Aiptek GO-HD vs Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1 or HD2; $299 HD camcorder attacks HD market

This May a small company Aiptek made the cheapest HD camcorder which sells for $299 and can record a 720P (1280x720 resolution / 16:9 aspect ratio) image at 30 frames per second using advanced H.264 technology to SD cards. So Aiptek sets a new low price for HD camcorders and capitalizes on the public's appetite for HD video with making a cheap come-at-able HD device.
GO-HD camcorder has a 5 megapixel CMOS sensor, 3x Optical Zoom lens (7.5- 21.5mm, F 3.6 - 6.7) and still captures up to 2560 x 1920 pixels. It records in three movie modes: 1280 x 720 pixels (H.264) up to 30 fps, 720 x 480 pixels (D1) up to 30 fps and 352 x 240 pixels (CIF) up to 30 fps. Its 2.4" TFT LCD panel with 270° Rotation offers three playback control buttons and extends from the left side of the pistol-grip body. Ports include composite, component, and USB. GO-HD also offers a built-in LED light for night shooting.
Aiptek Go-HD cannot fairly be called a "knock-off" of the Sanyo VPC-HD2 -- the Go-HD uses H.264 compression to achieve a 4.5 Mbps data rate, whereas the VPC-HD2 uses MPEG4 compression to achieve a 9 Mbps data rate. H.264 compression is much more computationally intensive than MPEG4 compression, so there must be something fundamentally different about the 2 camcorders. (Look at 'Puppet Sanyo Xacti HD2 vs clever Canon HV20 or groovy JVC GZ-HD7: it's time to buy a HD-camcorder or wait?')As for video quality, even though the Go-HD has half the data rate of Sanyo VPC-HD2, Aiptek Go-HD has an edge over the VPC-HD2.
The good:
- Low light performance
- Sharp panoramic video
- Video light in addition to flash
- Remote control
- Good macro mode
- Easier to open LCD than Sanyo Xacti
- Tripod mount is right below the lens
The bad:
- Loud zoom with a noticeable motor noise
- Only mono audio mode
- Cheap feeling body
- Menu system
- Short battery live
- No sequential action snapshot mode
- No manual focus, can't lock focus
- Grip is awkward and difficult to hold and press buttons
- Date Time setting keeps getting reset
- No Lens cover - just a cheap looking flat piece of glass
Conclusion:
Of course this HD camcorder is a small toy but Sanyo HD1 and HD2 are not far from toys too. Moreover some Aiptek's features such as low-light shooting, macro mode and bigger LCD panel make GO-HD more interesting than 5 MP VPC-HD1. As for 7 megapixels VPC-HD2 I can say that Sanyo is better than the new camcorder but not as much as its price which is bigger than GD-HD’. And if you want to have a puppet HD camcorder I think it's great to buy a three-hundred toy. The main thing is that we can get HD with a little money. Thanks for the Aiptek Company. For more look through my previous posts:
- 3 Canon’s HD camcorders: HV10, HV20 and HR10: is only PowerShot TX1 still groovy?
- 7 new 1CCD HD camcorders from Sony – any reasons to buy some or to wait for 3CCD cams
PostScript
Looking to the Aiptek GO-HD or A-HD it is a little hard to compare these small HD camcorders with some excellent gadgets such as Canon NV20, Panasonic SD1 or Sony CR7. However, even in comparison with Sanyo Xacti family as HD1 and HD2, the Aiptek GO-HD performs good movie quality, especially in low light situations. Though Sanyo HD1 or HD2 and Aiptek GO-HD and A-HA are similar gadgets, it is wrong to call it as a ‘knock-off’ of Sanyo HD camcorders. For any details about AipTek HD camcorders look through: Aiptek A-HD and GO-HD camcorders as the best choice for MySpace or YouTube.