fractalhorizon

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?

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!