Samsung H204 Full HD Camcorder with 16GB Internal Memory & 20x Optical Zoom (Black)

Great HD video quality, but not so great audio quality, May 25, 2010

By 

Howard Van Ackooy – See all my reviews

  

For starters, if you have a Mac, the software program included with the camera did not work on my 6 month old Mac. iMovie should upload it though. Here are some of my observations:

Likes:

Picture quality with HD setting, and fine setting (there is also a better super fine setting), was stunning on my 55′ Samsung HD TV

Touch screen capability

Internal memory, with a slot for a memory card too

Convenient small size, and comfortable to use

Ability to connect easily to HD TV for viewing, or to a stand alone DVD recorder for recording onto a DVD

Quick and easy uploading of video from the camcorder to your computer

Choices of different quality HD settings and if you wish, an SD setting

Dislikes:

You have to manually open and close the lens cover

For some reason, when I set the date and time it gets messed up (I don’t know why, and I’m doing it correctly. I just hope it doesn’t continue to be a problem, as I like to have the date on a recording)

Manual is on a CD to upload on your computer (there is a quick guide booklet). Give me a manual in a book anytime.

Problems with the sound recording – must have an automatic level record function for audio, and it ‘spikes’ at times making for a very unpleasant listening experience.

Just realize that the higher quality HD recording will use a lot of memory, so although 16 GB is quite a bit of memory, somewhere down the line, you may want to purchase a memory card, especially if you record in the better HD setting. Also, if you have a DVD recorder (stand alone), it will not record in HD. You will get a nice picture, but not full HD quality. The picture will still be far superior to a standard definition camcorder. I don’t think your computer DVD recording will do the HD either. So, your best picture will be from viewing from the camcorder to your TV, or uploading on your computer and watching on your computer monitor. Anything I record onto a DVD, I plan on saving on my computer if I want to watch it in full HD.

I did a lot of research online before choosing this HD camcorder. It’s nearly impossible to find an HD camcorder that is perfect, and is reasonably priced (I really didn’t want to spend 0-00). Every possible choice seemed to have some drawbacks, or bad reviews. That being said, while not perfect, this Samsung HD camcorder offers quite a bit of value for it’s price tag.

UPDATE – Well, in spite of the superior HD video quality on this camcorder, I decided to send it back. The audio problem just wasn’t acceptable, especially because I video events, like my daughter’s school concerts, my own band’s performances, etc., in which audio is important too. I’ve decided to go with a Sony, because I’ve owned Sony camcorders in the past and the audio was always very good.

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Excellent first camcorder, June 18, 2010

Bought this camcorder to capture my little daughter’s early years and it does that perfectly. We have just returned from a 10 day holiday, the quality is excellent. I experienced no problems whatsoever in terms of audio.

The manual is on a CD, but there is a printed quickstart guide.

This is our first camcorder, but that doesn’t mean I have never used others. The Samsung is just very easy to use, point and click and it works, no fuss.

As I mentioned, the audio is fine, no spikes or ‘electrical’ noises. Focus is either via a button on the top of the casing, which zooms in and out pretty fast, or more slowly via the buttons on the side of the screen.

I have no qualms in recommending this product.

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good hd quality, but some “unfinished” problems, July 7, 2010

good beginner camera especially that it can be found for 0. Nice zoom and optical stabilization, excellent sensitivity in twilight.

But gives a feeling of an unfinished product:

- date&time resets on random occasions (support told me that I shake camera too strong, but it happened even when I just closed and then opened screen while camera was on a table) … seem to happen much more frequently when USB is used

- zoom stick has bad responsiveness when recording at night – camera either ignores me or continues zooming when the stick is released

- the “auto assist” function is buggy – on some conditions camera constantly zooms in and out until power is turned off

- bad compliance with HDMI control (control camera from TV) – only 2 OSD buttons are working (Play and Open Menu), cant navigate by camera menu

- usually during a video playback you can use zoom in/out to either change sound level or ff/rew, but not here

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