Kodak announced its own entry into the world of pocket sized camcorders this week with the release of the Playtouch. 

 

According to the company the Playtouch will offer 1080p HD video recording to SDHC cards. In addition to this it also boats a ‘Share’ button which will enable file transfer to YouTube and Facebook, a 3” capacitive touch-screen which has been optimised for viewing in landscape mode, on camera editing features and a built in USB arm for device to PC file transfers. 

 

In addition to this it is also capable of capturing 5 Megapixel HD still images, features face tracking technology, an external stereo microphone jack, an HDMI out interface with cable included, compatibility with PC and Mac and up to ten hours of HD video recording time. 

 

Although this may seem very similar to more run of the mill pocket camcorder models, it’s price tag of $229 (roughly R2 000) makes is a very attractive package. 

 

Considering the offering and the size of the device it is truly amazing that video capturing has come such a long way in such a short timespan. Just twenty years ago VHS, film, bulky camcorders and sub 480p image quality was the norm; today consumers can capture full HD video for less than the price of a Sony Playstation 3 Slim console.

 

Local pricing and release schedules are currently unavailable.