Introduction

The MHS-PM1 also comes with internal software that allows for quick, seamless video and image upload to YouTube as well as other media hosting websites. With all these features and options, it is clear Sony is hoping to grab a big chunk of the ultra-compact market and steal some of the spotlight away from Pure Digital's Flip series of camcorders. The camcorder is available in three colors—eggplant, orange, and silver.

Audio

The audio features of the Sony MHS-PM1 Webbie HD are rather limited. The microphone is tiny so it won't pick up the best sound and the internal speaker isn't very good either. The camcorder compresses audio using AAC encoding. Recording audio in the crowded, noisy convention center at CES didn't give us the best idea of how well the MHS-PM1 picks up sound, but it seemed to do a serviceable job. The microphone's capabilities are definitely comparable to that of the Pure Digital Flip series of camcorders, which is to say they aren't wonderful but they get the job done.

Compression & Media

Compression

The Sony MHS-PM1 Webbie HD uses AVC/H.264 compression, which is an MPEG-4 codec. According to Sony, the file extensions on the video clips will be mpeg and still images will use a jpg extension. This is good because it increases compatibility and files should work smoothly with both Macs and PCs.

The camcorder records in three quality settings: 1080p, 720p, and VGA (640 x 480), but Sony didn't have information about the bitrate for each of these settings. Interestingly, the MHS-PM1 records in 30p mode for all settings, rather than the standard 60i. This gives the footage a slower look that may be undesirable to some users. However, if your primary plan with the MHS-PM1 is uploading video to the internet, the 30p shouldn't cause any difficulties. The slower video likely won't be noticeable when the video is being viewed on YouTube.

Media

The MHS-PM1 uses Memory Stick cards to store video and pictures. The camcorder does come with 12MB of internal memory, but this isn't enough memory to record much of anything and it's mostly used to store the internal uploading software. We couldn't get a hold of specs that would tell us how much footage would fit on various sized Memory Stick cards, but the fact that the MHS-PM1 uses cards (rather than only having internal memory) gives the camcorder something of an advantage. Sony states a 16GB Memory STick Pro Duo card will hold 340 minutes of footage at the highest quality on the MHS-PM1. The Flip MinoHD has 4GB of internal memory, which can hold roughly 60 minutes of video. We wish Sony had included both internal memory of that size as well as the option for using Memory Stick cards—just so the product would be ready to go out-of-the-box. Internal memory is also great in a pinch, like when you're on the slopes and you realize you left your Memory Stick at home.

Editing

One of the reasons the Flip is so successful (and the reason it has spawned so many imitators) is its capability to easily upload video to YouTube. With the MHS-PM1, Sony is attempting to do the same. The camcorder's internal software allows video to upload directly to YouTube, Picasa, Shutterfly, or Daily Motion. You can also choose other websites to set as favorites—the MHS-PM1 will remember your login information and automatically setup a system to upload to these 'favorite' sites as well. It's a good feature for someone who wants to have a quick, easy way to post video on their blog.

The MHS-PM1 also comes with Picture Motion Browser software that allows for basic editing of video and assists with organizing clips and images. This is the same software that comes with all Sony camcorders and it is not compatible with Mac OS.

Manual Controls

Auto Mode

The Sony MHS-PM1 Webbie HD doesn't have any manual controls, so the camcorder's auto mode is its only mode. This lack of manual controls in commonplace in the ultra-compact camcorder market and you'll notice the same thing on the Flip MinoHD, Creative Vado, RCA Small Wonder, and Kodak Zi6.

Overall, the camcorder worked well with auto controls. The fixed lens kept most images in focus as long as they weren't too close to the camcorder. The auto exposure worked quickly, but was a bit jittery when going from dark to bright scenes (the exposure adjusted everything all at once, rather than supplying smooth transitions). The MHS-PM1 didn't tend to over-compensate when shooting brightly-lit or very dark scenes (something the RCA Small Wonder and Creative Vado had difficulty with). The auto white balance feature was difficult to analyze on the floor at CES as there were so many different light sources illuminating Sony's booth. Even so, the colors looked decent under the plethora of lights and no major discoloration or errors were noticeable.

Low Light Modes

The MHS-PM1 has a low light scene mode that appears to slow the shutter of the device in order to brighten the image. The camcorder's sister model, the MHS-CM1, comes with a video light just beneath the lens.

Scene Modes

The MHS-PM1 has the following scene modes: sports, landscape, low light (as mentioned above), and backlight. The availability of scene modes is something that sets the MHS-PM1 apart from its competition—none of the other pocket-sized HD cams have these settings (except Sony's other Webbie HD model, the MHS-CM1).

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Just like the Flip Mino, the MHS-PM1 has a fixed lens and therefore has no optical zoom capability. The zoom toggle on the back of the camcorder will perform a digital zoom, but it distorts image quality greatly. For its part, the toggle works decently and is comfortable to manipulate.

Zoom Ratio

The camcorder has a 4x digital zoom only.

Focus

No manual focus options are available on the MHS-PM1, which makes sense because the camcorder has a fixed lens.

Exposure

Manual exposure cannot be performed on the camcorder. One of the automatic scene settings does adjust for backlight compensation, however, but it does not allow for manual adjustment.

Aperture

Aperture cannot be adjusted on the MHS-PM1.

Shutter Speed

No direct control over shutter speed is available on the MHS-PM1.

White Balance

Manual white balance cannot be performed on the camcorder.

Gain

There are no gain settings on the camcorder.

Color & Image Control

No color or image controls are found on the camcorder.

Other Manual Controls
Live Histogram - Interestingly, the MHS-PM1 has the option of displaying a live histogram when the camcorder is in use. When the histogram is on, it automatically changes as you point the camcorder to differently lit scenes. Pressing the display button (pushing the joystick up) toggles the histogram on and off. The histogram feature is interesting, but it doesn't seem like the most useful feature to add to the tiny camcorder—especially since exposure and aperture are not adjustable.

Still Features

The MHS-PM1 is definitely designed as a hybrid photo/video device. It has five separate still image size settings, the maximum being 5 Megapixels. The camcorder also features an 8-second self timer for setting up shots of the whole family. Even though these features seem limited when compared to a traditional hybrid camera/camcorder, the settings are light years ahead of what's offered on the Flip MinoHD—which has no still photo capabilities.

 

 

Handling & Use

Ease of Use

The Sony MHS-PM1 Webbie HD isn't as easy to use as other pocket-sized camcorders like the Flip MinoHD, Creative Vado, or Kodak Zi6. This doesn't mean it's difficult to use by any means, it simply has more settings and options than its competitors. If you want to keep the MHS-PM1 simple, just stay away from the menu button. There are a number of settings found there that aren't very useful and will likely confuse novice videographers. Features like Flicker Cancel, which reduces interference associated with monitors and screens when you shoot them, doesn't make much sense to include on the MHS-PM1 and simply makes the menu more difficult to understand.

The MHS-PM1 also offers 3 video settings and 5 still image settings, which are adjusted using the format/trash button on the right side of the camcorder. Spreading out these options into a separate menu doesn't make sense. It seems Sony wanted to make things like size and quality easier to access, but having two menus on this tiny camcorder doesn't boost its simplicity.

As far as actually shooting video and snapping photos goes, the MHS-PM1 is easy to use and handle. There are separate buttons for taking still images and recording video and both are labeled with large text stating exactly what they're for. The rotating lens doesn't have any motorized controls and is moved in the simplest way possible—with your fingers. The zoom toggle is easy to manipulate, although the camcorder only has a 4x digital zoom.

Uploading footage to the internet and quick access to YouTube is an integral part of Sony's Webbie HD lineup. We didn't get a chance to test how easy the uploading system is, but from what Sony tells us it sounds like the process should be fairly hassle free. Sony's pre-installed software allows the user to quickly connect to YouTube, Picasa, Shutterfly, Daily Motion, as well as a number of your own 'favorite' sites that the camcorder will save information about for quick repeated use.

Overall, it appears the MHS-PM1 is Sony's easiest to use HD camcorder ever. It doesn't offer the absolute limited simplicity of the Flip MinoHD, but the few added features give the camcorder more power and depth as a recording device—as well as instituting a bit of an increased learning curve.

Handling

Right off the bat we noticed the MHS-PM1 is capable of standing upright on its own—something Sony's higher-end HDR-TG1 was not able to do with its LCD panel open. We're happy to see the MHS-PM1 knows how to stand up straight without any help as it is something every camcorder should be capable of.

Holding the camcorder is comfortable for the most part. Users who dislike pistol grip models probably won't enjoy shooting with the MHS-PM1, which is why Sony released the horizontal MHS-CM1 Webbie HD camcorder as well. The camcorder generally felt sturdy and reliable, although the port cover on the left side was a tad too flimsy. The bottom cover, that houses the battery pack and Memory Stick slot, felt strong and well-built.

The rotating lens, which can appear gimmicky at first, is actually quite well implemented. It can be a useful tool for recording video or taking photos at tough angles. It also makes the stationary LCD screen on the back of the camcorder easier to use because you don't have to position the device at odd angles to get your shot. The screen generally reproduced a solid image and its 1.8-inch size gives you a good view of what's going on without taking up too much space on the camcorder. We did notice a slight delay between what the lens pointed at and what showed up on the LCD screen.

We're happy to see Sony decided not to use a touchscreen interface on the MHS-PM1, as it would have painstakingly annoying to use. All menu settings are navigated using a joystick on the back of the camcorder, which, while not perfect, does a suitable job.

The MHS-PM1 is a good handler and its swivel-lens design represents an impressive leap for pocket-sized camcorders everywhere. Yes, the menu structure and design could be a bit simpler, but the device doesn't appear to have any major handling flaws we could think of. We didn't get a chance to see what the provided hand strap looks like on the MHS-PM1, but it loops through the two small holes at the bottom of the camcorder.

Portability

The Sony MHS-PM1 weighs 120g fully loaded (including the battery pack and memory stick). This is a good chunk heavier than the Flip MinoHD, which comes in at 93.5g. Still, the 120g weight of the MHS-PM1 is extremely light (it's less than half the weight of Sony's higher-end ultra-compact HDR-TG1). The camcorder's dimensions are 103 x 55 x 24mm including protrusions. This means it's a bit taller, wider, and deeper than the Flip MinoHD (100 x 50 x 16mm), but the dimensions of the two camcorders are very similar. The MHS-PM1 is also lighter and smaller than it's traditionally-shaped sister model, the MHS-CM1 (Sony's other Webbie HD).

Portability is clearly one of the strong assets the MHS-PM1 offers—its upright shape will easily slide into a pocket, slip into a purse, or rest gently in your hand. Keep in mind, the MHS-PM1 will definitely get scratched-up if you constantly transport it in a pocket, purse, or backpack. We also must mention the lack of usable internal memory on the camcorder—something that will impact the product's portability in the long run.

Battery

Unlike the Flip Mino, the MHS-PM1 has a removable lithium ion battery that slides into a compartment at the base of the camcorder. The battery is rechargeable (via the DC-input on the camcorder) and Sony touts the battery life at roughly 80 minutes per charge. Having a removable battery on such a small camcorder is quite impressive and it's something the MHS-CM1 (Sony's horizontal Webbie HD model) doesn't feature.

The rechargeable battery on the MHS-PM1

LCD & Viewfinder

The LCD screen on the back of the MHS-PM1 is 1.8-inches in size. This is a bit larger than the 1.5-inch screen found on the Flip MinoHD and slightly smaller than the 2-inch LCD on the Creative Vado. Setting the MHS-PM1 apart, however, is the 230,000 pixel resolution of the screen, which is more than triple the resolution on the MinoHD's LCD. Sony's LCD also has two brightness settings (normal and bright) to give you an extra light-boost when you need it.

There is no viewfinder on the MHS-PM1.

Menus

The menu is rather simple on the MHS-PM1, but compared to the menu structure of Pure Digital's Flip series (which really has no menu), it can feel like you're navigating a pro camcorder. Pressing the menu button on the right side of the camcorder brings up mostly setup features, like LCD brightness, memory card initialization, date/time settings, digital zoom on/off, etc. The Flicker Cancel feature is also located here for some reason. Another menu, accessed by pressing a completely different button (the trash/format button on the right side), brings up the video and still image size options. While it is good Sony made these more important settings easy to access, it seems confusing for the MHS-PM1 to have two completely separate menus.

 

Playback & Connectivity

Playback

Pressing the playback button on the back of the camcorder opens playback mode. Clips and images are displayed in thumbnail form and you can navigate between them using the joystick. The setup is quite simple and it is easy to play back video and view images. The sound quality of the camcorder's internal speaker isn't fantastic, but it is serviceable.

Connectivity

The MHS-PM1 doesn't have to many connectivity features, but it has all the essentials. An AV-output (using Sony's proprietary connector), USB port, and DC-input are all located on the left side o the camcorder, behind a snap-out port cover. The cover is too flimsy, especially for a camcorder that's meant to be lugged around, tossed in bags, and transported in pockets. At the bottom of the camcorder is a better port cover that slides open to reveal the Memory Stick slot and the battery compartment.

Other Features

Sharemark Button This button is used for quickly uploading clips and images using the embedded software on the camcorder. You can mark specific clips for upload and the internal software is setup to work with a variety of internet websites (YouTube, Picasa, Daily Motion, and Shutterfly).

Flicker Cancel For reducing flicker caused when shooting monitors or televisions (due to 60 GH frequency interference). It doesn't make too much sense for Sony to include this feature. Will YouTube uploaders be shooting a lot of monitors with their MHS-PM1? Will they really care if there's some flickering in their videos?

Conclusion

Is the Sony Webbie series a Flip-killer? That's the big question, and a difficult one to answer. First, you have to ask what made the Pure Digital Flip series so successful. There seem to be three key elements: price, portability, and simplicity. The HMS-PM1 can definitely compete on portability. It's also cheaper than the HD-version of the Flip Mino. But it's not as simple as the Flip. The Flip's real genius is the complete lack of manual controls or menus, making it the first idiot-proof camcorder. Nobody likes to feel lost in a series of manual controls they don't understand. Sony can operate in auto mode, but one bad push of the button and the novice could be up a creek in the confusing menu system. Sony appears to be banking on the idea that people want more controls. We'll have to wait and see how the market responds.

The MHS-PM1 has some intriguing features that should add excitement to the ultra-compact camcorder market. It isn't the easiest device to use. Even so, its unique design, decently-sized LCD, and swiveling lens are attractive features that make sense and function admirably. The multiple colors being offered on the camcorder (eggplant, orange, and silver) may also entice users looking for a stylish, flashy device that can accompany them to the slopes, clubs, or concerts.

We're disappointed the MHS-PM1 doesn't come with a few gigs of internal memory—something that would give the camcorder more versatility when it comes media options. Also, the device doesn't ship with a Memory Stick memory card, which means you'll need to purchase one separately before the camcorder can capture video.

The real deal breaker for the MHS-PM1 is going to be how well its internal uploading software works. This was something we didn't get a chance to try out at CES, but the specs of the software sound impressive—compatibility with not only YouTube, but also Daily Motion, Picasa, and Shutterfly.

Once we get the MHS-PM1 into our labs, it will be interesting to see how its video performance holds up in comparison to the Flip MinoHD and other ultra-compact camcorders. The MHS-PM1 could be a very attractive camcorder for 2009, especially with consumers looking for reasonably-priced products during these tough economic times. The MHS-PM1 will be available in March of 2009 and will retail for around $170.

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