Michael Patrick Brady

My seventh article for Forbes.com, Camcorders Go High Def, was published today.

I've been writing about consumer electronics for a few years, and this is the first time I've actually felt like camcorders were interesting. Though, now that they are more interesting, buying them becomes more complicated for the average consumer.

The shift from standard to HD camcorders is a lot like the shift from standard to HDTV. A relatively common, simple device has now become something you need to put in real effort to understand. It's a little harder, but within reach, and I think features like this will help demystify things a bit.

In the article, I describe the host of new acronyms that consumers have to deal with now that camcorders are more versatile. AVCHD, HDV, SD, HDD, HD. It can be daunting, especially for people who bought their last camcorder before HDTV began to proliferate.

Though it may be difficult, it's not impossible for those unfamiliar with the ins-and-outs of HD to figure out which camcorder is the best for them. It just takes a little more patience and a little more attention to detail.