It would seem that the YouTube and HD concepts are so hot for users that they've become extremely attractive for the developers of various multimedia recording solutions. The latest company to come up with such a device before CES 2009 is none other than Kodak, which announced the fact that visitors who came across its booth in LasVegas would be able to take a very close look at the Zx1, a rugged and ultra-portable camcorder capable of shooting videos in high-definition.

While the concept is by no means a new one (Pure Digital's Flip Mino HD is a very good example), Kodak's approach does have its merits. Hence, the Zx1 is able to record 720p videos at 60 fps and it can do so in a wide variety of environments, including here bright light or low light. And speaking of environments, it's also important to note the fact that the tiny camcorder has a weather-resistant design, being able to withstand the action of water (splashes) and dirt.

Besides recording video, the camcorder can also be used for editing the captured clips and uploading them either to YouTube or other video sharing websites. It has no memory of its own, but instead relies on external SD/SDHC cards, supporting sizes of up to 32 GB (which should be enough for around ten hours of HD recording).

Additionally, the Zx1 has also been equipped with a sensitive, low distortion microphone, as well as a 2-inch LCD display. Besides the USB 2.0 interface used for transferring videos to a computer, the device also sports a HDMI interface, for connecting directly to a HDTV.

Another very interesting issue worth mentioning about the KODAK Zx1 is the price tag. According to Kodak's statement, the rugged camcorder will have a MSRP of around 150 US dollars when it hits the shelves in April 2009, which makes it one of the most affordable solutions of this type available on the market (and who knows, perhaps an instant hit).


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