Samsung HMX-R10

Playback (6.5)

Basic video and photo playback on the HMX-R10 is just like any other consumer camcorder. You enter Playback mode by pressing the playback button on the LCD screen. Here, all your videos are arranged as thumbnail images and you tap on a thumbnail to bring up a full-screen playback of that video. There are three tabs at the top of the screen—one for HD videos, one for standard definition videos, and one for still photos. At the bottom of the playback screen are three buttons that change the thumbnail view. The first does a 3 x 2 thumbnail display (6 images in total), the second does a 4 x 3 (12 images total) and the third organizes media by date. To switch back to shooting mode, you tap on the icon of the camcorder (or camera in still mode) in the lower left corner.

The video playback screen...		... and the still image playback screen

When viewing videos, the VCR playback controls are all located as on-screen buttons. This is a bit of a nuisance, as it means the buttons end up blocking a significant portion of the screen when you are using them. On a positive note, the R10 has a lot of VCR controls. There's fast forward, rewind, and slow motion playback (up to 1/16 normal speed). Samsung even includes a few Apple-like touch screen gestures on the R10. You can swipe your finger right to left across the screen to advance to the next video or picture (swiping from left to right brings you to the previous clip). Sliding your finger vertically controls playback volume. While these 'gestures' are an interesting addition to the touch-sensitive LCD, Samsung still needs to improve them quite a bit. We found the camcorder's reaction to be rather delayed when we used the swiping motions and the volume adjustment system wasn't very responsive.

Another key feature of the Samsung R10 is called Quick View. This allows you to immediately playback the most recent video the camcorder has recorded, right after you've finished shooting. So, as soon as you stop recording a video, a small playback icon appears at the centre of the LCD. Tap it and the camcorder will playback the clip. Once it is done playing, the R10 will re-enter shooting mode automatically. This feature is similar (although better implemented) to Sanyo's Video Review mode.

The video playback menu		The still image playback menu

If you dig into the camcorder's Playback Menu, you'll find a ton of extra playback features. You can do some internal editing (divide, combine, and partially delete portions of clips), create playlists, or use a highlight playback feature that plays back random portions of clips you've recorded. You can also use Continuous Capture to capture still images from your recorded video footage—with options for 5, 3, or 1 still image per second of video.

As with most camcorders, the Samsung R10 offers a slideshow mode for playing back still photos. You can setup a slideshow with a number of options: 1 or 3 second image display intervals, 7 background music selections (as well as random or off), and 3 separate transition effects. There's also an 8x digital zoom option available for still images.

Connectivity (2.38)

The HMX-R10 isn't loaded with connectivity options, but it has all the basics. All the camcorder's ports are located on the back of the camcorder, behind a small, plastic port cover. Here you'll find the HDMI-out, DC-input, and the combo AV-out, Component-out, USB port. The combo port is of proprietary design, which means it will only work with Samsung's supplied cables.

You may notice the camcorder doesn't come with a regular AV-out composite cable (you know the ones we're talking about, with a yellow, red, and white connector). Instead, it comes with a Component cable that also doubles as an AV cable. The green connector on the Component cable can carry an analog video signal, which is why it is tagged with a small piece of yellow tape. So, if you're connecting the HMX-R10 to a non-HD television, you can use the Component cable as an AV cable. If this sounds confusing, you're not alone. Reducing the amount of necessary cables can be a good thing, but this 2-in-one setup can be rather confusing for people who aren't well versed in audio/visual technology.

From left to right: mini-HDMI, DC-input, and the combo AV-out, Component-out, USB port		The SD/SDHC memory card slot

While it's convenient to have all the ports located in one place, things can get a bit cramped when you have multiple cables connected to the camcorder. There isn't much room between the HDMI port and the DC-input, so if you want to have the R10 plugged into a TV and AC power at the same time, be prepared for your cables to get abit tangled. We are happy to see, however, that Samsung includes all the necessary ports on the actually body of the camcorder, rather than resorting to using a docking station. The grey, plastic cover does a decent job protecting all the ports and it snaps into place quite easily. It is tethered to the camcorder via a flexible piece of plastic.

Located on the bottom of the camcorder is the battery compartment and SD/SDHC memory card slot. Both are behind a hard-plastic door that pops open when you slide its its button lock. This compartment seems designed pretty well and the door covering provides adequate protection. The only annoyance is you can't change battery packs or memory cards while the camcorder is on a tripod.

The HMX-R10 has no external mic jack, headphone jack, or accessory shoe. Most mid-range camcorders don't include these ports, so the R10's connectivity options are normal for a camcorder of its class. The HMX-R10 does have an option for Samsung's Anynet+ technology, which allows you to control the camcorder using a Samsung TV remote (as long as the camcorder is connected to a television that also supports Anynet+).

Samsung HMX-R10 Comparisons
JVC GZ-X900	Sanyo VPC-HD2000	Canon HF S100