ProductCritic: Sony VPC-HD1A Reviews

WebUser (100)

It’s not often you sit down in front of a TV to watch a home video and find it’s better quality than you can expect from your regular broadcasts. However, with this amazing High Definition (HD) camera from Sanyo, that’s exactly what you get.

GadgetCentre (80)

When the original Sanyo HD1 was released in early 2006 it was one of the first “tapeless” HD camcorders around, but now the HD1A doesn’t have the same luxury in a market now full of them. It’s a good thing then that the design of the HD1A is so unique. By choosing to move away from the standard long rectangular design to an upright one it stands out immediately from the crowd and it is also much nicer to hold and use.

Videomaker (80)

When Sanyo introduced the HD1 Xacti at this year’s International CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in January, they had everyone’s attention. Even from the people looking at remote-controlled refrigerators. The tiny Sanyo garnered much attention for good reason: who wouldn’t want a pocket-sized gadget capable of recording progressive HD video onto a memory card, and for under a grand? Sanyo set the bar high. The HD1 Xacti isn’t without some faults, but it certainly stands out as a good all-around performer.

Computer Active (80)

Sanyo’s Xacti VPC-HD1 is so very nearly the perfect camera, but many will be put off by its inconsistent image quality.

Good Gear Guide (70)

Sanyo’s Xacti HD1A is an interesting device. For a start, it’s the smallest High Definition camcorder on the market, and one of the cheapest. It also has respectable still photograph abilities, beyond what we would usually expect from a camcorder. Which begs the question, is it a video camera with an above average still image function or a digital camera with an above average video function?

CNET.com (70)

If you want the latest in cool toys, the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1 certainly has the right gadget quotient. Once you look at the image quality, however, its allure dims quite a bit.

easyCamcorders.com (66)

The Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1 seems to fulfill the fantasies of many a tech-head: high definition (HD) video at an affordable price. And it does meet the technical requirements of HD, recording at 1280×720 at 30 frames per second (fps), also known as 720p. However, the camcorder does not deliver anything near the quality most people would expect from an HD camcorder.

camcorderinfo.com (66)

HD has become a buzz phrase in recent years, traveling from the marketing boardrooms of tech companies, through the halls of Congress, and right down into consumer consciousness. Until the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1, however, the price of producing high definition video has been out of reach for many. HD at under $800 carries with it the promise of state-of-the-art technology for the masses, and Sanyo is expecting customers to come salivate at their door in a classic Pavlovian response.

TrustedReviews (60)

The Sanyo VPC-HD1 is very expensive, and has lower photographic quality than a dedicated 5-megapixel still camera, however it is a unique product that offers features that can’t be found elsewhere. Build quality, handling and performance are good, and it is the closest thing yet to a successful hybrid still/video camera.

PC Magazine (50)

In form and features, the Xacti HD1 shows some promise, and it may spark some needed changes in how camcorders are made—particularly its menu and its portability. But the HD1’s drawbacks, including its mediocre video quality, keep it from competing in the same HD league as Sony’s HC3.