JANUARY 2006 MA XIMUMPC 49
T
here’s an undeniable appeal to record-
ing directly to DVD discs. Unlike tape,
DVD offers random access, and you can
take a DVD-R disc right out of the camera
and drop it into your PC or DVD player.
Hitachi’s DZ-GX20A can also use DVD-
RAM discs, which are more problematic
from a compatibility standpoint. Plus, opti-
cal drives that support the DVD-RAM for-
mat are cheap and plentiful.
The biggest limitation to mini-optical
media is recording time: Each disc can
record a maximum of 18 minutes at the
highest quality setting (30 minutes in Fine
mode and 60 in Standard mode). And not
all video-editing programs are compatible
with the DVD-VR file format that Hitachi
uses. This is a minor problem because the
company bundles a simple DVD editing
program, DVD-MovieAlbumSE, that you
can use to re-encode your footage. It still
adds an extra step, however, if you’d prefer
to use a more fully featured program such
as Microsoft’s Movie Maker.
The DZ-GX20A is equipped with a
good-size 1/3.6-inch CCD that delivers
1.2 megapixels for video and 1.92 mega-
pixels for still images. This DV-cam per-
forms very well in low light—its Low Light
mode requires just 0.3 lux. You can switch
between 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios, but
don’t mistake this widescreen feature for
high definition—you won’t find that in any
camcorder in the DZ-GX20A’s price range.
The lens offers 10x optical zoom with
an effective image-stabilization feature and
a responsive auto focus, but Hitachi’s idea
of manual focus is a goofy
touch-sensitive but-
ton on the side of
the camcorder. We
found it impossible
to manually adjust
the focus without
jiggling the camera.
Manual focus belongs in
a ring around the lens. The
threaded lens barrel can accom-
modate filters, and Hitachi offers wide-
angle and telephoto lenses as optional
accessories.
The 2.5-inch LCD delivers a sharp
picture, but you can’t rely on it to dis-
cern critical details. The 0.2-inch color
viewfinder is even less useful. We
captured good-quality video with the
DZ-GX20A set to its lowest compres-
sion setting, but the comparably
priced MiniDV models we tested
delivered better image detail and
color saturation. Very light-colored
objects tended to bloom and lose
definition in bright light with the
Hitachi, and there were noticeable
motion artifacts and edge crawl.
The camera can record still
images at up to 1600x1200 resolu-
tion to either disc or an SD flash-
memory card inserted in the bottom
of the camera. There’s a built-in flash
for low-light conditions, but red-eye
mode is curiously lacking. Image
quality was above average—for a
camcorder. If you’re serious about
photography, however, you’ll want a
dedicated digital camera.
You can transfer video and pho-
tos to your PC via a front-mounted
USB 2.0 port, but the camera is
sorely lacking FireWire—a particularly
painful shortcoming if your DVD drive
doesn’t support DVD-RAM. There’s
no support for sending images
directly to a printer, either. And while
you can dub still images from a video
camera, camcorder, or VCR onto
the memory card or directly to the
DVD, Hitachi’s model doesn’t sup-
port the much more useful feature
of real-time A/V dubbing.
Hitachi’s DZ-GX20A is leagues
better than previous-generation DVD
cams, but we don’t believe sacrific-
ing image quality is an acceptable
trade-off for the convenience of
recording direct to disc.Hitachi
DZ-GX20A
Is recording directly to a DVD all that it’s
cracked up to be?SPECS
RECORDING DVD-R, DVD-RAM, SD
MEDIA memory card
LENS F1.8 - 2.2; 10x optical zoom;
electronic image stabilization
IMAGE SENSOR 1/3.6-inch CCD (1.23 million
pixels in movie mode; 1.92 mil-
lion pixels in still-image mode)
ASPECT RATIO 4:3 or 16:9
I/O PORTS USB 2.0, 1/8-inch stereo mic-
in, A/V out for TV
BATTERY LIFE 2:23 (hours:minutes)Discs are not as convenient as
they appear. A DVD-R must be
finalized in the camera; and
DVD-RAM isn’t universally com-
patible with DVD players or even
DVD disc drives.HITACHI DZ-GX20AED WOOD (THE MOVIE)ED WOOD (THE DIRECTOR)^6
Records directly to DVD-R
and DVD-RAM; excellent
battery life.Image quality is inferior to MiniDV;
recording format and media are
not universally compatible.
$1,000, http://www.hitachi.comHitachi’s DZ-GX20A can
record 30 minutes of video
directly to a 3-inch DVD-R
or DVD-RAM disc.