From ProductWiki, free unbiased product reports for the consumer.

The Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1000 is an ultra-compact HD camcorder that can record Full HD video at 1920 x 1080 resolutions, and is also capable of taking 8 megapixel still photos. It is a tapeless design, recording all video and phtoo content to removable SDHC flash cards. The VPC-HD1000 records in a MP4 data format compressed to a 12 Mbps data rate at Full HD, allowing you to record about 85 minutes of video on an 8 GB memory card. A major selling point for this camcorder is its miniscule weight and size, weighing only 9.5 oz (268 g) and fits in the palm of your hand.

Pros & Cons

Pros:
16 people have already voted. Do you agree?

•
Includes cradle with many output options including HDMI
+9agreedisagree

•
Compact and lightweight
+7agreedisagree

•
Decent battery life and recording times
+7agreedisagree

•
Full 1920 x 1080 HD recording
+4agreedisagree

•
Good lens
+4agreedisagree

•
Mac and iMovie compatible.
+4agreedisagree

•
Uses ISO standard .MP4 format supported by both free commercial and open source software.
+3agreedisagree

•
H.264 codec allows for higher quality video with smaller file size.
+3agreedisagree

Cons:
Do you agree?

•
1080i only - no 1080p
+5agreedisagree

•
Still image quality is not that sharp
+5agreedisagree

•
Visual artifacts due to aggressive video compression
+3agreedisagree

•
Image stabiliser narrows field of view when engaged.
+2agreedisagree

•
Slow autofocus
+2agreedisagree

•
1080i MP4s not compatible with iMovie (requires a firmware fix)
+1agreedisagree

•
Inaccurate color with noticeable solarization and speckled noise
0agreedisagree

•
Records video in MP4 format not supported natively by most video software applications
-2agreedisagree

•
Somewhat expensive
-4agreedisagree

Competing products

Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1000 is ranked 4th.  See the top picks in Camcorders

Add a competitor to the list

More information

Features

  • SD/SDHC memory card camcorder
  • records full definition at 1920 x 1080 resolution
  • 1/2.5" CCD sensor (1 divided by 2.5 inch = 0.4 inch)
  • 2.7" widescreen LCD (230K pixels)
  • video format: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 codec (.MP4 file format)
  • 10X optical zoom
  • 8 MP still photos
  • face chaser technology recognized up to 12 faces for autofocus
  • quality settings:
  •     HD: 1920x1080 (12 Mbps ), 1280x720 (12 Mbps)
  •     SD (MPEG2): 640 x 480 (3 or 6 Mbps), 320x240
  • interface: USB 2.0
  • battery life: 2 hours continuous shooting (4.2 W power consumption)
  • record time: 85 min. of Full HD on an 8 GB memory card.
  • available in silver and black
  • weight: 9.5 oz. (268 g)
  • volume: 16.6 cubic in. (272 cubic cm)
  • release date: mid-September, 2007
  • MSRP: ~$1000

Criticisms

The VPC-HD1000 camcorder has generated significant buzz in the camcorder industry because of its Full HD recording capabilities in such a small package for a decent price. However, it has suffered from criticisms concerning the quality of its video due to the aggressive compression employed on the Full HD recording. Video is compressed to a 12 Mbps in a MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 data format, compared to a nominal rate of 1.5 - 3 Gbps for Full HD video. This compression has reportedly introduced visual artifacts, especially in situations of fast motion.

While Sanyo has been criticised for adopting the relatively new ISO standard MP4 file format which is not natively suported by older Windows video editing software, free and open sorce conversion tools (like mp4cam2avi available from http://mp4cam2avi.sourceforge.net/ ) exist to convert MP4 to proprietary AVI format without any loss of quality.

Availability and Pricing

The Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD700 was announced soon afterwards on September 26th, 2007 and Sanyo claims is the smallest 720p camcorder in the world weight only 6.7 oz (189 g). The original MSRP for the VPC-HD1000 was around $1000, but is selling online for around $600-$700.

Submit a link

Related products

Add a related product to this list

10 comments about Sanyo Xacti VPC HD 1000

1.  avatar ahmad  Oct 03, 2007 7:30pm

Does this camera record at 24 fps?
2.  avatar ghostdog  Oct 15, 2007 1:42am

It records in 1080i not 1080p
3.  avatar ahmad  Oct 31, 2007 7:40pm

Does this camera come with software to remove the 3:2 cadence, to convert it from 30fps to 24fps?
4.  avatar jonhen  Nov 02, 2007 4:00pm

Althought this is marketed as a "1080" camera, it is very important to know that this is 1080i, not 1080p. Its other modes are 720p/60 and 720p/30; it does not do any form of 24fps, nor does the included software include any sort of 3:2 cadence removal.

Also, as of this writing, the 1080i .mv4 files cannot be used on a Macintosh. Copying over the files will create a "green screen only" video. It is rumored that QuickTime will be updated at some point to support this format, but it has not yet.
5.  avatar Erik  Feb 03, 2008 2:57pm

I've seen this camera in action. The form factor is fantastic, and it looks super cool. HOWEVER...DO NOT EXPECT HD QUALITY VIDEO FROM THIS CAMERA. The compression artifacts are extremely noticeable, and it has a very difficult time representing true color unless there is perfect light conditions.

My Sony MiniDV camera from almost 10 yrs ago has much better picture quality. I'd say if you want compact, I'd consider the cheaper alternatives like the Aiptek or Flip Video, but if you want quality, you'll have to go for something not as small and sleek.
6.  avatar GecoBR  Feb 05, 2008 9:02am

...Also, as of this writing, the 1080i .mv4 files cannot be used on a Macintosh....

The problem was that this camera creates video at 1080p60, FULLHD that was supported by Quicktime 7.16 and Apple cripled that because it is equal BlueRay ad HDDVD.

Before you start shooting, you must switch the program acordinglly. The automatic mode is not so good on extremes exactly as Sony H7.
7.  avatar savguira  Feb 09, 2008 7:16pm

The criticizm provided above is somewhat misleading.

First of all this camera does creates  video which is no doubts true HD quality. I would not recommend to use it in 1080i, as any interlaced mode is useless anyway. 720pX60 simply rocks and 12Mbps is perfectly adequate for it, when using H264. Do not listen to anyone who says their old Sony miniDV has better quality. This is not true. Moreover, you can not even compare DV to720pX60 in H264. That was a comment of a greedy loser.  Once you see the footage taken by a person, who knows how to use a camcorder (any camcorder for that matter), you will be knocked down by 720pX60 HD1000 does. If you compare junk to junk results can vary. :)

This camera has no CCD but CMOS - this means no vertical smearing. However still images are not crispy enough and lack some punch. Low light performance is not too bad,  thanks to the perfect lens with F1.8

Do not worry about mp4, just use mp4cam2avi freeware to covert into avi container. Install latest version of ffdshow codec. Then most of the Windows software will merrily accept it, and yes, do not forget to ditch that MAC crap together with Quicktime. :) And do not listen to anyone who would say that MPEG2 in 30Mbps is better than 12Mbps in H264. It is not... These guys simply do not know a heck about how advanced codec work.

You will need tons of computing power to even play  720pX60. Athlon 3500 would be barely up to the job.

8.  avatar ray1234  Feb 12, 2008 3:47am

do you manage to get mp4cam2avi working on HD1000 mp4 files? I tried and it doesn't work, playing the converted avi file will hang the computer.

I now use VideoStudio 11, it can fully support AVCHD, and I just import the mp4 files directly to edit, very convenient - no need for any conversion.
9.  avatar RobMtl007  Feb 15, 2008 8:48am

Greetings:

The Sanyo HD1000 may be the first true HD camcorder, but it hasn't any spark.

I believe that Sanyo can improve on the video quality and still image quality.

By spring or early summer 2008 Sanyo will probably unviel a better camcorder with improved compression for video.

Pricing has to be reviewed because most consumers are willing to pay below the $700.00 US dollar mark.

Regards Robert
10.  avatar donaldacasuso  Feb 21, 2008 8:47pm

I used apple final cut pro for the 720 x 60 files. Seems to work.
Some HTML is allowed. Your comments remain editable after you post..

    Who else tapped it

    ahmad

    have, want


     
    jeholloway

    want


     
    Erik

    not good


     
    savguira

    want


     
    show more (9)

    Key Features:

    Manufacturer Sanyo
    MSRP $1,000.00
    Product Line Xacti
    Release Date Sep. 15, 2007

    Sponsors

    Product page stats

    10702 views and 140 edits (see all)
    Created: 09/27/2007 - 12:49
    Modified: 09/05/2008 - 2:26
    Model # variations:

    VPC, HD, 1000, VPCHD, HD1000, VPCHD1000