Review: Sony Handycam HDR-SR1 - CNET
CNET have reviewed the Sony Handycam HDR-SR1 Camcorder which allows you to record high-definition video directly to a Hard Disk Drive (HDD). 'A virtual twin of the Sony Handycam HDR-UX1 but with shiny black-plastic accents, the HDR-SR1 delivers essentially the same video but without some of the accompanying media headaches. It too uses the AVCHD format to record 1080i HD video, but on a 30GB disk rather than DVD. Interestingly, Sony charges about $100 more for the SR1 than for the UX1--both are a bit pricey--which probably has more to do with market elasticity than cost of production.
Some playback and editing irritations remain. Though the disk mounts as a USB storage device when you attach the camcorder to your PC, you still need to install Sony's Picture and Motion Browser software, with its two appendages: a Media Check utility that intercepts calls to any camcorder or media that might have M2TS files on it, and a Sonic UDF driver, though the latter matters only for the DVD version. Plus, there's an AVCHD player that you'll need to view your videos. The software lets you trim clips, but that's about it. If you've a yen to burn a DVD, you can push a button on the camcorder or use the software; keep in mind that a playable DVD, at least for the near-term, means down-converting to MPEG-2 standard-def. '
Read: Sony Handycam HDR-SR1 - CNET