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 I used Panasonic's SV-AV20 as an MP3 player, a digital camera, an MPEG4 camcorder, and a voice recorder. |
You're thumbing through the latest issue of the Crutchfield catalog when, on the Portable Audio page, you spy the line "e-wear™ multi-format digital A/V recorder/player." You're intrigued. What type of device could possibly inspire such an arcane description? Just what does a "multi-format digital A/V recorder/player" do?
In fact, Panasonic's SV-AV20 is a kind of portable jack-of-all-trades that combines the functions of an MP3 player, digital camera, camcorder, and voice recorder. If you're wondering just how well such a small device can perform all these feats, so was I. In early July I packed up the 'AV20 and took it on a road trip deep into Illinois farm country, where I happened to be attending a four-day music festival.
On my trip I used the SV-AV20 to take pictures, capture MPEG4 movies, and make voice recordings; after I returned, I tested its competence as an MP3 player. Since the 'AV20 is designed to operate primarily in that capacity, with the other functions secondary in importance, let's look first at how the 'AV20 stacks up against other MP3 players.
 I took the Panasonic SV-AV20 to a music festival and used it to snap photos of shows. |
The SD-Jukebox software included with the SV-AV20 was easy to install and use. (Take note: it's only compatible with newer Windows® PCs, and it doesn't handle WMA files. As always, be sure to check compatibility with your computer before you buy.) SD-Jukebox has a two-step process for getting music from your PC to the Secure Digital® card: first, the application must "import" the song to its playlist, then you can "check out" the song to the SD card. The "import" step takes the longer of the two (almost a minute for a 4.5MB file), while the "checkout" step takes only a few seconds.
Once I got the music onto the card, playback sounded good, and I was pleasantly surprised by the sound quality of the earbud headphones Panasonic includes with the SV-AV20. Even so, if you don't need headphones as small and inconspicuous as these little guys, you can always improve the sound using your favorite on-the-ear or around-the-ear headphones.
Although it's about the size of a deck of cards, the SV-AV20 is significantly larger than other current Panasonic MP3 players (such as the diminutive SV-SD50, 'SD80 and 'SD85). If you want the smallest player around, and you're not going to use the photo or video functions, you'd probably be happier with a single-function MP3 player. That said, the 'AV20 is still a good deal smaller than a CD or MiniDisc portable, so it's compact enough that it's easy to carry. In fact, it's amazingly small considering all that it can do!
Digital photo capture
How many times have you seen something cool and wished you could snap a quick shot of it? The 'AV20 is great for those moments — it makes taking pictures incredibly easy. But don't get rid of your digital camera just yet. Focusing and flash are automatic (though you can adjust white balance), and there is no optical zoom (there is 2X digital zoom capability, but it degrades the image quality). Most importantly, photo resolution is limited to 640 x 480 — that's a good size for e-mailing, but if you want to capture a lot of photographic detail, and particularly if you want to make prints of your photos, you'll need a separate digital camera.
Still, the ability to snap photos quickly and easily is a handy function to have on an MP3 player. And since the SV-AV20 doesn't look like a digital camera, it gets noticed; when I asked a stranger to take a picture of a friend and me, he was fascinated by the device.
MPEG4 video capture
I had a lot of fun with the video capture function. After shooting some concert footage, I was surprised at how watchable the video was. Though some jerkiness is par for the course with MPEG4 video, the SV-AV20's improved frame rate (15 frames per second, compared to 10 frames per second for last year's SV-AV10) rendered video that was noticeably smoother than the MPEG4 clip I shot with last year's model. And since there are so few manual controls (the same ones described under "Digital Photo Capture" above), filming is really easy.
What's true for still photos is also true for video: the SV-AV20 is not the device for preserving your memories in glorious detail. For that, you'll need a separate camcorder. But if you'd like to film short clips of random moments and share them with friends quickly and easily, the SV-AV20 is great to have on hand.
(By the way, Panasonic's step-up model, the SV-AV30, offers a cool enhancement to this function: it includes connections that let you watch your videos on a TV. Conversely, you can also download TV programs to the 'AV30's SD card for playback when you're on the go.)
Voice recording
My music festival featured more than just concerts; there were also seminars, and for those the SV-AV20's voice recording function proved very useful. The 'AV20 was even more convenient to use than my MiniDisc recorder and microphone: since there was no separate mic, there were no cords to deal with. The 'AV20's sound is more compressed than MiniDisc audio, so it's lower-quality, but since sound quality isn't usually important when you're recording a lecture, the gain in convenience more than outweighs the loss in audio fidelity. Plus, that compression lets you fit an ample 2 hours' worth of voice files on the included 32MB Secure Digital® card.
The lecturer I was recording wasn't exactly loud, so I was a little concerned that the 'AV20's built-in microphone might not pick him up. I didn't need to worry; when I listened to the file later, his voice was clearly discernible. If I were a student, or even a reporter, I'd get plenty of use out of this function.
How many times have you seen something cool and wished you could snap a quick shot of it? The 'AV20 is great for those moments — it makes taking pictures incredibly easy. But don't get rid of your digital camera just yet. Focusing and flash are automatic (though you can adjust white balance), and there is no optical zoom (there is 2X digital zoom capability, but it degrades the image quality). Most importantly, photo resolution is limited to 640 x 480 — that's a good size for e-mailing, but if you want to capture a lot of photographic detail, and particularly if you want to make prints of your photos, you'll need a separate digital camera.
Still, the ability to snap photos quickly and easily is a handy function to have on an MP3 player. And since the SV-AV20 doesn't look like a digital camera, it gets noticed; when I asked a stranger to take a picture of a friend and me, he was fascinated by the device.
 My road trip took me through the mountains of West Virginia and the cornfields of Illinois — both of which I photographed using the SV-AV20. |
MPEG4 video capture
I had a lot of fun with the video capture function. After shooting some concert footage, I was surprised at how watchable the video was. Though some jerkiness is par for the course with MPEG4 video, the SV-AV20's improved frame rate (15 frames per second, compared to 10 frames per second for last year's SV-AV10) rendered video that was noticeably smoother than the MPEG4 clip I shot with last year's model. And since there are so few manual controls (the same ones described under "Digital Photo Capture" above), filming is really easy.
What's true for still photos is also true for video: the SV-AV20 is not the device for preserving your memories in glorious detail. For that, you'll need a separate camcorder. But if you'd like to film short clips of random moments and share them with friends quickly and easily, the SV-AV20 is great to have on hand.
(By the way, Panasonic's step-up model, the SV-AV30, offers a cool enhancement to this function: it includes connections that let you watch your videos on a TV. Conversely, you can also download TV programs to the 'AV30's SD card for playback when you're on the go.)
Voice recording
My music festival featured more than just concerts; there were also seminars, and for those the SV-AV20's voice recording function proved very useful. The 'AV20 was even more convenient to use than my MiniDisc recorder and microphone: since there was no separate mic, there were no cords to deal with. The 'AV20's sound is more compressed than MiniDisc audio, so it's lower-quality, but since sound quality isn't usually important when you're recording a lecture, the gain in convenience more than outweighs the loss in audio fidelity. Plus, that compression lets you fit an ample 2 hours' worth of voice files on the included 32MB Secure Digital® card.
The lecturer I was recording wasn't exactly loud, so I was a little concerned that the 'AV20's built-in microphone might not pick him up. I didn't need to worry; when I listened to the file later, his voice was clearly discernible. If I were a student, or even a reporter, I'd get plenty of use out of this function.
Big fun from a little device
The SV-AV20 packs an amazing amount of technological capability into a very small space, and it's a lot of fun to have around. It works well as an MP3 player, and with its extra abilities, you'll love keeping it on hand as a constant companion. Just remember: all those voice files, photos, MP3s, and (especially!) video files take up memory. I would've done well to buy an extra SD memory card for my trip; I ran out of memory at one point, and had to delete old files to make room for new ones.
As for power requirements, the SV-AV20's included rechargeable battery does a good job providing power to the device for an adequate period of time. I only needed to recharge the battery once, on the fifth day of my six-day trip. Unfortunately, I didn't get the warning I needed from the battery life indicator on my 'AV20; I was caught off-guard when it ran out of juice, and as a result I was unable to snap a shot I really wanted.
You might think that a such a sophisticated piece of technology would be fragile — but Panasonic knows better than to build a compact, portable device that can't stand up to the rigors of the road. For four days I put the SV-AV20 inside its included carrying pouch, zipped it up inside my backpack, and carried it all over the hot, dusty campground, taking it out to use it occasionally. At the end of the week, it had a scratch on the outside (oops), but was otherwise undamaged, and completely functional.
The 'AV20's unique blend of talents also makes it a really cool gift idea. (And perhaps most surprisingly, at about $300, it doesn't cost much more than a standard MP3 player.) If you do give this device as a gift, though, be prepared to answer the recipient's quizzical look with a description that's easier to understand than "e-wear™ multi-format digital A/V recorder/player."
The SV-AV20 packs an amazing amount of technological capability into a very small space, and it's a lot of fun to have around. It works well as an MP3 player, and with its extra abilities, you'll love keeping it on hand as a constant companion. Just remember: all those voice files, photos, MP3s, and (especially!) video files take up memory. I would've done well to buy an extra SD memory card for my trip; I ran out of memory at one point, and had to delete old files to make room for new ones.
 The SV-AV20 comes with a 32MB Secure Digital® card — but you may want to buy additional memory if you'll be using the 'AV20 away from your computer for an extended period. |
As for power requirements, the SV-AV20's included rechargeable battery does a good job providing power to the device for an adequate period of time. I only needed to recharge the battery once, on the fifth day of my six-day trip. Unfortunately, I didn't get the warning I needed from the battery life indicator on my 'AV20; I was caught off-guard when it ran out of juice, and as a result I was unable to snap a shot I really wanted.
You might think that a such a sophisticated piece of technology would be fragile — but Panasonic knows better than to build a compact, portable device that can't stand up to the rigors of the road. For four days I put the SV-AV20 inside its included carrying pouch, zipped it up inside my backpack, and carried it all over the hot, dusty campground, taking it out to use it occasionally. At the end of the week, it had a scratch on the outside (oops), but was otherwise undamaged, and completely functional.
The 'AV20's unique blend of talents also makes it a really cool gift idea. (And perhaps most surprisingly, at about $300, it doesn't cost much more than a standard MP3 player.) If you do give this device as a gift, though, be prepared to answer the recipient's quizzical look with a description that's easier to understand than "e-wear™ multi-format digital A/V recorder/player."