Hitachi pioneered the idea of consumer cameras capable of recording video direct to DVD. The early models were large and relatively expensive but high quality. It has taken a while for the idea to take off but it is certainly gaining momentum with a number of competitors now coming into the market. Hitachi has responded by progressively making its cameras more compact and adding extra features such as a SD memory card for storing still images or compressed video clips.

Dan Chiappini delves into multimedia jargon in our monthly tech term glossary.

30 major consumer electronics firms under the spotlight.

Sharp are finalising plans to commercially produce quad and triple layer Blu-ray discs capable of 100GB and 8x read speeds using new disc materials and improved laser technologies

Hitachi DZ-MV100A

Blu-ray and HD DVD players will come out fighting this year. We reveal which format is best placed to be DVD’s successor.

Microsoft has four key 'visions' for Pocket PC 2003 (PPC 2003): make it easier for manufacturers to innovate, improve the 'wireless experience', bring easy instant messaging to the PDA, and expand the 'media experience'.

Hitachi pioneered the concept of recording digital video direct to DVD . Now into its third generation of DVD cameras, a few competitors have appeared on the horizon with its first generation models

The ubiquitous micro-hard drive has found its way into a PDA. palmOne yesterday announced the LifeDrive, a PDA with basic features, a large 320x480 colour screen and a 4GB Hitachi hard drive.

HITACHI DZ-MV208E

DVD is said to be to movies what CD was to music. Well-filmed DVD movies are better in all respects than those recorded on VHS, so the idea of a digital video camera recording direct to DVD disc would appear sound.

Hitachi DZ-MV100E

Its one thing to flatter ones self but its another to be aware when its happening. Thats the impression I get when introduced to the Sony Vaio PCG-FX880K. Like the name?

HITACHI PD32-A2100

There are almost as many acronyms for the various standards of DVD as there are companies involved in DVD development.

The future, they say, is based on the Internet and mobile computing.