Nikon D300s officially announced -- 720p/24 movie mode with autofocus and mic input

Well well, Nikon managed to keep the big secret about the new D300s under wraps even as everything else was leaked in the past few weeks: the new $1,799.95 body will shoot 24fps 720p video with contrast-detect autofocus and offers an external mic input. That's basically every would-be DSLR videographer's major wishlist right there -- sure, 1080p would have been nice, but we'll take better sound over a couple more lines of resolution any day. Other highlights include a 12.3 megapixel DX sensor, 51-point autofocus, and 7fps burst shooting, as well as those dual CF and SD card slots and a 920k pixel screen. Yeah, it's looking like a real beast -- that DX sensor probably doesn't have Canon 5D Mark II fans worried, but if you're looking to get into DSLR video this looks like the new cam to beat.

Gallery: Nikon D300s officially announced -- 720p/24 movie mode with autofocus and mic input

Update: Digital Photography Review has a brief hands-on with the camera, clarifying that the contrast-detection autofocus isn't the quickest, and like we learned with the Olympus E-P1 you'll need to use an external mic when shooting to avoid the ever-present "shhhk" sound. Also of note is continuous shooting, which has been given a boost to seven frames per second -- eight if you have the battery grip -- compared to D300 and that it has the same memory card door as the D700.

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

Nikon D300s officially announced -- 720p/24 movie mode with autofocus and mic input originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Digital Cowboy's DC-MCNP1 2.5-inch NAS doubles as media player

It's a little hard to believe that we've gone two whole months without a new device from Digital Cowboy, but at long last, the Japanese wrangler is hitting back with a striking new piece of consumer electronics goodness. The DC-MCNP1, which falls neatly into the Movie Cowboy family, is a 2.5-inch NAS drive at heart, but aside from giving you access to files on its diminutive internal drive anywhere in the world, it also streams a plethora of file formats to your HDTV. The HDMI / composite video outputs should take care of the vast majority of ya, and the USB 2.0 socket provides an expansion option for those needing to hook up an external HDD. An Ethernet port is built in for network access, but those who'd prefer to cut the cord can certainly plug a wireless adapter into that USB socket and pray continuously to the signal gods above. If you find yourself in Fukuoka next month, give this one a look if you've got ¥19,900 ($209) to spare.

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Digital Cowboy's DC-MCNP1 2.5-inch NAS doubles as media player originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 05:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer reaffirms that Android-based netbook still coming in Q3

In an effort to quell all sorts of kicking and screaming that resulted from an evidently erroneous report earlier in the week, an Acer representative has reportedly reaffirmed that an Android-based Aspire One is still on schedule for a Q3 release. If you'll recall, we first heard of Acer's intentions to dole out an Android-laden netbook during Computex, and now it seems as if those very plans are still perfectly on track. So there you have it, folks -- no need to keep pounding those heart medications.

Filed under: Laptops

Acer reaffirms that Android-based netbook still coming in Q3 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung 8500 series LCD TVs feature local-dimming LED backlights, Yahoo! widgets

Sure, we might all just be getting used to LED-backlit LCD HDTVs, but this train ain't stopping, Chico -- Samsung just got official with the 8500 series, which features the next-generation of local-dimming LED backlights. The 54.6-inch and 45.9-inch 240Hz sets are just 1.6 inches deep and offer a 7,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, a 2ms response time, and an Energy Star 3.0 savings mode that continually adjusts the picture and backlight to optimize both picture quality and power savings. You're also getting Samsung's usual suite of connected TV features, like the Yahoo! Widget Engine, DivX playback, and DLNA support, but you'll be paying handsomely for all this newness -- the 45.9-inch UN46B8500's MSRP is $3,599, while the 54.6-inch UN55B8500 will run you $4,499.

Filed under: HDTV

Samsung 8500 series LCD TVs feature local-dimming LED backlights, Yahoo! widgets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung's Solstice touchscreen phone bounds onto AT&T

The age of the touchscreen dumbphone is definitely upon us, is it not? Today AT&T and Samsung announced the availability of the Solstice, a phone featuring a 3-inch (presumably resistive) touchscreen, TouchWiz, and lots of funky social networking tie-ins. Still, one gets the overwhelming impression that phones of this ilk are simply trying to cash in on the buzz of like-minded devices, while not bringing anything particularly notable to the table. This 3G-equipped number comes loaded with a 2 megapixel camera, microSD support up to 16GB, and... not much else. The phone will be available August 2nd for $99.99 with a two-year contract. Call us crazy, but for that kind of money, aren't there superior touchscreen devices on this network?

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung's Solstice touchscreen phone bounds onto AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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