It is a superzoom—26x (26mm-678mm), which is a little shorter than what Fuji or Olympus dropped over the last couple of days—which I'm admittedly prone to disliking, but there's a lot here in what's easily Nikon's flagship point-and-shoot.

It's the first Coolpix to switch to CMOS, cutting back to 10 megapixels to deliver hopefully better low light performance, along with built-in HDR processing. And, Nikon's first ever camera to do 1080p video, which I was told is in H.264. Hot shit, 'cause it makes me hopeful to see that in their next DSLRs. Also excellent: You can actually zoom while recording video, something of a rarity in these parts. It shoots fast too: 10FPS at full res, and up to 120FPS bursts (but only at 1.1MP, bleh).

The Fuji HS10 outguns the P100 on paper: Longer zoom, at 30x; same promise of excellent low-light performance thanks to an optimized 10MP CMOS sensor; 1000FPS slow motion video and 1080p like the P100. But, the P100 costs $100 less, running $400 when it hits in March, so it's a tough call 'til we see how they actually perform.

NIKON COOLPIX P100 ZOOMS TO THE TOP OF THE SUPER-HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPACT DIGITAL CAMERA CATEGORY WITH VERSATILE FEATURES
With a 26x NIKKOR Zoom Lens, CMOS Image Sensor and Full HD Movie Recording,
COOLPIX P100 Brings Compact Digital Camera Photography to a Whole New Level

MELVILLE, NY (Feb. 2, 2010) – Nikon Inc. today unveiled the new COOLPIX P100 digital camera, marking a series of firsts for Nikon with the debut of a CMOS image sensor and full High Definition (HD) movie (1080p) capabilities in the COOLPIX line. Additionally, with an expansive 26x Optical Wide Angle Zoom-NIKKOR ED glass lens and a 3.0-inch 460,000-dot vari-angle Clear Color Display LCD screen, the COOLPIX P100 delivers a compact camera fully equipped and readily able to expand a user's photographic potential.

The COOLPIX P100 is Nikon's first compact camera to offer full HD movie (1080p), allowing consumers to entertain audiences with movies that capture the entire impact of a scene at the touch of a dedicated movie-record button. A stereo microphone optimally mounted on top of the camera accurately captures audio to further enhance the video capture experience. Contributing to compositional freedom, both the optical zoom and autofocus functions are available while recording video. Additionally, the high-speed movie function provides the added benefit of recording movies that can be played back in slow motion or fast motion to create artistic effects. To further ease integration into an existing home theater system, an HDMI connector allows for easy playback on a compatible HDTV.

"Our portfolio of cameras is designed to ensure that any photographer, at any level, can find the camera that feels right for them," said Bo Kajiwara, director of marketing, Nikon Inc. "The P100 blends a stellar lens with creative automatic and manual features to allow the more advanced consumer to explore the boundaries of their photographic capabilities."

The Nikon COOLPIX P100 digital camera features a 10.3-megapixel backside illumination CMOS sensor, which enables high-speed shooting at 10 frames per second (fps) at full resolution and exceptional image quality even when shooting in low light settings. Other functions benefitting from the lower noise and exceptional image quality of the new CMOS image sensor include an in-camera high dynamic range (HDR) function, which merges images of the same scene to achieve a single image with a broad range of tonal detail. Additionally, the Night Landscape mode combines a series of consecutive shots taken at a fast shutter speed into a single image with reduced noise when taking handheld shots in night scenes.
The versatility of the COOLPIX P100 digital camera is also attributed to its new 26x Optical Wide Angle Zoom-NIKKOR ED glass lens. This lens offers unparalleled compositional freedom, with its wide angle (26mm) to super telephoto coverage (678mm). The broad focal range lets consumers capture a variety of shots and scenes, ranging from sweeping landscapes to action shots taking place far away on a sports field. For further versatility, this extraordinary lens allows the user to take images or video as close as 0.4 inches while in macro mode. As part of the flagship Performance Series of COOLPIX compact digital cameras, the COOLPIX P100 is the ideal photographic tool for photo enthusiasts, sports and travel photographers and consumers with more advanced photography skills who crave a high performance camera.

Additional features of the Nikon COOLPIX P100 digital camera include:
10.3-megapixels and Backside Illumination CMOS Sensor for stunning prints as large as 16x 20 inches, while retaining fine detail

In-Camera High Dynamic Range (HDR) merges multiple images of the same scene to create an image with a range of tonal detail that could not be captured in a single photo

Night Landscape Mode combines a series of images into a reduced noise composite for low light shooting
3.0-inch Vari-Angle 460,000-dot Clear Color Display LCD and Electronic Viewfinder make it easy to compose and share pictures with friends and family. The new LCD, with anti-reflection coating, can tilt as much as 90 degrees up or 82 degrees down. This enables photographers to shoot from higher angles or from the hip. The incorporation of the an electronic viewfinder enables consumers to see through the lens in most any lighting condition

5-Way Vibration Reduction (VR) Image Stabilization System
Optical VR Image Stabilization by image sensor shift compensates for the effects of camera shake, producing clearer, sharper results in lower lighting or unsteady conditions
Hybrid VR Image Stabilization combines both sensor shift VR and Electronic VR
Motion Detection automatically detects moving subjects and adjusts shutter speed and the ISO setting to compensate for camera shake and subject movement
High ISO 3200 capability creates new opportunities to take sharper, more natural-looking photos in lower light conditions (up to 10 megapixels)
Best Shot Selector (BSS) automatically takes up to 10 shots while the user presses the shutter, and saves the sharpest image
Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority and Manual Exposure modes give ultimate creative control over images
New Sport Continuous Scene Mode for shooting at up to 10 fps at full resolution and 120 fps for 1.1-megapixel images
Subject Tracking automatically activates autofocus while tracking moving subjects such as children and animals. Even when the subject momentarily moves out of the LCD frame, the camera will restart tracking if the subject returns in the frame within 3 seconds
Pre-shooting Cache lets users capture up to 40 shots before shutter is released. This setting helps photographers stay ahead of the action
Active D-Lighting minimizes loss of details in highlights and shadows resulting in beautiful, more natural-looking images
Smart Portrait System integrates the following features to make it a snap to capture stunning portrait photos of friends and family:
In-Camera Red-Eye FixTM automatically fixes most instances of red-eye
Enhanced Face-Priority AF can detect up to 12 faces from a variety of angles
Skin Softening ensures smooth skin tone on the face of subjects by leveraging built-in face-detection technology
Smile Mode automatically detects when a subject smiles and releases the shutter
Blink Warning notifies the user when a subject has blinked in a photo
Blink Proof detects the subject's face and automatically takes a series of sequential shots, then saves the image in which the subject's eyes are open

The Nikon COOLPIX P100 digital camera will be available nationwide in March 2010 and will retail for $399.95* MSRP. For more information on the P100 and all COOLPIX cameras, please visit www.nikonusa.com.

The 10MP HS10, pictured, is an interesting beast: It's got a 30x manual optical zoom (24-720mm equivalent), meaning you can twist the lens like on a detachable DSLR (which does give faster and more accurate control), which is something I've never seen before in a fixed-lens camera. It'll also take 1080p video, including "a new Super High Speed Movie mode" that can take slow-motion video at up to 1000fps, and it has a 7-frame burst mode at 10fps. It's also got great low-light performance thanks to its new BSI-CMOS sensor, and takes simultaneous RAW and JPEG shots. It'll be available in April for $500.

The other two megazooms, the S1800 and S2550HD, are pretty similar; they're both 12MP shooters with an 18x zoom, 28mm-504mm lenses, 720p video recording and a 3-inch LCD. The differences: The S1800 has automatic picture rotation and tracking autofocus, while the S2550HD has a miniHDMI-out port. The S1800 will cost $230 and the S2550HD $250 when they're released this March.

Finally, there's also a "compact megazoom" in the family, the F80EXR. It's got a 27mm-equivalent, 10x optical wide-angle zoom lens, improved low-light and flash, and, um, pet face detection. Yeah, it can recognize the faces of dogs and cats. It'll be available in April for $300. [Fuji]

We've seen a fair share of Android 2.0 tablets at CES, some of which share not only Android 2.0 with the Adam, but the Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, too. But what they don't have is a Pixel QI transflective screen, a 10.1-inch panel that can switch between backlit LCD mode and low-power electrophoretic reflective mode, which looks more less like E Ink, and which actually gets easier to see in direct sunlight.

We got our first good look at this screen tech this morning, and we covered its weaknesses: the LCD colors aren't as vivid as a plain LCD's and suffers at some viewing angles, and the reflective mode suffers from the glossy screen's glare, but in both modes, it's good enough. (And Notion honcho Rohan Shravan says he's working on a fix for the latter issue.) What this means is that no matter what you're using the device for—browsing the web over 3G, reading an ebook, watching a video—you can switch between screen modes depending on your environment or preference.

As I said before, the device is still in development, so you're seeing protoype hardware (there's prospective second model with a curvier exterior, too), untouched software (Rohan promises a custom interface, with a solution for text input other than the awkwardly sized standard keyboard), and unoptimized performance (Android 2.1 should help the interface move a little more quickly). We'll get a fuller picture of the device come Mobile World Congress in February, as well as pricing info—though we're assured we'll be "very happy" about it.

Anyway, you can stack these caveats as high as you want, and the Notion Ink Adam is still taller, if just for this reason:

We repeat: The bullet's in the chamber. E Ink is going to die.

Early leaks of the device were mostly right, but given that the Wi-Fi range is even further than expected—150ft, Sprint and Sierra claim—actually undersold it a bit. (WiMax is fast enough, and that Wi-Fi range is long enough, that you could conceivably use one of these as your primary source of internet at home. Nuts, basically.) A 1.4-inch LCD screen lets you know who's connected to what and how, and gives you a precise battery reading—fixing one of the dumbest problems with Verizon's Mifi. Actually, all around this device feels like the MiFi on steroids—it's even a bit bigger, at about 3 x 3 x .6 inches, though that's still pretty compact for what you're getting here.

The Overdrive goes on sale January 10th for $100.

With a two-year service agreement, ha! Thought you were getting out of that one, didn't you! Never. [Sprint]

UPDATE: For scale:

These cameras are also capable of some pretty impressive video—AVCD in 60i, in full HD resolution. They're not just gimmicks; these guys have got some game.

SONY UNVEILS FIRST COMPACT DIGITAL STILL CAMERAS WITH

HIGH DEFINITION 1080i AVCHD VIDEO CAPABILITY

Models Also Add High Dynamic Range, TransferJet and GPS + Compass Technologies

LAS VEGAS (CES Booth #14200), Jan. 6, 2010 – Sony took the wraps off two new Cyber-shot® digital still cameras today that create a new standard of mobility with technologies that answer consumers' on-the-go needs.

Sony has designed two new innovative Cyber-shot cameras (models DSC-HX5V and DSC-TX7) that are the world's first compact digital still cameras to include full HD (1920 x 1080 60i) Advanced Video Codec High Definition (AVCHD) video capability. They are also the world's smallest and thinnest AVCHD capable cameras.

These are the first Cyber-shot cameras with an in-camera Backlight Correction High Dynamic Range (HDR) feature for managing difficult lighting situations and TransferJet™ wireless technology for sharing, storing and viewing images. The HX5V model is also the world's first still camera to include GPS + Compass and Optical SteadyShot™ with Active Mode technologies.

With Sony's "Exmor R" back illuminated CMOS sensor technology, these cameras provide excellent low-light performance, 10fps burst shooting and the new Intelligent Sweep Panorama™ feature.

In addition to its cameras, Sony introduced three other devices with TransferJet technology at CES, including a Sony Memory Stick® memory card (model MS-JX8G) with a wireless transmitter/receiver, a Sony TransferJet Station (model TJS-1) and a VAIO® F Series notebook.

"Adding to the outstanding low-light performance and impressive Sweep Panorama feature, we are providing high-quality movies with full HD video, stereo sound recording when capturing movies on the go and an in-camera HDR solution for capturing high-contrast scenery. Sony can provide these solutions because of its expertise with other imaging products including Handycam® camcorders and α DSLR cameras," said Kelly Davis, director of the Digital Imaging business at Sony Electronics. "Our goal is not only to make it easy for consumers to get the best shot-still or video-but also to have the best sharing experience."

High-Quality Stills and Videos

With the AVCHD format, these new cameras record movies in 1920 x 1080 full HD resolution at 60i in 17Mbps. The AVCHD format captures a high degree of detail and smooth movement, and when footage is burned to disc, it can be played back on your HDTV using most Blu-ray Disc™ players, Sony® PlayStation®3 systems and compatible Blu-ray Disc enabled PCs. In addition to the supplied PMB software for Windows users, it is also possible to edit recorded AVCHD file using iMovie® for Macintosh users.

The camera will also capture videos in the MP4 format (up to 1440 x1080 30p 12Mbps) for online sharing.

Managing Difficult Lighting

The HX5V and TX7 cameras offer in-camera multi-shot High Dynamic Range (HDR), which combines highlight and shadow detail of two separate captures into one remarkably natural looking image-even without a tripod.

HDR offers a solution for strong backlight situations which typically result in either dark shadows in the foreground or a washed out background. Sony's "Exmor R" sensor and BIONZ™ processor help to correct these issues.

Impressive Panoramas

The HX5V and TX7 cameras have an Intelligent Sweep Panorama™ feature that captures wide landscapes or tall buildings in one easy "press and sweep" motion. Due to their "Exmor R" CMOS sensor technology, they can take up to 270 and 258-degree panorama shots, respectively, horizontally or vertically with an image size of 7,152 x 1,080 (horizontal wide panorama mode). In addition, these cameras' Intelligent Sweep Panorama feature, which is comprised of up to 100 separate captures, detects faces and subject motion and intelligently adjusts the width of each picture while stitching them together, resulting in natural looking panoramic photos.

Relive the Experience

Ideal for travelers who take hundreds of photos, the in-camera GPS + Compass feature on the HX5V camera makes it easy to store and share the location and direction of where photos were taken.

With social networking sites becoming more popular, people want to share more details of their experiences. The GPS + Compass feature provides a fun new way to share where they were — beyond the location. Using the free online satellite imagery application, Google Earth™ mapping service, users can view the images from a bird's eye view or from the direction in which the photo was taken. The GPS function automatically adjusts the camera's internal clock by selecting the travelling area, without the hassle of setting the time manually.

A Wireless Way of Sharing, Storing and Viewing

TransferJet technology, which was developed by Sony and is supported by a consortium of other companies, allows you to transfer files between two TransferJet-enabled devices just by bringing the TransferJet marks on each product within one inch of each other without the hassle of hunting for cables or the complication of pairing. To transfer photos, TransferJet-enabled still cameras must each utilize the TransferJet Memory Stick media (sold separately).

TransferJet technology is perfect for sharing on the go. You can select up to 10 pictures and transfer them from camera to camera. For storing images, you can place the HX5V or TX7 cameras on the lower left-hand corner of the VAIO F Series notebook and import photos. For sharing at home on devices which do not have the technology, you can connect the TransferJet Station to devices with a type-A USB port, including your TV, digital photo frame or PlayStation®3.

Designed for Technology Enthusiasts

With the most innovative digital imaging technologies, the HX5V camera is ideal for everyone from travelers to party-goers. The multi-occasion camera features a 10 megapixel "Exmor R" sensor, a 3-inch LCD screen (measured diagonally) and a 10x optical zoom with wide-angle 25mm-250mm equivalent high-quality G lens allowing easy group shots and close ups when on the move.

In addition to its AVCHD video capability, the HX5V camera has Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization with Active Mode, which lets you capture moving subjects such as kids walking or running. It allows a moveable lens element to shift with greater range of motion-10 times the range of the Optical Steady Shot™ feature at wide end in standard mode-during camera shake. The feature reduces camera shake so users can shoot smoother movie footage on the move. The cameras also have an HDMI™ output adapter for easily connecting to an HDTV for viewing pictures and movies (HDMI cable required).

Powerful and Stylish

For those seeking a sleek, compact camera, the 10MP TX7 model is just under an inch thin and is slim enough to slip into a pocket or purse. The 3.5-inch (measured diagonally) high resolution (921K) touch LCD screen offers easy image scroll by simply swiping your finger across the display. The camera's high-performance Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® 4x optical wide angle 25mm-100mm equivalent zoom lens brings distant subjects closer and Close Focus snaps close-ups in just under a half an inch from the subject.

The DSC-TX7 camera is also compatible with the Party-shot™ (model IPT-DS1) automatic photographer, which pans, tilts, zooms and adjusts composition to capture spontaneous images. Additionally, an embedded touch sensor located on the front edge illuminates when the TX7 camera is attached. By touching the sensor, the camera goes into the "On-demand shot" mode, which allows users to select the shutter timing without losing the advantage of Party-shot's built-in intelligence.

To give customers greater choice and enhance the overall customer experience, the TX7 and HX5V cameras feature a memory card slot compatible with both Memory Stick® (PRO Duo™) and SD/SDHC formats. Sony is also expanding its industry leading line of consumer media with the addition of SD/SDHC memory cards.

Additional features found on HX5V and TX7 include iAuto, which detects eight and nine scenes, respectively, and optimizes camera settings and Easy Mode, which simplifies the camera menu. Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization reduces blur without impacting image quality, Face Detection and Smile Shutter™ technology, which captures faces and smiles naturally.

A New Way to Share Photos and Videos Online

These models include Picture Motion Browser ("PMB") software for viewing, editing, organizing and uploading images to many major video and photo sharing Web sites.

This spring, Sony will launch a new service and a new integration with Facebook® allowing users to easily and quickly share their photos and videos privately with friends and family. The service and the integration will be available as a downloadable update to the "PMB" and "PMB portable" software applications that are embedded with bloggie™ and Cyber-shot cameras and bundled with Handycam® camcorders, bloggie cameras, Cyber-Shot cameras and α cameras. The Facebook integration complements the existing sharing capability with such sites as YouTube™ and Picasa® Web Albums.

Pricing and Availability

The HX5V camera will be available in black this March for about $350, and the TX7 camera will be available in silver, blue and red this February for about $400. The TransferJet-enabled Memory Stick media will be available in January for about $100, and the station will be available in February for about $150. Pre-sales begin in January.

The cameras, Memory Stick, station, and a range of accessories will be available online at Sonystyle.com, at Sony Style® retail stores (www.Sonystyle.com/retail), at military base exchanges and at authorized dealers nationwide.

This is not what you'd call a "me too" product—at the moment it has the hottest Blu-ray specs we have seen. Like other top models, it has integrated Wi-Fi, Bravia Internet Video Link (now with Netflix). Like the new crop of flagship players, it will support 3D movies. It even has DLNA support for serving up content across the home network (and maybe even apps like PlayOn, if I'm not mistaken).

But on top of all of that, it will support an iPhone/iPod Touch remote control app, which will be free in the App Store. Crazy, and restores some of my faith in a company that has fallen behind. The only thing we really don't know is pricing—and we won't know that until closer to launch this summer. By then, who knows, maybe others will have taken the iPhone-app angle too. For now, Sony can bask in the Blu awesomeness.

As you can expect, Sony has a ton of Blu-ray products coming down the line. I'm gonna let their spec list speak for itself:

BDP-S770 Blu-ray Disc™ Player
Available this summer
• Blu-ray 3D™ Playback
• BRAVIA® Monolithic Design
• Full HD 1080p single-disc Blu-ray disc™, DVD, SA-CD, CD player
• BRAVIA® Internet Video and BD-LIVE™
• IP Content Noise Reduction
• Built-in Wi-Fi® Wireless (802.11) with Wi-Fi® Protected Setup (WAP)
• Entertainment Database Browser with Gracenote technology
• BD Remote (iPhone®/iPod touch® remote control – free app.)
• DVD upscaling to 1080p with Precision Cinema HD Upscaling
• Dolby® TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio™ decoding
• Photo/Music/Video Playback via USB and DLNA®

BDP-S570 Blu-ray Disc™ Player
Available this spring
• BRAVIA® Monolithic Design
• Full HD 1080p single-disc Blu-ray disc™, DVD, SA-CD, CD player
• BRAVIA® Internet Video and BD-LIVE™
• IP Content Noise Reduction
• Built-in Wi-Fi® Wireless (802.11) with Wi-Fi® Protected Setup (WAP)
• Entertainment Database Browser with Gracenote technology
• BD Remote (iPhone®/iPod touch® remote control – free app.)
• DVD upscaling to 1080p with Precision Cinema HD Upscaling
• Photo/Music/Video Playback via USB and DLNA
• Dolby® TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio™ decoding

BDP-S370 Blu-ray Disc™ Player
Available this spring
• BRAVIA® Monolithic Design
• Full HD 1080p single-disc Blu-ray disc™, DVD, SA-CD, CD player
• BRAVIA® Internet Video and BD-LIVE™
• Entertainment Database Browser with Gracenote technology
• Wi-Fi® Ready (USB wireless LAN adapter sold separately)
• DVD upscaling to 1080p with Precision Cinema HD Upscaling
• BD Remote (iPhone®/iPod touch® remote control – free app.)
• Photo/Music/Video Playback via USB and DLNA®
• Dolby® TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio™ decoding

And they've also got Blu-ray home theater systems:

BDV-HZ970W Blu-ray Disc™ Home Theater System
Available this summer
• Blu-ray 3D™ Playback
• BRAVIA® Monolithic Design
• 1000W Full HD 1080p Blu-ray disc™, DVD, CD, SA-CD 5.1 channel home theater system
• Integrated S-AIR® wireless rear speakers
• BRAVIA® Internet Video and BD-LIVE™
• Entertainment Database Browser with Gracenote technology
• Wi-Fi® Ready with included USB Wireless LAN adapter (802.11)
• BD Remote (iPhone®/iPod touch® remote control – free app.)
• Photo/Music/Video Playback via USB and DLNA®
• iPod® audio playback via USB
• Dolby® TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio™ decoding

BDV-E770W Blu-ray Disc™ Home Theater System
Available this spring
• BRAVIA® Monolithic Design
• 1000W Full HD 1080p Blu-ray disc™, DVD, CD, SA-CD 5.1 channel home theater system
• Integrated S-AIR® Wireless Rear Speaker
• BRAVIA® Internet Video and BD-LIVE™
• Entertainment Database Browser with Gracenote technology
• Wi-Fi® Ready with included USB Wireless LAN adapter (802.11)
• BD Remote (iPhone®/iPod touch® remote control – free app.)
• Photo/Music/Video Playback via USB and DLNA®
• iPod® audio playback via USB
• DVD upscaling to 1080p with Precision Cinema HD Upscaling
• Dolby® TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio™ decoding

BDV-E570 Blu-ray Disc™ Home Theater System
Available this spring
• Monolithic Design
• 1000W Full HD 1080p Blu-ray disc™, DVD, CD, SA-CD 5.1 channel home theater system
• S-AIR® ready for wireless rear and wireless multi-room speakers (sold separately)
• BRAVIA® Internet Video and BD-LIVE™
• Entertainment Database Browser with Gracenote technology
• Wi-Fi® Ready with included USB Wireless LAN adapter (802.11)
• BD Remote (iPhone®/iPod touch® remote control – free app.)
• Photo/Music/Video Playback via USB and DLNA®
• iPod® audio playback via USB
• DVD upscaling to 1080p with Precision Cinema HD Upscaling
• Dolby® TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio™ decoding

The thinness (it's as skinny as a pencil) is achieved by shoving lots of guts into the pedestal, which doubles as a wall mount. The set can convert 2D content into 3D, although I'm sure of dubious quality. The remote looks rather Apple-ish in UI, but it can show you, as I said before, content from other sources, like live TV while watching a Blu-ray on the big screen. It has 240Hz tech, which we've never noticed as important in image quality, but it's there (needed for 3D). No word on sizes or prices, yet. There's Samsung app support, but platforms like these are never really well supported. The frame is very shiny.

The rest:

8000 Series: Not as thin as the C9000, it uses edge lit technology and has what Samsung claims is the advantage of backlighting with localized dimming. 240Hz. No prices or sizes. 3D, and treatment to upconvert 2D to 3D. Samsung apps.

7000 Series: No edgelit with localized dimming advantages as in the 8000. 240Hz. No prices or sizes. 3D, and treatment to upconvert 2D to 3D. Samsung apps. "Touch of Color" translucent frame from last year, with a new 4 legged stand.

6500 Series: 120Hz, "touch of color" finish. DLNA streaming capabilities. Apps. No 3D. No prices or sizes. Coming the first half of 2010, unlike the above which are coming in "2010".
5000 Series: Focus on low power usage, including a low power monitor. DLNA, and USB port media playback.

You can send photos through email, or to Facebook, YouTube and Picasa over Wi-Fi, though it crushes the photos down to 2 megapixels. Same story with beaming them using Bluetooth 2.0: resolution's cut to 1024x768. Besides Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, it's got HDMI and DLNA support, so it should just work with other DLNA stuff.

A possibly interesting note is that Samsung says that the CL80 and its crummier brother, the TL240, are the first ever products made using hydro-forming, which supposedly "allows for greater flexibility during the design process and gives manufacturers the ability to produce smoother silhouettes, seamless bonding, and higher quality surfaces." Mmmmmhmmmm.

SAMSUNG MAXIMIZES STYLE AND TECHNOLOGY WITH THE CL80 AND TL240

Ultra Stylish and Thin, CL80 Offers AMOLED Touch-Screen and Wireless Connectivity

Las Vegas, NV (January 6, 2010) - Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today unveiled the CL80 and TL240, a pair of stylish, 14.2 mega-pixel digital cameras that are fully loaded with an array of impressive features that truly enhance the digital imaging experience for consumers. Highlighted by ergonomic and elegant designs, the new Samsung CL80 and TL240 are ideal for the consumeron-the-go looking for a camera that can do it all. The CL80 adds even more great functionality with the integration of Wi-Fi* connectivity and a 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED touch screen, while the TL240 features an impressive 3.5-inch touch screen. Also, the CL80 has received a 2010 CES Innovation Award. The CL80 and TL240 will be on display during the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show, January 7-10, 2010, in the Samsung booth #11026 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
"Consumers are looking for that great all-in-one camera – a digital camera that takes great pictures, is visually appealing, and provides a wealth of features to ensure a great image or video every time," said Mr. SJ Park, CEO of Samsung Digital Imaging Company. "The CL80 and TL240 deliver on that need for consumers to have a camera that does it all, and in the case of the CL80 we've taken it even a step further by providing several connectivity options to share those photos and videos on the go."

Appealing Design Adds to Ease-of-Use
Samsung's design engineers were able to produce one of the most remarkable camera designs in the industry with the help of hydro-forming technology for the CL80 and TL240. Hydro-forming allows for greater flexibility during the design process and gives manufacturers the ability to produce smoother silhouettes, seamless bonding, and higher quality surfaces. The CL80 and the TL240 are the first consumer electronic products ever to be manufactured using hydro-forming technology.
Despite their svelte 0.77-inch stainless-steel frames, the CL80 and the TL240 house impressive SchneiderKREUZNACH lenses which boast a design inspired by the mirror-writings of Leonardo da Vinci. When powered up, the cameras' lens barrels extend and the lens specifications, including focal length and speed, appear with a hidden color accent in the concave reflective ring that surrounds each lens. These specifications are inscribed in reverse on the cameras' lens barrels and disappear when the lens naturally retracts into the camera body. The distinctive design makes an immediate and lasting impression.
The Samsung CL80 and TL240 are also highlighted by a slanted design, which places the back of the camera at a seven degree angle. This subtle design accent proves to be extremely useful for consumers who are interested in taking self-portraits and group shots. The issue that many consumers face when taking self-portraits or group shots with traditional digital cameras is that the camera must be positioned much higher than the subjects in order to capture the complete image. Thanks to the seven degree angling of the CL80 and TL240, the lenses will always be pointed at the subjects' faces even if the camera is positioned at a lower angle. Furthermore, unlike traditional shutter buttons which sit flat on top of the camera, the CL80 and TL240 offer slanted shutter buttons which make the cameras more comfortable to hold and operate.

Wireless Connectivity
The CL80 allows consumers to share their video and photos on the go without being tethered to their laptops or home PCs thanks to its wireless connectivity options, which include Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi and DLNA. Using an available Wi-Fi connection, users can send a digital image to any email address using the camera's touchscreen QWERTY keypad or selecting those stored the camera's address book. Users can also utilize the QWERTY keypad to include text within the body of the email. The CL80's WiFi connection also allows users to upload their images directly to popular websites such as Facebook®, Picasa™ and YouTube®, as well as SamsungImaging.com.
The CL80 also includes Samsung's AllShare feature, which allows consumers to share content, including photos and videos, with other DLNA certified devices such as HDTVs and digital photo frames. This gives the CL80 user a seamless way to wirelessly transfer 720p HD video in addition to digital still images. To maximize speed and efficiency, all images transferred through Wi-Fi will be reduced to a resolution of two mega-pixels.
Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity is also included in the CL80, allowing users to share and transfer photos directly with Bluetooth 2.0 compatible mobile phones. When using Bluetooth 2.0, the CL80 will automatically resize the digital image to a resolution of 1024x768 (1MB).

Smart Gesture Touch-Screen User Interface
The Samsung CL80 incorporates an impressive 3.7-inch wide WVGA AMOLED screen, while the TL240 features a 3.5" touch screen TFT LCD. Both cameras' massive displays house Samsung's Smart Gesture touchscreen user interface which is complimented by an internal Gravity sensor for added easeofuse. Smart Gesture is one of the most advanced and accurate touch-screen user interfaces on the market, and it gives users the ability to access and use key features with either a simple tilt or a hand gesture. The Smart Gesture adds a level of fun to the way users interact with and enjoy their content, allowing them to quickly scroll through their photos with a swipe of their finger or by slightly tilting the camera in either direction. Users can also easily delete photos from their library using Smart Gesture by marking an "X" on the screen with their finger, or rotate an image by drawing a circle (O) on the screen.
Smart Gesture UI also offers useful auto-focusing options such as object tracking and one-touch auto focusing. Object tracking enables users to focus on any area by touching the location on the screen with their fingertip. Once the object or location is selected, the cameras will lock and keep their focus on the subject even if it's moving within the frame. Users can also proceed to take that photo by continuing to hold the location with their finger for two seconds, thanks to the cameras' one-touch auto focusing capabilities.

Powerful Optical Zoom
The CL80 and the TL240 offer powerful 7x optical zooms on the high-performance, oversized SchneiderKREUZNACH lenses. To help reduce blur, these impressive lenses are paired with Samsung's Dual Image Stabilization technology, which combines both optical and digital stabilizers to counteract the negative effects of a user's shaky hand. End-users can also take advantage of the cameras' 7x optical zooms and optical image stabilization while recording video. Both the CL80 and the TL240 offer 720p HD video recording at 30 frames-per-second in H.264 format. The cameras also come complete with built-in HDMI connectivity, giving users the ability to effortlessly view their HD video and digital still images on an HDTV or HD monitor.

Smart Features
The new Samsung CL80 and TL240 also make it easier than ever for consumers to capture the perfect shot thanks to Samsung's Smart Auto 2.0 (Still & Movie) scene recognition technology. Smart Auto 2.0 technology will automatically recognize the user's current shooting environment and select the appropriate settings to achieve the best results possible. Additionally, Samsung's Smart Auto 2.0 scene recognition technology can also be used to record video, producing the highestquality footage and results no matter where consumers will be using the cameras.

The S16's got 64GB of internal storage plus SD card; the S15's got 32GB plus SD; and the S10 is straight up SD. Also, the S10's lacking Wi-Fi. No price but they're shipping later this year.

The less-good H series still rolls with the touchscreens and promises similar low-light excellence, but sans Wi-Fi.

SAMSUNG ADDS WI-FI CONNECTIVITY TO S-SERIES CAMCORDERS

New S-Series Camcorders are the World's First to Offer Built-In Wi-Fi and DLNA Connectivity

Las Vegas, NV (January 6, 2010) – Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a market leader and awardwinning innovator in consumer electronics, today introduced its new S-Series of fullHD digital camcorders, the world's first to include built-in Wi-Fi and DLNA connectivity. Comprising three new models, the HMX-S10, HMX-S15 and HMX-S16, the new SSeries are also the highest performing full-HD camcorders in Samsung's history. All three new camcorders incorporate Samsung's proprietary new Victoria Engine processor and a cutting-edge 1/2.3inch BSI (Back Side Illumination) CMOS imaging sensor which combine to yield outstanding image quality and low-light performance. The HMX-S10, HMX-S15 and HMX-S16 will be on display during the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show, January 7-10, 2010, in the Samsung booth #11026 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

"The ability to effortlessly share memories and content with others is becoming more important for consumers," said Mr. SangRyong Kim, Senior Vice President of Camcorder Team, Samsung Electronics. "Now, for the very first time consumers can record and immediately share content with others without having to worry about fumbling for wires or cables with Samsung's new S-Series camcorders. From the point of capture to display, the S-Series camcorders take the video recording experience to a whole new level."

Wi-Fi & DLNA Connectivity
The new Samsung HMX-S15 and HMX-S16 are the world's first to offer both built-in WiFi and DLNA connectivity. The HMX-S15 and HMX-S16 feature Samsung AllShare, which allows consumers to easily access, manage and share content including their full-HD videos across other DLNA certified devices. With the integrated Wi-Fi connectivity, consumers can now forego having to connect any cables to enjoy their HD video or digital still images in amazing clarity on their HDTV or computer. Consumers can also take advantage of built-in HDMI connectivity to view their content on devices that may not be DLNA certified simply by connecting to the source via an HDMI cable.

Powerful Schneider Optics and 3.5-inch Touch-Screen LCDs
Samsung's S-Series incorporate world renowned Schneider optics. Each S-Series camcorder boasts a powerful Schneider Kreuznach Varioplan-HD lens with Samsung's 18x IntelliZoom. Significantly more reliable than a standard digital zoom which negatively affects the quality of the image, Samsung's new Intelli-Zoom allows users to go beyond the camcorders' 15x optical zooms without sacrificing image quality. The S-Series' Kreuznach Varioplan-HD lenses are also paired with Optical Stabilization to help reduce image blur and shaky video, which can be especially helpful when using the camcorders' full optical zooms. The Samsung SSeries camcorders also enhance the user experience with large 3.5-inch wide touch-screen LCDs which house a 3D graphic user interface (GUI). The ultra-bright, swiveling, WVGA LCDs and GUI not only offer fascinating visual effects but grant users uncomplicated, intuitive and easy access to all of the camcorders' advanced functions.

Innovative New Video Processor and CMOS Sensor
Samsung's full-HD S-Series camcorders are highlighted by a revolutionary new BSI CMOS imaging sensor designed to absorb more light than other conventional sensors and deliver unprecedented low-light performance. The new BSI CMOS sensor is further enhanced by Samsung's proprietary new Victoria Engine video processor designed specifically to optimize performance of HD camcorders. Samsung's new Victoria Engine video processor offers a 3D noise reduction filter that efficiently suppresses noise while preserving details and edges resulting in crisp video and still image quality. The Victoria Engine also expands the range of color expression and improves video quality with the help of other video processing modules such as contrast, white tone and color tone enhancement. Amazingly, despite all of its advanced features, the Victoria Engine draws a minimal amount of power thanks to 45 nano chip fabrication technology, drastically extending the camcorders' battery life to more than two hours.

Samsung's SSD Technology
Samsung's S-Series camcorders utilize internal Solid State Drives (SSD), which offer a substantial advantage over Hard Disk Drives (HDD) in digital camcorders. First introduced in Samsung's full-HD H-Series camcorders, SSD technology provides consumers with better performance and greater durability than other forms of internal memory. In comparison to HDD, Samsung's SSD technology is more lightweight and compact, operates silently with very low heat emission, and features no moving parts, which significantly reduces overall power consumption and enhances reliability. The absence of moving parts makes SSD technology more durable and resistant to shock and vibrations, which pose a considerable threat to the performance of HDDbased digital camcorders. Additionally, Samsung's SSD technology is faster than HDD, including quicker boot-up and read/write speeds which is required for the amount of data recorded in fullHD resolution. Samsung's HMX-S16 offers an internal 64GB SSD while the HMXS15 offers an internal 32GB SSD. Both camcorders also allow consumers to expand memory capacity using an SD/SDHC memory card. The HMXS10 does not feature internal SSD memory and requires the use of a SD/SDHC memory card.

Unique Features
The S-Series camcorders offer a variety of unique features such as a flash to help capture 10 mega-pixel digital still images, storyboard printing and the ability to shoot in superslow motion with speeds of 300 fps at a resolution of 368x208 and 600 fps at a resolution of 192x112. The SSeries camcorders also are equipped with high-definition time lapse recording, which gives consumers the ability to truly experiment with their creativity. When shooting in the time lapse recording mode, the camcorder will record a single image at an interval pre-selected by the user, either one, three, five, 10, 15, or 30 seconds, and will save each image as one single movie file.

SAMSUNG INTRODUCES FOUR NEW H-SERIES FULL-HD CAMCORDERS

New H-Series Camcorders Deliver Advanced Features and Competitive Pricing

Las Vegas, NV (January 6, 2010) – Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a market leader and awardwinning innovator in consumer electronics, today introduced four new full-HD digital camcorders, the HMX-H200, HMX-203, HMX-H204 and HMX-H205. Each of these new camcorders boasts an impressive list of advanced features, offering unparalleled value to consumers looking to experience high-quality, full-HD video recording at a competitive price. The HMX-H200, HMX-203, HMX-H204 and HMX-H205 will be on display during the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show, January 7-10, 2010, in the Samsung booth #11026 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
"Consumers want the ability to capture family events – birthday parties, football games, graduations, and more – with the utmost detail and clarity, but full-HD video recording has come at a price premium in the past," said Mr. SangRyong Kim, Senior Vice President of Camcorder Team, Samsung Electronics. "Samsung's H-Series camcorders give consumers the ability to capture life in full-HD with a wealth of functionality, features, and performance, all at an affordable price."
All four new H-Series camcorders feature Samsung's revolutionary new BSI CMOS imaging sensor. Designed to absorb more light than other conventional sensors and deliver unprecedented low-light performance, the BSI CMOS sensor sets new standards for performance and image quality, particularly among entry-level camcorders.
Solid State Drives
Samsung's new H-Series camcorders offer high-performance internal memory that utilizes Samsung's Solid State Drives (SSD), which offer a substantial advantage over the use of Hard Disk Drives (HDD) in a digital camcorder. SSD technology provides consumers with higher performing and more durable internal memory. In comparison to HDD, Samsung's SSD technology is more lightweight and compact, operates silently with very low heat emission, and features no moving parts, which significantly reduces overall power consumption and enhances reliability. The lower power consumption of the H-Series' SSD technology translates into an impressive battery life of approximately two hours.
No moving parts also make SSD technology more durable and resistant to shock and vibrations, which pose a considerable threat to the performance of HDD based digital camcorders. Additionally, Samsung's SSD technology is faster than HDD, including quicker bootup and read/write speeds which are required for the amount of data recorded in full-HD resolution. The internal SSD configurations available on Samsung's new H-Series full-HD camcorders include a 32GB SSD in the HMX-H205, a 16GB SSD in the HMX-H204, and an 8GB SSD in the HMX-H203. Each camcorder's memory capacity can also be expanded using an SD/SDHC memory card. The HMXH200 does not feature internal SSD memory and requires the use of a SD/SDHC memory card.

Powerful Optics and Touch-Screen LCD
Samsung's new H-Series full-HD camcorders feature an impressive 37mm wideangle lens, which offers consumers a versatile 20x optical zoom. Unlike other camcorders offering a typical angle of view of 40~50mm, the H-Series' 37mm wide-angle Samsung lens allows users to fit more of their desired scene into the frame, making the camcorder ideal for recording large groups of family or friends, breathtaking landscapes or even capturing all the action at sporting events.
The H-Series' lenses are further enhanced with Optical Image Stabilization to help reduce image blur and shaky video, which can be especially helpful when using the camcorders' full optical zooms. Samsung's Smart Optical Image Stabilization is superior to image stabilizing technologies found in other camcorders, as it reduces shake and blur across a wider portion of the image frame and produces higher quality images as a result. A 2.7-inch wide, swiveling, touch-screen LCD boasts a 230K-pixel resolution and adds to the user experience by giving consumers uncomplicated and easy access to all of the camcorders' various controls and settings.

Unique Features
The new HMX-H205, HMX-H204, HMX-H203 and HMX-H200 are also loaded with a range of unique features such as the ability to capture high-quality 4.7 mega-pixel digital still images, Smart Auto mode, which automatically selects the appropriate scene mode which will produce the best results possible for the user's shooting scenario, as well as time lapse recording, an innovative setting which will give end-users the ability to take their creativity to a whole new level. When using the camcorders' time lapse mode, consumers can program the new H-Series camcorders to record a single image at intervals of one, three or five seconds, and then save each image as one single movie file (720p resolution).

mat

Best for lowlight

Canon PowerShot S90 ($400)

The camera of the moment, the popular PowerShot S90 is a small but perfectly formed compact for the keen photographer. Concentrating on image quality rather than simply joining in the megapixel race (just like Sony's TX1 / WX1 models), the S90 offers DSLR-like results in a pocketable device, making it the perfect second camera for any self-respecting DSLR owner. A sensible resolution of 10 megapixels and fast zoom lens make the S90 an excellent choice when the lighting drops. This is one camera that you carry everywhere and still achieve breath-taking photos that will look great on your wall. [Review]

Best bang for your buck

Samsung HZ15W ($250)

Samsung can always be relied upon to deliver more for less, and the HZ15W is certainly no different. The HZ15W can't quite match every feature that its main rivals offer, but it does cost a lot less than them. With an amazingly versatile 10x zoom lens, high-definition video and a wealth of beginner-friendly modes, this well-designed camera is simple to use yet offers enough features and quality to satisfy more experienced photographers. The HZ15W could well be the only camera that you ever need. [Review]

Best video/still crossover

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 ($400)

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 is not only one of the best video compacts on the market, it's also one of the best cameras full stop. Support for the AVCHD Lite format almost doubles the recording time, albeit at the expense of editing ease. The dedicated Record button, stereo microphone, wind cut function and audio sampling at 48kHz combine to make the TZ7 a star performer for moving images. It's also a fantastic stills camera too, with an incredibly versatile 12x zoom and top-notch image quality - a great do-it-all, carry-everywhere device. [Review]

Best super slim model

Sony TX1 ($300)

Sony has long ruled the roost in the "it's so slim you can barely see it" category, and the desirable TX1 continues that tradition. Combining a sturdy yet stylish metal body, clever sliding front plate and impressive folded lens optics in a frame that's just 14.1mm thick, the TX1 still manages to pack in a 4x zoom lens and 3-inch touch-sensitive rear screen. You also get the added bonus of Sony's impressive "Exmor R" back-illuminated CMOS image sensor, which greatly improves low-light performance. Available in a variety of attractive colors to match your personality, the TX1 is guaranteed to look as good as you. [Review]

Best wet and rugged

Pentax Optio W80 ($210)

Ed note: Brian Lam reviewed most every rugged camera under the sun last summer, and his favorite all around performer went to the Pentax W80, a Jack-of-all-trades rugged cam featuring a 5x internal zoom lens. Its picture quality doesn't compete with the best point and shoots, and the W80 can only be dropped from around 3 feet, but it can go underwater up to 16 feet and function in temperatures down to 14 degrees. [Review]

There are obviously a lot of other great cameras this year for every budget and level of experience. See all of Photography Blog's camera reviews here (http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/).

Mark Goldstein is the Editor of Photography Blog. Photography Blog has been independently reviewing cameras and reporting photography news since 2003.

Toshiba mini NB205

Starting Price: $399.99 ($382.36 now at Amazon)
If you're going to be staring at a 10-inch screen for hours on end you deserve a design that doesn't feel claustrophobic, and the 3-pound NB205 delivers with the biggest touchpad in its class and a spacious chiclet-style keyboard. This netbook doesn't look cheap either, thanks to the textured lid and slick color options (black, white, pink, blue or brown). We're not fans of Windows 7 Crippled Edition, but the NB205's nearly 9 hours of battery life and 250GB hard drive make this $399 machine a great deal. [Review]

HP mini 311

Starting Price: $399
What a difference Nvidia graphics make. This Atom+Ion-powered netbook can not only handle mainstream games like World of Warcraft without breaking a sweat, it takes full advantage of Flash Player 10.1's hardware acceleration for dramatically smoother Hulu playback on the 11.6-inch screen (or bigger screen via HDMI). You can even edit video on this 3.2-pound powerhouse, which comes with a stylish HP Swirl pattern in black or white. If you care about longer battery life, get the cheaper Windows XP version.
[Windows XP Review] [Windows 7 Review]

Samsung N140

Starting Price: $384.99
Samsung made a splash last year with its first netbooks for the U.S., and the $399 N140 builds upon the success of the NC10 but modernizing the design, adding Windows 7 (though it's Starter), and beefing up the hard drive to 250GB. Available with a burgundy or blue lid and outlined with silver trim, this Atom machine performs like other netbooks but features a glare-free matte display and comfy keyboard. You also get decent audio courtesy of SRS Sound. [Review]

Mark Spoonauer is the editor-in-chief of Laptop Magazine and Laptopmag.com, which reviewed over 130 notebooks and netbooks during 2009. To see all of their top picks of the year, click here.

Under $400

Acer Aspire 1410

Starting Price: $399
This 3.2-pound ultraportable is such a sweet deal it makes us question whether netbooks are long for this world. Acer stuffed a dual-core Celeron processor (about double the performance of Atom), 2GB of RAM and Windows 7 Premium inside a 11.6-inch system with a full-size keyboard—all for just $399. Plus, you get 6.5 hours of battery life. Sure, the 160GB hard drive is a bit skimpy, but the 1410 is a real PC you can take anywhere. [Review]

Under $700

Gateway NV

Starting Price: $599.99
The NV proves that you can get a good-looking budget laptop that performs. In addition to four color choices (blue, brown, read, and black), this 15.6-inch notebook sports a fashionable metal hinge and glowing LED controls. Under the hood the NV satisfies with the combination of an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB hard drive. Our only nitpick is the narrow touchpad button. [Review]

Asus UL30A

Starting Price: $649.99
If we had to pick a notebook of the year, the UL30A would be it. Why? Because this 13 incher is light enough to take anywhere yet offers enough pep to be your primary machine. This 4-pound ultraportable lasted nearly 10 hours on a charge in our tests (continuous surfing over Wi-Fi), and its ultra-low voltage Core 2 Duo processor can easily handle Windows 7. Bonus: 500GB of storage is nice for the $650 price. [Review]

Under $1000

Dell Studio 14z

Starting Price: $749.99
Think of it as the poor man's MacBook—with better specs and sound. Dell's 14-inch thin and light notebook weighs in at just 4.4 pounds and features Nvidia 9400 graphics for extra multimedia punch. But unlike the entry level $999 Mac, the Dell offers 70GB more hard drive space, superior speakers, and a backlit keyboard for $160 less. The only trade-offs are the lack of a DVD drive and the need for an adapter for plugging in memory cards. [Review]

Under $1500

Toshiba Qosmio X505

Starting Price : $1399
Ideal for multimedia mavens and good enough for gamers, the 18.4-inch Qosmio X505 brings serious muscle in the $1,499 configuration, including a blazing Core i7 CPU and Nvidia GTS 250M graphics (with 1 GB of dedicated video memory). We also dig the classy glossy black design with metallic red accents, integrated Blu-ray drive, and booming Harman Kardon speakers. If you want to step up from the 1680 x 945 display to a full HD screen, splurge for the $1,899 model, which also sports 6GB of RAM and an SSD. [Review]

ThinkPad T400s

Starting Price: $1599 ($1359.15 after coupon)
If BMWs are the ultimate driving machines, ThinkPads are the ultimate business machines, and this is the flagship vehicle. The T400s measures just 0.8 inches thick and weighs 3.9 pounds, and it's decked out in supersturdy magnesium (for the bottom and deck) and carbon fiber (for the lid). More important, this 14-incher blows away the competition in terms of ergonomic comfort and performance—when you spring for the 2.53-GHz processor and 128GB solid state drive. [Review]

To see all of Laptop's top picks of the year, click here.

Flip MinoHD

Don't be confused by imposters: the ultracompact Flip camcorder is still the hot girl that everyone either wants to have or wants to be. At $230, the second-generation MinoHD is more expensive than all those Flip clones, but you get what you pay for. It's sleek and stylish—especially when you can design your own—and has decent video quality (for a tiny, trendy camcorder). Most importantly, it's so easy to use that your granny could make herself the next YouTube star. [Review]

Note: Gizmodo actually preferred Flip's Ultra HD, but only because it's substantially cheaper than the MinoHD. More on that in our mini cam Battlemodo.

JVC Everio GZ-HM200

The JVC Everio GZ-HM200 doesn't exactly roll off the tip of your tongue, but for just $580, it might roll its way into your heart. It can't quite compete with the big dogs in our testing labs, but its digital image stabilization is surprisingly effective and the color accuracy left us slack-jawed. The HM200 is also small, easy to use, and has decent options if you want a little control over your video. And we just love having two SDHC memory card slots. [Review]

Canon Vixia HF20

The Canon Vixia HF20 is all about getting the complete package. It lacks the huge lens and high resolution of its big brothers, but it does have the sexy interface and powerful performance we've come to expect from a Canon camcorder. At $800, you're definitely paying for that clear, sharp video and fantastic design. The HF20 is for people that want to save a little cash, but still want to own the cool toys. [Review]

Panasonic HDC-TM300

If you're spending over a grand on a consumer camcorder, it's pretty hard to go wrong. But this year's Panasonics are the crème de la crème. They've got great auto features, are stuffed full of manual controls, and are smoking hot performers in low light. The TM300 (Panasonic's 32GB flash memory model) feels like it was personally sculpted for your hand—and at $1300, it won't break the bank. [Review]

There are obviously a lot of other great camcorders this year—for every budget and level of experience. Read all of CamcorderInfo's picks for the 2009 Select Awards here.

Kaitlyn Chantry is the editor-in-chief of CamcorderInfo.com. She has reported on and reviewed everything from video games to coffee cups. CamcorderInfo has been using scientific lab testing and comparative analysis to provide consumers with comprehensive, unbiased camcorder reviews since 1997.

The Old Champs

If you remember the HD media player battlemodo, I awarded WDTV Live and Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ the two top spots. The WD is still best for people who want a smooth interface and a hopefully increasing number of online services for streamed media. (YouTube and Pandora now, who knows what else?) It's actually the Seagate that gets KO'd by Asus.

The New Buttkicker

More functional than frilly, both the O!Play and the Theater+ handle every video file I could throw their way, they both read Mac- and PC-formatted drives, they both browse the local network well, they both read DVD menus from ripped ISO files, they both have superb video output—and they both suffer from having stupid punctuation characters in their name. But one costs $30 less than the other, according to Amazon's current prices. Not only is the O!Play cheaper, but its second USB jack is also an eSATA port which might come in handy when you start getting 1080p rips of all your favorite movies, and it has a file-copy function that lets you dump stuff from one drive to another, or to drives on the network.

I had only one major complaint with the Asus: Every time I watched a video ripped from DVD, it showed chapter numbers in a big white font for an extended period, about 15 seconds. Not only did pushing every single button I could think of not help this, but I couldn't even advance from one chapter to another by using the skip-forward button, so why do I need to know what chapter it is in the first place? A shame, but probably a bug that can be fixed really easily.

The Final Score

As I said in the battlemodo:

• If you want a full-on pirate kit, with torrent client built-in and everything, go with the Popcorn Hour (or the cheaper, quirky Patriot Box Office).
• If you want something with a nice interface and Pandora streaming music, go with WDTV.
• If you're choosing something to work with your iTunes collection of music and video, or something for your parents, probably still better to pick Apple TV—and tell them to buy or rent all their videos.

But if you want something that can play a ton of home-ripped video, or stuff you've acquired in some other high-bandwidth way, Asus is a better deal than Seagate—just as tough to stump in my battery of file format tests, with a few extra nice features. That's my best and final recommendation for HD video file playback—at least until Roku figures out what the USB jack on the HD-XR is really for. [Asus]

Great price for a high-def HDMI video player

Plays every video file I could throw at it, including DivX 7 MKVs, high-def H.264, even obscure home movies from out-of-date cameras

A bit larger than some products out there, but not by much

No streaming internet services

Annoying bug that shows chapter numbers in a large white font as you watch movies ripped from DVD

The Price

$180 (technically $200, but Amazon sells 'em cheaper)

The History

Read our X4 review if you've never heard of these products before. This article will make a lot more sense.

The Improvements

• 2.4GHz RF instead of IR audio transmission
• USB powered instead of wall jack
• Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound instead of Dolby 5.1

I was skeptical that the Ear Force X41 would be any better than the Ear Force X4. But after using the headset for a week, I'm remiss to return to the X4s I bought last year.

Quite simply, the audio is more consistently clear with the new RF transmission, now that line-of-site and ambient light has become a non-factor. And I think that overall audio quality, while the speaker components themselves remain unchanged, has seen a bump because of this cleaner signal. (For those concerned, I was able to use the headset without interfering with my Xbox's Wi-Fi adapter or my home network—the primary potential hiccup with using RF instead of IR. Results may vary, I'm sure.)

As for the jump from Dolby 5.1 to 7.1 support, you probably won't ever notice. Playing Modern Warfare 2, missiles fly by your head with impressive panning, but the sound localization is no better than it was in the X4s...though to be fair, that's not necessarily a knock, even if the audio lacks the shining moments you'll enjoy in the best surround sound headphones offered by companies like Sony.
Oh, and the headset still requires AAAs as opposed to bundling a rechargeable lithium ion. I will say, however, that the batteries I tested with have broken the 10-hour barrier by a decent margin, and they're still operational.

As a wireless, surround sound headset for the Xbox 360, the X41 is at the top of its class (at least partially because it's still the only product in its class). If you're willing to go wired, you can save about $100+ on a cheaper version of the Ear Force, or you can take a look at the even more expensive but lauded Astro A40s.

In fact, if you guys are interested, let me know in the comments. I may try to call in a pair of those Astros in to hear for myself. [Turtle Beach]

Comfortable

Superb chat quality

RF offers smooth audio transmission

Highly specialized but useful product

Overall audio quality is OK, not stellar

AAA batteries? C'mon!

Pocket camcorders (AKA mini cams or budget cams, or sometimes Flip cams after the pioneer of the category) are simple gadgets. They've got one job to do: Shoot watchable video, often for uploading to streaming video sites. They're also very close to the end of their lifespan, with perhaps only a year or so left before smartphones make them obsolete, but right now they're the easiest and cheapest way to take quick and dirty video. I tested seven of these diminutive camcorders, or more accurately six camcorders and one capable PMP, in five categories: Outdoor, indoor, low light, macro, and sound.

The criteria for judging fell mostly to smoothness of video during motion, image sharpness, noise, and color reproduction. Specs like storage capacity, screen size and battery life are mostly the same across the board, although overall, compared to last year, this crop of mini cams are faster and stronger, with beefed up memory and HD sensors. All save the iPod Nano take 720p video (or better) and add HDMI ports and more memory to accommodate the higher-quality footage. Yet I wasn't really all that thrilled with any of the camcorders—the bar for these cams is so low you could trip over it, and several of them actually did. Battery life was disappointing across the board, as none could break two hours of filming. Anyway, on to the results!

Results

Choosing between the Kodak Zi8, Flip Mino HD and Flip Ultra HD is tricky. The Zi8 is unreliable, but when it's good it's unbelievably good; the Mino HD is diminutive, solid and stylish, but overpriced and with lousy touch controls; and the Ultra HD is a reliably good shooter with a low price and the best controls of all, but physically unappealing (read: fat as hell). In my opinion, you should never judge a book by its obese cover, so the champion is...the Flip Ultra HD!

Flip Ultra HD: First Place

Flip's Ultra HD is the best overall choice. It's one of the cheapest cams around (at $150, it's $70 less than it's younger brother, the Mino HD), but it tied for the highest score in our lineup, and it features nice tactile controls that I much prefer to the sleeker Mino HD's touch-sensitive exercise in frustration. Unfortunately, the Dom DeLuise HD is upsettingly fat—about twice as thick as the Mino HD, but even that doesn't really get across how truly large it feels in the hand. It's not particularly heavy, but it is by a long shot the thickest pocket cam here. On the plus side, that girth hides a useful battery—Flip includes a rechargeable pack, but the John Candy HD can also use two AA batteries, which is great since pocket cams have generally abysmal battery life (usually about an hour, though of course they're often rated for double or triple that). Replaceable, cheap batteries are really nice, but some will have to decide whether the William Howard Taft HD's girth is worth that feature. Given its price, I think it is.

Video quality is just fine, above average if not particularly impressive on every test, and it, like the Mino HD, is extremely user-friendly. Although that simplicity yields less flexibility and a barebones feature set compared to the Kodak Zi8, it's a good distillation of the aims of pocket camcorders, and its 100% tactile controls are a welcome change from the Mino HD. If you're not superficial, it's a very smart buy.

Flip Mino HD: Second Place

Flip's Mino HD is the best-looking and best-feeling camcorder I tried. Its aluminum body feels solid and expensive, which might be because it is—at $230, it's the priciest camcorder I tested. But I wouldn't be surprised if it sells the best, even though it's not the greatest deal, because it looks (and is) simple, cute, and functional. I won't rehash my review, except to say that I hate those goddamn touch buttons more and more every time I use the Mino HD. They're incredibly sensitive and I guarantee that you will accidentally trigger the playback function more times than you can count.

Besides that, it's totally serviceable: It did well on all of my tests, it's thoughtfully designed and stupid-easy to use. But it's definitely overpriced, and I have a hard time recommending it over its physically awkward yet substantially cheaper older brother, the Ultra HD, just for its looks.

Kodak Zi8: Third Place

Wider and taller than the Flip Ultra HD, though not nearly as fat, the Zi8 packs a 1080p sensor and the largest and best screen of the bunch. The controls are easy and tactile and aside from flimsy-feeling plastic covers over the ports (one of mine already fell off), the hardware is high-quality. The Zi8 snagged the bronze medal, because while its highs were higher than either of the Flips, its lows were lower—and given how focused and simple this type of gadget is, reliability is worth more than flashing moments of greatness.

The Zi8 absolutely rocked in two of my tests, outdoor and macro, with perfect color reproduction and excellent clarity, and it even takes pretty decent still photos (think point-and-shoot circa 2006 quality). But the conditions need to be just right to get the most out of this guy—I first tried it in 1080p mode (neither of the Flips can break 720p) and while picture quality was amazing, scenes with lots of motion were pretty jerky to the point of being distracting. But even in 720p, it was still head-and-shoulders above the competition—but only in outdoor and macro testing. In the indoor test it proved to have difficulty focusing on objects closer than 10 feet but farther than 2 feet away, and low light shooting was distinctly tinted red and a bit dark. It wasn't unusable in any test (unlike the similarly uneven Creative Vado HD) and at $180 it's fairly priced, so I'd still recommend it—but you and I are likely to be more forgiving of the Zi8's flaws than, say, your mom, who just wants a camera that works pretty well all the time. For her, go for a Flip.

The Rest

The Creative Vado HD scored pretty high, only a point lower than the bronze medalist Kodak Zi8, but while its design is fairly middle-of-the-road (albeit nice and teeny), its abilities were all over the place. It was one of the worst in standard daytime shooting (it has a hard time with sunlight, a serious problem for a pocket cam) and macro, but was the best at indoor, and while its low light video was a little dark, it was the clearest and smoothest of the lot. It also, likely due to Creative's background in stellar-sounding PMPs and sound cards, boasts excellent sound quality. At $150, it's very fairly priced, but I can't recommend a camcorder that mangles sunlight the way the Vado does.

Apple's iPod Nano is the only "camcorder" in this roundup to peak at VGA resolution, and aside from a surprisingly strong macro performance, it shows. It turned vibrant colors dull and lifeless, washed out detail and made everything seem darker than it was. It can't compete with the Zi8s and Flips of the world, but it's still usable and incredibly priced at $150/$180 for 8GB/16GB—if you've got a Nano already, you probably won't need a dedicated cam. Convergence killed the video star, I guess.

The JVC Picsio GC-FM1 sucked. It's spectacularly ugly (think Ed Hardy-inspired) and cheap-feeling, with a confusing button layout (unforgivable in a pocket cam) and a high price ($200, or $178 at Amazon). Besides all that, it scored poorly in every one of our tests. Avoid.

And finally, the worst—Aiptek's PenCam HD. I wanted to like it, I really did—it's got a tongue-depressor-like design and came with a sweet tripod that attaches to a bicycle's handlebars—but it bombed in almost every one of my tests. The 1.1-inch screen is nearly unusable and battery life barely topped 40 minutes, so it's definitely the loser here.

Here's a giant gallery of all 28 videos I took.

Don Nguyen assisted with this Battlemodo.

Eris is Verizon's other Droid phone. It really is a remodeled Hero, running Android 1.5 and HTC's vaunted Sense candy coating—documented CSI style here—a $200 phone stuffed inside a thinner $100 body, like a Corvette engine shoved inside a Saturn. It's admittedly less exciting than the titular Droid, an industrial beast running Android 2.0. But I have the feeling Verizon is gonna sell a lot more of these things, because, again, it's $100.

Designing for the Middle of the Road

The Eris is rubbery blob, a narrow oval that's as subdued as a phone could possibly be, but there is admittedly something comforting about the Eris's utter lack of personality—it's completely non-threatening, like a middle manager. It's so generic it's almost artful, actually, a design that is nearly perfect for a cheap phone.

The four main Android buttons are touch sensitive, bleeding into the black bezel, hovering over the dead-center trackball and hard chrome buttons for phone and end. I'd like a dedicated camera button, but a volume rocker is all we get. The camera lens stares out the back, disturbingly more reminiscent of an eye than most cameras sticking out the backs of phones, probably because of how stark the rest of the phone is.

Hardware and Camera

The actual guts and screen are the same as past Hero phones—which is to say, nearly the same as all of HTC's other Android phones so far. The 480x320 screen's still nice, even if it feels dated now that the Droid's massive screen, beckoning the next generation, looms large over it. Oh yeah, HTC? Can you get rid of your stupid, pointlessly different version of the mini USB port? Let's go to micro USB now, yeah?

The still camera's better than the Droid though, and about the same as the Sprint version of the Hero, performing pretty decently in low-light situations. Video, not so much:

Software and the Endgame

I've already covered HTC's Sense UI in depth, and it is the exact same on the Eris. It runs just as fast as the Sprint Hero, if not a teeny bit quicker. I will say that after using Android 2.0, it does feel like a step backward in some ways, mostly because of the single Google account limitation. But HTC's confirmed Android 2.0 is coming, so it won't be an issue for every long.

And really, the fact that Android 2.0—half the reason the Droid is excellent—is coming to the Droid Eris is why, in the end, it's such a steal. It's running on Verizon, it's going to have Android 2.0, and it's $100. It's a great phone now, and will be better still soon, making it kind of a perfect storm for people on Verizon looking to ditch their dumbphones—but not Verizon—for something more capable, but who are put off by the Droid, whether it's the steroids or the higher sticker price.

It's last month's darling. But it'll run this month's software. For cheap. And that's pretty spiffy, actually.

You're getting last month's killer Android phone for half price

We'll say it again: This is the best Android deal around

Android 1.5 feels a little dated

Video recording's not exactly amazing

What's New and Dandy

What makes it my favorite Canon so far is actually everything that's completely new to Canon—DP Review has a nice summary here, in pictures. But in short, while this might sound weird, it shoots more like a Nikon than any Canon DSLR I've used. This is primarily because of the new 19-point autofocus system and the color metering system that goes with it. You're able to select AF zones—clusters of AF points—while in the past with Canon you've been limited to a full AF blast or picking out a single point. The system is also more customizable, so it can be locked with different default focus points depending on whether you're holding the camera horizontally and vertically orientations. Against Nikon's D300s, Canon's new AF system mostly kept up, and definitely performs better than autofocus on the 5D Mark II.

The new viewfinder now provides 100 percent coverage, unlike previous Canons in this range, and it uses a new polymer LCD network for the graphical overlay to display AF points, grids and other displays, so it's more flexible and feels more fluid. (It also just looks swankier, and again, more Nikon-like.) Your other viewfinder (when you're shooting video, anyway), the LCD screen, is a 3-inch, 920k dot display like the 5D Mark II and it's still excellent, with a wide viewing angle, nice color and the right amount of crispness.

Sensor and Image Quality

Truthfully, I've been mildly surprised at the quality of photos that've come out of the 7D, which uses an absolutely stuffed 18-megapixel, APS-C sized sensor. (So, there is a 1.6x crop factor.) For comparison, the D300s has a 12MP sensor that's the same physical size (Update: For nitpickers, yes, Nikon's DX format is marginally larger than Canon's APS-C sensor, with the D300s's sensor coming in at 23.6 x 15.8 mm to the 7D's 22.3 x 14.9 mm.) The the D3 only goes for 12 megapixels on its bigger full-frame (35mm-equivalent) sensor. The 5D Mark II has a 21MP full-frame sensor. And typically, the more pixels you try to cram on a sensor of a given size, the more the image quality degrades, especially when it comes to low light, high ISO shots.

I was expecting a noisefest, or at best, seriously noticeable noise reduction employed by the camera's software. It is clear that Canon's using incredibly sophisticated noise reduction algorithms with the dual Digic IV processors onboard, though the effects are less drastic than I expected. It's most apparent, actually, when you directly compare photos taken with the D300s. Looking at photos taken with the 7D and D300s at 100 percent crops, the D300s's images are noisier, but they also preserve more detail. For web-sized images, the 7D's images look better, with less noise and more smoothness.

I've got two sample galleries—an array of sample shots, and then another directly comparing the 7D with the D300s in low light situations, using identical settings for photos. 100 percent zooms follow photos in both galleries. Or you can download full size photos from Flickr here and here.

Video

You can get sense of Canon and Nikon's philosophical differences with the difference in their buttons for video: Canon makes a distinction between Live View and video mode, while Nikon is ready to start shooting video as soon you tap the live view button on the D300s. Creating video is a separate, dedicated event for Canon, in other words, and there is a semi-serious video camera that happens to be built into a DSLR. Nikon's D300s, on the other hand, is a DSLR that happens to shoot video.

With video, the 7D simply has the upper hand—video is very much a legitimized use of this camera, not a secondary one like the D300s. (As expected from a company with an entire wing dedicated to camcorders for pros and consumers.) Not only does it have full manual controls, I find that it's slightly easier to use that the D300s while shooting video—not to mention the whole shooting in a real video codec at 1080p, yadda yadda. Three clips here: A melange of video above, and then by two videos, one from the 7D, one of the D300s, that mirror each other. Both were shot at ISO 6400, and you should be able to catch them at full res if you click over to Vimeo.

Build and Controls

The 7D is heavy, heavier than the 5D, but it's also slightly sturdier, with a build quality and weatherproofing that that's slightly in between the 5D and Canon's definitely pro 1D. It feels about the same in your hand, though. And it's roughly comparable to the D300s.

Controls aren't radically different from other Canon DSLRs of this caliber—that is, it's what you'd mostly expect from a DSLR that sits in between the lower end 50D and the higher end 5DMkII, though it's a bit closer to the latter. While the menu system feels completely unchanged—leaving more advanced features, like the orientation autofocus a bit inscrutable—a few things are new on the outside: The power switch is up on the top left, under the mode dial; there's a dedicated button for switching to RAW/JPEG; a quick action button; and a new toggle switch for Live View and video, which you engage by pressing a start button in the center.

You Already Know If You're Going to Buy This

The real question for Canon users who want something more than the lower end 50D is whether they go for the 7D, at $1700, or full bore to full-frame with the $2700 5D Mark II. The 7D has a 1.6x crop factor which is useful for sports, a better autofocusing system, shoots faster, is slightly more rugged, and is $1000 cheaper. The 5D is full frame—which I suspect is the real consideration for folks—and takes slightly better photos at higher resolutions.

Obviously, if you're locked into Nikon, with thousands of dollars in lenses, you're not going to jump to Canon, or vice versa. But Canon's dedication to DSLR video is proving formidable in carving out a new kind of market that Nikon might have some trouble competing in, since they're a dedicated still camera company, not a video company, too, like Canon. Really, both the D300s and 7D deliver for the money, though I think the 7D delivers more, since it's packed full of newer technology and for the people who want it, the video component is truly killer. Either way, it's proof that competition is good—it clearly wouldn't exist without the D300, and the D400 will be that much better because of it.

New 19-point autofocus and metering systems plus the new viewfinder rock

Excellent 1080p video with full manual controls

Not full-frame, which might put off some people

I'd like a secondary SD card slot, like the D300s

Noise reduction can get pretty aggressive at higher ISO speeds, obscuring detail

BTW, here are some Giz posts shot w/ the 7D:
• Motorola Droid Impressions
• Motorola Droid Review
• Blood Energy Potion Review
• BlackBerry Storm 2 Review
• S90 Review

The goal here is simple: Play all the videos that I have ripped from DVD, downloaded from the web, shot with my own cameras or obtained in some other manner, no matter what the format. It sounds simple, but Apple TV can't do it. Neither can the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. Video codecs and containers are a nightmare to keep track of, and even more of a nightmare to convert.

This isn't about photos and music. Apple TV is better at both of those than any of this stuff. It's also not about renting movies or buying movies, or even streaming movies from Netflix. Roku has a nice cheap box for that, and Apple TV is suitable if you just want to live inside Steve Jobs' media store. This is about playing non-DRM movies, pure and simple.

The names might be familiar to you: The Popcorn Hour C-200 by Syabas is quickly gaining cult status (and has its own hacker wiki), while the other four smaller boxes come from brands you probably have experience with, including WD, Seagate, Netgear and Patriot. None have built-in wireless, but they all have Ethernet ports.

My two main tests were simple—I loaded PC and Mac formatted external hard drives with a variety of files ranging from H.264 MP4s to WMVs of several vintages, from raw AVCHD files in MTS wrappers to the hot new DivX 7 MKV. Then I browsed through my local network to a NAS that had a cache of similar files. Could I see them? Could I play them? These shouldn't be issues, but they're big issues.

Here's a rundown of each machine, and how they fared in testing:

As you can see, there were clear leaders given my criteria above, but what struck me was how each one differed. Truth is, depending on who you are, any one of these might be the best fit. Here's what really separates them:

WD TV Live - $150

I would have given this thing the solo spot at the top if it weren't for a few dings that might very well be fixed in a firmware update: It won't show you DVD menus on ripped DVD images, and when you play files with the suffix .m4v, it won't fast forward or rewind. Weird bug, and can be fixed if you just change .m4v to .mp4, but since that's the default file naming for Handbrake's "Apple TV" profile, it could be a problem for people, like me, who spent months ripping their entire DVD collection that way.

WD's strengths include a friendly user interface with handy video previews, some promising early online services (including Pandora), and the most reasonable photo and music handling I've seen in this cluster of gadgets.

Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ - $150

I loved this when I tested it a few weeks ago, despite its fugly interface, and it holds up under testing. It does better with ripped .ISO files than WD, doing both DVD menus and chapters (and it doesn't have that weird .m4v bug either). Video was better, especially when running 1080p content. And when it came to browsing my Linksys NAS in search of movies, it could reach more and read more than the WD.

The tradeoff is that the interface is bad, and there's almost nothing in the way of online services. It gets points for making an attempt at sorting music, and displaying photos, but if that's a priority, WD is the better call.

Popcorn Hour C-200 - $300

Hardcore AV nerds love this thing, and I understand why. There are more ways to get at video content than in any other set-top box I've ever seen, and if you really know how to hack, there's really not much it can't do.

It's a big ole thing—they call it a "network tank," and despite remind me of the far cooler ones in Tron, I get it. It has an internal BitTorrent client and you can plug in a Blu-ray drive, for God's sake. I found very few video formats that it wouldn't support (FLV was one) but I had to take major points off because for being so big, it has a lame interface, and it comes with an RF remote that only worked when I stood within 3 feet. They even mention that there might be problems with interference, and that if people experience that, they can buy the IR remote. Great, thanks.

My only question—and, commenters, it's not rhetorical—is why spend $300 on this (plus extra for the optional internal HDD and the IR remote) when you can just buy a home-theater PC?

Patriot Box Office - $130

This was the dark horse of the group, being a late entry by a company known only for computer memory. I was surprised at how well it held up. It actually could decode more tested formats than any other device in this lineup—it did Flash video (FLV), which the three above can't render. Only the WD and the Patriot show you video previews, too. As small as it is, there's a space for a 2.5" SATA drive in there, and even a BitTorrent client. You can copy files to and from different drives and the network, and it's the cheapest of the lot, at $130.

So why did it come in a distant 3rd? Unlike the three above, it can't read Mac formatted hard drives, and its video quality was noticeably the worst of the batch. That said, if you are a hacker sort and want something to play with that doesn't cost as much as Popcorn, set your sights on this.

Netgear Digital Entertainer Live

As you can probably tell by now, Netgear had the most disappointing box of the lineup, despite its Apple TV ripoff of a look and feel. Lack of Mac media support and the inability to read key file formats, like DivX 7 and AVCHD, meant it couldn't pass muster with real video fanatics. Its biggest point of woe was the fact that it didn't support any file over 720p in resolution—whether that's a software thing or a hardware thing, it's sure not future-proof, and probably best to stay away.

I also didn't like the fact that its interface is laid out entirely for retail, like an Apple TV without the panache, or a Roku box that costs more and doesn't do Netflix. Local files were not a priority, and despite the friendly interface, it doesn't even make an attempt to differentiate photos and music. I did give it a gold star for online services, but only because it had the most in this group—if online services are what you love, buy a Roku, or a TiVo, or an Xbox, or a friggin' Apple TV.

Still not sure what you're looking for, check the spec comparisons here:

Update: At the urging of many readers, I recently tested the Asus O!Play and found that it does all of the things the Seagate can do (except fit Seagate-branded FreeAgent drives inside), but at a lower cost—$100 vs $130 in today's pricing. If you have narrowed your options down to the Seagate, skip over to my Asus O!Play review before making your final decision.