

If I upgrade to a better machine at E7400 (2.80GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with NVIDIA® GeForce® 9300M GS GPU with Total Available Graphics Memory of 2030MG, do you think this will that solve the problem?


You obvoiusly don't know that much about computers and are cearly an Apple fanboi. Your Windows Vista con -
"Does not support many standard media formats "
was pretty ignorant.

The OS has nothing to do with media formats. You might want to download VLC Media Player. Next time please do some research before posting your blatantly biased views so hastily.

Its all common sense really.

A MiniDV camcorder compresses a standard definition video into about 35Mbps. That's about 3 times more than the HD1000 has to play with for compressing 1080i video (12Mbps)! So, the more motion there is, the more obvious the compression. Putting the camera on the tripod (or just not moving it much) eliminates a lot of motion and lets the compression concentrate on picture quality . :)

As for most people, I am afraid quality isn't really what most people worry about. Dominance of technologies like VHS and Windows is a testimony to that. :)

4.  avatar Erik
Very informative. Thanks. You make an intriguing point about fixing the camera's position with a tripod for example. We did see a noticeable improvement when the camera was still or placed in a fixed position.

You also make a good point about the portability of the device leading to more use. I'm sure the same argument could be applied to the DSLR vs. compact digital camera debate.

It seems that you are very resourceful and have found clever ways to get the most out of the Xacti (or should I say get the least amount of artifacts)....However...I question how many people will be as diligent as you in their quest for a good video.

My brother-in-law is very experienced, so I'm sure he could apply your techniques. I wonder if it will prevent a speedy return to the store.

Very helpful!

I have, so far, used and owned the Xacti C1, C4, C5, C6, CG65 and HD1000.

With every one of these, when you compare the video to a full-size tape of hard disk based camera, the full-size camera wins hands down, no contest.

The reson for this is the trade-off between storage, size and video quality. The compression rate is very high, and even though the MPEG4 and H.264 codecs offer the best quality around, Sanyo have chosen very high compression rates at which compression artifacts are inevitable. The reason - trade off between storage requirements and video quality.

I guess for me the main features of the Xacti range are these:
Size - while the picture quality is noticeably lower than my 3CCD Panasonic, I have taken my best videos with the Sanyo. Reason - the Xacti goes with me everywhere while the Panasonic stays home. :)
Standard file format - so you are not tied to the software that came with it.
Price - they are cheaper than full sized cameras.

To improve picture quality, this is what I found that works:

Tripod for stationary / scenic shots. This gives you the most drammatic improvement in quality. Really. Try it. :)

Focus lock. In some conditions focusing hunts. Use the focus lock feature. Manually lock to infinity for scenic shots. Stop down the lens and shoot at hyperfocal for steet shots.

Exposure lock / compensation. Lock exposure / ISO is difficult lighting conditions. Will prevent the cameras auto exposure system from switching ISOs on you mid-scene.

Avoid pointing at the sun or other light sources. Those tiny lenses flare and lose contrast. Shield the sunny side of the lens with your hand. Keep lenses clean with an air blower.

Don't move the camera too much. The more of the picture moves, the worse the compression artifacts. This is especially true for HD. Pan gently.

Hope that helps!


6.  avatar Erik
Hey fractalhorizon. Thanks for the new pros/cons and the improvement to the VPC-HD1000 report. My brother-in-law is pretty unhappy with this camera, but it seems that you (and others) have a different opinion. I saw it for myself, and I was underwhelmed by the video quality, with very significant artifacting. Do you have any tips as far as settings are concerned to get a better picture?

I like the username, btw.

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Joined on Feb 16, 2008
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