Samsung Announces NV4 with PMP Techonology
Read about Samsung's new NV4 digital camera with portable multimedia player (PMP) technology.
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Jan. 6, 2008 – Samsung today launched its second NV-series camera with portable
multimedia player (PMP) technology: the NV4. A hybrid between a digital camera, video player, and music player, the NV4 is meant to be an all-in-one media device. The 8-megapixel NV4 features updated Digital Image Stabilization, a secondary mode dial for easy access to color modes, and Samsung’s face detection and auto red-eye fix technology. The NV4 will retail for $279; a shipment date has not yet been announced.
The NV4 has an 8-megapixel sensor, up from the 7.2-megapixel NV3, and an internal 3x optical zoom lens. The NV4 measures a slim 3.7 x 2.2 x 0.7 inches, and keeps the NV3’s 2.5-inch LCD, which automatically brightens or darkens depending on the light.
The included software converts MPEG, AVI, MOV, WMV, and ASF video files, and MP3 or WAV music files for viewing movies on and listening to music with the NV4. The NV4 has both a 2.5 mm headphone port and an external speaker.
Samsung’s new Photo Style Selector (PSS) dial is featured on the NV4. Across from the standard mode dial on top of the camera, the PSS allows users to choose between seven color modes: Soft, Vivid, Forest, Retro, Cool, Calm, and Classic.
Samsung improves the Digital Image Stabilization on the NV4 to help reduce blur due to camera shake, and ups the ISO to an equivalent 1600, compared to the NV3’s maximum ISO 1000.
Like the NV3, the NV4 shoots movies with audio and optical zoom in MPEG-4 format. While the NV3 shoots in VGA (640 x 480) resolution, the NV4 shoots in SVGA (800 x 592) resolution. The NV4 also features Samsung’s Successive Recording mode, which allows users to pause and restart filming without saving each clip as an individual file.
The NV4 also features face detection for up to nine faces, and utilizes face detection in the Self Portrait mode, only capturing an image when the subject is in the center of the frame. There are 14 total Scene modes: Night, Portrait, Children, Landscape, Close-Up, Text, Sunset, Dawn, Backlight, Fireworks, Beach & Snow, Café, Food, and Self Portrait.
The NV4 also adds Samsung’s World Tour Guide function, which gives travel information for 4,500 regions in 30 countries. Users can access tourist information, currencies, and maps on the camera.