Hitachi Blu-ray Camcorders Coming This Fall

Although the format wars between Blu-ray and HD-DVD have not officially been decided, Hitachi has opted for the former for their latest camcorder, allowing consumers to record full high-definition video directly onto BD-R discs. The unnamed model (or models, we’re not sure) will sport an 8cm drive to accept Blu-ray and regular blank DVD discs. Up to 7 gigabytes of MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 video can be stored.

In addition to the full 1920×1080 resolution video you’ll be enjoying on your annual trip to the family cottage on the island, the new Hitachi Blu-ray camcorder will also capture still photographs at 5.3 megapixels through its CMOS sensor. I’m assuming that the Blu-ray discs housed inside would be directly compatible for viewing through your PS3 or standalone Blu-ray player.

On the down side, the picture below is of non-functional concepts that Hitachi was showing off last year at CEATEC. On the bright side, Hitachi is saying that the new camcorder “may hit shelves as early as this Fall.”