The Samsung Galaxy S boasts stronger video capabilities than any other Android phone, but these skills aren’t just for catching up with TV shows and movies. You can play all sorts of video types, wirelessly transmit HD video files to a range of different screens around the home or office and, yes, watch trashy TV on the way to work too. Read on to find out more about the Samsung Galaxy S’s HD video superpowers!
Capturing the moment
The Samsung Galaxy S’s 5-megapixel camera means this Android smartphone can record HD video, in 720p (1280 x 720 pixels). That high resolution means videos will look great on big screen Plasma and LCD TVs, and could even mean they outperform your standard TV signals in the clarity stakes.
While most footage captured with mobile phone cameras will look hopelessly blurry or blocky when played back on an HD TV, the Samsung Galaxy S presents sharp pictures that’re bursting with colour.
The Samsung Galaxy S’s camera trumps its HD-capable rivals too. Sure, there are other phones that record video in 720p HD, but the Samsung Galaxy S uses autofocus when shooting video as well as stills, which means its footage stays sharp, even as you switch from shooting vistas to close-up head shots. While fixed focus cameraphones don’t compensate for the distance of your subject, limiting the sorts of mini-movies you can make, the Samsung Galaxy S is versatile and able to make the most of any scene.
Storage smarts
The downside of shooting in 720p HD is that your video files will eat up memory faster than usual. A file around a minute long will take up 100 megabytes of space. In almost every other Android phone, you’d have to stock up on massive memory cards to shoot videos more than a handful of seconds long, but as the Samsung Galaxy S features a massive 16GB of internal memory, you can make like a mobile Michael Bay and shoot away without worry – you’ve got oodles of storage at your disposal.
Play it again, Sam
If you thought the Samsung Galaxy S’s video capture skills were impressive, you’ll find its roster of playback options is nothing short of staggering.
Standard Android 2.1 video compatibility is comprised of H.263, H.264 and WMV, a line-up designed to tick all the boxes for viewing vids downloaded from the web. But the Galaxy S goes way further than you’d normally expect from a mobile.
The Samsung Galaxy S will play Divx and Xvid files too, as well as MKV container videos, used frequently amongst video enthusiasts to hold HD clips. Thanks to its 1GHz processor, the Samsung Galaxy S can play 720p videos at full speed. It wasn’t that long ago that desktop computers used to struggle with HD video, making this feat all the more impressive.
The Galaxy S’s built-in video player automatically finds any video files placed on the phone’s microSD card, or in the internal memory too, for the ultimate in easy accessibility. The only hitch to all this high-tech video? The Galaxy S’s 800 x 480 pixel screen can’t technically make full use of 720p HD content, but Samsung has an answer for that too…
Sharing the wealth
The Samsung Galaxy S can output video wirelessly thanks to its AllShare streaming feature. From the phone’s app menu, you’ll find an easy to use AllShare app, and just by running it your phone starts reaching out to connect to compatible devices on the same Wi-Fi network. Those devices include Blu-Ray players, set-top boxes, the Sony PS3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 consoles, as well as TVs and projectors.
Pick a device, and the Galaxy S can send its videos straight to them, ready to amaze your audience on the big screen. It’s a feature that’s just as useful at the office as at home. Convert a presentation to video and wirelessly hook it up to the boardroom TV or projector using the office’s Wi-Fi network. Within seconds you’ll be ready to steal the show, and it’s much less hassle than fiddling with cables to hook a laptop up to a projector too.
Check out the Samsung Galaxy S in action…
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