Apple-branded digital camcorder
I've read on MOSR that Apple will be releasing an Apple-branded digitial camcorder. I was planning on purchasing the Canon Z20 with my new iMac but am now wondering if I should wait to see what Apple will offer. I'm really just looking for a basic camcorder to make home movies (not those kind of movies). Does anyone have any thoughts/information on this?
Comments
<strong> I'm really just looking for a basic camcorder to make home movies (not those kind of movies). Does anyone have any thoughts/information on this?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yes...
"those" kinds of movies can be a lot of fun if you do it right. Just make sure you don't leave the tape out in the open with the rest of your videos, or worse yet, return them to Blockbuster. Oh and if you're going to burn one to DVD...oh oh oh....you meant thoughts/information on CAMCORDERS..not on "those" vidoes...woops, my bad. :eek:
Seriously though, I wouldn't put any faith in MOSR. Besides, if Apple DID release a camcorder you can be sure it would be great, but A LOT more expensive than the z20.
<a href="http://www.panasonic.co.jp/products/dvc/DIGICAM/av10/index.html"; target="_blank">http://www.panasonic.co.jp/products/dvc/DIGICAM/av10/index.html</a>;
It'll be in N.A. by March for $450
Sure it's limited by 640x480 digital photos, and probably not-so-great MPEG-4 video compresion, but it also plays MP3's and takes voice notes.. all on SD cards (now availaible up to 512MB) This thing wil store 30 minutes of video on a 64MB card! Perfect. I wonder if you can use the bluetooth SD card to stream video directly into your powerbook wirelessly... I spy with my remote eye...
Did I mention you can hid the thing behind a business card!!!!!!
This is what apple has to top in my books. They can too, by upgrading the iPod to 20GB, placing a colour screen and a lens. Also.. bluetooth is another option. Just throw your iPod into your bag and use the pen sized camera to stream video onto the iPod hard drive.
With less moving parts then a regular dv cam, it could very well be made at a reasonably size and price point.
What would be the benefits of such a camcorder over current tape based units?
1) Direct access to any part of the video recordings for on-cam playback.
2) Record over and over multiple times (dv tapes do degrade if you re-record on them)
3) No more expensive dv tapes
4) Lightning fast firewire transfer to host Mac for iMovie, FCPro editing
There are lots of other great reasons for such a device, although I am sure there would also be some negatives. But let's focus on the positive aspect for the platform.
Why Apple? Well, they already have the technology in place via Quicktime, iMovie, Firewire, MacOS, etc... Even a good sized portion of the digital video market is on the Apple camp.
Why compete in an already crowded digital camcorder consumer market? First of all, this would be a new technology, even more than the current iPod. To my knowledge, there are no HD based digital camcorders.
Perhaps Apple could just ask let's say Canon for their optics and analog/digital conversion side of the camera... apply their technologies for the digital hub thingie and make a huge entrance in the video arena.
A hd based digital camcorder is the next logical step. Apple can do it. Just imagine building clips in iMovie without having to wait searching on a current sequential access dv tape for your desired scene?
I think it has incredible potential.
Patent it and get a good head start on other would be copycats (MS). License it and generate other sources of income. Price it well and tie this thing to MacOS X and I am sure it would sell well and push the platform forward. Even the highend prosumer-news gathering market would love such a thing.
Not every house hold needs a portable mp3 player. But I guess most households with consumer computers would find something like this extremely enticing.
Just a thought.
:cool:
Now, a cool FireWire webcam MacOSX ready would be nice. Hey, maybe it could plug into iPod and be the first HD based digital camcorder. Now that's a niche.
Apple made iTunes and added iPod which equals success, no?
Apple made iMovie and iPhoto, why not capitalize from the many users of that software and the hopelessly addicted mac fans with an iCam/iFilm type of gadget.
People will come Ray, people will most definately come.
[ 01-25-2002: Message edited by: Macintosh ]</p>
This is what video cameras used to be like. My dad used to carry a BetaMAX camcorder which cam in two pieces. Apple would have to provide a sort of saddle-bag or belt clip though.
The problem with iCams and iCamcorders would be price. The iPod is borderline too expensive...these products would be more-so.
Apple used to make all sorts of devices, remember...The QuickTake, the Apple OneScanner, printers, etc...
What would this new apple device offer that isn't currently available ? Who would supply the optics - Canon ? How would they price it ? Can it only be used with the Apple software ? It would seem that a device of this type would be harder to do right, han a simple MP3 player.
<strong>
What would this new apple device offer that isn't currently available ? Who would supply the optics - Canon ? How would they price it ? Can it only be used with the Apple software ? It would seem that a device of this type would be harder to do right, han a simple MP3 player.</strong><hr></blockquote>
What does the current iPod offer that other MP3 players dont? Form factor, ease of use, and synchronization.
apple could realistically do the same with a Digital Camera.
<strong>Really ? Do you think Apple have the expertise to deliver a camcorder ? They would at least need to partner with someone in my opinion.</strong><hr></blockquote>
They had the expertise to deliver the PC as we know it today. Dude! Nevermind.
<img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />
[ 01-25-2002: Message edited by: Macintosh ]</p>
Personally I think there's a niche in this area. There are some cameras that do it, but none that do it well.
* I would say that the camera would use the RTOffline codec since it's smaller than DV, but iMovie can't use this right now. Perhaps iMovie 3 will.
The camera industry isn't 'the best place to be' right now. Polaroid just went bankrupt, and they had arguably one of the easiest ways to get pictures.
As for a camcorder, I think the market is already well saturated with USB cameras, actual camcorders, etc.
Apple would have to offer a device REALLY compelling to make people buy it. Plus, you know it will have an expensive price tag.
But yes, Apple has offered "other" hardware in the past. Printers (thanks to Canon) and digital cameras (thanks to Kodak). Those relationships have often resulted in bad feelings between companies.
Logistically, it's possible. But does it make sense? If the camera is really tuned-up to act like an Apple product then the company would have an argument to suggest you use their product. Having a flawless user experience should never be under rated.
Heck, I'd buy other consumer products if Apple would only make them. I am still befuddled by the byzantine user interface of my Panasonic 2-line cordless phone / answering machine. I wish that Apple would release a phone with the PIXO OS onboard.
Apple's innate understanding of an effortless UI could result in a camcorder that technophobes might be able to operate. So I think I've answered my own question.
Would I buy an Apple-branded camcorder?
No.
Do I think they should try to release one?
Maybe, it might just be a big seller.
One note: Make it look neat!
D
holy crap!! :eek:
<strong>No, no digital camcorder. There is nothing Apple can add to enhance that product, e.g, no niche.
Now, a cool FireWire webcam MacOSX ready would be nice. Hey, maybe it could plug into iPod and be the first HD based digital camcorder. Now that's a niche.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I've got to agree with you here, this would be a huge mistake. Sony and Canon not to mention a few others have this market pretty cornered. I can't see Apple bringing much more to the market than the others.
People will come Ray, people will most definately come.<hr></blockquote>
Come on. Neither of these products would ever cover development costs. I mean why on earth would Apple enter either of these markets? They'd get killed. Come on guys let's check with reality every now and then.
It does not has to be abominably expensive. The technology (hardware wise) is already in place; lens, analog to digital conversion, DV format, firewire, etc...Think of a curent dv camcorder sans tape transport, replaced by a hard disk. The "fun" part comes in the software that would drive it and the way it would interact with a computer (Apple). On the other hand, It would still sell to non computer users the same way you can use a DV cam by itself right now.
For all practical purposes, let's take the camera mentioned by another poster above. Canon's Z20 @ $600 (more or less?). Just remove the tape transport and add in a hard disk drive. It would of course grow somewhat in size, also in weight to accomodate both the hd and larger battery, but not by much. That would nonetheless be offset by the efficiency of direct access to anything you have recorded there, unlike the current sequential access of tape.
One hour of MniDV Camcorder footage takes roughly 13 gigabytes of hard disk storage. Current MiniDV tapes record one hour (at normal speed). Current laptop drives hold 30 gigabytes and more, which would translate in 2+ hours of video footage on cam.
Downloading a one hour MiniDV tape to a computer would take, well, one hour, due to its sequential nature (firewire doesn't mean a thing in speed there). Downloading the same amount of video time from a hard disk based camcorder would take minutes! I hope some of you are following me here.
Also, try searching for a particular take on a tape based camera (or even your vcr). Do the same on a hard disk or Tivo like device. Which one is more practical and efficient?
I have long ago wanted a hd based camcorder. It would rock. The first HD based mp3 players took portable audio in the right direction, but Apple's iPod really did it right - size, storage, interface, speed. Now it's time for an iCamcorder. Maybe a Canon/JVC/SONY/Panasonic branded iCamcorder with Apple's technology. Or Apple branded in joint venture with any of the above.
Is it feasible? I don't know why not. Current hd's are small enough and fast enough, certainly not expensive to replace the mechanical tape transport in a camcorder. Besides, the same DV data that it's now written to tape would just be written to hd. So no entirely new ultra complex compression algorithm would be needed, right?
Let's say it brings the above mentioned DV tape based Z20 @ $600 to the (future) HD based iZ20 @ $950. OUTRAGEOUS some would say.... look at the iPod and think again.