Over the past few months I have been carefully considering investing in a HD video recording solution. At first I thought that it would be much too expensive with most HD equipment far exceeding my basic recording needs and indeed my budget. The GeekCaster News Network and GeekCaster Store however both need HD video elements to support development, with e-learning development and indeed blog entries such as product reviews also benefiting from it’s availability. I was left in something of a pickle as to how to solve the problem. At Christmas I discovered the wonders of portable HD recorders and went to Belfast to try and acquire either a Flip Mino HD or a Kodak Zi8. Thankfully I discovered in time that the Flip records files in .wmv format (terrible when I develop on Mac) and unfortunately the Kodak Zi8 was nowhere to be found : (

Somewhat dejected I decided to leave it for a few weeks and reevaluate my options, the more I researched the concept the more I came to the conclusion that the Kodak Zi8 was hands down the best option available. Affordable at £150 yet providing true HD 1080p recording capability – yes please!! The Kodak Zi8 is one of a new generation of mini-camcorder that is designed to make it incredibly easy to shoot, share and enjoy high quality full HD1080p video. It is compact in it’s design, easily fitting into my messenger bag, yet allows for 1080p, 720 60fps, 720 30fps, VGA recording and offers 5MP still image acquisition.

The biggest advantage of the high resolution is that it’ll look great when blown up. This isn’t so important if you only view video on a small window on your PC screen but with the Zi8 footage you can scale the video to full screen and retain image sharpness, for the best possible picture the Zi8 has HDMI connectivity so you view the videos on your HDTV. Both HDMI and standard composite cables are included in the box. On the go you can view your clips on the very usable 2.5 inch LCD screen and find the best bits using the four speeds of fast forward and rewind, up to x16, or simply go forward or back frame by frame. Unlike many similar products the Zi8 features a macro mode for shooting close up. It also has a built in mic and speaker to capture and playback sound and the addition of an external microphone jack means you have the option to record in glorious stereo, great for playback on your HDTV. A high speed processor adjusts exposure and autofocus quickly and with smart face tracking technology and built in image stabilisation you’ll enjoy the best possible quality razor sharp footage.

The  Zi8 has an SD card slot which can take upto a 32GB SDHC card good for up to an incredible 10 hours of video at HD 30fps (1GB = 20mins). A step up from AA batteries, the Zi8 is powered by a rechargeable Li-Ion battery which delivers a longer record time and can be charged both from a mains socket or via a USB. It really is a very comprehensive device that will cater for all my HD video production needs.

Why all this talk about it I hear you ask : ) well that would be because I have just ordered one from Amazon!! In fact it was dispatched this morning so fingers crossed tomorrow or Wednesday it will arrive.