NV wrote:??? Help please wooters - I would like to get this woot but need to know: Is it easy to use? Quality filming is not my goal. I want a recorder that can get the school talent show or a birthday party that sort of thing and transfer to my computer without me having to call in tech support (aka a teenager). Thanks!

The touchscreen is annoying, but nothing that will confuse anyone. Otherwise, it's more or less intuitive and quite compact. Transfer is simple USB, so no issue there.

I don't know about this particular camera, but others that I own lead me to believe that "HD" on a camcorder these days just means the picture is 16x9 but the quality is terrible.

sgoman5674 wrote:This comes with a 4GB SDHC card. Can this work with larger storage cards?

SDHC is SDHC. If a device works with a small card with the HC tag on it, it will work with a higher-capacity HC card, too.

sgoman5674 wrote:This comes with a 4GB SDHC card. Can this work with larger storage cards?

The manual states you can use up to a 32GB SDHC card.

Falcon2852 wrote:I don't know about this particular camera, but others that I own lead me to believe that "HD" on a camcorder these days just means the picture is 16x9 but the quality is terrible.

16x9 has been the popular aspect ratio long before the HD craze.

Mattroid wrote:So does this not have any internal memory at all or am I just missing that part? If it only records to SD, it seems that that could be in part the reason quality can be so iffy.

Seems that the SDHC slot is the only storage medium this thing supports. I'm positive that this does NOT have a MiniDV tape slot or anything similar.

Does anyone have information on the battery? Like what exactly type of battery it takes, internal/external? Battery life?

Not a bad deal, to be sure... I wouldn't go for it, though, even if I was in the market for a new camera. Pay the slight extra to get a 1080p camcorder with a built-in hard drive.

kitcatbrat wrote:Does anyone have information on the battery? Like what exactly type of battery it takes, internal/external? Battery life?

It comes with a rechargeable battery pack, and in my experience, battery life tops off at an hour when recording at the highest resolution.

I have this model and I'm very happy with the video quality. Transferring to the computer is a snap. I was told to use the class 6 SD cards for the best results. I paid about $130 more at Costco 8 months ago. If I didn't already have one I would buy this one.

There's not much to recommend in Samsung's current HMX series--the H106, the H105, the H104, and the H100--over similarly priced competitors. They don't stand out in any particular aspect, and weak, though not terrible, performance and video quality may be turnoffs for many people.From Cnets review.

kitcatbrat wrote:Does anyone have information on the battery? Like what exactly type of battery it takes, internal/external? Battery life?

It takes a proprietary battery and gets anywhere from 1 to 1.5 hours of battery life. If it's on a tripod and you want to swap our the battery you would have to unscrew the tripod mount. Also, both the SD slot and battery are under the same door on the bottom of the camcorder.

dliidlii wrote:There's not much to recommend in Samsung's current HMX series--the H106, the H105, the H104, and the H100--over similarly priced competitors. They don't stand out in any particular aspect, and weak, though not terrible, performance and video quality may be turnoffs for many people.From Cnets review.

That quote is from when this was a $500 model though.

Not actually about the product, but I swear to god the picture looks exactly like mine. We even have a blue room. Had to look closely to make sure no one was going voyeur on my kitty girl.

rowanator wrote:Not a bad deal, to be sure... I wouldn't go for it, though, even if I was in the market for a new camera. Pay the slight extra to get a 1080p camcorder with a built-in hard drive.

This IS a 1080P camcorder. This is BETTER than having a HDD because there are less moving parts.

Edit: I'm pretty sure that it's only 1080/60i with no option for 1080/30p. However, SD cards are still better for something like a camcorder, than a HDD.

From CNet:

You can fit about 7.5 minutes of footage per gigabyte of storage at highest quality; clips are limited to a maximum of 1.8GB.

hernia. Does that mean this is another camera that only records 28 minute clips before you have to restart, losing ~30 seconds between clips?

I have a Kodak that does that now... I have to have 2 cameras staggerd to record a complete show!

tasqman wrote:I have this model and I'm very happy with the video quality. Transferring to the computer is a snap. I was told to use the class 6 SD cards for the best results. I paid about $130 more at Costco 8 months ago. If I didn't already have one I would buy this one.

Ditto. Lighting has been my only issue. Normal lighting inside or outdoors it has been great. Don't even consider if you need for night shots...even with street lights.

A video sample from the camera can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J72CEBXACGs

tennisplayer121 wrote:$294 at amazon new...

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-HMX-H100-Camcorder-with10x-Optical/dp/B001OQC0HK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1270357412&sr=8-1

$239 refurbished.

thormj wrote:From CNet:

hernia. Does that mean this is another camera that only records 28 minute clips before you have to restart, losing ~30 seconds between clips?

I have a Kodak that does that now... I have to have 2 cameras staggerd to record a complete show!

No. you can get your full hour. I haven't heard of this 1.8 GB limit.

EDIT: Did some research. Apparently, there is a 1.8 GB file size restriction. My bad.

drewcp wrote:This IS a 1080P camcorder. This is BETTER than having a HDD because there are less moving parts.

READ the description, it is NOT 1080P it is 1080i.
Recording Resolution: 1920x1080i / 1280x720P / 720x480P

dliidlii wrote:READ the description, it is NOT 1080P it is 1080i.
Recording Resolution: 1920x1080i / 1280x720P / 720x480P

Full HD (1920x1080/60i or 30p) video recording

drewcp wrote:That quote is from when this was a $500 model though.

Video quality is what most people would consider the most important aspect OF a HD VIDEO DEVICE, REGARDLESS OF PRICE.

I only ever used the 720P mode and it's been a few months since I sent mine back, but it is entirely possible that this only records at a maximum 1080/60i which is still Full HD.

drewcp wrote:Full HD (1920x1080/60i or 30p) video recording

it is not 1080P as you claimed. READ the recording resolutions DECRIPTION that I copied and pasted in my last post!! FULL does NOT mean 1080P!!!

dliidlii wrote:Video quality is what most people would consider the most important aspect OF a HD VIDEO DEVICE, REGARDLESS OF PRICE.

This was a mediocre camera in the $400-$600 category. However NOW it is a $200 camera and performs quite well compared to other models in the same price category. The Canon FS200 and FS300 are $200-$300 camcorders and do NOT perform as well as this model. Canon doesn't even offer a full HD camcorder for less than $400, and this is HALF that.

dliidlii wrote:Video quality is what most people would consider the most important aspect OF a HD VIDEO DEVICE, REGARDLESS OF PRICE.

The video quality was compared to devices in the same price range. If you wanna shell out the extra for the Canon, it's woot, but at two hundred bucks, it's competition is basically the tiny pocket recorders.

rowanator wrote:Not a bad deal, to be sure... I wouldn't go for it, though, even if I was in the market for a new camera. Pay the slight extra to get a 1080p camcorder with a built-in hard drive.

Why on earth would anyone want a hard drive??? Get a camcorder with flash memory cards. They have no mechanical parts, therefore don't break down.

dliidlii wrote:it is not 1080P as you claimed. READ the recording resolutions DECRIPTION that I copied and pasted in my last post!! FULL does NOT mean 1080P!!!

Read the description again, it is 1080i at 60fps, but also 1080P at 30fps.

Groucho is simply thrilled to be featured on woot, but wishes me to relay his concern that he will neither get a new camera for free or at very least a cute little catnip toy for his delightful face-time in front of thousands of nerds.

psilencer wrote:Read the description again, it is 1080i at 60fps, but also 1080P at 30fps.

That's the way I understood it, too. However, after trying to remember my experiences with it, I'm pretty sure it's only 1080/60i.

NV wrote:??? Help please wooters - I would like to get this woot but need to know: Is it easy to use? Quality filming is not my goal. I want a recorder that can get the school talent show or a birthday party that sort of thing and transfer to my computer without me having to call in tech support (aka a teenager). Thanks!

I've got an SC-HMX20C and it's VERY easy to use. I would have to guess that Samsung uses similar software on its cameras.

Nobody will notice a difference with 1080i/1080p, by the way (in response to a different post).

psilencer wrote:Read the description again, it is 1080i at 60fps, but also 1080P at 30fps.

Read the recording resolutions listed and also read the reviews online from CNET and Amazon. IT IS NOT 1080P only 1080i.

Liberati wrote:It comes with a rechargeable battery pack, and in my experience, battery life tops off at an hour when recording at the highest resolution.

I agree, the battery was less than pleasing. I had this camera with an 8gb card and I was lucky if I filled it before the battery went dead.

I'm sure it was due to full resolution and IS being on, but still, I feel it should have been better.

I returned it in favor of the JVC Evario, more optical zoom, better battery life, and dual sdcard slots.

dliidlii wrote:Read the recording resolutions listed and also read the reviews online from CNET and Amazon. IT IS NOT 1080P only 1080i.

Correct, this is 1080i. If memory serves right, it's 30fps at 1080i and 60fps at 720p, but i may be wrong there.

ItsMorph wrote:I've got an SC-HMX20C and it's VERY easy to use. I would have to guess that Samsung uses similar software on its cameras.

Nobody will notice a difference with 1080i/1080p, by the way (in response to a different post).

Playing video back on on small screens true, on screens above 42" a lot of people claim to be able to see the difference between Blu-Ray (1080P) and 1080i.

dliidlii wrote:Playing video back on on small screens true, on screens above 42" a lot of people claim to be able to see the difference between Blu-Ray (1080P) and 1080i.

Yeah, a noticeable difference doesn't necessarily mean a disagreeable difference. It's kind of like shades of black or white.

BTW: My tube HDtv made by Toshiba (1080i max) has WAY better picture quality than ANY of the TVs (flat panel, i.e., LCD, plasma, DLP, etc.) I have delivered and hooked up for Amazon.com.

Plasmas are the best, but aren't as bright. 1080p is not supported on my TV, but most providers provide nothing better than 1080i, anyway.

Is there an external Mic jack?

Woot, I want a nice little pocketcam that supports an external mic, so I can lapel-mic an interview subject for usable results in a noisy environment.

It's my only real dealbreaking issue!

When you get one of those, put up a fat headline:

SUPPORTS EXTERNAL MIC!!!

otherwise, don't bother, ok?

skimock wrote:Is there an external Mic jack?

NO, dammit.

From Samsung.com : 1920x1080i / 1280x720P / 720x480P

Link to specifications at Samsung's website

E: Spare Battery for $47, cheaper than Amazon's $54