Category: Technology and GPS
* Manufacturer: Garmin
* Part Number:0100082200
General
* Width 4.9 in
* Depth 0.7 in
* Height 3.1 in
* Weight 6.2 oz
GPS System
* Recommended Use Hiking , Automotive
* Connectivity USB
* GPS Functions / Services Distance , Time/date , Lane Assistant
* Voice Navigation instructions , Street name announcement
* Antenna Built-in
* Features Clock , ecoRoute , Calculator , Custom POIs , Fuel prices , Garmin Lock , Photo viewer , Garmin Garage , Garmin HotFix , Emergency Help , Built-in speaker , Automatic routing , Downloadable POIs , Preinstalled POIs , Currency converter , Speed limit warning , Measurement converter , Speed Camera warnings , 2D / 3D map perspective , Hands-free calling via Bluetooth , TMC (Traffic Message Channel) ready
* Supported Memory Cards microSD
* Software Included MapSource City Navigator Europe NT
Navigation
* Waypoints 1000
* Navigation routes 10
* Trip computer Trip timer , Trip distance , Avoid highways , Quickest route , Avoid toll roads , Fast/short route , Street address search
Built-in Display
* Type TFT – Widescreen
* Resolution 480 x 272
* Diagonal Size 4.3 in
* Display Illumination Yes
* Color Support Color
* Features Touch screen
Connections
* Connector Type USB
Battery
* Battery technology Lithium ion
* Mfr estimated battery life 4 hour(s)
Miscellaneous
* GPS design features World clock , Currency and unit converter , Calculator , Qwerty or ABC keyboard , Touchscreen , Built-in speaker , Auto re-Route , Photo navigation , Picture viewer , Route avoidance
* Included GPS accessories USB cable , Dashboard disc , Car power adapter
Price Range : $369.97 – $459.00
GuideHP TouchSmart 600
The HP TouchSmart 600 shows how getting an early jump on unproven technology can pay off. HP was first to market with a touch-based all-in-one PC more than two years ago. Now that Windows 7 has spurred almost every major desktop vendor toward multitouch, HP has the advantage of years of real market feedback to help refine the TouchSmart 600. The result, while still not perfect, is the best implementation of touch input we’ve seen so far in an all-in-one. Also to HP’s credit (and likely Sony’s chagrin), even if the TouchSmart 600 had no touch capability, by incorporating all of the features we’ve loved in Sony’s Vaio LV line, HP has matched Sony in crafting a robust standalone home entertainment device. This $1,599, 23.5-inch all-in-one won’t be for everyone, but those willing to find room for the TouchSmart A600, cooks especially, will be rewarded with an innovative, feature-rich all-in-one.
On the outside the TouchSmart 600 doesn’t look that different from HP’s previous all-in-one, the TouchSmart IQ816. It has the same glossy black plastic exterior, with graceful curves down its side. It’s not quite as design-forward as the iMac, but it’s as visually appealing, if not more so, than new all-in-ones from Gateway and Sony.
What HP’s design lacked in its earlier version was an easy means to mount it on the wall. Sony made a big push last year to position its LV series all-in-ones as living room-ready devices, which had both the hardware and the design elements to match. Clearly taking a page from Sony’s guidebook, HP has made the TouchSmart fully VESA-mount compliant. Simply unscrew a panel on the back and then unscrew the stand to reveal the wall-mount inputs.
HP made the TouchSmart 600 home entertainment-friendly by adding HDMI and composite audio/video inputs and a dedicated button for switching between sources.
HP has also borrowed from Sony’s shrewd connectivity features, and taken them one step further. HP has added not only an HDMI input with a dedicated button for switching input signals, but also a set of composite video and audio ports as well. That means you can connect multiple external video sources to the TouchSmart, such as game consoles, a cable box, or HD cameras, and switch between them and your Windows desktop seamlessly. Sadly, but not surprisingly given the regulatory implications, you can’t get Windows to talk to those devices, which means your DVR options are restricted to the built-in hybrid TV tuner. Sony’s all-in-one has the same limitation.
Along with the inputs for external video sources, the TouchSmart A600 comes with a slot-loading Blu-ray drive, as well as touch-driven Hulu and Netflix interfaces into its new touch software carousel (more on that in a minute). All of these features would be meaningless without decent screen and audio quality to back them up, and for the most part the TouchSmart 600 delivers. The audio ouput is easily the strongest we’ve seen from an all-in-one this year, mostly because it’s loud enough to fill a room. We noticed some pixel noise in the HD video from the 23.5-inch 1,920 x 1,080 display, but not enough to be distracting, especially if you’re watching from a distance.
While HP has clearly borrowed from Sony in its wall-mounting and video input capabilities, the software designed for its touch interface is unique and just as compelling. We won’t go over every feature in HP’s custom-made application carousel, but you’ll find the usual collection of painting, note taking, and other apps. But four new additions to HP’s touch-screen arsenal set it apart, three from choosing partners wisely, and the fourth the product of its own development.
HP has partnered with Twitter, along with Netflix and Hulu, to add touch-friendly interfaces to those services via HP’s touch software carousel.
The three partner programs provide straightforward interfaces with Hulu, Netflix, and Twitter via the TouchSmart software carousel. We asked HP about a possible Facebook interface and received a vague nondenial. Even without Facebook, accessing streaming content from Hulu and Netflix are smart, obvious choices to add to the home entertainment-oriented TouchSmart 600. Of course you could simply get to those services via a standard browser window, but making them touch-friendly actually makes them easier to use, especially if you put the TouchSmart in a place in your home where you might walk up and use it.
Your kitchen may be the most obvious place for many of you to install a PC you might walk up to, at least provided you have the counter space. If you do bring it into your kitchen, you’ll be able to take advantage of one of the TouchSmart 600′s best features. Scroll along the TouchSmart’s application carousel and you’ll find the Recipe Box program, which gives you the best tool we’ve seen for organizing recipes you find from the Internet.
Recipe Box has a built-in browser window from which you can navigate to, and bookmark, any Web site. Once you find a recipe online, the Recipe Box software can scrape it, and then format it properly onto a touch-friendly form, neatly isolating ingredients and instructions. You can then use Recipe Box’s built-in voice recognition and text-to-speech software to verbally command the TouchSmart to read the recipe back to you out loud, step-by-step.
We hate to say “killer app”, but HP’s Recipe Box touch app might convince foodies that a PC in the kitchen actually makes sense.
We found the scraping capability worked with more sites than not, with a few notable exceptions. We were able to pull recipes down from Epicurious, Food Network, Martha Stewart, and About with no transcription errors and mostly perfect formatting. We had no luck at Food and Wine Magazine and Cook’s Country, however. You can enter recipes manually, and also edit and add notes to recipes you pull down automatically, but the capability to grab and organize recipes from the Web in such a highly intuitive manner will surely appeal to Web-inclined chefs.
The voice-recognition and text-to-speech capabilities are more of a work in progress. Standing a foot, and then 5 feet away from the TouchSmart, we had luck on our first try speaking commands like “Beginning,” “Back,” and “Continue,” to advance the text-to-speak function through each recipe. Voice-recognition training software can help you improve accuracy, but we found the TouchSmart had trouble recognizing our voice when we stood off at an angle. It also sometimes took a few tries before it responded to our commands, and it also wouldn’t recognize voices other that of your reviewer. A Bluetooth headset (not included) can let you command Recipe Box from longer distances.
As promising as we find HP’s new touch programs, Recipe Box in particular, we found the touch interface unresponsive at times, and the main touch software carousel can be slow to load. The lag time is similar to what we found with Gateway’s first Windows 7-based touch all-in-one, the One ZX6810-01. As long as you’re patient with the touch response and willing to suffer a few repeated finger movements, the experience is for the most part fine, but it’s clear that there’s still room for the technology to improve.
Price Range : $929.99 – $1,345.00
Editors’ note: As of September 2009, Microsoft is phasing out the 60GB Xbox 360 Pro model. It will be sold at a reduced price of $250 until stock has been exhausted. The Xbox 360 Elite (which comes with a 120GB hard drive) will be taking its place with a lower price tag of $300.
Check out our Xbox 360 resource page for all your Xbox 360 needs.
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 was the first “next-generation” game console to hit the market in November 2005, and consequently has had a year over its competitors to improve upon its faults. With the fall 2008 “New Xbox Experience” update, the 360 further positioned itself not just a game console but also a top-tier media hub for the living room, integrating Netflix’s online streaming service into its already myriad available Internet content. The service won’t replace the high-definition content offered by the now defunct HD-DVD add-on drive because Netflix’s streaming quality depends largely on the speed of your Internet connection and most likely can only display at most near-DVD quality.
That said, the PS3 is currently the only console to offer playable high-definition content in disc form. The 360′s physical design has also matured over the years: The noise issues that have long been an annoyance have also been lessened by including a smaller and cooler processor, which reduces fan speeds.
The fall ’08 update also added the option for users to install games directly onto the hard drive, further reducing the high-pitched sound of the disc drive and also limiting wear on the drive itself. With the current lineup of games, the offering of more online video content, and Microsoft’s continued persistence of improving upon its system, the Xbox 360 has become one of the best consoles available. With the recent price drops, the company has made it even more tantalizing for those still on the fence.
In the past, the console’s real Achilles’ heel has been its unacceptably poor reliability: A vast number of Xbox 360 consoles have suffered the dreaded “red ring of death” error, a fatal glitch that renders the console unusable. It’s been a huge frustration for even the most forgiving 360 owner. That said, Microsoft has made amends by offering a three-year limited warranty, guaranteeing replacement of those faulty consoles. Anecdotal evidence continues to suggest that the problem afflicts mostly older consoles. In other words, those manufactured in 2007 or later–the ones equipped with HDMI ports–should be much more stable than their predecessors. However, even these consoles have seen their fair share of red rings.
Xbox 360 models compared
The 60GB version (which replaced the 20GB model) will suffice for most users, while those who wish to maximize the console’s video and gaming prowess will want to invest an extra $100 in the 120GB Xbox 360 Elite. (The Xbox 360 Arcade should be avoided–you’ll just end up having to buy the add-on hard drive later anyway, thus eliminating the apparent savings.)
| Model | Xbox 360 Arcade* | Xbox 360 60GB ^ | Xbox 360 Elite 120GB |
| MSRP | $199 | $299 | $399 |
| Hard disk size | n/a (includes 256MB memory card) | 60GB | 120GB |
| Included accessories | One wireless controller, composite AV cable | One wireless controller, headset, Ethernet cable, component/composite AV cable | One wireless controller, headset, Ethernet cable, component/composite AV cable, HDMI cable |
| Color | White | White | Black |
| Unique bundled items | Currently ships with five Xbox Live Arcade titles. | Currently comes preloaded with a full version of Hexic as well as several demos, including Pac-Man, Geometry Wars, etc. | Currently comes preloaded with a full version of Hexic as well as several demos, including Pac-Man, Geometry Wars, etc. |
| Notes | Can’t download online content or play original Xbox games without the addition of an add-on hard drive accessory (sold separately). | Best price/feature mix for most users. | Larger hard drive is ideal for heavy downloaders of games and video. |
*Replaces the Xbox 360 Core System, which has since been discontinued
Hardware reliability
As mentioned above, the Xbox 360 has been plagued by a series of hardware problems in the past, most commonly represented by the now infamous “red ring of death”–the three flashing red lights that the console displays when a major hardware malfunction has occurred. Microsoft has yet to confirm the reason for the problem, but it’s widely attributed to overheating and poor airflow within the console’s innards. Since admitting to the problem in July 2007, Microsoft has extended the original 90-day warranty on all newly purchased 360s to a full year. Additionally, any Xbox 360 that suffers from a hardware failure marked by three red flashing lights is now covered for three years from the original purchase date.
Since the middle of 2007, it appears that most Xbox 360s have been manufactured with the so-called “Falcon” CPU, a 65nm processor that’s said to be smaller, cooler, and more energy efficient than the 90nm version found on earlier 360s. Improved heat sinks in the consoles have also helped cool newer units as well allowing for better heat dissipation to take place.
The upshot is that the newest Xbox 360s should be much more reliable than their predecessors. Of course, if you already have a non-HDMI model, or a possibly faulty pre-Falcon model, you can at least be confident that Microsoft’s expanded warranty won’t leave you stuck with a lemon. That said, all 60GB models have the updated hardware and ship with an HDMI-out port.
Design
When laid horizontally, the 8.8-pound Xbox 360 is 12.15 inches wide by 3.27 inches high by 10.15 inches deep, making it slightly smaller than the original Xbox (which also weighed in at 8.8 pounds). Unlike the original, the Xbox 360 can be propped up in a vertical position and, as you’re probably aware, can be customized with interchangeable faceplates that cost as much as $20. Custom faceplates aside, it’s worth pointing out that the beige color of the system tends to clash with the silver and black of typical modern AV components.
One of the reasons Microsoft was able to keep down the 360′s weight is that instead of building a standard, desktop-style hard drive into the unit itself, it’s gone with a smaller–and more expensive–laptop-style hard drive that’s detachable from the main unit. However, unlike the PS3, which accepts any standard 2.5-inch laptop drive, the 360′s drive is encased in a proprietary snap-on module. You can upgrade to a larger 120GB model for about $180–but if you’re already interested in that much storage, save some money and just pick up the 120GB Xbox 360 Elite instead.
As part of the $299 bundle, you’ll also get a wireless controller. While the 360 has built-in wireless capabilities, it’s only for controllers, not Wi-Fi. Each Xbox 360 console can support as many as four wireless controllers. A green LED on both the 360 itself and the controller indicates exactly which controllers (1 through 4) are connected. This is also the case if you are playing with a mixture of wireless and wired controllers easily notifying who has which controller. All in all, we really like the design of the controllers. They’re a slight upgrade from those that came with the original Xbox and they’re now available in several colors, including pink, blue, and black.
On the front of the unit, you’ll find two USB ports hidden behind a hinged door in the faceplate, as well as two memory-card slots that let you take saved games and other content on the go. Those USB ports are where you’ll plug in any wired controllers and other USB accessories that will become available. You also have the option to use the USB ports to connect a digital camera, MP3 players, or even your iPod or Sony PSP. Many USB keyboards are compatible, but, for the most part, they are strictly relegated to communication and data entry functions, not gameplay. For easier data entry, consider instead the Xbox 360 Messenger Kit, a small keyboard accessory that snaps onto the controller.
The 360 sports an infrared port on the front panel, which lets you use compatible remote controls–including nearly any universal remote–without the need for an external dongle. Furthermore, you can power the console on and off and open the disc tray with a remote or a controller–another convenient improvement over the old Xbox. By contrast, the PS3 lacks standard IR, which limits it to Bluetooth or Wi-Fi control only.
In the past the Xbox 360 had two noticeable design quirks: a large, oversized power supply and high amount of noise coming from the system, which is often attributed to the loud exhaust fan and the DVD drive. While the power supply is still one of the largest we’ve seen (the PS3 doesn’t even include one), most home theater set-ups allow for it to be tucked away neatly out of site. Newer models show that the system also seems to run quieter–although not whisper quiet–now that all new Xbox models run on the a smaller 65nm processor, which supposedly doesn’t produce as much heat and doesn’t require the fan to run as fast. Furthermore, Microsoft plans to address the loud noise issue from the DVD drives in its upcoming autumn 2008 update by offering the ability to install games to the hard drive, which hopefully will reduce load times and drive noise.
Video and audio specs
The guts of the Xbox 360 comprise what is, for all intents and purposes, a very powerful computer. The customized IBM PowerPC CPU boasts three processing cores running at 3.2GHz each. We could go on and on about the detailed specifications of the system, but for the sake of comprehension, we’ll hold that back. What you really need to know about the Xbox 360 in terms of performance, though, is its capability to output HD graphics. Every single Xbox 360 game has been designed to output at a minimum of 720p, and–if your TV supports it–they can be upscaled to 1080i or 1080p (just choose your preferred resolution on the console’s settings page). HD output is available via the included component video cable, or you can supply your own HDMI cable instead. Alternately, you can pick up VGA video adapters from Microsoft ($40) or Joytech ($20), which let you connect to HDTVs and PC monitors that offer a standard 15-pin VGA/RGB connector.
Don’t worry if you don’t have an HDTV–the Xbox 360′s component adapter includes a fallback composite output, and the system can output standard 480i resolution with formatting for squarish 4:3 (non-wide-screen) sets. Be aware, though, that this will result in the letterboxing of most games (black bars on the top and bottom of the screen).
Just like the old Xbox, the new system offers top-notch Dolby Digital audio. In-game soundtracks are rendered in full real-time surround, creating an immersive sound field that envelops you in the game world. All of the AV cables include an optical audio output, but you’ll need to supply the optical cable, as well as the compatible AV receiver or home-theater system. Each AV cable also comes with standard analog stereo connections for connecting to a TV or stereo, but you’ll lose the surround effect, of course. Once again, you can opt to go with HDMI and have digital video and audio handled by a single cable.
Additionally, the Xbox 360 is a progressive scan DVD player that will output a 480p signal. As of now, even when using HDMI out, the Xbox 360 cannot upscale movies to higher resolutions. If you use your 360 as a CD player, you’ll have the option of ripping tracks from the disc to be used as standalone music files or for listening while playing games. Hitting the silver guide button on your controller midgame will allow you to access and control your music as well. Accordingly, the system will lower the in-game music to allow for your custom tracks.
Dashboard and Interface
The Xbox 360′s onscreen Dashboard interface is truly stellar–it’s incredibly easy to navigate and explore. Composed of color-coded blades for the system’s various features (Marketplace, Xbox Live, games, media, and system), you can slide from one section of the Dashboard to the next with ease. Since the initial dashboard release, the interface has gone through a number of upgrades. Every spring and fall, a new Dashboard update adds in a number of most-wanted features that improve the overall performance and usability of the dashboard. Like the faceplates, the Dashboard is customizable, with a host of themes preloaded on the hard drive and many more available to download.
The next update, due in fall 2008, dubbed “New Xbox Experience (NXE),” is the most significant update for the Xbox 360 in the past year. Some of the changes include a completely redesigned user interface, reminiscent of Windows Media Center, avatars in a similar vein to the Wii’s Miis, instant Netflix streaming support, a redesigned Live Guide, and the option to install games directly onto the hard drives. Continuing the Xbox 360′s customization kick is the Gamer Card, which consists of a personal picture–an icon chosen from a batch of Microsoft-approved images or an image you’ve captured using the Xbox Live Vision Camera. Gamers may also include a motto or personal quote that is 21 characters or less in length. The centerpiece of the Gamer Card is the Gamerscore: a point-total representative of predetermined goals, known as Achievements, met in each and every game (1,000 possible points per game). It’s a nice way to foster offline competitiveness between gamers, as even completely single-player games such as Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion include Achievements.
Xbox Live & Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live was a large success on the original Xbox, but this time around Xbox Live is completely integrated into the Dashboard. Every model (assuming access to a broadband Internet connection and a storage option–either the hard drive or a memory card) has a base-level membership called Xbox Live Silver. That offers the capability to create a list of friends, view their gamer cards, and communicate with them outside of a game via voice chat, voice messaging using the headset, video chat using the Xbox Live Vision Camera, and text messaging as well. The Xbox Live interface is completely accessible at any time during a gaming session. Simply press the silver guide button and you instantly have access to any of the features of the service.
To play multiplayer games, you’ll need to upgrade to Xbox Live Gold, which is basically the same $50-per-year service from the old Xbox. In addition to enabling online play, the Gold tier also gives players early access to some free downloadable content, such as new maps or levels for certain games.
Xbox Live Arcade refers to the various downloadable casual and minigames offered on the console. More than 50 titles are available, including classic arcade games and original titles built from the ground up strictly for distribution over the Xbox Live service. While the majority of these games offer free downloadable trials, the full versions do cost money. Pricing on Xbox Live works with a points system as currency. Microsoft Points can be purchased through your Xbox 360 console or in stores via an MS Points card. Xbox Live Arcade games range from 400 to 1500 MS points–80 MS Points equal $1.
One nice improvement over the Nintendo Wii’s similar Virtual Console is that the Xbox Live Arcade games are always properly formatted for your preferred screen size (standard or wide screen). Many of them also allow cooperative or competitive online play via Xbox Live. Every Xbox Live Arcade game also has a set of 200 Achievement points associated with it as well–however, these points can only be obtained only in the full, purchased version of the game. Furthermore, many older games offer a choice between updated HD graphics or a “classic” retro look.
Marketplace and media capabilities
MS Points can also be used toward the purchase of TV show episodes and full-length movie rentals via the first blade in the Dashboard, the Marketplace. These videos are available in standard and high-definition formats, but be warned–high-definition media does start to fill space rather quickly, so the included 20GB hard drive may not be sufficient if you download a large amount of high-def videos.
The Marketplace is also where you can find free game and movie trailers as well as behind-the-scenes videos from certain gaming events in Europe, Japan, and North America. Additionally, the Marketplace offers premium customizable content for your Xbox 360. Gamers can download themes and picture packs that change the look of the Dashboard and your Gamer Card. These items are available for 80 to 200 MS Points, take up minimal hard drive space, and are yours to keep forever. They will also be able to transfer to the New Xbox Experience in November 2008.
What is considered by some to be the most crucial feature of the online Marketplace is the capability to download fully featured game demos. Prospective buyers now have the luxury of trying out a game days, weeks, and occasionally even months before its official release. This feature has become so popular that publishers are now making special arrangements for Marketplace demos such as the recent Call of Duty 4 beta demo. You get to make a first impression only once, so the actual quality of these demos has improved dramatically since their initial implementation.
While it’s primarily a game machine, the Xbox 360 is a formidable digital media hub as well. Plug a digital camera, flash card reader, thumbdrive, or a music player into the Xbox 360′s USB port, and if it’s compatible with a Windows PC, you’ll likely have plug-and-play access to browse your photos, listen to your MP3s, and play WMV videos. Digital media on your home network is similarly accessible: just install Microsoft’s Windows Media Player 11, Zune software, or Windows Media Connect (all are free downloads) on any PC running Vista, and the 360 will be able to stream music and access photos and WMV videos from the remote PC. If your version of Windows is enabled with Media Center functionality (some versions of XP and most versions of Vista), the integration is even tighter. The 360 doubles as a Media Center Extender, letting you access live and recorded TV–including those in high-definition–from the networked MCE PC. There are also dozens of applications that will let Windows XP owners stream content to their Xbox 360 as well. We’ve had a lot of success with the TVersity application.
Accessories
There are dozens of available accessories for the Xbox 360. Most recently, Microsoft introduced the Messenger Kit which includes an attachable keyboard add-on for your controller, making texting your Xbox Live friends much easier. You can also use your Messenger Kit for chatting with friends over MSN Messenger in the Xbox 360 dashboard. For more communication options, there is the Xbox Live Vision Camera, which allows you to video chat with friends as well as use it in games that support it. For example, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas allows you to take a picture of yourself and map it to your online multiplayer avatar. Sick of that wired headset? You may want to look into the Xbox 360 wireless headset, which includes a rechargeable battery built into the unit itself.
A drawback to not having Wi-Fi embedded in the console is that, should you want the ability to receive a wireless signal, you’ll need to purchase the wireless network adapter. Another alternative is to go with a powerline networking solution instead.
The wireless controllers accept two AA batteries, but plenty of rechargeable options are available. The best is the Quick-Charge Kit, which allows for dual battery charging and even comes with a rechargeable battery ($12 when sold separately). Again, the snap-on batteries are a nice alternative to the wireless PS3 controllers, which lack user-accessible batteries.
The lack of a next-generation optical disc was one reason the Xbox 360 costs less than the PlayStation 3, which includes a built-in Blu-ray drive. Now that the format wars are over, the HD-DVD add-on has become an expensive relic for those who opted to buy one in the first place. As such, Microsoft has yet to release a Blu-ray version of its add-on drive to compete with the now more affordable PS3. It does offer a decent online selection of HD content from its Marketplace, and with the upcoming Netflix integration, a Blu-ray add-on drive might be an unnecessary feature for some who likes to exclusively view their movies and TV shows over the Internet. But the fact that the PS3 is the most affordable and the best performing Blu-ray drive out right now, strikes off one in the minus column for the console. The game library
When it comes to a console’s lifespan, one factor can decide whether such a device can stand the test of time. When it is all said and done, the console with the best lineup of exclusive games will reign supreme. So far, Microsoft has done an excellent job in securing big game developers’ sole allegiance to creating games for the Xbox 360. Notable Xbox 360 exclusives include BioShock (although it eventually found its way to the PlayStation 3), Dead Rising, the Gears of War franchise, Halo 3, the Project Gotham Racing series, and Mass Effect.
In addition to the Xbox 360′s growing library of games, hundreds of games playable on the original Xbox will also work with new console (via downloadable software emulation profiles, which are automatically installed via Xbox Live). The entire list of backward-compatible games is available here; Microsoft expands the list periodically, but there’s no guarantee as to if or when a favorite classic title will be added. Still, considering that the latest PlayStation 3 ditches backward PS2 compatibility altogether, what was once an Xbox 360 liability is now a comparative strength.
As of December 2007, a Dashboard update added an Xbox Originals service to Xbox Live. This essentially offers select titles from the original Xbox for download via Xbox Live for the equivalent of $15 in Microsoft points.
Price :$ 250.00
Editors’ note: While the Nintendo Wii remains as this generation’s best-selling home console, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 are now available at competitive prices. On September 24, 2009, Nintendo announced an official price drop for the Wii, bringing the console down to $200, the same price as the entry-level Xbox 360 Arcade.
Also noteworthy, Nintendo has added Wii MotionPlus to the console’s arsenal. MotionPlus promises an even more accurate motion control experience, though only certain titles support its functionality.
Be sure to visit our Wii resource page for your Wii news and accessory needs.
Nintendo has ventured off the beaten path with its newest system, and the company knows it. While the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Microsoft Xbox 360 both emphasize their impressive graphical capabilities, Nintendo downplays the importance of graphics on its new console. While the Sony and Microsoft consoles keep the branding of their respective predecessors, the oddly named Wii is a semantic departure from Nintendo’s more literally named 2001 console, the GameCube. And while the PS3 and the Xbox 360 both use conventional gamepads bristling with buttons, control sticks, and directional pads, the Wii uses a device that looks more like a TV remote than a gamepad to control its games.
These strange choices could have spelled failure for Nintendo’s newest endeavor. Underplaying processing power, using a strange new controller setup, and giving the whole package an odd name could have been major mistakes for Nintendo. (Consider some of the company’s earlier attempts to go against the grain: the Power Glove and the Virtual Boy.) But the gamble paid off: since its November 2006 release, the Wii has become a runaway hit, so popular that it remains difficult to find it in stock. It’s strange, it’s different, and it’s not as powerful as its competitors, but the Nintendo Wii succeeds in its primary mission: it’s fun to play.
Opening the box
The Wii box includes everything you need to hook the system up to a standard television: the Wii console, a wireless controller with nunchuk adapter, the sensor bar, a cradle (for mounting the console vertically), the Wii’s modestly sized power adapter, and a set of composite A/V cables. Unfortunately, composite cables don’t support the Wii’s top resolution of 480p, so HDTV owners will want to also purchase a set of Wii component cables (sold separately).
The console itself is downright tiny–easily the smallest and lightest of the new generation of game machines. At 1.75 inches high by 6.25 inches wide by 8.5 inches deep (when oriented horizontally), it is–as Nintendo promised–about the size of three DVD cases. The initial model is available only in iPod-white, but it’s a safe bet that we’ll see plenty of other colors become available as the months and years progress. Like with the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, you can lay the Wii horizontally or stand it vertically (either by itself or, for added stability, in the included plastic cradle). Like the PS3, the Wii uses a slot-loading mechanism; it accepts the Wii discs (full-size 12cm) and older GameCube discs (mini 8cm), without the need for an adapter.
The Wii includes 512MB of internal memory for storing saved games, downloaded Virtual Console titles, and other data. If that half-gigabyte of onboard storage isn’t enough for you, the system has a standard Secure Digital card slot for additional storage. SD cards are cheap and plentiful, and the Wii’s support of them is a refreshing change of pace from the proprietary memory cards used by older game consoles.
In October 2008, Nintendo released an update for the Wii that allows WiiWare and Virtual Console games to be played directly off an SD card, thus essentially eliminating the console’s dreaded lack-of-storage issue. There is one catch, though: as of this writing, the console can only support up to 2GB SD cards.
While it doesn’t come with a memory card or component-video cables, the Wii does include one pleasant surprise in the box. The system comes with Wii Sports, a simple but infectious sports game that lets users get a feel for the Wii’s capabilities without investing in additional games. Wii Sports uses the system’s wireless controller as erstwhile sporting equipment, letting users swing and mock-throw it to play baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, and boxing. The different games can support up to four players at a time, but most modes require more than the system’s single controller for multiplayer options. Players can swap the remote back and forth for golf and bowling, but players who would like to box or face each other in a tennis match or a baseball game will need to purchase at least one more controller. Wii Sports feels more like a collection of five minigames than a fully fleshed-out title, but it lets users have fun right out of the box while simultaneously showcasing the system’s potential.
Setup
The Wii’s simple design makes it very easy to hook up. The back panel of the console has only five ports: one for the power adapter, one for the proprietary A/V cable, one for the sensor bar, and two USB ports for future accessories. Just plug in the sensor bar and put it either on top of or under your television, plug the video cable into your TV, and plug the power cable into the wall, and you’re ready to go.
Once everything is hooked together, just turn on the Wii to go through the software setup. Settings such as time and user name can be easily selected with the remote control’s pointer. The only remotely technical setting most users will have to deal with is the network connection, and the menu system practically walks users through the setup. The Wii’s Wi-Fi connection can work with secure WEP and WPA encrypted Wi-Fi networks, so you don’t have to make your network vulnerable just to play online. We had no problem connecting to our open wireless router, though we couldn’t test the network connection beyond that. If you don’t have Wi-Fi at all, Nintendo is said to be offering an Ethernet adapter that interfaces with one of the USB ports.
Once the Wii’s network settings are set up, the system is designed to be constantly online through Nintendo’s WiiConnect24 service. The Wii can use WiiConnect24 to automatically download system updates, additional game content, and even weather and news. When a message or system update arrives on your Wii, the disc slot glows a bright blue, even when it’s not in use–unless you disable that notification feature in the preferences menu.
Wii Channels: Media and online capabilities
The Wii’s navigation is done through a series of pages called Wii Channels that take advantage of the WiiConnect24′s always-on design. Among the Wii’s default channels are a weather forecast channel, a news channel, a message channel, a photo channel, and the cute avatar-generating Mii channel. The channel home page is the system’s default gateway, which also provides access to the disc-based Wii/GameCube games and Virtual Console titles.
The Mii Channel lets users create and modify Miis, cute little avatars for use online and in certain games. The Miis are cartoony and extremely simple, but the Mii Channel includes enough customization features for users to create Miis that look like themselves, their friends, or even celebrities. (Our Wii is currently populated with characters from The Big Lebowski.) Miis don’t seem that useful, but they can be used as characters in games such as Wii Sports, and as avatars in the Wii’s Message Channel. Since Miis are so simple, players can use their Wiimotes’ 6KB of storage to carry around as many as 10 Miis and use them on their friends’ Wiis.
The Photo Channel was a pleasantly useful surprise, though a bit of a misnomer. The channel can display and edit photos. Nintendo claims that the Wii can also play MP3 music files and QuickTime videos, but these features feel like afterthoughts; MP3s can be played only in a photo slide show, and we were unable to load a QuickTime movie on our Wii. Fortunately, the Photo Channel’s emphasis is clearly on image viewing and editing. Once up to 1,000 of your photos are loaded through the SD card slot, you can view them individually, browse them in an album view, or watch a slide show of them. The Photo Channel also includes a basic image editor, though it’s clearly built more for fun than serious editing. With its upbeat background music and some very cute image options, the editor feels a lot like the old Super Nintendo classic Mario Paint.
While on the subject of media, it’s worth noting that the Wii does not play audio CDs or video DVDs, which is something of a disappointment. Yes, everybody already has a DVD player, but with DVD playback capability being standard-issue since the last generation of game consoles, its omission here is something of a conundrum. Nintendo claims it was to keep the price down, and the company’s last-generation console, the GameCube, also lacked DVD playback. Nintendo also hasn’t indicated that it’s going to launch any sort of downloadable video or music store, and–with the Wii’s lack of a built-in spacious hard drive–that doesn’t seem like it would be on the docket anytime soon.
The Wii’s online capabilities are a mixed bag. A series of online “Channels” offers a decent alternative to PC-based Web browsing, but the system’s online gaming and community features leave a lot to be desired. That’s largely because each Wii has its own unique “friend code,” a series of numbers you can find in the system’s configuration menu. To become friends with another Wii owner, you need to send them your friend code (through e-mail, instant messaging, or a phone call–any non-Wii form of communication). Then they must give you their own Wii’s friend code, and you must enter it into your own Wii. When that’s all done, you two have become friends and can finally send messages to each other via the Wii’s “Message Channel.” If that weren’t bad enough, you have to essentially repeat the process for every Wii game you want to play online (each title has its own separate friend code, above and beyond the system’s main code). Compared to Xbox Live’s incredibly easy system of entering your friend’s Gamertag and them accepting you as a friend, the Wii system is entirely too byzantine. (That said, parents may appreciate the fact that the convoluted system makes it all but impossible for online strangers to interface with their kids.)
Beyond messaging, the various online channels offer some handy and entertaining features. The Forecast, News, and Internet Channels form the Wii’s trinity of nongaming services. They’re not quite as impressive as the Xbox Live or PS3′s online media systems, but they’re still fun and are occasionally useful to have around. The Forecast Channel turns your Wii into your own personal weather report. It displays the local weather, a five-day forecast, and even UV reports. If you want to know more than what the weather’s going to be like in your town, you can zoom out to a global view, complete with recognizable weather icons for nearly every major city. A quick drag with the Wiimote can get a weather report for anywhere from San Francisco to Tokyo. It won’t replace the Weather Channel or more in-depth online weather services, but for a quick glance at the forecast in between games, the Forecast Channel is pretty neat.
The News Channel functions similarly to the Forecast Channel, only with news instead of weather. It downloads stories from the AP wire service, which are displayed in text that can be resized and zoomed in for easier reading on large screens. The stories come with either some form of accompanying photos, or a map indicating where the news is taking place. By default, the News Channel organizes the different stories in the manner of a newspaper into sections such as national, international, regional, and sports news. Besides the newspaperlike format, stories can also be browsed through a slide show or a globelike interface similar to the Forecast Channel’s. Much like the Forecast Channel, the News Channel offers a nifty service that doesn’t replace dedicated television or online news sources.
The Internet Channel is an Opera-based Web browser for the Wii. New URLs are entered with the Wiimote via the Wii’s onscreen keyboard, and favorite Web pages can be stored in the browser’s bookmarks. The browser is surprisingly full featured, and can even load complex, Flash-heavy Web pages such as YouTube and our own CNET.com. Much like the News Channel, the pages can be zoomed in and out for comfortable reading on larger screens. It occasionally chokes on some sites, but this might be more due to the sites’ browser-sensing scripts that automatically assume the Internet Channel won’t be compatible.
While once free, Opera’s Internet Channel browser is now a 500-point ($5) download. It offers surprisingly flexible web browsing on the Wii, made even more useful with the system’s recently added USB keyboard support.
Since the Wii’s release, Nintendo has launched a handful of new channels. While they offer fun little diversions, most of these new channels feel shallow and gratuitous. The Everybody Votes channel offers a daily online survey on various, seemingly random subjects. The Check Mii Out Channel lets you share your various Miis online and have other users rate and vote for them in informal contests.
Virtual Console
The Wii’s Virtual Console offers the bulk of the system’s online content. Rather than new downloadable titles like Xbox Live Arcade or the PlayStation Network, the Virtual Console plays classic video games from generations past. Originally the VC supported NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, and Turbografix-16 titles, and recently expanded to Neo-Geo titles. Nintendo currently boasts a library of over a hundred classic games, with new titles added every Monday.
Shopping for old-school games with the Virtual Console is easy. If your Wii is online, just go to the Wii Shop channel and browse. These games cost Wii Points, with each point equivalent to a penny. They range from 500 points ($5) for NES games to 1,200 points ($12) for certain N64 titles. Wii Points can be purchased in gift card form at major retailers or with a credit card directly through the Wii Shop. Regardless of how you get your points, you’ll need to enter them into your account through the Wii Shop. If you have a Wii Points card, you can redeem it by entering a code through your Wii. If you want to buy the points directly online, you have to enter your credit card information with the Wiimote through the Wii’s software keyboard.
Once you have your points, you can start shopping. Go into the Wii Shop and select Virtual Console, then browse through the various games available. Each game has a title screenshot and a short description so that you can learn a bit before you decide to buy. When you’re ready, just click Download, and you can confirm the purchase. The Wii will tell you exactly how much space you’ll have left on the Wii and how many Wii Points you’ll have left in your account after the download. After you confirm the purchase, the Wii begins downloading your chosen game automatically. The progress of the download is shown by a cute animation of the 8-bit Super Mario Bros. Mario chasing coins and hitting blocks. The downloads can take less than a minute for NES games, or as much as 10 minutes for Nintendo 64 games. Once the game is downloaded, the program will boot you back to the Wii Shop’s main menu.
Downloaded Virtual Console games appear as individual channels in the Wii’s main menu, and playing those games is as simple as selecting their channel and pressing start. The VC emulator loads the game, and your retro fun begins.
VC games are essentially perfect emulations of their original versions, which is both good and bad for gamers. Classic purists will be thrilled at the genuine, old-school gameplay experience, but more casual players hoping for the enhanced graphics or online play found in some XBLA retro games will be disappointed. At most, a few N64 games remove licensed logos from in-game billboards for legal reasons, but otherwise remain untouched. For extra old-school experience, the Wiimote itself can be turned sideways and handled like a conventional controller for NES and Turbographix-16 games. For SNES, Genesis, and N64 games, however, you’ll need either an old GameCube controller plugged into one of the system’s GC ports or the Wii Classic Controller plugged into your Wiimote.
Wide-screen users will notice the one annoying flaw of the Virtual Console: old-school games have no wide-screen support. If you play on a wide-screen TV, your retro game will be stretched noticeably. Though a firmware update may be in the system’s future, the only way to fix this issue currently is to set your television to a 4:3 aspect ratio for Virtual Console games and set it back to wide-screen for regular games.
The Wiimote controller
Wii Sports also doubles as a tutorial for familiarizing yourself with the system’s unique wireless controller, which is what really sets it apart from competing consoles–and all the game systems that have come before it. The Wiimote, as it’s been affectionately dubbed, is a sophisticated motion-sensing controller that connects wirelessly to the Wii via the Bluetooth wireless protocol.
This revolutionary design isn’t completely wireless: to function, it requires the placement of the Wii’s sensor bar either on top of or beneath your television screen. Fortunately, the sensor bar is extremely unobtrusive, and we forgot it was even there minutes after setting up the system. The sensor bar is a small and light plastic rectangle about the size of two pens laid end to end, and it connects to the Wii with a very long cord (about eight feet), so its setup is simple and flexible. The sensor bar comes with a tiny, clear plastic base with adhesive squares on its feet, so you can stick it securely on the top of your television, even if it’s a narrow flat-panel screen. (If the thin cable is an issue, the battery-powered Nyko Wireless Sensor Bar works perfectly well.)
Accelerometers inside the remote sense how the device is being held and if it’s being moved in any direction. These sensors control actions such as baseball bat and golf club swings in Wii Sports, Link’s sword slashes in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and even steering trucks in Excite Truck. Moreover, you hold the Wiimote differently depending on the game: grasp it like the hilt of a sword in Zelda and Red Steel, as a baseball bat or tennis racket in Wii Sports, or hold it horizontally as a steering bar for Excite Truck. Because the Wiimote is so light, these controls and movements can take some getting used to. Fortunately, a speaker and a force-feedback module built into the Wiimote can provide additional tactile and audio feedback for your actions and add an extra bit of immersion to the Wii experience. For example, the remote’s tiny speaker makes an audible “Clang!” when Link swings his sword, and it rumbles when Link strikes an enemy. Even menu selections on the Wii are signaled by helpful little vibrations of the Wiimote.
The Wiimote also uses a set of infrared sensors to determine the remote’s orientation in regard to the television. A set of IR diodes in the Wiimote communicate with the Wii’s sensor bar to serve as a pointer for navigating menus and aiming weapons in first-person shooters. Again, this control system takes some getting used to, but once you adapt to the control, pointing with the Wiimote feels much more natural than using an analog stick. It doesn’t quite replace the beloved mouse-and-keyboard combination for FPS games, but–after getting acclimated to it–we found it worked better than traditional console controllers.
While the new control system is both fun and innovative, the pointer gets occasionally jerky or twitchy, and the tilt controls require a light and subtle touch. Part of this can be attributed to the Wii’s learning curve, and after a few hours we barely noticed those quirks. Unfortunately, the Wii doesn’t currently have a way to manually calibrate the Wiimote’s controls; you’re forced to trust the Wii’s generally accurate automatic calibration.
The remote’s stand-alone abilities are impressive enough, but it also has a device port so that accessories can be plugged directly into it. The Wii comes with a nunchuk attachment, a small device that plugs into the remote and contains an analog stick and two additional buttons. The nunchuk augments the Wiimote in many games, such as controlling characters’ movements in Twilight Princess or Red Steel. The nunchuk also contains motion-sensing equipment, so it can be shaken and rocked to perform additional actions. For example, shaking the nunchuk in Twilight Princess executes a spinning slash attack.
The nunchuk is the most commonly used Wiimote accessory, but others are available. In addition to the aforementioned Classic Controller (for Virtual Console games). Nintendo launches the Zapper this November, a plastic enclosure for the remote and nunchuk that lets you handle both controllers like a machine gun. Several games are already being crafted for the Zapper’s design, though it remains a simple enclosure; besides the the nunchuk and the classic controller, we haven’t seen many more uses for the port at the bottom of the remote.
This wireless, motion-sensing goodness doesn’t come without a price. The Wiimote uses two AA batteries, which must power the remote’s accelerometers, IR sensors, Bluetooth radio, speaker, rumble module, and any attachments you plug in (the batteryless nunchuk draws its power from the Wiimote). The Wii doesn’t come with any sort of charger, so you’ll almost certainly want to pick up a set of at least four rechargeable AA batteries and a battery charger, or opt for a third-party solution such as Nyko’s Wii Charge Station. Another factor to consider is that extra controllers a pretty pricey: $40 for additional Wiimotes, plus another $20 for the nunchuk.
In June 2009, Nintendo introduced Wii MotionPlus, an attachment for the Wii remote that promises improved motion control and accuracy. While the initial games that took advantage of the device didn’t really impress us, Wii Sports Resort displays the true potential of Wii MotionPlus. For more on MotionPlus and how it affects gameplay, check out our review.
Gameplay and graphics
The Wii’s biggest and most obvious appeal is the ability to use its motion-sensing controller to play Wii-specific games. The Wii’s release lineup includes the highly anticipated Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and the addictive pack-in party game Wii Sports, as well as a variety of more traditional third-party titles (many of which have been enhanced to use the Wiimote control). But while you’re waiting for some more innovative Wii titles to arrive, there will still be plenty of games to play. The Wii is fully backward compatible with the Nintendo GameCube and includes four built-in GameCube controller ports and two GameCube memory card slots for gamers who want to enjoy their last-gen games. To play those older games, you’ll need at least one GC controller (best choice: the wireless WaveBird) and (if you want to save your progress) a memory card. Truth be told, though, the list of truly great GameCube titles is short and sweet.
If Wii and GameCube games aren’t enough, the Wii also features Nintendo’s Virtual Console, a library of games from the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Super NES, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, and Turbografix-16 systems. Games can be purchased and downloaded over Nintendo’s online Wii Store, where they are stored on the Wii’s system memory or SD card. Virtual Console game purchases are tied to the Wii’s network ID, so you can’t pop your Virtual Console games onto an SD card and take them over to play them on a friend’s Wii. On the bright side, Nintendo is pledging that already purchased games can be downloaded again free if you accidentally lose or delete your data. Games are purchased with Wii Points, which can be purchased via credit card or gift card (100 Wii Points equals one U.S. dollar)–the system is essentially identical to Microsoft’s tried-and-true Xbox Live Marketplace (Sony’s fledgling PlayStation store will denominate purchases in real currency, but is functionally the same). NES games will cost the equivalent of $5 (500 points), Turbografix-16 games $6, Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis games $8, and Nintendo 64 games $10.
While the Wii’s controller is very advanced and innovative, its processing power is not. The system uses a more powerful version of the Nintendo GameCube’s processor, and it doesn’t have nearly as much polygon-pushing power as the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3. While Microsoft’s and Sony’s consoles support high-definition outputs of up to 1080p, the Wii can hit only the GameCube’s ceiling of 480p, and even that mode can’t be used with the Wii’s included composite A/V cables. (Most if not all of the Wii’s games will, however, be optimized for wide-screen TVs.) The Wii also lacks advanced surround sound, instead sticking with the GameCube’s Dolby Pro-Logic II matrixed surround (based on a stereo signal, not native 5.1). In other words, if you’re looking for state-of-the-art eye candy, you’re going to want to opt for the PS3 or the Xbox 360–either of which will take a significantly larger chunk of your bank account.
Conclusion
Is the Wii worth picking up? It all depends on what you’re looking for. If you’ve been clamoring for an all-purpose next-generation multimedia box with blinding HD graphics, the Wii will be a disappointment. But Nintendo didn’t intend to compete in that arena anyway: the Wii is focused squarely on delivering fun and innovative gameplay, leaving Sony and Microsoft to battle it out at the high end. The Wiimote and its motion-sensing, pseudo-virtual-reality controls are the biggest draws of the console, and its online capabilities, Wii Channels, Virtual Console, and GameCube backward-compatibility are just a thick, sweet layer of icing on an already tasty cake. Likewise, the Wii is the only home console that lets you play games featuring nostalgic Nintendo-only franchises such as Mario, Zelda, and Metroid. With a price tag of just $250–far less than those of its competitors–and the included Wii Sports disc that provides mindless fun out of the box, the Nintendo Wii won’t disappoint.
Price : $ 199.99
Editor’s note (June 2, 2009): Sony has announced a new, smaller PSP model called the PSP Go. However, the PSP 3000 reviewed here will continue to be sold alongside the more expensive PSP Go once it becomes available in October 2009.
While some still consider it a second banana to Nintendo’s nearly ubiquitous DS Lite, the Sony PSP has sold more than 50 million units since it appeared on the scene in 2005. Sony released a second-generation version–the PSP 2000–in 2007, giving it a slimmer and lighter chassis, some speed tweaks, and the ability to output straight to a TV screen.
For 2008, the PSP got another minor makeover: the PSP 3000 boasts a built-in microphone (to increase the usability of its onboard Skype functionality) and better video output support (you can now play games on non-HD TV hookups). It also has an “improved” screen that’s said to reduce glare, offer better color reproduction, and diminished ghosting. However, these “improvements” actually resulted in visible artifacts on the handheld’s screen. The flaws aren’t visible in most circumstances, and it’s not a dealbreaker–but the fact that it’s a step backwards is annoying nonetheless.
Versions
The PSP 3000 is currently available in several configurations:
Sony PSP 3000 Ratchet and Clank Entertainment Pack (silver): This limited-edition $200 bundle includes a silver PSP 3000, Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters UMD game, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets UMD movie, 1GB Memory Stick Duo card, and a voucher for Echochrome (a downloadable game available at the online PlayStation Store).
Sony PSP 3000 Ratchet and Clank Entertainment Pack (black): This is the same as above, but in black instead of silver.
Sony PSP 3000 Rock Band Unplugged Bundle (black): This limited-edition $200 bundle includes a black PSP 3000, Rock Band Unplugged UMD game, 4GB Memory Stick Duo card, and a voucher for “School of Rock” (a downloadable movie available at the online PlayStation Store).
Sony PSP 3000 Hannah Montana Bundle (lilac): This limited-edition $200 bundle includes a lilac (purple) PSP 3000, Hannah Montana: Rock Out the Show UMD game, 2GB Memory Stick Duo card, an episode of the Hannah Montana TV series on UMD, and some Hannah Montana stickers.
Sony PSP 3000 Assassin’s Creed Pack (black): This limited-edition $200 bundle includes a black PSP 3000 and the game Assassin’s Creed Bloodlines (available November 1, 2009).
Sony PSP 3000 Gran Turismo Pack (silver): This limited-edition $200 bundle includes a silver PSP 3000; the game Gran Turismo on UMD; a voucher for a white Chervolet Corvette ZR1 (a downloadable add-on to the Gran Turismo game); a voucher for a downloadable movie from the PlayStation Store; a Sony MusicPass voucher good for 10 downloadable songs from Sony Music; and a 2GB Memory Stick Duo card (available mid-October 2009).
Sony PSP 3000 Core Pack: This “no frills” version includes just a black PSP 3000 for $169.
Note that additional colors and bundles will likely be offered on a periodic basis.
With only a $30 premium, the bundles are a good choice for users who don’t already have a Memory Stick Duo card on hand. You’ll also want to be sure to pick up a case to protect the PSP’s large, exposed screen. (Check out CNET’s full list of recommended PSP accessories.)
Design
The PSP 3000 has the same slim dimensions (2.81 inches high by 6.63 inches wide by 0.63 inch deep) and lighter weight (just over 7 ounces–or 200 grams–with the battery, game disc, and Memory Stick on board) as its predecessor.
The 4.3-inch LCD wide screen remains, and it’s been tweaked. Sony says the new screen now delivers better color reproduction, reduced glare, and reduced “ghosting” on high-motion scenes. When compared with the 2000, the PSP 3000 does, indeed, deliver better color vibrancy (you can toggle between “wide” and “standard” color in the options to see the difference). As for glare reduction: we didn’t find there to be a huge difference. Don’t expect to play in direct sunlight, for instance. But you might have better luck with fewer distractions from indoor light sources.
But in its effort to deal with the ghosting issue, Sony’s cure may have been worse than the disease. By increasing the screen’s refresh rate, the new PSP seems to introduce a variety of video artifacts onto the screen. They appear as scanlines or jaggies, as if the image is interlaced. They’re more apparent in high-motion scenes in games and videos–but that’s most of the content on the PSP. (A good illustration of the differences in the screen can be seen at Kotaku.)
The silver version of the PSP 3000 has a matte finish, as compared with the shiny piano black finish of the black one. As a result, the silver body is immune to fingerprints and smudges that so easily show up on the black one. Unfortunately, the screen is identical on both–smooth and shiny–and it remains a magnet for fingerprints. As mentioned above, the lack of a clamshell design (as seen on the Nintendo DS and DSi) makes investing in a case as much a necessity for the PSP as it is for an iPod or iPhone.
Aside from a few very minor cosmetic differences, button layout on the PSP 3000 is basically identical to the previous PSP as well. The screen is bordered by controls on its left, right, and bottom side, plus two shoulder buttons along the top edge. The button layout is based on the classic PlayStation controller layout–the four-way directional pad on the left, square, triangle, cross, and circle keys on the right–so anyone who’s used a Sony console over the last decade should be able to pick up and play. The bottom left of the front face also houses an analog thumbstick, for more precise movement. (A second thumbstick on the right, mimicking the design of the PlayStation controller, would’ve been a welcome addition.) More mundane media controls line the bottom of the screen: select, start, volume, brightness, and a “home” button. (Some of them are shaped a bit differently than the previous model, and the “home” button now brandishes the PlayStation emblem.)
New to the PSP 3000 is the built-in microphone, located just below the screen. It can be used for online communication, be it within a game or for the PSP’s built-in Skype application. The advantage of having the mic integrated into the body is that you can use it with any standard pair of headphones. By contrast, the PSP 2000 required a special headset for communicating online.
The PSP is designed to play games and movies off something called UMDs–Universal Media Discs. We’re not sure where Sony got the “universal” part of the name, because the PSP is the only device that plays them. They’re sort of a cross between a mini-CD and an old MiniDisc, and they only hold about 2.2GB of data. They load into a snap-open door on the PSP’s backside. Sony seems to be moving the PSP to more of a downloadable model for games and video (see the PlayStation Store section, below), so we wouldn’t be surprised to see the UMD become more of a legacy medium for the PSP.
The Memory Stick Duo slot remains on the left edge. Like the UMD bay, it’s a pry-open cover that slides on rubbery plastic rails. If you’re not buying a PSP bundle that includes an MS Duo card (or don’t have a spare one from a Sony camera), you’ll want to invest in a decently sized one (2GB or better). They’re widely available for less than $30 or so, but it’s annoying–again–that Sony’s gone with its own proprietary format instead of the more widely used (and cheaper) SD standard.
Rounding out the connections: the headphone/AV jack is on the bottom edge. It’ll take any standard 3.5mm headphones, as well as special PSP-only AV-out cables for connecting to a TV (see “video output,” below). The USB port remains centered on the top edge of the PSP. Sony doesn’t include a cable, but it’s a standard mini-USB connector, so it’s likely that you already have one lying around. The USB connector is flanked by two screw holes that allow for accessories to be firmly attached to its frame. But most people will use the USB port for quick connections to the PC to transfer digital media–photos, music, and video, as well as games and demos available through the online PlayStation Store.
The PSP’s interface is known as the Cross Media Bar, or XMB. The original PSP was the first Sony product to use it, and it’s since been incorporated into the PlayStation 3 and many other Sony TVs and AV receivers. It’s a pretty slick menu system that’s generally pretty easy to maneuver through using the D-pad and control buttons. As you get into some of the applications, however, that simplicity can get lost. We wished the Web browser, for instance, was as well-designed as the overall XMB menu system.
If you don’t want to use headphones, the PSP has external stereo speakers. They produce decent volume for games and UMD movies, but we’ve always found the volume on videos that we copy over to the Memory Stick to be a bit less potent.
The PSP includes a 5-volt AC power adapter. It can also be charged via USB, albeit at a slower “trickle” rate. Those interested in USB charging (from a spare iPod adapter or their PC, for instance) would be better advised to get something like the Mad Catz USB Data/Charge Cable, which is readily available for less than $10.
Multimedia and online features
The PSP is primarily a gaming device, but it’s got some notable media functionality as well.
Wi-Fi: The PSP has built-in Wi-Fi capability, allowing it to connect to any wireless Internet service, including those with WEP and WPA encryption (but not WPA2). One annoyance: the 3000 continues to use the slowest 802.11b version of Wi-Fi. An upgrade to 11g or even 11n is overdue.
Video playback: The PSP can play videos from a variety of sources. The easiest–and most ill-advised–is to buy prerecorded UMD video discs. (With an extremely limited selection, and the fact that the PSP is the only place you can watch them, UMD videos are–not surprisingly–pretty hard to find.) A better option is to copy your own videos from a computer onto a Memory Stick Duo card, and pop it in to the PSP. A variety of freeware and commercial software products can readily convert files to PSP-friendly formats and resolutions (MPEG4 or H.264-AVC, up to 720×480).
LocationFree TV: Built into the PSP is the ability to stream live TV from a Sony LocationFree TV device, which is Sony’s take on the Slingbox. As long as the PSP is in a Wi-Fi hot spot, it can stream the video and change the channels on a LocationFree box, even if it’s halfway around the world.
Audio playback: The PSP doubles as a decent music player, with the ability to play DRM-free MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC, and ATRAC3 files, along with support for album art. Shuffle and repeat modes are supported, along with a visualizer function.
Photo display: The PSP can display JPEG, GIF, and TIFF photos stored on the MS Duo card–individually, or as a slide show. However, larger photos may need to be compressed before viewing.
Skype: As mentioned above, the PSP 3000 has a built-in Skype client, which can be used for free Skype-to-Skype calls as well as calls to and from regular phones (if you invest in paid Skype add-ons). While it’s not going to be offering any serious competition to the iPhone (or any other dedicated cell phone), the ability to have full Skype access–without the need for a special headset–could definitely be useful for quick calls home during, say, an overseas trip.
PS3 “Remote Play”: The PSP can log into a PlayStation 3 on a home network or via the Web, and stream any video, audio, or photos stored on the PS3.
Web browsing: The PSP has a built-in Web browser, but it’s the one place–more than games–where you’ll really lament the device’s lack of a touch screen (or even a numeric keypad). A lot of graphically rich pages will be cramped or broken on the screen, and the limited Flash support isn’t particularly robust (no Flash-based video, for instance). That said, using the analog stick to control the cursor is nice. And for a lot of people, it will be a better mobile Internet experience than they’re getting on a phone.
RSS reader: Separate from the Web browser is an RSS reader, but it could use an overhaul to make it easier to use and add your own feeds.
Internet radio: The PSP has a dedicated Shoutcast client that offers free streaming Internet radio. It’s just a plug-in that works through the browser. It’s overdesigned and not as straightforward or easy to use as it should be, but it works.
Search: There’s also a dedicated icon for doing a Google search.
Network update: The PSP has upgradeable firmware, and Sony has been diligent about adding additional features, fixes, and updates every few months. The upgrade is as simple as choosing the option from the system menu.
Video output
Invest in an add-on cable (about $16 for the composite or component version), and you can output the PSP’s audio and video to a TV. The PSP 3000 corrects an annoying limitation of the 2000 model: now, video playback and gameplay will work on pretty much any TV. With the 2000, gameplay was limited to progressive-scan only via component video–pretty much limiting you to HDTV hookups.
One annoyance remains: video content from UMD discs (prerecorded movies) and Memory Stick (home-ripped videos) can be displayed at DVD-level 720×480 resolutions–though quality will vary depending upon how the compression of the video in question. That will fill the screen on a widescreen HDTV. But games are locked into the PSP’s native 480×272 display. So, if your TV doesn’t have a robust zoom function, you’re stuck with a window-boxed experience for some games.
Accessories and add-ons
The PSP’s top-mounted USB port is designed with at least two specific accessories in mind: the PSP camera and the GPS attachment. There are also rumors of a keyboard attachment in the pipeline. Although the camera and GPS add-ons are available internationally, neither one has been officially released in North America.
Gaming
While its robust media and online functionality are impressive, for most buyers, they’ll be decidedly secondary to the PSP’s raison d’etre: gaming on the go. Yes, Nintendo’s DS remains king of the portable gaming scene in terms of units sold, but plenty of people are looking for more sophisticated (read: less kiddie-oriented) games than the DS offers. And for those who can’t abide the oh-so-cute antics of a Pokemon,Cooking Mama, Zelda, Mario, or Animal Crossing title, the PSP will be a welcome breath of fresh air. The graphics on the PSP are noticeably better than those on the DS as well–games are essentially at the level you’d expect on the PlayStation 2.
Early on, the PSP was knocked for being little more than the “PS2 portable,” because so many of its titles were simply ports of PlayStation 2 games. And, indeed, its hit list is dominated by many PlayStation franchise standbys, including Grand Theft Auto, SOCOM, Tekken, and God of War (pictured). But many of these are phenomenal titles that have been designed for the PSP from the ground up. Genre strong suits include sports, racing, action, and shooter titles, but it’s not all sweat and blood, either–plenty of quirky puzzle games (Lumines, Puzzle Quest, and LocoRoco) are available, as well as a host of family-friendly favorites as well (Daxter, and Ratchet and Clank).
It’s also worth noting that many of the PSP games include an online multiplayer component. Some games offer ad hoc multiplayer (peer to peer, for playing against other PSPers in the same room), others offer Internet play, or both. Online gameplay is free, and–while the experience varies from title to title and is dependent on network speed–it can be just as fun and fulfilling as playing on a home console.
PlayStation Network and PlayStation Store
Currently, UMD is still the primary vehicle for delivering games and media to the PSP. But Sony has been expanding the options available on the online PlayStation Store as well. The Store allows users to rent and buy movies and TV shows, and it also allows users to buy downloadable games. (All downloadable content is stored on the Memory Stick Duo.)
Prior to the 5.0 firmware update that coincided with the release of the PSP 3000, getting content from the Store to the PSP was an arduous task–you had to first download your choices to the PC or PS3, then transfer them to the handheld. But that’s now a thing of the past: the Store is directly accessible from the PSP’s main menu, and everything can be downloaded straight to the PSP at the click of a button.
A single PlayStation Network account can be used for accessing the PlayStation Store, and you can have both a PS3 and PSP on a single account. Indeed, the Store is closely tied to the PS3: movies purchased on that system can be offloaded for viewing on the PSP, for instance.
The fact that the Store is now accessible directly through the PSP puts Sony in a better position to compete with Apple’s App Store (which has a growing number of games for the Apple iPhone/iPod Touch) and Nintendo’s DSi (which can access the online “DSi Shop” for game downloads). While the online store originally hosted just demos and ports of PlayStation One classics, Sony is now offering games that are no longer published on UMD as well as original download-only games that won’t be coming to the UMD format at all. Clearly, the company wants to usher PSP users to a download model. And if you’ve got a large enough Memory Stick, it’s a lot more convenient to have several games available at once on your PSP, instead of carrying around a bunch of clumsy UMD discs.
Battery life
The PSP 3000 has the same 1,200mAh lithium ion battery as the 2000. (It’s removeable and replaceable.) We ran a UMD movie on a fully charged PSP 3000 set at full screen brightness and half volume with the Wi-Fi turned on, and got 4.5 hours of playback time before the battery died. That’s within Sony’s rated times of 4-5 hours for UMD videos and 4-6 hours for games, and we suspect we’d squeeze a bit more life out of it if we ratcheted down the screen brightness or turned off the Wi-Fi.
Price Range: $129.00 – $169.99
Nintendo DS Lite (polar white)
Editors’ Note: As of April 2009, this product has been superseded by the Nintendo DSi, which adds slightly larger screens, two built-in cameras, an SD slot, and access to the online DSi Store for downloadable applications and games. The rating on this product has been adjusted accordingly.
Our original review of the Nintendo DS listed only one “bad” characteristic: “Somewhat bulky.” Whether it was because of early fan discord or because Nintendo has a propensity to redesign its systems–only the Nintendo 64 seemed to escape the extreme makeover treatment–the aforementioned complaint was addressed with a signature Nintendo remodeling. The Nintendo DS has been slimmed down and brightened up, and it’s received a serious shot of vitamin style. Rechristened, the DS Lite attempts to make the same fashion statement for video game systems that the iPod did for MP3 players. The DS Lite is available for $130 in a variety of colors, including Polar White, Onyx (black), Coral Pink, Crimson (red and black), and Cobalt (blue and black). Keeping in step with Nintendo tradition, new colors pop up every few months, as do occasional limited edition color schemes and bundles.
The Nintendo DS Lite, like the original Nintendo DS, is a portable gaming system with two vertically tiered screens. On the bottom is a touch screen that allows you to use a stylus or a finger for anything from selecting options to moving characters. There’s also a normal face-button layout that allows a more standard method of control. The system plays its own proprietary cartridges (which are somewhere between SD and CompactFlash cards in size), in addition to its near-full backward compatibility with Game Boy Advance (GBA) titles–the system will not play multiplayer modes of GBA games, unfortunately. While DS cartridges are much smaller in capacity than the PSP’s UMDs, they play without the often unbearable load times of Sony’s proprietary format.
As its name suggests, the Nintendo DS Lite is a much more compactly designed system; at 0.83 by 2.83 by 5.25 inches when closed and weighing in at 7.66 ounces, it’s 39 percent smaller and 21 percent lighter than its predecessor. The rounded corners are more finely tapered, and the top and bottom sides are symmetrical, avoiding the underbite-like look of the original’s oversize bottom half. It’s a much more pocket-friendly system than the original DS. Despite the smaller overall size, though, the trademark twin screens have the same dimensions.
The layout of the DS Lite is largely similar to that of the Nintendo DS, with some slight, beneficial changes. The top half of the clamshell still houses the stereo speakers; they’re centered on either side of the upper screen, and despite being smaller than those on the original DS, they’re just as loud. The bottom screen is a little more conducive to touch, but it feels flimsier–almost as if you’ve kept the protective thin-film screen that overlays many LCDs when they ship from the factory. To the left of the touch screen is the D-pad, which is about three-quarters the size of the original but just as efficient. The four face buttons (X, Y, A, and B) are essentially the same but feel a little more pronounced than those of the original DS. No longer half-ovals on top, the start and select buttons are now tiny circles on the bottom. The power button has moved from just above the D-pad to the right side of the system. It’s a welcome change, as the original looked exactly like the select and start buttons and was situated in the same area on the opposite side–which led to the occasional “turn off instead of pause” blunder.
The front of the system is basically unchanged; from left to right, the volume control, the GBA game slot, and the in-line-enabled headphone port are in the same spots. Formerly slightly above the front of the system, the microphone has been moved to the hinge between screens. In instances where you need to look at the bottom screen while using the mic, you may need to retrain yourself.
The back end of the system is basically the same. The only thing that’s moved is the stylus holder, which is on the back of the system, to the left of the power switch. It looks a little more discreet, and the stylus fits a bit nicer. The left and right triggers are slightly smaller, but like the face buttons, they’re more pronounced and easier to press. The DS cartridge slot is centered at the top, and the AC power port is off to the left. The system includes an AC adapter, two styli that match the Lite’s color, and a smaller wrist strap that–annoyingly–does not include the thumbpad of the original.
The GBA slot has undergone some slight changes. In place of an empty cartridge slot, Nintendo includes a plastic cover that looks like a half-size GBA game. While it seems like it’ll often be lost (think battery covers), it looks pretty sleek and serves to obscure one of the few design flaws of the DS Lite: GBA games stick out of the cartridge slot about a half an inch, whereas the original DS fit the cartridges perfectly. But it doesn’t impede gameplay in the slightest, and it’s not the ugliest-looking setup. And considering that the DS is backward compatible with hundreds of GBA games, it’s a small price to pay. A bigger beef with the DS Lite is that its high-gloss finish is a magnet for fingerprints, especially the darker-colored models. Our import navy blue DS Lite was constantly smudged, so Nintendo’s failure to include even a rudimentary cleaning cloth or carrying case is notable. On the plus side, the clamshell design means the DS Lite travels well, limiting the scratches and marks to the exterior while the two screens remain fully protected.
The DS Lite has four brightness settings, up from two on the original DS. At the darkest setting, the DS Lite is just as bright as the original DS; at its max, it’s almost as brilliant as the new Game Boy Advance SP. Playing a GBA game on both systems, we noticed that the DS Lite’s colors were slightly washed out in comparison. The DS Lite’s backlighting makes the graphics stand out in DS games, though. The colorful Tetris DS, for example, is significantly enhanced by the brightness of the newer system.
We tested the DS Lite’s battery against the original DS’s. Playing the exact same game (Super Mario 64) at each system’s brightest setting and maximum volume, the DS Lite lasted for roughly 5 hours, while the DS conked out after 6 hours, 45 minutes. Recharging the system back to full power took 3 hours. Like the original, the DS Lite goes into sleep mode when the system is closed.
Introduced about a year after the system launched, Wi-Fi compatibility on the DS is surprisingly solid for a free service hosted by a company known for its aversion to online gaming. Whether on the original DS or the DS Lite, the Wi-Fi setup is simple, as the system can spot most wireless connections. If there are none nearby, you can create one from a broadband-connected PC by attaching the Nintendo USB Wi-Fi Connector to it. Without an external online network such as Xbox Live, finding friends is a bit unwieldy–you have to enter 12-digit “friend codes” for each game for which you wish to create a buddy list. Playing against nonfriends is hit-or-miss; you won’t find a pickup game as fast as you will on a console, but as long as you’re on a popular game during a reasonable hour, you should be able to locate competition. Over the course of an early evening, we were able to find several opponents in Tetris DS. The microphone lends itself to voice chat, but as of right now, only Metroid Prime: Hunters employs between-match chatter. Local wireless is, of course, a lot more reliable, with the added benefit of allowing multiplayer via a single cartridge. GBA multiplayer games won’t play head-to-head over the wireless connection, and the lack of a link cable port means you can’t have a wired bond to older GBAs or Nintendo’s GameCube unless Nintendo releases yet another adapter that interfaces with the DS Lite’s proprietary power port.
The games for the DS Lite are of decent graphical quality–a bit better than the PS1/N64 but nowhere near Xbox/PS2/GameCube standards. It also pales in comparison to PSP games. Where the DS Lite really earns its stripes is the innovative quality of its titles. Whereas PSP games feel much like their console cousins, the DS Lite’s dual- and touch-screen setup allows for some truly unique gameplay, whether it’s drawing your own Pac-Man in Namco’s Pac Pix or performing surgery via stylus in Atlus’s Trauma Center: Under the Knife. That said, not many of the other third-party software developers are up to the challenge of taking full advantage of the DS’s capabilities. For every Nintendo-produced hit such as Nintendogs or Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, there are several barely updated GBA ports or slightly downgraded PSP ports–neither of which make much use of the touch- and dual-screen technology.
The DS systems lack the video and audio playback and Web-surfing functions of the PSP, at least in the United States. Nintendo-supported solutions for both–the Play-Yan media player and Opera Web browser respectively–have or will soon appear in Japan, though the U.S. release status of both products are currently unknown. We will update this review accordingly when and if the products hit Stateside.
Until the release of the Nintendo Wii, the company seems intent on focusing its creative juices on the DS rather than the near-dead GameCube. If you still haven’t picked a portable gaming system, the DS Lite is definitely worth picking up if you like its growing list of quirky, original titles. If you’ve already purchased the original, the improvements aren’t significant enough to warrant shelling out another $130 unless you’re truly put off by the bulkiness of the original. If you’re in the market for a portable system with more mature–albeit less original–titles and decent media playback capabilities, then the PSP may be worth picking up for just $40 to $70 more.
Price Range: $29.99 – $162.99
Canon XH A1
Giving independent videographers something to choose from besides its popular but long-in-the-tooth GL2, Canon offers up two HDV models designed to appeal to the prosumer and entry-level pro markets. Derived from the same technology that the professional-level XL H1 uses, the XH A1 and the XH G1 HDV models trade the XL H1′s interchangeable lens system to lower the cost by one-half to two-thirds the price of the higher-end model. The two XH models share a single body, but the G1 includes the equivalent of the XL H1′s JackPack–HD-SDI output with embedded audio and time code, Genlock synchronization, and Timecode In/Out–a group of connectors critical for anyone trying to mix multiple video input sources. In addition, the SDI output is the only way to get 4:2:2 output. We tested the lower-end XH A1.
All things considered it feels comfortable shooting with the XH A1; though it weighs almost five pounds, it’s still considerably lighter than most. All the buttons and controls sit in logical locations, grouped roughly by function and generally in the same locations as they appear on competing models. They’re good sizes, and various bumps and divots in the buttons provide enough tactile feedback to operate without looking. A large chunk of the camcorder’s architecture lets you determine the speed and subtlety with which shifts occur during shooting, including focus, zoom and exposure changes, and white-balance adjustments. (For a complete discussion of the controls, click through the slide show.)
On the lens barrel, rings of different sizes and textures operate focus, zoom, and iris. In response to complaints about the mushiness of servo-controlled focus, Canon offers a Slow speed option; that option, plus a distance readout help to maintain a finer control over focus response, but you’ll probably still want to try it and compare to others if you’re picky about the feel. I think it feels about the same as the Panasonic AG-HVX200′s.
The same three 1/3-inch CCDs with 1080i (1,440×1,080) native resolution that drive the XL H1 sit at the center of the XH series’ imaging system, and like the H1, both models can record in 1080i at 30F or 24F frame rates. The latter comes in two versions, one which records to tape at 24 frames per second, and one which downconverts from 24fps to 30fps/60i using 2:3:3:2 pull-down before recording for greater editing compatibility. Their feature sets share many of the H1′s technologies, including a Digic DV II processor, Super-Range Optical Image Stabilization, and the H1′s customization architecture. The XH cameras have fixed 20x zoom lenses rather than the interchangeable lenses on the XL, but they offer a wider-angle view: 32.5mm-to-650mm equivalent.
The lens and focusing system perform very well. The lens displays very good edge-to-edge sharpness, albeit with a tendency to display a bit of magenta chromatic aberration on the sides, and the center focus looks great, especially when zoomed in tight. As usual, Canon’s optical stabilizer works exceptionally well, even all the way out to 20x.
With Instant AF enabled, the autofocus works quickly, and the Push AF, which activates an Instant AF override in manual-focus mode, speeds manual focus considerably. As noted in the XH series’ documentation, there’s a bit of an autofocus lag in 24F and 30F modes; it’s perceptible, but if you shoot a lot in those modes and use AF, your shooting rhythm should adapt after a while. Canon moved the Peaking and Magnify focusing aids out to the body of the camera–they were in the menu system in the XL H1–and you’ll rely on them pretty heavily; the tiny, low-resolution LCD is pretty difficult to work with.
Canon provides seven gain levels: 36dB, 18dB, 12dB, 6dB, 3dB, 0dB, and -3dB (although, irritatingly, you can only program three on the L/M/H switch. At its lowest gain, video looks incredibly smooth, and even as high as 3dB you can shoot in low light with relatively little noise. At 12dB there’s quite a bit of (mostly) luminance noise, but it doesn’t really obscure much detail and you can shoot in near darkness. The quiet on-camera mic works pretty well in basic up-close-and-personal shooting, but you’ve got plenty of add-on options should your needs be more complex.
As you’d expect from camcorders in their class, the XH’s produce excellent HD and SD video: sharp, saturated and smooth. The controversy that began with the XL H1 over the relative quality of Canon’s 24F versus Panasonic’s 24P–implemented by models such as the Panasonic AG-HVX200–continues, and applies equally to the XH series. To summarize: Panasonic’s 24P is a full 720-line frame of video captured roughly every 1/24 second. Canon’s 24F “fakes” progressive scan by slightly offsetting the vertical readout of the green CCD from those of the blue and red, generating a frame with 1.5x the lines of the 540-line field, or 810 lines, albeit ones using spatial rather than temporal interlace. As a result, the quality question arises: Do Canon’s pseudo-progressive frames look the same as a true progressive frame or does one see artifacts?
I didn’t see any; footage I shot specifically to test for 24F artifacts looked correct to me. (I played it back directly on our reference HDTV, the 50-inch Pioneer Pro-FHD1, to bypass the myriad software issues surrounding 24fps editing and playback.) However, if you want to see a bevy of test results, you can find them in the Texas Shootout on DV.com.
At their aggressive prices, the Canon XH A1 and XH G1 look mighty attractive compared to their respective competitors in the indie filmmaker and entry-level studio markets.
Price Range: Canon XH A1: $3,999.00 – $4,999.95
Price range:
Panasonic’s trio of top-of-the-prosumer-line HD camcorders–the flash-based HDC-TM300, and hard-drive-based HDC-HS300 and HDC-HS250–in many ways vastly improve over older models like the HS100 and SD100. Panasonic jettisoned most of what I disliked about those models, including the too-low-resolution CMOS sensors, connector placement, and how the manual controls function, and retained everything I liked, notably the breadth of manual controls and eye-level viewfinder, at least on the two highest-end models. While the company replaced the awkward ring-based manual operation with an equally awkward touch screen, the improvement in video quality and performance make these a far better bet.
The three models incorporate the same 12x zoom f1.8-2.8 lens–the same lens as the HS100/SD100–as well as the same trio of 1/4.1-inch 3-megapixel 3MOS sensors, with an effective resolution of 2.07-megapixels each for 16:9 video. The real 3-megapixels for the predownsampled AVCHD video finally breaks the resolution barrier; normally, 3-chip systems use lower-than-HD resolution sensors, which don’t seem to produce terribly sharp HD video. Because of the different media, the camcorders have slightly different designs, but the same feature sets and should have identical video quality. (As such, for the purposes of this review, we ran our standard video tests on only the TM300.) The highest video quality they offer is 1,920×1,080-pixel resolution at 30 frames per second at 17 megabits per second, and can record about 8 minutes of video per gigabyte of storage space, or approximately 4 hours of video in the internal memory. The next level down, 13Mbps, gets about 10 minutes per gigabyte.
The TM300 and HS300 share the same higher-end features as the HS100–manual focus ring, EVF, accessory shoe, and microphone input–while the HS250 trades those for a more compact design. Both the HS250 and HS300 have a 120GB hard disk. As the name indicates, the TM300 is analogous to the HS300, but records to SD cards or the built-in 32GB memory. They all include the optical image stabilization and Intelligent Automatic features of the older versions.
Weighing just less than a pound, with dimensions of 2.8 inches wide by 2.8 inches high by 5.5 inches long, the TM300 is the lightest, though not the smallest, of the three and is larger than competitors like the Canon Vixia HF S10. It’s comfortable to hold, especially with the slight upward curve toward the back that makes the zoom switch and photo button easier to reach. The earlier models had a toggle to switch between the LCD and EVF; with this one, you pull out the EVF to enable it, which is a nicer and more utilitarian design.
In contrast to the older models, only the optical image stabilizer button lives inside the LCD recess, and most of the controls have been replaced by a hybrid button/touch-screen interface. Within the recess, under hard covers, are all but one connector–AV, component video out, mini HDMI, and USB–and the SD card slot. (Panasonic recommends a Class 4 card.) In an interesting design move, Panasonic added an accessory shoe to the TM300, but put it in the side rather than the top–a more practical location given how far your hand covers the top. Mic and headphone jacks are on the front right side, beneath the flash and adjacent to the shoe.
Under your right thumb lies a traditional mode dial for choosing among power, video and still recording, and playback. Above the LCD on the body are the Intelligent Auto and 3-second prerecord button; on the LCD’s bezel are zoom and record controls, a delete button, and Q(uick) Menu and Menu buttons. Through the Quick Menu you choose video quality, time lapse, picture size, onscreen display options, LCD brightness, and guidelines. Via Menu you select options such as where to record (built-in memory or SD card), choose from a handful of scene modes, Digital Cinema (24p) mode, mic options (surround, zoom or focus; bass settings; and levels), and display options like Zebra and histogram. To the left of the lens are two buttons for invoking manual controls. Pressing manual focus switches the lens ring operation between zooming and focusing. The Function button brings up three options on the touch screen: white balance, shutter, and iris.
Primary operation occurs through the touch-screen menus, which fly out from a small icon in the lower-left corner. In auto mode, there’s spot AE and AF, backlight compensation, intelligent contrast, fade, soft skin mode, telemacro, and MagicPix night mode. In manual mode, you select via a scrolling menu on the left.
White balance offers the typical options, and shutter speed and iris are as broad and flexible as you’ll get on an entry-level pro model. For instance, the iris opens as wide as 18dB in 3dB increments and closes to F16 in half stops. Although the shutter speeds start at a rather high 1/60 sec (in auto modes they’ll drop lower and 24p mode drops to 1/48 sec), they go as high as 1/8,000.
At 2.7 inches, the LCD is a typical size for this class of camcorder; overall, it’s fairly good. However, it’s not very effective as a touch screen. There’s visible feedback when you press one of the virtual buttons–it turns yellow–which helps when you’re frustrated and pressing them repeatedly, attempting to get them to register your touch. I found the system in the HS100/SD100 awkward, but at least you could use it with the EVF. Since this model uses a touch screen, you can’t change any of the manual settings while using it, which is a major drawback.
It performs relatively well, including booting quickly from a cold start. The EVF, while coarse and not particularly color accurate, is far better than nothing, which is what you get on most competitors. The zoom feels relatively precise and easy to control, and the camcorder focuses reasonably quickly in all but the lowest light. The audio sounds a tad thin, but acceptable. And Panasonic’s optical stabilization works solidly out to the end of the zoom range.
The video quality is quite good, showing none of the artifacts that plagued the older models. Video looks sharp, though a tad softer than competing models from Canon and Sony, but color and exposure live up to what you’d expect for a camcorder in its price range. Low-light video looks a bit soft, though not nearly as soft as we’ve seen in previous models, and remains quite noise-free. The audio sounds the same, however, a bit thin but with adequate volume and microphone coverage. And while the stills look quite nice zoomed out and printed as large as 11 inches by 16 inches, you can see all the interpolation artifacts when viewed at 100 percent on screen–though Panasonic claims 10.6-megapixel resolution, the real resolution is only as high as any individual sensor.
The annoying touch-screen interface holds back a solid prosumer HD camcorder that otherwise effectively competes with models like the Canon Vixia HF S10. If you don’t need the EVF, accessory shoe, or mic input, and you don’t do a lot of manual focusing, the HS250 is the best value of the lot, and you should probably save yourself the $300 or so price difference. Between the TM300 and HS300, I favor the TM300; it’s cheaper and most people don’t really need the overwhelming storage capacity on the HS300′s hard drive.
Price range:
$649.00 – $1,499.95
Don’t look for any great advances here: the Canon Vixia HV30 is a very minor upgrade from the admittedly top-notch HV20. It has a sleeker-looking black body, introduces 30p progressive mode, and supports the high-capacity BP-2L24H lithium-ion battery, but otherwise remains the same as its 2007 predecessor.
Of course, that makes it a well-designed prosumer camcorder with a useful feature set, good overall performance, and excellent video quality. It’s relatively big, weighing 1 pound, 5.4 ounces, though it fits into a large, loose jacket pocket. I like the black chassis more than the silver, but the tape housing feels a little flimsier than I remember; when gripped for shooting, the cover moves a bit. In all other ways the build quality seems solid, though, with tethered covers over the Advanced Accessory Shoe, HDMI/FireWire ports, and mic/headphone/component out jacks.
The 2.7-inch wide-screen LCD is kind of small and at 211,000-pixels not very high resolution, but it’s sufficient for manually focusing. The eye-level viewfinder is relatively large, but doesn’t pull out or up, and I wish it had a softer eye cup. In addition, I just had to laugh at the Catch-22 diopter control. Since it’s right on the viewfinder, you have to move your head away to get your finger on the switch, which means you can’t set it for your eye pressed close. The HV30 supplies both a video light and a flash for shooting stills. As always, I really like the built-in electronic lens cover.
