Sony's new HDR-FX1 camcorder that is capable of recording in 1080i mode. Although the HDR-FX1 is too large for most people, Sony is working on smaller HDTV camcorders. "To support recording in 1080i mode, the firm recently developed a 4-chip IC set, the HD Codec Engine. Of the four, industry is especially interested in the chip handling Moving Picture Coding Experts Group Phase 2 (MPEG-2) encoding. The incredibly low dissipation -- only about 200mW -- is less than half that of most HDTV-capable MPEG-2 encoders. This low dissipation is important for cutting power consumption during recording to only 8.0W. With the largest Li-ion rechargeable battery, offering a capacity of 47.5Wh, continuous recording time is six hours and 30 minutes of HDTV imagery."

Although it sounds like the HDR-FX1 might be available to general consumers, they point out that due to its large size, most people will be turned off by it. This is a great step in camcorder technology and we are excited to see just how small they can make a camcorder that can record in 1080i.