The new Sony UX5 Handycam camcorder model exemplifies the ClearVid benefits of smooth slow record and dual record modes. With the smooth slow record function, you can create slow motion video by playing back short video clips at 240 frames per second. Newly added this year is a voice memo so that you can playback those clips with audio recordings. The new Sony HDR-UX5 AVCHD DVD video camera can produce a 2.3 Megapixel photo in this mode.

he AU$1,799 HDR-UX5, which features a 10x Carl Zeiss T* zoom lens, brings the price of high-def recording well and truly under the AU$2,000 barrier. The HDR-UX1’s design has been updated with relocated controls and an exterior furnished with ribbed metal on the lens barrel, and a mix of black and silver plastic elsewhere. It feels nice and substantial in the hand, with the major controls being easily operated by one’s thumb and index finger.

In sliding under AU$2,000, the HDR-UX5 had to shed a few features seen in its predecessor, namely optical image stabilisation and the large 3.5-inch touch-screen LCD. Carried over are the 4-megapixel CMOS sensor, dual recording, 5.1 channel surround sound recording and smooth slow record. With dual recording you can take 2.3-megapixel stills while taping video, although the buffer only holds three stills per recording session. In smooth slow record mode, up to three seconds of action can be slowed down to a quarter the normal speed, which is perfect for analysing your golf swing or perfecting your Baywatch-style beach run.

There’s no doubt that Sony is seeking to making their name synonymous with HD in the home, and their current product line may make that a reality. “Full HD 1080” is the tagline Sony uses to describe their HD strategy, which goes beyond the camcorder market into televisions, Blu-Way, PlayStation 3, and computers. AVCHD was met with some skepticism last year when editing solutions failed to materialize before the camcorders were released. A number of NLE software manufacturers have signed on for licensing, though updates that can work with AVCHD have only begun to trickle into the market. As a result, Sony has been eager to push the AVCHD-compatible products that are available, including Sony-branded Blu-Ray disc players, Vaio computers, and PlayStation 3 consoles, as well as Blu-Ray disc players from Panasonic and other AVCHD licensees. Sony’s own consumer HD camcorder line spans three recording formats: DVD, HDD (both in AVCHD), and tape (in HDV). Several HDV camcorders are also available in the professional video line.