The Panasonic HDC-SD1 is a perfect example of the blessings of solid state memory. Because video is recorded directly to Secure Digital or SDHC cards, bulky tape mechanisms and HDDs are nowhere to be found. This let Panasonic engineers create one of the slickest-looking camcorders ever. While it won’t have the cachet of the iPod or iPhone, it’s very sleek and stylish – a true small wonder. The -SD1 measures 2.9 inches wide, 2.71 high and 5.6 inches deep; it weighs 17.4 ounces with battery, SD card and strap.

The horizontal-style camcorder has a minimalist design with very few buttons. The plastic body has a silver tone while the LCD monitor door has a pearl-like luster. The front is dominated by the 12x Leica Dicomar zoom with a built-in lens cap. You can add filters and accessory lenses that fit the 43mm diameter twist-off ring. Other than a built-in flash and a recording lamp and remote sensor located under the lens, our tour of the front is complete. The right side has the adjustable Velcro strap, speaker as well as a compartment for USB and HDMI outputs. You’ll also find a small outlet for the cooling fan. The left side is dominated by the 3-inch foldout widescreen LCD monitor so you can easily frame your 16:9 videos. The LCD is rated 250K pixels, a solid number. Once the screen is open, you’ll find keys on the body that switch focus (auto, manual) and brighten the LCD screen. You’ll also find the SD card slot and another compartment for the A/V and component outputs as well as the mic and DC ins.

At its best quality setting, the $1500 HDC-SD1 records 40 minutes of 1080i video to an included 4GB SD Card (a similar model, the HDC-DX1, records to miniDVD and costs $100 less). Both use the AVCHD format developed by Panasonic and Sony. When we tested the HDC-SD1, no video editing software supported the format, but Sony says it will offer a free update this spring to allow its Vegas video editor to import such files. You’ll also need a very powerful computer to edit the video once the apps to do so are available, as well as an HD-DVD or Blu-ray drive if you want to export it from your computer in HD. Forget about using the software included with the camcorder; though you can use it to export standard-definition video to a DVD, it’s nearly useless beyond that. You can’t even use it to watch your footage full-screen on your computer.

Since the camcorder has component outputs and an HDMI port, however, you can play back the unedited footage in high-definition on an HDTV. Video I captured in well-lit settings looked gorgeous, and even video taken in relatively dim, indoor rooms looked surprisingly good–and much better than footage from the standard-definition camcorders I’ve seen. The HDC-SD1’s microphone captures 5.1-channel audio, too; I wasn’t able to test it with a surround-sound system, but it sounded quite good through TV speakers.

Whether used to block out sound while on an aircraft or to create a tranquil environment so you can enjoy your favorite CD track, these new headphones are up to the challenge. The new RP-HC300 noise canceling headphones are designed to reduce background noise by creating out-of-phase sounds that equal the background noise to effectively cancel it. Additionally, the headphones reduce low frequencies such as the drone of a plane’s engine or a loud air conditioning unit.

The noise-canceling feature can also be switched off to allow the user to converse or to reduce background noise by virtue of the headphone’s comfortable insulated housing. Includes carrying pouch and plug adapter for airplane.

These headphones do more than just block external sound, as they actually generate an out-of-phase signal that cancels out background ambient noise. A single AAA battery is all that is needed to produce the out-of-phase signal. As regular headphones, the closed-ear design gives the RP-HC300 a very good sound. Neodymium drivers produce full, rich audio, with a terrific bass response that sounds wonderful with pop music. The frequency response is listed as 8Hz to 22,000Hz.

For easy storage, the cord is removable when not in use. To make taking them along easier, these headphones fold up, and they even come with an adapter that will fit airplane sound systems. A carrying pouch keeps it all together. Anyone who tries the Panasonic RP-HC300 headphones will not want to travel without them again.

Its most distinctive characteristic is the adjustable “free play” 7-inch wide-screen LCD panel, a feature previously found only on the company’s more expensive models. The screen swivels up and down 180 degrees, slides forward and back, and can be laid almost flat, adjusting to whatever viewing angle you find comfy.

At 1.75 pounds with the lithium battery pack and measuring 7.5 by 6.5 by 1.2 inches, the LS50 is not much larger or heavier than an airport-bought paperback. The cosmetics seem a bit Klingon, but we like the concentric circles milled into the DVD cover flap and the matching function buttons, which add a certain elegance. Even though the DVD flap is thin plastic, it seems firmly attached and able to withstand rough treatment from the young ‘uns.

If we had a design gripe, it was that we had a hard time telling apart the identically shaped function keys–and the small label font didn’t help. Also, the volume buttons are awkward to reach when the screen is in anything but normal position.

This DVD player is incredibly slim and light. We initially wanted to use our light-weight laptop for a road trip, but so glad we got this instead. What a difference, you hardly felt the weight at all!

The image and sound on this player is simply amazing, and one of the coolest features is the swivel screen. It is adjustable to different vewing angles, and even lie flat(almost) on the body itself if you have a really tight space.

The battery lasts pretty well if it is fully charged. Though there was a mail-in rebate for the car/plane power adapter and carrying case, it would be nice if they are included in the first place, kinda troublesome since I have no idea when they will arrive, and the adapter would be very helpful for longer trips.

Since this is my first portable DVD player, I can’t make comparisons, but I think it is very well-made, solid build, has an excellent playback quality, definitely a great buy.

In addition to DVD video discs, the DVD-LS50 is compatible with DVD-Audio, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, video and audio CDs, MP3, WMA, and CD-R/-RW discs. It also supports HighMAT (High-Performance Media Access Technology), a technology codeveloped by Panasonic and Microsoft that improves the method of storing, arranging, and playing back digital photo, music, and video collections on recordable discs, such as DVD and CD recordable media.
With the high-speed, 5-step Smooth Motion Scan feature, you’ll get crystal-clear forward and reverse scan at 100 times normal speed at its highest setting. The Cinema Mode function lessens glare, providing colors that are more cinemalike, and picture resolution that is gentler to the eyes. It also improves the visibility of details in dark scenes by automatically adjusting picture contrast, and helps to suppress color smearing as well. The Dialogue Enhancer feature increases the center-channel volume relative to other channels, making movie dialogue easier to hear and understand.