Until now, if one wanted to capture a live event on DVD, this would mean having to fork out on a DVD camcorder or get hold of a standalone DVD recorder to transfer the recording of a tape based camcorder. Now, the company CVS has begun selling a disposable digital camcorder, developed by Pure Digital Technologies inc. that takes the same principle as a single-use disposable camera. However, when the consumer returns it back to CVS for processing, they get back the contents on a DVD instead of as printed pictures.
The disposable camcorder is fairly lightweight with a weight of less than 5oz (141g), features a 1.4" colour display and uses solid state memory to store up to 20 minutes of recording instead of a tape. The camcorder costs $29.99 and a further $12.99 to process it to DVD when returned. To date, over 218 million disposable cameras are sold annually, which account for 38% of film processing, so disposable camcorders could help when it comes to improving the digital video market.
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Jonathan Kaplan, chief executive of Pure Digital, told Reuters in an interview the camcorder's launch made CVS the nation's first retailer to offer such a camcorder but it would be eventually be distributed widely as other retailers sign up to sell it. The camcorder weighs under 5 ounces and holds 20 minutes of digital video and sound. It features a 1.4 inch color playback screen and an ability to delete video, and it saves video on a memory chip instead of tapes. After shooting, customers have to return the recyclable camcorder to their local CVS store and its contents would then be transferred onto a DVD disc to view and share for a $12.99 processing fee. Single-use film and digital cameras have been cited by analysts as among key drivers of repeat visits to stores, helping traditional photo processors like drugstores and supermarkets mitigate the effects of a declining film market. |
As quite a lot of camcorder owners only ever use the camcorder while away on holidays, this would likely to be a good hit for some consumers. The advantage with getting it back on DVD also means that the recordings are not likely to fade away as with those transferred to VHS. Then again, it will be interesting to see if consumers would be happy enough with only 20 minutes of recording space and would trust the recording quality.
Source: Reuters UK - Technology
