BIOS: Technology Means Business

Video tapes suck, so we’re always keen to write about new Flash, HDD and optical disc-based camcorders. Toshiba’s new line of hard drive-based digital camcorders come with a relatively large storage capacity and media-free functionality.

Part of the company’s Gigastyle family of products, the Gigashot camcorders combine a high quality video camera with a still camera. With the capability of snapping digital photos while continuing to shoot video, Gigashot should make it exceedingly simple to catch those special moments in either still images or video.

Designed with convenience and ease-of-use in mind, and leveraging Toshiba’s renowned 1.8-inch hard drive, both Gigashot camcorders are relatively compact and use MPEG-2 video encoding for all video recordings. What this means is that you have extremely high quality video recording every time and the ability to burn to DVD quickly and easily without any reduction in resolution caused by the conversion of video formats.

The new Toshiba GSC-R30 (30GB) and GSC-R60 (60GB) models feature built-in 1.8-inch HDDs, 2.5-inch LCD screen (210k pixels), and a 2-Megapixel colour CCD sensor. Both models also come with an SD memory card slot.

In addition, both models offer an electronic image stabiliser to correct hand movement while filming and a gravity sensor for protection in case the camcorder unexpectedly falls to the ground. The GSC-R60 comes with a docking cradle that includes a USB port, Ethernet connectivity, an AC adaptor and an A/V output.

You can select from different bit rates (or quality settings) to suit your needs. Up to 13 hours of 9.6Mbit/s recording is possible for example using the 60GB GSC-R60 at its highest quality setting.

If you need more recording time at a still high quality video level (6Mbit/s) for example, up to 20 hours is possible (10 hours with the 30GB GSC-R30). With as much as up to 55 hours of recording time, there shouldn’t be a need to buy additional media. Unfortunately, both record in Standard Definition (640x480 pixels) and not HD.

Gigashot enhances transfer of content by including USB 2.0 and Ethernet /S-Video/AV interfaces. You can transfer content to your PC and selected Toshiba DVD recorders for playback and editing purposes, and in turn can save the content onto a hard disk drive or burn it on a DVD.

Toshiba’s Gigashot includes AC/DSEE and PowerProducer software. The bundled software allows ‘instant’ recognition of the camera, still image editing, video editing, DVD authoring and burning. It even offers a three-button burn to DVD option for the ultimate is simplicity.

Both models will be available later this month. The GSC-R30 will cost $799 (£458) and the GSC-R60 is $999 (£573).

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