CeBIT 2008: Toshiba's Gigashot HD Camcorders

Toshiba is moving away from removable storage media with its new HD camcorders. Instead, the models of the Gigashot series record directly to an internal HDD.

Toshiba's flagship model, the A100F

Toshiba's new HDD-based camcorders of the Gigashot A and K series offer between 40 GB and 100 GB of recording capacity. The resolution of the CMOS modules varies as well, ranging from 1920 x 1080 to 1400 x 1080 to 1280 x 720, depending on the model. All Gigashots share the same 3" LC display,a quick-start feature, image stabilizer, 10x optical and 80x digital zoom as well as HDMI and component outputs. Although the new products will also feature an SD/SDHC interface for cards up to 8 GB, these are meant for storing images with a resolution of up to 2 megapixels.

The K-series looks to be the less expensive line, with the Gigashot K80H (80 GB HDD) costing about $1,200 and the K40H (40 GB HDD) coming in at around $1,000. Both can record interlaced MPEG-4/H.264 material at up to 1280 x 720 pixels.The A-series consists of the A100F ($1,800, 100 GB HDD) and the A40F ($1,500, 40 GB HDD), which can record interlaced MPEG-4/H-264 video at Full-HD resolution (1080i, 1920 x 1080 pixels.

According to Toshiba, the Gigashot camcorders will be available immediately.

You can find Toshiba at CeBIT in Hall 25 at stand D40

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