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New Superzoom Compacts: Panasonic TZ10, Sony HX5V, Nikon S8000
Franck Mée
March 23, 2010 6:42 PM
March 23, 2010 6:42 PM
We'll admit it: we didn't make that much of a song and dance about it earlier, but along with the Panasonic TZ10 and Sony HX5V, we've also been testing their challenger form Nikon, the S8000. We weren't sure if we were going to get all three tests ready on time, so we decided to tell you more about the first two, as the third, without either a wide-angle lens or GPS, is a little different. But we're finished, and so here are the first three superzoom compacts of 2010 …The Panasonic TZ10 is a direct descendent of our most popular camera of 2009, the TZ7. With a 25-300 mm zoom, 12 Megapixel multi-aspect sensor that has the same angle of view in 4:3 and 16:9, a GPS module and a 460 000 pixel screen, it might be expensive, but it seems like the most attractive of the three on paper.
The Sony HX5V is its most direct challenger, and has been eagerly awaited as Sony's first foray into this field. It has a 25-250 mm zoom, but its Exmor R sensor has only 10 Megapixels. Its GPS system is complemented by a digital compass. Its main weakness is a screen with a resolution of just 230 000 pixels, but can its other strengths make up for that?
The Nikon S8000 is the only member of our trio not to have a wide-angle lens, zooming from 30 to 300 mm. With no GPS, it's banking on the inclusion of a 14 Megapixel sensor and 921 000 pixel VGA screen. It is--by a hair's breadth--the thinnest of the three, and also the cheapest.
> Test: Panasonic TZ10
> Test: Sony HX5V
> Test: Nikon S8000
.jpg) Panasonic TZ10 |
 Sony HX5V |
 Nikon S8000 |
New Year, New Tests
We haven't had time to tell you about these changes yet, but these three cameras have been tested using our new lab, with a more complete range of test procedures. If you're used to reading our tests, then you might feel a little lost at first, as everything has been redesigned from top to bottom, from the lighting and the tests themselves.
Of course, that's going to make it difficult to compare cameras tested in our old lab with the new ones. Unfortunately, though, it's inevitable consequence of the changes we've been wanting to make to the Face-Off for a long time now, with the aim of giving today's cameras a stiffer set of challenges. We've put it off for a long time, and decided to change everything in one fell swoop, rather than gradually changing things over time. At least you won't confuse the tests from the 2007 procedure with those form the 2010 procedure that way ...
We'll be explaining these changes in more detail soon, and we're also planning to retest some older cameras in the new lab so that you have some reference points. But we can't give you any details for the time being: our tests on this year's crop of digital cameras have already begun, and with over a hundred new products announced since the start of January, we've already got more than enough to be getting on with …
> Product Survey: Compact Digital Cameras
> Buyer's Guides: Our Pick of The Best Products
MIX 10: or the strange story of the HTC HD2 and WinPho 7
Tristan François
March 23, 2010 5:30 PM
March 23, 2010 5:30 PM
Once upon a time there was a talented manufacturer, technology and customised interfaces coming out of their ears, parterships with all the major mobile OS' on the market, until, one day...
... Microsoft announced its new general consumer mobile phone operating system, Windows Phone 7 Series. Wiping the slate clean with a slightly checkered past and picking up on much of the work carried out on the Zune HD, all with the aim of maximising user experience.
To achieve this, Microsoft stripped things right back: the interface and internal structure have been entirely reviewed and fixed (manufacturers can only change settings details), nor do manufacturers have much leeway when it comes to the physical interface and there's no intergenerational compatibility. While this represents a radical change in direction, it was doubtless necessary.
HTC HD2: ready for WinPho 7?
Problem: HTC launched its top end HD2 a few months ago. With a very large screen and an interface developed by HTC, it's a real high-performance beast. However, as we said above, manufacturers can no longer use their own customised interface with WinPho 7. They have the option of Zune or nothing. The other problem is that it is equipped with four physical control buttons and Microsoft is only allowing three.
While HTC will no longer be able to use Sense, the Zune interface is pretty well designed and while there are four buttons, this just means that the phone has one more than the necessary three which shouldn't be too much of a problem. Except that Microsoft is not of this opinion. They have already said that they're going to be very strict with respect to compliance with their charter.
Adobe and Microsoft don't agree on the question, HTC prefers to keep quiet
At MWC, one of the HTC representatives confirmed that they were working closely with Microsoft on the transition, but just a few days later, a conference on WinPho 7 confirmed that the HD2 wouldn't be compatible. And if that wasn't sufficient, this was confirmed at Mix 10 at the beginning of the week.
Amusingly, a few days ago, Adobe made an announcement with respect to Flash: the HD2 was reported to be the first Windows Phone to support Flash 10.1... in WinPho 7! So what is the truth behind all this?
And what if we asked HTC themselves? This is what we did. Following the contradictory announcements we contacted them to get their view. Their reply: "no comment".
So, will the HD2 be a Windows Phone 7 Series or not? And what about the HD mini?
> Product Survey: Mobiles & Smartphones
> Buyer's Guides: Our Pick of The Best Products
... Microsoft announced its new general consumer mobile phone operating system, Windows Phone 7 Series. Wiping the slate clean with a slightly checkered past and picking up on much of the work carried out on the Zune HD, all with the aim of maximising user experience.To achieve this, Microsoft stripped things right back: the interface and internal structure have been entirely reviewed and fixed (manufacturers can only change settings details), nor do manufacturers have much leeway when it comes to the physical interface and there's no intergenerational compatibility. While this represents a radical change in direction, it was doubtless necessary.
HTC HD2: ready for WinPho 7?
Problem: HTC launched its top end HD2 a few months ago. With a very large screen and an interface developed by HTC, it's a real high-performance beast. However, as we said above, manufacturers can no longer use their own customised interface with WinPho 7. They have the option of Zune or nothing. The other problem is that it is equipped with four physical control buttons and Microsoft is only allowing three.
While HTC will no longer be able to use Sense, the Zune interface is pretty well designed and while there are four buttons, this just means that the phone has one more than the necessary three which shouldn't be too much of a problem. Except that Microsoft is not of this opinion. They have already said that they're going to be very strict with respect to compliance with their charter.
Adobe and Microsoft don't agree on the question, HTC prefers to keep quiet
At MWC, one of the HTC representatives confirmed that they were working closely with Microsoft on the transition, but just a few days later, a conference on WinPho 7 confirmed that the HD2 wouldn't be compatible. And if that wasn't sufficient, this was confirmed at Mix 10 at the beginning of the week.
Amusingly, a few days ago, Adobe made an announcement with respect to Flash: the HD2 was reported to be the first Windows Phone to support Flash 10.1... in WinPho 7! So what is the truth behind all this?
And what if we asked HTC themselves? This is what we did. Following the contradictory announcements we contacted them to get their view. Their reply: "no comment".
So, will the HD2 be a Windows Phone 7 Series or not? And what about the HD mini?
 HTC HD2 |
 HTC HD Mini |
> Product Survey: Mobiles & Smartphones
> Buyer's Guides: Our Pick of The Best Products
Watch the world cup in 3D
Vincent Alzieu
March 23, 2010 4:25 PM
March 23, 2010 4:25 PM
Although no channels will actually be broadcasting this year’s World Cup in 3D, a lucky few will be able to enjoy three-dimensional matches from the comfort of their sofa with no need for a special subscription.How is that possible I hear you cry? Well, it’s all thanks to a new type of technology that left us all pretty much gobsmacked at the office this week. It’s a new feature of the Samsung 46C7700 that converts standard video signals (TV, DVD, BR etc.) from 2D to 3D. And since we’ve tried and tested so many disappointing 3D gimmicks and solutions, we really weren’t expecting to be quite so impressed.
This television was brought to us like a prize possession directly by the manufacturers’ technical managers, who’d flown over all the way from Korea. To be honest, as soon as they mentioned the 2D-to-3D conversion function we were ready to get out the knives. Anyway, in the interest of science we gave it a go with our Casino Royale Blu-ray. And then … we all watched in stunned silence! Our jaws literally dropped. How is it possible to recreate such a realistic 3D picture from a source filmed originally in 2D, we asked? Apparently it’s all down to an algorithm that analyses shapes and objects in relation to differences in contrast in the image, and all of which is done in real time. What could be simpler!?!
In any case, it works surprisingly well, and certainly much better than we imagined. Plus, after comparing the original 2D version against the generated 3D version, we’d even go as far as say we preferred the 3D one. So if we had this TV at home, we’d definitely enjoy watching the footy in 3D!
Let’s hope this function will feature in competitors’ models too. Otherwise, it’s difficult to see how a rival TV could even compete with the Samsung, especially given the current lack of availability of 3D sources.
Just a reminder: our full test of the Samsung 46C7700 is due for publication on Friday.
> Buyer's Guides: Our Pick of The Best Products
Why doesnt my camera capture a scene exactly how I see it?
Franck Mée
March 23, 2010 1:47 PM
March 23, 2010 1:47 PM
Cameras are often said to be similar in structure to the human eye, as both systems use a lens and light-sensitive components to ‘see’ the surrounding environment. So why, then, do digital cameras take photos that sometimes look completely different to what our eyes see?How can two perceptions of the same scene be so different? Why can’t technology just mimic what our eye does? Read on and I’ll do my best to explain.
> Why doesn’t my camera capture a scene exactly how I see it?
> Buyer's Guides: Our Pick of The Best Products
Enjoy 2D content in 3D with CyberLink's PowerDVD 10!
Vincent Lheur
March 23, 2010 1:08 PM
March 23, 2010 1:08 PM
The tenth edition of PowerDVD marks a major turning point for this movie and media player, as the brand new version is not only 3D-compatible, but can also convert 2D content to 3D.The well-known audio and video playback software PowerDVD has just released an updated tenth edition with a whole range of new functions. It’s available for purchase and download on the CyberLink website and is set to hit the shops soon.
Total 3D compatibility
The most eagerly awaited new function is, of course, 3D compatibility, and it’s certainly the most interesting of all the new features. It allows you to play discs encoded in the new AVC-MVC format used to produce 3D Blu-ray discs (sequential encoding), as well as other encoding systems sometimes found on 3D demos (top & bottom, side-by-side or checkerboard encoding). To watch content in 3D, you’ll need a pair of Nvidia 3D Vision glasses as well as an Nvidia graphics card. Don’t forget you’ll also need a screen or video projector with a video entry that’s compatible with 120 Hz technology.
2D-to-3D conversion
Another interesting feature is TrueTheater 3D technology, which converts 2D content such as DVDs and video files to 3D. This, however, is only possible for standard definition content due to computational power issues with high definition media. We weren’t really expecting much of this feature, but, even though it won’t blow you away, it does actually create the appearance of a real depth of field. Some minor defects and difficult-to-decipher details do sometimes appear in the picture, but these are rare enough to keep most PowerDVD 10 users sufficiently impressed with the results. It’s more a question of personal taste.
The software is compatible with most of the latest media formats, including AVCHD, VC1 and DivX, and, more importantly, the MKV container. It’s even possible to use several audio tracks or subtitles files with MKVs. Plus, PowerDVD integrates just as effectively into Windows Media Center, adding a very welcome Blu-ray player or 3D Blu-ray player function.
Compatibility with various CPU/GPU acceleration technologies helps get the best out of your graphics card and give your computer’s processor a helping hand. Plus, different filters (TrueTheater HD, TrueTheater Motion etc.) allow you to upscale SD films to HD, make the image flow more smoothly or enhance picture quality.
Finally, Cyberlink has included a function for adding comments to different scenes in a film or video, and it’s even possible to share your comments on Facebook, Twitter and MoovieLive. Although this may be useful to help you quickly find your favourite parts of a home movie, it’s difficult to see how you'd use it in commercial movies.
Three versions, but just one for Blu-ray!
As usual, PowerDVD 10 is available in three different versions: Ultra 3D (£79.99), Deluxe (£49.99) and Standard (£39.99). Note that only the Ultra 3D version can play Blu-ray discs. Click here to view a comparison table for the different versions.
No version of PowerDVD 10 will be able to play 3D Blu-ray discs as soon as they hit the market. In fact, shortly after their release, Cyberlink is set to issue a free ‘Mark II’ update that will enable the application to read the new discs. This will give CyberLink enough time to develop, test and improve compatibility of its software with commercial Blu-ray 3D discs. It’s also worth noting that 2D-to-3D video file conversion will also be included in this update, although you’ll be able to convert DVD discs to 3D as soon as you buy the software (in Ultra 3D and Deluxe versions).
> Buyer's Guides: Our Pick of The Best Products
Full HD Projectors move to the archives
Florent Alzieu
March 23, 2010 10:03 AM
March 23, 2010 10:03 AM
Spring is on its way, so we've been doing a little bit of housework, moving older tests out of our Product Surveys and into the Archives. Today, it's the turn of Full HD projectors, and eight products are beginning a well-deserved retirement.You can still go and read the tests, but because we don't keep them up to date, neither our comments or their final scores will change now. The following products have all made the switch:
- Epson EMP-TWD3
- Mitsubishi HC4900
- Mitsubishi HC6500
- Optoma HD720X
- Optoma HD800X
- Panasonic PT-AE4000E
- Sanyo PLV-Z2000
- Sony VPL-HW10
HD Ready Projectors
But what about HD Ready projectors? Well, because manufacturers are so reluctant to bring out any new ones, that segment of the market is almost an archive in its own right. Only a few products have managed to hold out, in this sector, but apart from those, HD Ready projectors have almost entirely disappeared, losing ground to 1080p whose prices keep on falling.
> Product Survey: Full HD Projectors
> Product Survey: HD Ready Projectors
> Buyer's Guides: Our Pick of The Best Products
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