Hitachi has trumped recent rumours that it was prepping a Blu-ray camcorder by releasing a brace of devices using the technology. One model records HD content onto a Blu-Ray disc while the other also records onto a hard drive.

The DZ-BD70 records up to 60 minutes of HD content onto single sided and layered discs, at a resolution of 1920 x 1080. The DZ-BD7H writes to 8cm Blu-Ray discs, but can also record HD content onto its 30GB hard drive, which includes a built-in anti-shock damper, capturing about four hours of HD video at a resolution of 1920 x 1080, or up to eight hours of content at a resolution of 1440 x 1080.

Hitachi's DZ-BD70 Blu-ray camcorder

Slots for an SD Flash-memory card of up to 2GB are also included on both models, which Hitachi suggests could be used as a convenient method for transferring still images onto another device, such as your PC.

Both production models incorporate a 5.3-megapixel image sensor, as previously reported, and have 30x optical zooms with 2.7in LCD displays. The camcorders themselves measure around 8 x 9 x 16cm, and weigh around 700g.

Hitachi says both models will be available outside Japan from October, with the DZ-BD70A priced at around $1,300 (£650/€763) and the DZ-BD7HA at around $1,500 (£750/€863).