DXG-Riviera Review 

Review of DXG-533V HD Camcorder - the first "couture" camcorder

by Mark Shapiro

August 18, 2009

When DXG told us about their new Luxe Collection, a new line of high definition digital camcorders designed with chic patterns, stylish details and matching cases that look and feel like couture clutch bags, yet record in high definition and retail for $149.99, we sort of giggled. Camcorders as fashion accessories?  But when I showed the pitch to my teens, they went gaga. Ok, we got to get one to review.

Lets first address the pricing and the memory issue. The Luxe Collection camcorders only have about 90 MB memory inside the camcorder available for storing video and digital stills. This won't record more than just a few seconds of video. According to DXG, if you max the memory card out at 16 gigs, and use the small size recording, you should be able to get around 8 hours of hi def video!

This means you have to buy an SD card. If you get a 16 Gig Secure Digital Card, depending on brand and where you shop, that may cost you another $50 or so on top of the advertised $149 price for the camcorder itself. (only $116 at Amazon!).

The DXG Riviera and Soho camcorders are able to capture and record both HD video and high resolution digital still images. Interestingly,  it also offers a voice recording mode. When you record video and audio together, you can select from several different video resolution capture levels. You can get the best quality at 720p full screen or you can capture at a smaller size like QVGA or WVGA. If you are running out of memory on your card, you might wan to shoot at the smaller sizes.

Even though it looks sort of like a toy, the DXG Riviera and Soho camcorders offer many more features and controls than a typical "entry level" HD camcorder. This includes white balance, histogram mode, color effects, night mode, macro close-up mode, and a video stabilizer.  As you would expect, the Stabilizer function minimize shaking when using the camcorder without a tripod. These same features are also available for Photo mode as well, plus a self timer and exposure compensation. The camcorder does include a standard tripod screw jack.

The camcorder is powered by 4 regular AAA batteries. You can also use standard Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries. That is very convenient for travelers as you should be able to find the AAA batteries anywhere in the world.

The DXG camcorders records video as high definition H.264 mov files, which are editable by many software packages. DXG also bundles two software packages. It also includes Presto! VideoWorks 6 for editing your videos and Presto! Mr. Photo for editing and correcting your digital still images. VideoWorks is an easy to use video editing program that allows you to do basic video editing as well as including video transitions and adding sound effects and background music

More about Presto VideoWorks 6

It also includes ArcSoft Total Media Extreme software - which combines DVD creation software with a full featured DVD player for your computer. After you have finished editing your video using VideoWorks, you can author and burn a DVD using the ArcSoft software.

Lets take it out for a spin.

Once you activate the Record Video mode you will note that the display screen provides a variety of very useful icons including power, how much time you have left to record, resolution, etc. By hitting the display screen you can make all the clutter disappear.

The moveable flip out LCD screen makes it easy to shoot from a variety of angles and heights. One issue I noted is with the digital zoom. When activated while shooting, digital zoom is very jumpy. It is not smooth at all. Also, digital zoom is not optical zoom. Digital zoom essentially just magnifies the size of the image - this also magnifies all the image pixels as well so the image  loses resolution as it gets larger. In general, I recommend avoiding using digital zoom as much as possible.

On our first set of test videos, the video seemed OK. It was not especially sharp or colorful. The colors and contrast were soft, mushy and not contrasty.   It didn't seem to have the vibrancy I have seen in other compact HD camcorders.

I handed it off to my 11 year old daughter and  didn't see her for hours. I didn't tell her or show her how it worked and she was able to figure it out al by herself.

You can play the videos back on the flip out view screen. You can also  play the videos back on a TV via either the included USB to VHS cable, or by the included HDMI cable. You can also import the video into your computer for storage via the included USB cable. You can use the bundled Presto software to transfer the video or, as the camcorder appears as an external storage device when plugged in via USB, you can simply drag and drop the files from the camcorder's hard drive to your computer. Finally, you could also remove the SD card from the DXG camcorder and plug it directly into your computer and transfer the files that way. You have lots of options.

According to DXG, if you plan to shoot video for the web, it is best to use the Presto software with smaller size QVGA or WVGA. When you are done editing, you can save your final movie as a WMV file for web playback in a variety of quality and size options. For full size 720p, they recommend using the Arcsoft Total Media software instead. I found both editing packages to not be very friendly.

I really like using the SD cards to record video and stills. Not only does it make it easy to transfer the digital files, it allows you to store your saved materials on the disks. When a SD disk is fill, just pull it out and insert a new empty one. This is especially useful when traveling without access to your computer. of course, make sure you carefully label your filled SD cards so that you don't accidently record over them!

So should you buy this camcorder? If you are looking for a compact HD camcorder to do quality video, for web or DVD distribution, I would avoid it. However, if you are looking for a small and easy to carry and use combination camera and camcorder, for travel and for fun, then the DXG Riviera and Soho definitely fit the bill.

DXG-533V "Riviera and Soho" HD Camcorder Specifications

v     Price: $149.99

v     Models:

o       DXG-Riviera: Quilted pattern, pink, white or black, matching color crystals and hand strap, matching camera case

o       DXG-Soho: Argyle pattern, pink and gray or blue and gray,  leather accents with folding clasp, matching camera case

v     Dimensions: 4.3” (W) x 1.6” (D) x 2.6” (H), 8 ounces

v     LCD: 3” TFT Display

v     Storage: Built in 32MB, SD slot for expandable memory up to 16GB

v     Video Resolution: 1280 x 720/30fps

v     Still Photo: 8 megapixel

v     Power Supply: 4-AAA batteries

v     Zoom: 3X digital zoom (video and still)

v     Color Effects: Color, black and white, sepia

v     Connections: HDMI for connecting to HDTV, AV for connecting to the TV, USB for connecting to PC or Mac

v     Video Editing Software Included: Mr. Photo, VideoWorks, ArcSoft TotalMedia Extreme ($99 retail value)

v     Other Features: PC and Mac compatible,  Self timer, LED flash, TV out (NTSC, PAL), USB 2.0

About DXG USA

DXG USA, The Digital Camera Company, is one of the fastest growing digital camera manufacturers in the U.S., providing intuitively designed digital cameras and camcorders for the youth and mainstream markets. Compact, fashionable and affordably priced, DXG digital cameras are setting trends for quality and utility. DXG USA is a fully owned subsidiary of DXG Technology Corp., one of the world’s leading manufacturers and designers (OEM/ODM) of digital cameras and camcorders. DXG Technology has won numerous design and innovation awards and employs more than 4,000 people worldwide. Complete information on DXG USA can be found at www.dxgusa.com.