Handycam-Models

Sony and Bluetooth. Bluetooth is a new standard that lets a wide variety of devices communicate without wires. Using a 2.4GHz radio frequency, a Bluetooth link works at distances up to 30 feet and, unlike infrared, does not require a direct line of sight to establish communications. The DCR-IP7 and DCR-PC120 are Bluetooth-enabled devices, so they are able to establish a communications link with another Bluetooth-capable device just by being in the device's proximity.

For example, you could use either camera to communicate with a Bluetooth-enabled cellular phone to dial an ISP (Internet service provider). Both cameras feature e-mail software so you can easily send still or video content via the Internet once a connection is established.

Digital Camcorders Go Blue. Most digital camcorders on the market today take advantage of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) 1394 connectivity to transfer video onto a user's computer. IEEE 1394 is more popularly known as FireWire, a marketing term coined by Apple Computer, the company that along with Texas Instruments helped develop the technology.

At a transfer rate of 400Mbps (megabits per second), IEEE 1394 is ideal for quickly transferring bandwidth-intensive video content from a camera onto a PC. Thirty seconds of video content takes up approximately 130MB of hard drive space. A fast transfer medium is an absolute necessity when working with large video files.

In spite of its significant advantages, IEEE 1394 is a strictly "wires-only" technology. The ideal situation is to have a device capable of transmitting content wirelessly to a network, the Internet, or a PC. Sony Electronics' DCR-PC120 and DCR-IP7 Network Handycams ) take steps toward wireless nirvana by using Bluetooth technology to cut the cord and transfer content from the camcorder to a network or to the Internet.

The Sony are among the first imaging devices capable of connecting to a network and transmitting content wirelessly, but that wireless connectivity acts as more of a complement to the cameras' wired technology.

About the models. The DCR-IP7 and DCR-PC120 Network Handycams will put a dent in your wallet. They retail for $1,699.99 and $1,999.99, respectively. The DCR-IP7 uses a new Sony standard, MicroMV, to store content. Sony's MicroMV technology is a new DV (digital video) cassette technology that uses the MPEG-2 (Motion Picture Experts Group-2) compression standard. This results in a cassette size 30% smaller than miniDV, allowing Sony to manufacture a very small camera that fits into a shirt pocket and is extremely easy to carry.

Both cameras also feature USB (Universal Serial Bus) and IEEE 1394 (called i.Link by Sony) connectivity. Also, they feature 10X Optical/120X Digital zoom and come with 8MB of Memory Stick media. But what singles the devices out is the use of Bluetooth technology to connect to a network or to the Internet without wires.