Camcorders are the best way to capture your memories, but what should buyers be looking out for? Our guide will take the stress out of choosing a new camcorder.

Not all camcorders are created equal. In fact, there are several different methods of recording digital video in today’s consumer camcorders.

MiniDV camcorders

Camcorders that use MiniDV cassettes used to be the most common kind on the market. They offer over 500 lines of resolution and are suitable for a whole range of camcorders, from entry-level models to more high-end versions. This recording format is used in Canon, Hitachi, Panasonic, Samsung and Sony camcorders.

Digital8 camcorders

This format can be used to record digital video to Digital8 tapes as well as analog 8mm and Hi8 cassettes. Although it’s also capable of delivering over 500 lines of resolution, it’s not as possible as MiniDV as the camcorders that use this format tend to be bulkier. Sony is the only major camcorder manufacturer to use this format.

Mini-DVD camcorders

Camcorders that use the Mini-DVD format record footage in MPEG-2 straight to a mini DVD. While this format does have some advantages, including the fact that DVDs can be played in most home DVD players, it also has its disadvantages. For example, the footage can’t be edited once it’s recorded on a DVD. Manufacturers who produce Mini-DVD camcorders include Canon, Hitachi, Panasonic, Samsung and Sony.

Flash camcorders

Flash camcorders use memory cards (such as SDHC and Memory Stick) to record digital video and are very common, particularly for high-definition (HD) camcorders. This is because the format compresses the footage for use online and so is more suitable for HD footage, which tends to produce files of large sizes.

HD camcorders

Since this guide was originally published, HD camcorders have become more affordable, weighing in at well under the $1000 mark. Our HD camcorder buying guide can help if you want to be able to record your own high-definition footage.

Mini-camcorders

One trend that has emerged recently is mini-camcorders. As the name suggests, these are pocket-sized camcorders - many of which can actually capture HD footage. These cost as little as a few hundred dollars and are handy for filming on the go and uploading straight to Internet services such as YouTube. The Sony Bloggie is one such mini-camcorder.

Best camcorders

Canon (pictured here is the Canon Legria HF11), Panasonic and Samsung and JVC are all popular camcorder manufacturers.
Sony camcorders (also known as Handycams) also come highly recommended.

Buy a cheap camcorder on sale

Guide originally published June 4, 2009; updated March 26, 2010.

By Caroline Warnes

These days many of us need external storage for our computing and multimedia use. But the type (or types) of external hard drive you require is entirely dependent on your needs.

Why do I need an external hard drive?

There are several reasons why you might need an external hard drive of some description, including:

1. Portability - you need to move files between various computers or devices
2. Security - you want to back up your files rather than storing them all on one computer
3. Storage - you have lots of multimedia files such as songs, pictures and movies that are taking up room on your computer and you need somewhere to store them.

USB drives

USB drives, also known as USB flash drives, memory sticks or thumb drives, are the cheapest and simplest form of external hard drive. Basically, you connect the drive to your computer’s USB port and use it to transfer files between other computers or devices. These are particularly handy if you have a printer with a USB port that allows you to print photos directly. Prices start from a few dollars for USB flash drives with smaller capacities.

USB drives are best used when you are only planning to store relatively small amounts of data - for example, no more than 16GB. USB drives with larger capacities aren’t as cost-effective as the next category - portable hard drives.

Portable hard drives

Portable hard drives - also known as pocket hard drives - are very handy devices that you can carry around and store larger quantities of data on (up to 1000GB). They also connect via a USB port but also require a power supply such as a powerpoint. You should be able to pick up a smaller capacity portable hard drive for well under $100.

The only drawback with portable hard drives is their lack of compatability between PC and Mac, so make sure you consider this before making your purchase.

Desktop hard drives

As the name suggests, desktop hard drives are made to sit on a desktop at work or home and are not very portable. For this reason they are best used for backing up files and external storage only. The main advantage here is large amounts of storage - up to 2TB (that’s 1024GB). Many come with software bundled to make the backing up process easier.

Best external hard drives

We recommend external hard drives from Western Digital, Iomega, Seagate and Maxtor.

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By Caroline Warnes

If you’ve ever thought about purchasing a Blu-ray player to get that full high-definition experience at home, but were put off by the price - here’s some good news. Blu-ray players are getting more and more affordable and are performing better, too.

Why go Blu-ray?

The advantages to upgrading your old DVD player to a Blu-ray player are fairly straightforward - improved image and video quality plus more special features. Blu-ray players are capable of “Full HD” (1080p) output, plus the discs offer features such as picture-in-picture commentary and the ability to access the players menu while the disc is still playing.

Another bonus is that your old DVD collection doesn’t become obsolete. Blu-ray players will still play DVDs. Although you should be warned that while many manufacturers claim that their players will “upscale” DVD content to HD, the resulting output won’t be as good as playing a Blu-ray disc.

As prices come down (thanks largely to Blu-ray’s seeming triumph over its rival format HD DVD) and features are improved, the current crop of Blu-ray players is worth consideration by anyone who is looking to upgrade their home theatre set-up.

What equipment do I need to go Blu-ray?

Unfortunately, it’s not just a case of hooking your Blu-ray player up to your old CRT television and magically seeing HD content on the screen (you could do that, but the content would only be displayed in standard definition so you might as well buy a DVD player).

To get the most from your Blu-ray player you will need a Full HD TV screen (1080p) to maximise the high-definition video output and an AV receiver plus surround sound speakers to maximise the high-definition audio output. You’ll also need HDMI cables to hook the system up. Yes, normal cables aren’t capable of carrying HD video and audio so without the HDMI cables, the whole exercise is pointless.

Blu-ray profiles and sound formats

Once you’ve decided to bite the bullet and go Blu-ray, there are several things you need to know about the players themselves. And here is where it can get slightly confusing.

Firstly, you have something called Blu-ray profiles, of which there are three - Profile 1.0, Profile 1.1 and Profile 2.0. Basically, the first two (and earliest) profiles don’t support the full functionality that Blu-ray is capable of, although technically there should be no difference in the way they handle the content itself. Profile 1.0 has no advanced features, while 1.1 has picture-in-picture (BonusView). Meanwhile, the latest and greatest Profile 2.0 supports BD-Live, or content that can be downloaded from the Internet straight to the player such as deleted scenes, commentaries and so on.

On the plus side, 1.0 and 1.1 players tend to be cheaper so if you don’t really care about bonus features, that’s the direction to steer in.

And then there is the matter of Blu-ray sound formats. With DVD, the two main formats are called Dolby Digital and DTS. The manufacturers of these formats took advantage of the extra storage provided by Blu-ray discs to create new and improved sound formats - Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution and DTS-HD Master Audio (Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio being the preferred formats because they use lossless compression and therefore provide audio that is more faithful to the original).

Each of these formats needs to be decoded to something called linear PCM format before it can be read by the AV receiver connected to your Blu-ray player. If a Blu-ray player is listed as having on-board decoding in its specs, that will happen within the player. If it doesn’t, then the AV receiver will need to have on-board decoding for the two pieces of equipment to “talk”.

Best Blu-ray players

Panasonic Blu-ray players are amongst the best available. Sony Blu-ray players are also worth looking at, plus Sony also has the PS3, which is a gaming console/Blu-ray player/media centre, if you’re keen to get the most bang for your buck.

Buy a cheap Blu-ray player on sale

By Caroline Warnes

High-definition or HD camcorders are getting more and more affordable. But what do you need to know if you’re thinking about buying one?

What are HD camcorders?

As the name clearly explains, a HD camcorder can record high-definition footage. Read more about HD technology in this earlier HDTV buying guide. Bear in mind that you will need a HD TV on which to play your recorded footage if you want to experience the full benefits of your HD camcorder. Obviously, you can still play back standard definition footage on a regular television, but it won’t look any different to the footage you would record from a standard camcorder.

HD camcorder formats

There are two formats for today’s consumer HD camcorders - High-Definition Video (HDV) and Advanced Video Codec High-Definition (AVCHD).

Without getting too technical: HDV records footage to MiniDV at a resolution of 1440×1080, which isn’t strictly “Full HD” (1920×1080) but still produces excellent pictures. Each tape can record one hour of high-def footage, but on the down side, MiniDV tapes wear out with time and you’ll lose your recordings.

On the other hand, AVCHD records in Full HD format and can record to a number of different media, including SDHC memory cards, hard disk drives or 8cm recordable DVDs (which can be replayed from a Blu-ray player).

HD camcorder storage options

A major factor to consider when shopping for a high-definition camcorder is that the amount of storage required for HD footage is far greater than that of a regular video camera.

Internal hard drives are generally preferred by most of the large manufacturers, but another storage option that is growing in popularity is flash, such as the abovementioned SDHC cards and Memory Sticks. Finally you also have HD camcorders that record to tape.

Watching your HD footage

Your HD camcorder can be connected directly to your TV to view your footage. Avoid connecting via S-Video if possible as this degrades the quality of the picture. If you own a flash HD camcorder and your TV has a card slot, you will be able to insert the card and play the footage directly from that.

Any footage you want to keep will need to be transferred to a disc such as Blu-ray or HD DVD. There are many online tutorials which explain how to do this.

Best HD camcorders

The Samsung HD camcorder pictured here is a popular model and very well priced at $699.

Canon and JVC also make excellent HD camcorders.

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By Caroline Warnes

Don’t let the name fool you. Rice cookers can do a lot more than just cook rice. In fact, some rice cookers have so many purposes, they could turn out to be one of the handiest small appliances in your kitchen.

There are two kinds of rice cookers: basic and multifunction. As well as their original intended function, most models, even the basic ones, can also be used as a slow cooker to make porridge, stews and soups - plus a lot more.

Basic rice cookers

As the name suggests, basic rice cookers are the no-frills models, and they also happen to be the cheapest. Depending on capacity, you can find one for under $30. As capacity increase, so does the price - up to around the $100 mark.

Basic rice cookers will cook your rice and automatically keep it warm once it’s cooked. As mentioned above, they can also be used to cook soups, stews and the like, and if they come equipped with a steaming basket or rack, you can use them to steam vegetables, some meats and even sweets such as puddings. However the automatic switch-off functionality will not work when using the cooker to steam food, so you will need to monitor it closely.

Multifunction rice cookers

Multifunction rice cookers are more expensive than basic rice cookers, but also offer more bang for your buck. They can be used to cook rice, steam and as a slow cooker, all with automatic settings. For this reason they are also known as three-in-one rice cookers. Individual models may also have an array of other features, such as a porridge cooking preset, delayed start, alarm, clock, programmable timer with LCD screen and more.

Prices for multifunction rice cookers start from around $90 and can cost as much as $300 for a fuzzy logic rice cooker.

Fuzzy logic rice cookers

The most expensive multifunction rice cookers use a microprocessor and something called “fuzzy logic” technology. These cookers have presets to cook perfectly just about any type of rice you can name. The cooker automatically adjusts the heat throughout cooking, depending on the type of rice.

Best rice cookers

One of the most popular brands for multifunction and fuzzy logic rice cookers is a Japanese manufacturer called Tiger. It isn’t widely available in department stores and electrical retailers, but if you can track one down at a specialty or homewares store, you’ll appreciate the difference.

Breville and Tefal rice cookers are also very good and are more widely available.

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By Caroline Warnes

A Personal Video Recorder (also known as a PVR) is a device that lets you record, pause, rewind and fast-forward live television. PVRs have come a long way in the last few years and are now fairly commonplace in Australian living rooms.

How PVRs work

Basically, a PVR is a set-top box with an internal hard drive to store content. It has a built-in tuner to receive the television signal - though ideally it should have two tuners. This is so you can be watching one channel while recording another or even record two channels at the same time while you’re watching something pre-recorded on the hard drive.

And the good news is that unlike the old days of the humble VCR, you don’t have to mess around with buttons and times in order to record something. Thanks to something called the Electronic Program Guide (EPG), you can use the included remote to scroll through a program guide for all available channels. When you see something you want to record, you simply press a button on the remote and the rest is done automatically.

Some PVRs have a DVD drive built-in, so you can transfer content that you want to keep to DVD. With a bit of technical knowhow you can also transfer content to other external sources, such as a computer.

HD PVRs

If you’re going to invest in this technology, then you should be looking at buying a high-definition or HD PVR. This means you will be able to watch and record HD content in all its intended glory. Unfortunately however if you have a PVR with a built-in DVD drive and want to transfer any HD content to DVD, the full resolution will be lost.

PVR hard drives

When it comes to the size of your PVR hard drive, you should go as big as your budget allows. This is especially true if you are going to be recording a lot of high-definition content, since HD content tends to chew up storage space. Some PVRs will allow you to connect extra drives for more storage.

Extra features

The more expensive PVRs usually throw in some extra features to justify their higher price tags. Although these are nice to have, they aren’t necessary for the basic functionality of recording and pausing live television. Extra features usually include networking functionality so you can view content from your computer and the Internet on the TV connected to the PVR.

Foxtel iQ

Foxtel iQ is, in fact, a form of PVR, combining recording functionality and a satellite receiver for the Foxtel signal. It incorporates some extra features specific to Foxtel, however there is no (official) way of transferring content stored on the internal memory to an external source.

Best PVRs

Topfield PVRs, such as the model pictured here, are undoubtedly the market leaders.

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By Caroline Warnes

If you can’t even contemplate starting your day without a cup of coffee, then you’re probably thinking of buying a coffee espresso machine for home or the office.

There are several different types available, depending on your needs and budget, as explained in our coffee machine buying guide below.

Manual coffee machines

Manual coffee machines are the cheapest available - you should be able to pick up a basic one for less than $200. However, as the name suggests, all functions are manual so you’ll be doing most of the work (including frothing the milk - there’s art to this). Cheaper manual coffee machines are likely to be made out of plastic, however if you spend a little more cash you will be able to get one with a better build quality, possible made from stainless steel.

Semi-automatic coffee machines

The next step up from a manual model is a semi-automatic coffee machine. These cost a few hundred dollars more (but usually under $1000) and have some automated features. These could include programmable control panels, an LCD screen for viewing the temperature or an in-built coffee grinder.

Automatic coffee machines

If you’re looking to buy at the top of the range, then you need an automatic coffee machine. As the name suggests, everything about this machine is automated so you should always be able to prepare the perfect cup of coffee to your liking. With the touch of one button, your milk will be frothed, your beans ground, your coffee brewed and poured.

Another bonus of automatic coffee machines is that they clean themselves - cleaning a coffee machine manually can be quite a tricky process, considering all the small parts and crannies.

Of course, for this kind of quality you are going to have to pay. The most expensive automatic coffee machines can cost anywhere up to $4000.

Capsule coffee machines

Capsule coffee machines are newish to the market and offer an alternative to their traditional manual and automatic counterparts. These are very small and compact machines that use pre-packaged capsules of coffee, which come in individual serves. You simply load the capsule, fill the water tank, press a button and out comes the coffee. Most come with a manual milk frother.

Unfortunately, these capsules usually need to be ordered online so if you run out and forgot to stock up, you may be without your coffee until replacements can be delivered.

Best coffee machines

Popular brands of coffee machines include DeLonghi and Saeco. Nespresso is the best-known brand of capsule coffee machine.

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By Caroline Warnes

These days most of us have all our music stored on an iPod or MP3 player of some kind. That’s fine for listening to with headphones, but what if you want to play your music for everyone else? That’s where iPod docks (or speakers) step in.

What is an iPod dock?

iPod dock is basically a fancy name for a speaker that connects directly to your iPod and plays the music out loud. The main difference between an iPod dock and a typical speaker is the inclusion of an iPod Dock Connector so the player sits directly in the speaker. This dock will also charge your iPod.

Can I use my MP3 player with an iPod dock?

Most MP3 players can be connected to most iPod docks using a standard 3.5mm cord plugged into the player’s headphone jack. However because it isn’t “docked”, this won’t charge the playe. Basically, you’ll be using the speaker to play the music and that’s it.

Which iPods can be used in a dock?

The short answer is all of them. The long answer is that while most of the newer generation iPods will connect directly to new speakers using the standard iPod Dock Connector, you may require an adaptor for older iPods and docks. Usually a range of adaptors are included in the box, or can be purchased quite cheaply. The exception to this is recent generation iPod Shuffles, which will connect via a 3.5mm cord, similar to connecting a non-Apple MP3 player.

You can also dock your iPhone. Even if the speaker is not technically labelled “iPhone compatible”, it will still usually play the music. However non-compatible iPhone docks may experience noise distortion when the phone is about to ring or when the phone accesses a network.

iPod dock speakers

When it all boils down, an iPod dock’s feature is its speakers, and the variations in quality are vast. As a very basic and general rule of thumb, you do pay for what you get with speakers, so the sound quality from an $80 dock would be nowhere near that of a high-end dock, which will set you back up to $1000.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that quality in equals quality out. If you’re downloading poor quality music, an expensive dock won’t magically make it sound great on the way out.

iPod dock features

Most iPod docks offer extra features beyond just playing your music, and once again this varies widely from model to model. These might include FM/AM radio, remote control, wall mountability and so on. Some have built-in alarm clocks that you can set to go off with music from your iPod, but keep in mind that function will only work with a docked iPod so if you have a player connected via 3.5mm cord you’ll only be able to wake up to the speaker’s alarm buzzer or the radio.

Best iPod docks

The leaders in this market are clear: Bose and Altec Lansing are two of the best brands your money can buy.

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By Caroline Warnes

As we head into the hottest part of the year, you may be looking to purchase a new air conditioner to help you cool down over summer.

There are several different types of air conditioner technology that you should understand before you make your purchase. These are explained below. Some of these technologies can co-exist in a single unit - for example, LG makes both inverter split and ducted split systems.

Portable air conditioners

A portable air conditioner is exactly what the name suggests - a cooling unit that can be moved from room to room and plugged into any powerpoint. They tend to be the cheapest air conditioners, and are mostly the least effective. You probably won’t be able to cool more than a single room with a typical portable air conditioner, so if you live in a studio or small one-bedroom apartment, this option might suit you.

DeLonghi and Dimplex portable air conditioners are a popular choice.

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Window wall air conditioners

Once again, the name gives it away. Window/wall air conditioners are designed to be fitted in a window or wall and are generally more powerful than their portable counterparts. If you have a larger room or space to cool of up to 50 square metres or so, then this is the air con unit for you.

LG window wall air conditioners, like the one pictured here, are worth taking a look at.

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Split system air conditioners

If you need to cool more than one room, a split system air conditioner is one of your options. They can also cool single rooms that are slightly larger than the 50 square metres that a window wall unit can cover, and therefore tend to be more expensive. The name “split system” comes from the fact that the main compressor unit is housed outside the premises while the outlet(s) through which the air flows are located inside.

These days multi split system air conditioners are available for domestic premises, although they’re still more common for commercial buildings. The technology is the same but they cool on a larger scale - sometimes up to nine rooms. They are still fairly expensive to buy and install.

The best split system air conditioners are from LG, Mitsubishi and Fujitsu.

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Central ducted air conditioners

Central ducted air conditioners are the most expensive of all the cooling-only systems to install and are generally only used for large commercial premises (such as office blocks) or very large, multi-room houses. A fan and motor sit outside and distribute the cool air around the various rooms via ducts. These systems need to be installed be a professional.

Many professionals recommend Daikin central ducted air conditioning systems.

Inverter air conditioners

Some of the air conditioner types mentioned above are available with inverter technology. This means they are constantly on and adjust themselves to maintain the desired room temperature, rather than switching themselves on and off to do so (which is how traditional air conditioner technology works). This makes them quieter and more energy efficient, and thus cheaper to operate, than conventional air conditioners.

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Reverse cycle air conditioners

Reverse cycle air conditioners are capable of both cooling your home in summer and warming them up in winter. Because of this dual functionality, they are more expensive to buy than most cooling-only models, however they can work out cheaper in the long run - you won’t have to buy a separate heater and they are cheaper to run.

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By Caroline Warnes

There are three full-sized “next-generation” gaming consoles currently available on the market, each with their various pros and cons. So what are the main differences between the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3)?

Nintendo Wii

The Nintendo Wii is traditionally the least expensive of the next-generation consoles, and it’s arguably also proved to be the most popular.

What it lacks in high-definition graphics and sound (resolution is only 480p), the Wii makes up for in ingenuity, largely thanks to the motion-sensing Wii remote (AKA the Wiimote). This means you can “play” virtual sports such as tennis, boxing and more. Then of course there is the Balance Board, which can be bought separately and used with Wii Fit and the new Wii Fit Plus game to perform yoga exercises and more.

Because the Nintendo Wii isn’t about hardcore gaming, it lends itself more to families and new gamers.

You can pick up a Wii bundled with accessories and games for well under the $400 mark.

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Microsoft Xbox 360

Microsoft was first to market with the Xbox 360 at the end of November 2005 and as such as has had longer to build up its catalogue of games and its online multiplayer functionality, thanks to Xbox Live.

It features 720p resolution, which strictly counts as high-definition but falls slightly short of Full HD. It can be linked to your home network and even used with media devices such as video cameras.

The Xbox 360’s price is considerably cheaper than it was when it first hit the market. You can often find an Arcade Bundle for around the $300 mark.

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Sony PS3

The Sony PS3 without a doubt boasts the best sound and graphics of the next-gen gaming consoles. It’s the only one capable of Full HD resolution (1080p) and the way it renders fast-paced action games such as first-person shooters and car racing is almost cinematic.

It also has a built-in Blu-ray player so you can play Blu-ray discs, DVDs and CDs and can be used as a media centre in your lounge room.

The PS3 Slim was released a couple of months ago in Australia with a compact form factor, increased hard drive over the previous entry-level model (120GB) and $499 price tag. Apparently a 250GB model is also on the way.

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By Caroline Warnes