It’s Not HD, but it Sounds Good – ZOOM Q3 Handy Video Recorder

Hollywood spends a good chunk of their budget on sound. That’s why people buy home theatre systems to enjoy it. With that in mind, the current crop of mini HD camcorders can produce some great video, but the audio is hissy, flat and fairly unappetizing. That’s why the folks at SAMSON Technologies created the new ZOOM Q3 Handy Video Recorder

Long known for their awesome microphones and recording equipment, SAMSON got together with their ZOOM division (which does portable digital recorders) to create a portable handheld camcorder with the best possible audio experience. The camcorder itself sports only a 640×480 resolution recorded in MPEG4 SP, which is fine for most video upload sites like YouTube.

The upload process is made easier with the inclusion of their HandyShare software which offers basic video editing or just snag the videos off the unit like a USB drive using the unit’s built in USB cable. It even has a tripod mount on the bottom, allowing it to be used with a bit more creative flair.

The audio is captured in glorious 24bit/48KHz and bit rates up to 320kbps using two directional condenser microphones embedded in the top of the unit. The mics have a unique feature that focuses them on your subject like an “audio zoom” allowing you to capture the proper depth and ambience for highly accurate stereo recording. The unit also does straight audio recording without video at up to 96KHz and 24/16bit resolution.

The 2.4 inch screen displays left and right audio levels and the picture in 320×240 resolution. You can record up to 16 hrs of video with audio at 30 frames per second using a 32 GB removable SD Card (sold separately). The unit is powered by AA Alkaline or rechargeable batteries for up to 2 hrs of recording.

SAMSON expects to get this out there to compete with the Flip Mino HD and Flip Ultra HD at a go price of $249 USD. More information can be found on the official product page.