Sony HDR-HC1

Make tomorrow's television today.

Hi-Def TV transmissions still seem so far away, but that doesn't matter now - we've been creating our own HD movies using the compact HC1. Admittedly, our Lego re-enactment of Anakin Skywalker getting his eyebrows burnt off didn't quite have the same production values as George Lucas's version, but he'd have been pleased with the detail captured.

Thanks to a 2.8-megapixel sensor, this unit can actually shoot Hi-Def video in the larger 1080i size - that's an amazing resolution of 1,920 x 1,080.

The interface will be familiar to anyone who's used a Sony 'corder in recent years. The power, playback and memory card/tape controls are all accessed using a single jog dial, while there are separate buttons for photo and video-recording and a toggle for the zoom. Most playback and menu options are activated via the touchscreen.

As you'd expect from an HD model, the detail is incredible and the vibrancy of the colours is astounding. Even at PAL resolution for display on normal UK tellies, the HC1's footage reveals more than most rivals' efforts - and viewed in all its Hi-Def glory, it's breathtaking. Be warned, though: it'll pick up every blemish on a person's face, so your friends won't thank you for zooming in on crow's feet or hairy moles and then showing them to people on a 42-inch plasma.

Still snaps are surprisingly good - although not up to the same standard as those from a dedicated camera - and the pop-up flash is quite effective.

If we had a complaint, it would be that there's no digital cable supplied for direct hook-up to an HD-ready telly - you only get a component lead in the box. It's also still too expensive, unless you really want to be the next Tim Burton.

Quibbles aside, the HC1 represents a great leap forward - both for knocking down the price of Hi-Def capture and for cramming it into a compact, easy-to-use product.