CES: Kodak goes high-def with its new Zx1 camcorder

by Stevie Smith - Jan 7 2009, 13:00

Pocket-sized, lightweight and easy to handle are par for the course for today’s line of video camcorders but, when it comes to truly luring prospective consumers, high-definition performance is becoming an absolute must – which is where Kodak’s Zx1 comes into play.

Set to be given its official unveiling at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the Zx1 offers up 720p content capture at either 30 or 60 frames per second and delivers protection for that proffered HD performance thanks to the inclusion of rugged weather-resistant casing.

Other contributing features and function include a 2.0-inch display screen and viewfinder, built-in editing via ArcSoft Media Impressions, direct uploads to online video-sharing Web sites (including YouTube), and up to 32GBs of data storage via both SD and SDHC, which should hold the equivalent of around 10 hours of HD footage.

Looking more like a modern mobile phone handset rather than a typical camcorder, the Kodak Zx1 also comes complete with a rechargeable battery and an HDMI cable, which enables users to view their content through a compatible HD television set.

Kodak is yet to confirm concrete regional pricing for its latest diminutive HD camcorder, although the U.S. retail price is expected to land on or around the $150 USD marker.

The emergence of the Kodak Zx1 (available in colour choices of black, blue, red, pink and yellow) follows the market release of other small HD camcorders such as the Flip Mino HD and Creative’s Vado HD.

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