New camcorder still has low battery life

Q I purchased a new AVCHD camcorder that records on memory cards. With no moving parts, I expected much longer battery life than the MiniDV tape camcorder it replaced. But it is not any different, with about an hour per charge being the norm. Why don't flash-memory camcorders have longer battery life than comparable tape models?

D. AUGUST, MIAMI

A Although it does not have a tape drive, your camcorder does have moving parts, namely the motor to zoom the lens. Granted, the zoom motor is much smaller than a tape drive and it is not in constant use, so the power drain is minimal, but I wanted to bring it to your attention.

The AVCHD video format is processor-intensive, as anyone who has tried to edit AVCHD on a computer has learned, probably the hard way. I once tried converting 10 minutes of high-def footage to AVCHD for burning on an AVCHD DVD, using a 2005-vintage Apple G4 PowerBook and Roxio's Toast program. It took more than two days to process 10 minutes of video and burn the disc.

If you want to edit footage from your AVCHD camcorder, it will take the latest, speediest equipment to work with the format effectively, if at all.

So, it is the camera's processor that is using up your battery power. It takes a lot of computing horsepower to convert the information from the sensor to AVCHD, and that uses energy. The camcorder's swing-out screen drains power, too, so if your camcorder has a viewfinder, using it will help squeeze more recording time on a full charge.

Of course, you can also bring additional batteries or buy bigger ones. The manufacturer's batteries offer the best performance but you can often get third-party batteries for up to 80 percent less. Some manufacturers put circuitry in the cameras and the batteries so that aftermarket batteries won't work; be sure to check before you buy.

Monster cables do job Q You have said that you don't like Monster products. What do you think of the quality of its products? I recently purchased a few Monster audio and video cables, as well as speaker wire, because the price I paid was lower than the competition. Is there a company that makes better-quality cables?

JIM

A The products are fine, and your cables will do what they are supposed to do, namely connect speakers and components. As for "better quality," as long as you have a solid, interference-free connection there is nothing else to improve upon. It has been proven in scientifically controlled tests that people can't hear the difference between properly designed wires and cables. People think they hear differences, but when put to the test they can never tell the difference between expensive wire and ordinary wire.

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