PhotoNews

December 8, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Creative today announced availability of the Vado HD Pocket Video Cam, the ideal holiday gift. The thin, lightweight Vado HD is small enough to fit easily in a pocket, purse or the palm of your hand, and it captures video in 720p high-definition quality with just the touch of a button.

The Vado HD is the only Pocket Video Cam to feature HDMI connectivity and an included HDMI cable that provides 1080i output to an HDTV. It also features a precision glass lens for stunning video quality, and 8GB of built-in memory to carry up to two hours of HD video. The Vado HD has an estimated street price of US $229.99 and is available today in carbon black at Amazon.com and Creative.com.

"We designed the Vado HD so you can easily shoot all of life's spontaneous and fun moments, and then come home and watch your videos on an HDTV - all with true high-definition quality," said Steve Erickson, VP and GM for audio and video at Creative. "You can upload the videos to your PC, or what's really cool is to watch them on your HDTV in full HD quality. Some cameras such as the Flip Mino HD record HD video but don't let you output it in high definition to your HDTV. Even the New York Times laments, 'the Mino HD is a hi-def camcorder that can't play your movies in high def on a high-def TV.' The Vado HD delivers 1080i high-definition video to an HDTV, plus it offers the convenience of an HDMI connection." Read more

December 1, 2008 – Nikon Inc. just announced the D3X, an FX-format digital SLR featuring extreme 24.5-megapixel resolution and superb low-noise capabilities, which provides professional photographers with commercial-quality image performance in a familiar and extraordinarily versatile D-SLR form factor. In conjunction with the groundbreaking Nikon FX-format D3, the D3X tops off a collection of flagship level, rugged, professional caliber digital single lens reflex cameras engineered to excel in all types of professional photographic disciplines from photojournalism and sideline sports, to commercial in-studio applications.

The foundation of the enhanced performance of the D3X is its FX-format, 24.5-megapixel (6048 x 4032) CMOS sensor providing commercial, high fashion, fine art and landscape photographers with the extreme resolution, dynamic range, color depth, detail and sharpness that clients demand. Whether creating catalogs, magazine covers, billboards or gallery prints, the large 5.49-micron pixel size and high signal to noise ratio produces vibrant images with breathtaking image fidelity while reducing lost highlights and shadows, and ensuring smoother tone reproduction with minimized noise. With full resolution shooting speeds of up to five frames-per-second (fps), and 14-bit files, that when processed are approximately 138 MB, the D3X offers today's photographic artists an extreme level of performance and versatility ready for demanding assignments in the studio or on location. Read more

November 25, 2008 -- Just in time for the holidays and all the photo-friendly activities that come with the season, Sprint and VeriSign Messaging and Mobile Media, a division of VeriSign, Inc., announced today an enhancement to Sprint Picture Mail that allows Sprint customers to send digital photos and videos straight from their phones to popular social media sites, including MySpace, Photobucket and YouTube. It’s as easy as snapping a picture of the family at Thanksgiving dinner, during the holiday pageant, enjoying the winter weather, or any other occasion using a Sprint phone. The photo can then be uploaded directly to the customer’s MySpace, Photobucket or YouTube account from just about anywhere so family and friends can view it online anytime.

“The holidays are one of the most popular times for taking pictures and sharing them with loved ones,” said Len Barlik, vice president of wireless and wireline services for Sprint. “With the speed of the Now Network and this new enhancement to Picture Mail, Sprint customers can easily post their photos and video clips in an instant to some of their favorite sites like MySpace, Photobucket and YouTube so family and friends can share the moment, even if they can’t be home for the holidays.” Read more

November 14, 2008 —The maker of Flip Video – the best-selling family of affordable and simple-to-use digital camcorders – today introduced its latest breakthrough product: the Flip MinoHD. The world’s smallest high definition camcorder at just over three oz., this remarkably slim camcorder makes capturing and sharing HD video easy and affordable. The stylish Flip MinoHD from Pure Digital Technologies, priced at $229.99 (MSRP), records up to 60 minutes of HD video and features Flip Video’s new FlipShare software, also announced. This advanced on-board software platform allows consumers to plug the camcorder’s signature flip-out USB arm into any computer for easy drag-and-drop video organizing, editing and sharing on YouTube, MySpace, AOL Video or via email.

This latest innovation from Pure Digital Technologies builds on the success of its wildly popular Flip Video camcorder line. Since its launch last year, Flip Video has sold over 1.5 million camcorders and currently has the number one best-selling camcorder in the U.S., according to the latest rankings from leading market research firm The NPD Group. Read more

November 7, 2008 – Pinnacle Systems, Inc. today announced how even a novice can use Dazzle DVD Recorder to preserve the quality of their video tapes by transferring them to DVD. Available for less than $50.00, Dazzle DVD Recorder is a portable USB 2.0 video capture device that is bundled with Pinnacle Instant DVD Recorder software. With the plug and play simplicity of its hardware and the software step-by step guide, copying home movies from almost any video device to DVD has never been easier or faster.

These features and the low cost make Dazzle DVD Recorder the ideal solution for consumers who want to safeguard their videotaped memories on DVD but are not interested in editing them. All of the complexities have been eliminated so they don’t have to worry about video capture cards, going into the operating system, or even opening the computer case. Read more

November 6, 2008 -- Building on the success of the XH A1 and XH G1 High Definition (HD) camcorders, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, has introduced the newly refined and upgraded hand-held XH A1S and XH G1S HD camcorders. Both products incorporate enhanced features for improved operation, including greater image control and improved audio capabilities. Whether it is for corporate video production, wedding and events, or filmmaking, the new Canon XH A1S and XH G1S HD camcorders help professional videographers realize their creative vision.

The Canon XH A1S and XH G1S HD camcorders incorporate an expanded array of controls for customizing the image, display and operation to match individual needs. Utilizing the industry’s most affordable digital video recording media – HDV tapes – both models are ideal for long-format applications such as wedding and event videography, digital filmmaking, documentary production, government and media education. Read more

November 3, 2008 -- Do you want a taste of pop star stardom? Canon U.S.A. is looking to turn this dream into a reality for three lucky people. Three finalists will be selected to receive the ultimate Pop Star Experience in New York City, a pair of Z100’s Jingle Ball tickets and a PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital ELPH camera. While in New York City, the finalists will receive a makeover, singing and dancing lessons with a professional instructor and a meet and greet with international pop star, Leona Lewis. Each finalist will then record a sixty to ninety second long music video to their rendition of “Better In Time” that will be posted on www.powershot.com for America to vote on. The finalist who receives the most votes will receive $5,000 to continue their dream of becoming America’s next big pop star.

HOW: Entrants submit a thirty second video showing why they should be selected as one of the finalists of the Canon U.S.A. “So You Want to be a Pop Star” contest. Those interested in entering the contest can submit their video on www.powershot.com

WHEN: Videos can be submitted from November 3, 2008 until November 30, 2008. The voting for the finalists will run from December 15, 2008 to December 31, 2008 with the winner being announced the week of January 5, 2009. One lucky voter will also win a Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital ELPH camera.

SOURCE Canon

November 3, 2008 -- CyberLink today launched CyberLink DVD Suite 7, a complete package of CyberLink's best multimedia software, and the only suite in its category to include playback features for enjoying Blu-ray Disc Disc movies on the PC. DVD Suite 7 offers powerful but easy-to-use features, allowing playback of movies, media management, creation of videos and slideshows, burning and backup of data; just to name a few of the many multimedia functions that users can access via the versatile PowerStarter task integrator.

"DVD Suite 7 represents the ultimate collection of our leading software," said Alice H. Chang, CEO of CyberLink. "Not only do we provide Blu-ray playback, support for HD video capturing, editing, authoring, burning, and sharing, our online communities offer unlimited resources and new ways for customers to express their creativity. Add to that new media management tools for cataloging and sharing photos and videos, and you can say it really doesn’t get much better than this." Read more

October 30, 2008 — Pinnacle Systems, Inc. announced today the 12.1 release update and new Pinnacle Theme Winter Pack content for its market-leading Pinnacle Studio consumer video editing software. The 12.1 update expands the format support for the Pinnacle Studio version 12 family of products. The new Pinnacle Theme Winter Pack offers more than 80 additional winter-themed titles, DVD menus, and Pinnacle Montage templates. A U.S. $79.99 value, the Theme Winter Pack is included in special Pinnacle Studio Plus and Ultimate Winter Pack Editions at selected etailers and retailers until December 31, 2008. Existing Pinnacle Studio version 12 users can purchase the Winter Pack for a special upgrade price of U.S. $39.99 from October 30, 2008 to November 6, 2008, directly from the Pinnacle Systems estore.

The 12.1 update is available as a free download from the Pinnacle Systems website for Pinnacle Studio version 12 users. With the Pinnacle Studio 12.1 release, users will have the easiest way to get their video and photos into Studio – regardless of their camera’s format. In addition to supporting hard drives, solid state drives, DVD, HD and tape videos and photos, the 12.1 update offers: Read more

October 29, 2008 - Memeo today announced the availability of photo-sharing applications Mac Memeo Share and MemeoPhoto. These programs let individuals share high-resolution pictures and videos directly to the computer desktops of friends and family from a Mac or iPhone. They join the PC version of Memeo Share, enabling consumers to now share pictures across multiple platforms using the program.

Memeo Share makes sharing full-quality photos and videos with friends and family easy by offering a better alternative to using email. With the product, consumers no longer have to resize pictures or send them one at a time. Memeo Share also allows individuals to simply share videos, as it seamlessly distributes content behind-the-scenes through user-created Sharing Circles. Additionally, Mac Memeo Share integrates with iPhoto, allowing users to share and receive photos directly from and to the application. Read more