With 3D movies gaining acceptance and...

With 3D movies gaining acceptance and 3D HDTVs on the market, it was only a matter of time before a 3D camcorder for the masses hit the market. DXG hopes to be at the forefront of the 3D camcorder trend with its $600 DXG-5D7V 3D Pocket Camcorder. This is the only camcorder that records video in three dimensions to provide a true stereoscopic viewing experience.

The DXG-5D7V creates an anaglyph image inside the camcorder by shooting with a pair of lenses. The camcorder’s 3.25-inch display has a parallax overlay so you to see the DXG-5D7V’s 3D video without special glasses. The camcorder's two lenses work in unison with its 3 MP image sensor to record slightly differing images which are interlaced to create a video anaglyph-a 3D video. Videos are recorded in 640 x 480 pixel resolution as AVI files. Adding a 4 GB SD card stores up to four hours of video or 2,000 3D still images (JPEG). The camcorder's 31/4" TFT display shows content in 3D (no glasses required), and movies can be viewed on the included media player's 7" screen because it is overlaid with a parallax barrier that displays video in 3D without the need for 3D glasses

To watch the DXG-5D7V’s 3D video outside of the camcorder, DXG includes in a bundle its 3D Media Player, a 7-inch TFT display with a parallax overlay; no special glasses are required. The 3D Media Player looks like a digital picture frame, with control keys on the right side of its bezel. The 3D Media Player also has speakers and includes a remote control.The DXG-5D7V is also capable of shooting 2D video. However, all video (3D and 2D) is shot at 640 by 480 resolution—the camcorder does not shoot high-definition video.

DXG didn’t have a demonstration of how the DXG-5D7’s 3D video on a 3D TV, which the company says is possible.Prototypes of the DXG-5D7V have made the rounds at trade shows, and early reports of the camcorder can be found on the Web. I had a chance to see a preliminary version of the DXG-5D7V during a DXG press event in May. During my very short time with the two devices, I saw a few images on the small displays. When I looked at 3D images on the camcorder and on the 3D Media Display, the experience reminded me of those plastic 3D image toys you’d get out of a box of Cracker Jacks. Also, the viewing angles on both displays were very limited, and shifting yourself or the display slightly from the center of your field of view resulted in unclear images.

Until we see video from a shipping product, we’ll hold back on making a definitive judgment on the DXG-5D7’s 3D image quality. But the DXG-5D7 looks like it could be less for serious 3D video movie making and more for the gadget enthusiast who wants a new plaything.

The DXG-5D7 will be available in August. Pre-orders can be made through Hammacher Schlemmer. The DXG-5D7 product Website was not yet available at the time of this writing.