Samsung HMX-U20BP User manual

User Manual
HMX-U20BP
HMX-U20RP
HMX-U20LP
HMX-U20SP
High Definition Digital Camcorder
www.samsung.com/register

SAFETY WARNINGS
What the icons and signs in this user manual mean;
WARNING
Means that there is a potential risk of death or serious injury.
CAUTION
Means that there is a potential risk of personal injury or damage to the
product.
CAUTION
To reduce the risk of fire, explosion, electric shock, or personal injury when
using your camcorder, follow these basic safety precautions.
Means hints or referential pages that may be helpful when operating the
camcorder.
PRECHECK Settings required before using a function.
These warning signs are here to prevent injury to you and others.
Please follow them explicitly. After reading this section, keep it in a safe place for future
reference.
PRECAUTIONS
Warning!
When using the AC power adapter with your camcorder, connect the adapter to an
outlet with protective grounding.
Do not expose the camcorder battery to direct sunlight, heaters, radiators, fire, or any
other source of excessive heat.
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Caution
If you replace the battery with the wrong battery, you can cause an explosion.
Replace only with the same battery or an equivalent type.
To disconnect the apparatus from the mains, the plug must be pulled out from the mains
socket, therefore the mains plug shall be readily operable.
before reading this user manual
ii

Thank you for purchasing this Samsung Camcorder.
Please read this user manual carefully before you
use the camcorder and keep it handy for future
reference. Should your camcorder fail to operate
correctly, refer to Troubleshooting.
This User Manual covers HMX-U20BP, HMX-
U20RP, HMX-U20LP, HMX-U20SP models.
Illustrations of model HMX-U20BP are used in
this user manual.
The displays in this user manual may not be
exactly the same as those you see on the LCD
screen.
Designs and specifications of the camcorder
and other accessories are subject to change
without any notice.
In this user manual, the icon or symbol in the
parenthesis appearing in a description of a
submenu item indicates it will appear on the
screen when setting the corresponding item.
Ex) Submenu item of “Video Resolution”
page 41
- “1080/25p” (
25
): Records in the
HD (1920x1080 25p) format. [If set,
corresponding icon (
25
) appears on the
screen.]
The following terms are used in this manual:
‘Scene’ refers to the point where you press the
Record Start/Stop button to start recording
until you press again to pause the recording.
The terms ‘photo’ and ‘still image’ are used
interchangeably with the same meaning.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON USE
Before using this camcorder
This camcorder records video in H.264
(MPEG4 part10/AVC) format and in High
Definition Video (HD-VIDEO) or Standard
Definition Video (SD-VIDEO).
Please note that this camcorder is not
compatible with other digital video formats.
Before recording important video, make a
trial recording.
Play back your trial recording to make sure the
video and audio have been recorded properly.
We cannot compensate you for damage to
or loss of your recorded contents:
- Samsung cannot compensate for any
damage caused when a recording cannot
be played back because of a defect in the
camcorder or memory card.
Samsung cannot be responsible for your
recorded video and audio.
- Recorded contents may be lost due to a
mistake when handling this camcorder or
memory card, etc. Samsung shall not be
responsible for compensation for damages
due to the loss of recorded contents.
Make a backup of important recorded data.
Protect your important recorded data by copying
the files to a PC. We also recommend you to
copy it from your PC to other recording media
for storage. Refer to the software installation and
USB connection guide.
Copyrights: Please note that this camcorder
is intended for individual use only.
Data recorded on the storage media in this
camcorder using other digital/analogue media
or devices is protected by the copyright act
and cannot be used without permission of the
owner of the copyright, except for personal
enjoyment. Even if you record an event such as
a show, performance or exhibition for personal
enjoyment, it is strongly recommended that you
obtain permission beforehand.
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About this user manual
iii

For Open Source Licence information, refer to the
“OpenSource-U20.pdf” in the provided CD-ROM.
All the trade names and registered
trademarks mentioned in this manual or
other documentation provided with your
Samsung product are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective
holders.
The SD logo is a trademark. The SDHC
logo is a trademark.
Microsoft®, Windows®, Windows Vista®
and DirectX®are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of the Microsoft
Corporation in the United States and/or
other countries.
Intel®, Core™, and Pentium®are the
registered trademarks or trademarks of
the Intel Corporation in the United States
and other countries.
Macintosh, Mac OS are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of Apple Inc. in
the United States and/or other countries.
YouTube is a trademark of Google Inc.
Flickr™ is a trademark of Yahoo.
Facebook is a trademark of Facebook Inc.
HDMI, the HDMI logo and High-Definition
Multimedia Interface are trademarks or
registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing
LLC.
Adobe, the Adobe logo, and Adobe
Acrobat are either registered trademarks
or trademarks of Adobe Systems
Incorporated in the United States and/or
other countries.
All the other product names mentioned
here in may be the trademark or registered
trademarks of their respect companies.
Furthermore, “™” and “®” are not
mentioned in each case in this manual.
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Notes regarding trademarks
before reading this user manual
Correct disposal of batteries in this
product
(Applicable in the European Union
and other European countries with
separate battery return systems)
This marking on the battery, manual
or packaging indicates that the
batteries in this product should not be disposed of with
other household waste at the end of their working life.
Where marked, the chemical symbols Hg, Cd or Pb
indicate that the battery contains mercury, cadmium
or lead above the reference levels in EC Directive
2006/66. If batteries are not properly disposed of, these
substances can cause harm to human health or the
environment.
To protect natural resources and to promote material
reuse, please separate batteries from other types of
waste and recycle them through your local, free battery
return system.
Correct Disposal of This Product
(Waste Electrical & Electronic
Equipment)
(Applicable in the European Union
and other European countries with
separate collection systems)
This marking shown on the product
or its literature, indicates that it
should not be disposed with other
household wastes at the end of its working life. To
prevent possible harm to the environment or human
health from uncontrolled waste disposal, please separate
this from other types of wastes and recycle it responsibly
to promote the sustainable reuse of material resources.
Household users should contact either the retailer where
they purchased this product, or their local government
office, for details of where and how they can take this
item for environmentally safe recycling. Business users
should contact their supplier and check the terms and
conditions of the purchase contract. This product should
not be mixed with other commercial wastes for disposal.
iv

The safety precautions illustrated below are to prevent personal injury or material damages.
Heed all instructions carefully.
WARNING
Prohibited action. Do not touch the product.
Do not disassemble the
product.
This precaution must be kept.
Unplug from the power supply.
WARNING
Means that there is a potential
risk of serious personal injury.
CAUTION
Means that there is a potential
risk of personal injury or
damage to the product
safety information
Using the camcorder at
temperatures over 60Ⳅ(140ⳅ)
may result in fire. Keeping the
battery at a high temperature
may cause an explosion.
Do not allow water or metal and
inflammable matter to enter the
camcorder or AC power adaptor.
Doing so may pose a fire hazard.
No sand or dust! Fine sand or
dust entering the camcorder or
AC power adaptor could cause
malfunctions or defects.
SAND
Do not bend the powercord
or damage the AC power
adaptor by pressing on it with a
heavy object. There may be a risk
of fire or electric shock.
Do not disconnect the AC adaptor
by pulling on its power-cord, as this
could damage the power-cord.
Do not aim the camcorder directly
into the sun. Doing so could cause
eye injuries, as well as lead to
malfunctioning of internal parts of
the product.
No oil! Oil entering the camcorder
or AC power adaptor could cause
electric shock, malfunctions or
defects.
LIO
Do not use the AC adaptor if it has
damaged, split or broken cords or
wires. Doing so may cause fire or
electric shock.
Do not overload outlets or
extension cords as this may
result in abnormal heat or fire.
v

safety information
Do not dispose of battery in a fire
as it may explode.
Do not plug or unplug the power
cord with wet hands. There is a risk
of electric shock.
Do not attempt to disassemble,
repair, or modify the camcorder or
the AC adaptor to avoid a risk of
fire or electric shock.
Keep the power-cord unplugged
when not in use or during lightning
storms. There is a risk of fire.
When cleaning the AC adaptor,
unplug the power-cord. There is
a risk of malfunction or electric
shock.
If the camcorder makes an abnormal
sound, or smell or smokes, unplug
the power-cord immediately and
request service from a Samsung
service centre. There is a risk of fire
or personal injury.
Do not connect the AC adaptor unless
the plug can be fully inserted with no
part of the blades exposed.
Keep the used lithium battery or
memory card out of the reach
of children. If the lithium battery
or memory card is swallowed
by children, consult physician
immediately.
Keep the camcorder away from
water when used near the beach or
pool or when it rains. There is a risk
of malfunction or electric shock.
If the camcorder malfunctions,
immediately detach the AC adaptor
or battery from the camcorder.
There is a risk of fire or injury.
Never use cleaning fluid or similar
chemicals. Do not spray cleaners
directly on the camcorder.
vi

CAUTION
Do not use the camcorder near
sources of strong radio waves or
magnetism such as speakers or
large motors. Noise from these
sources could distort the video or
audio you are recording.
Do not wipe the camcorder
body with benzene or thinner.
The exterior coating could peel
off or the case surface could
deteriorate.
Do not use the camcorder near a
TV or radio: It can cause noise on
the TV screen or the radio.
Do not drop or expose the camcorder,
battery, AC adaptor or other accessories
to severe vibrations or impact. This may
cause a malfunction or injury.
Do not use the camcorder on a
tripod (not supplied) in a place
where it is subject to severe
vibrations or impact.
Do not use the camcorder in direct
sunlight or near heating equipment.
The heat may cause a malfunction
or injury.
Do not leave the camcorder in
a closed vehicle for a long time,
where the temperature is very high.
Do not use the camcorder near dense
exhaust gas generated by gasoline
or diesel engines, or corrosive gas
such as hydrogen sulphide. Doing so
may corrode the external or internal
terminals, disabling normal operation.
Do not expose the camcorder to
insecticide. Insecticide entering the
camcorder could cause the product
to operate abnormally. Turn the
camcorder off and cover it with vinyl
sheet, etc. before using insecticide.
Do not press the surface of the
LCD with force, or hit it with a sharp
object. If you push the LCD surface,
display unevenness may occur.
Do not expose the camcorder to
soot or steam. Thick soot or steam
could damage the camcorder case
or cause a malfunction.
Do not expose the camcorder to sudden
changes in temperature or a humid place.
There is also a risk of defect or electric
shock when using outdoors during
lightning storms.
vii

safety information
Only use the adaptor plug in a socket
that is easily accessible. If any problem
occurs with the product, you must pull
the plug out of the socket to disconnect
the power completely. Turning off the
power button on the product does not
completely disconnect the power.
Place the camcorder on a stable
surface that is well ventilated.
Use Samsung-approved accessories
only. Using products from other
manufacturers may cause
overheating, fire, explosion, electric
shock or personal injuries caused by
abnormal operation.
Keep important data separately.
Samsung is not responsible for
data loss.
viii

QUICK START GUIDE
06
GETTING TO KNOW THE
CAMCORDER
10
GETTING STARTED
15
BASIC OPERATION OF THE
CAMCORDER
20
FIRST TIME SETTINGS
23
GETTING READY TO START
RECORDING
25
contents
10 What’s included with your camcorder
11 Location of controls
13 Identifying the screen displays
15 Using the battery
17 Checking the battery state
20 Turning your camcorder on/off
20 Setting the operating modes
21 Using the shortcut menu (OK guide)
22 Using the
////OK button
23 Turning the power on and setting the
date and time
24 Selecting the OSD language
25 Inserting/ejecting a memory card
(not supplied)
26 Selecting a suitable memory card
(not supplied)
28 Recordable time and capacity
29 Using the wrist strap
29 Basic camcorder positioning 3

30 Recording videos or photos
32 Recording with auto scene detection
(smart auto)
33 Capturing photos during video record-
ing (dual recording)
34 Zooming in and out
35 Changing the playback mode
36 Playing videos
38 Viewing photos
39 Zooming during photo playback
40 Changing the menu settings
40 Recording menu items
41 Video Resolution
42 Photo Resolution
42 Zoom Mute
43 Time Lapse REC
45 Playback menu items
45 Play Mode
46 Delete
47 Protect
48 Divide
49 Share Mark
50 Slide Show
50 File Info
51 Setting menu items
51 Storage Info
52 Format
53 File No.
53 Date/Time Set
54 LCD Brightness
54 Auto LCD Off
55 Beep Sound
contents
RECORDING
30
BASIC PLAYBACK
35
ADVANCED RECORDING
40
ADVANCED PLAYBACK
45
SYSTEM SETTING
51
4

55 Shutter Sound
56 Auto Power Off
56 PC Software
57 TV Connect Guide
57 TV Display
58 Default Set
58 Language
58 Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC)
59 What you can do with a windows
computer
60 Using the intelli-studio programme
66 Using as a removable storage device
68 Connecting to a TV
70 TV and LCD monitor image displays
71 Recording (dubbing) images on a VCR
or DVD/HDD recorder
72 Warning indicators and messages
74 Symptoms and solutions
80 Maintenance
81 Using your camcorder abroad
82 Specifications
USING WITH A WINDOWS
COMPUTER
59
CONNECTING TO OTHER
DEVICES
68
DUBBING VIDEOS
71
TROUBLESHOOTING
MAINTENANCE & ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
SPECIFICATIONS
5

1. Insert a memory card.
You can use commercially available SDHC
(SD High Capacity) or SD memory cards with
this camcorder.
2. Insert the battery into the battery slot.
3. Charge the battery fully. page 16
The battery is fully charged when the CHG
(charging) indicator light turns green.
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STEP1: Get ready
quick start guide
This quick start guide introduces the basic operation and features of your camcorder. See the
reference pages for more information.
You can record videos in H.264 format!
You can record videos in the H.264 format that are convenient to email and share with your
friends and family. You can also take photos with your camcorder.
STEP2: Record with your camcorder
LCD screen Power ( ) button
Photo ( ) button
Recording start/stop
() button
Zoom (W/T) lever
Share ( ) button/
SMART AUTO button
6

Your camcorder uses advanced H.264
compression technology to realise the
clearest video quality.
1. Press the Power ( ) button.
2. Press the Recording start/stop
() button.
To stop recording, press the
Recording start/stop ( )
button.
•
Your camcorder can record a high quality
photo with a 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio.
1. Press the Power ( ) button.
2. Press the Photo ( ) button halfway
down to check the target image.
3. Press the Photo ( ) button fully
when you are ready.
Recording videos with
HD (high definition)
image quality Recording photos
Your camcorder is compatible with the H.264 recording format, which achieves efficient
coding of high quality video using less memory capacity.
The default setting is "720/50p". You can also record with SD (standard definition) video
quality. page 41
You can take photos while you are recording videos. page 33
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STEP3: Play back videos or photos
Viewing the LCD screen of your camcorder
You can find your desired recordings quickly by using the
thumbnail index view.
1. Press the Play ( ) button to select the play mode.
2. In Play Mode, select “HD Video,” “SD Video,” or
“Photo.” page 45
The recorded videos or photos appear in the
thumbnail index view.
The thumbnail of the latest created or played file is
highlighted.
3. Press the ///button to select the desired video
or photo, then press the OK button.
Viewing on a high definition TV
You can enjoy HD (High Definition) videos on a connected HDTV. page 68
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Simple and fun! Enjoy the various features of Intelli-studio on your Windows
computer.
Using the Intelli-studio programme built into your camcorder, you can import videos/
photos into your computer and edit or share the videos/photos with your friends.
pages 60~64
STEP4: Save recorded videos or photos
You can set the Play Mode in thumbnail view only.
You can switch from the play mode to the record mode by pressing the Recording start/
stop ( ), Photo ( ), or Play ( ) button.
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quick start guide
8
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1MBZ.PWF
Menu
1MBZ.PEF

Importing and viewing videos/photos from the
camcorder to your PC
1. Start the Intelli-studio programme by connecting the
built-in USB jack of the camcorder to the PC.
A new file saving screen appears with the Intelli-
studio main window.
Click “Yes”. The uploading procedure starts.
2. Any new files are saved to your PC and registered to
“Contents Manager” in the Intelli-studio programme.
You can arrange the files by different options such
as Face, Date, Location, etc.
3. You can double-click the file you would like to start
playing.
Sharing videos/photos on Youtube/Flickr/FaceBook
Share your contents with the world, by uploading videos and photos directly to a web
site with a single click.
Click the "Share" "Upload" tab on the browser. page 63
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STEP5: Delete videos or photos
If the camcorder’s storage media is full, you cannot record new videos or photos. Delete
videos or photos you’ve saved on your computer from the camcorder’s storage media.
Then you can record new videos or photos in the newly freed-up space.
Press the Play ( ) button to switch the play mode press the MENU button 
press the ////OK button to select "Delete." page 46
The Intelli-studio runs automatically after you’ve connected your camcorder to a
Windows computer (if you have set "PC Software: On"). page 56
9
Saved files into your PCContents Manager
Folders directory on your PC

The contents may vary depending on the sales region.
Parts and accessories can be purchased after consulting with your local Samsung dealer.
SAMSUNG is not responsible for reduced built-in battery life time or malfunctions caused by any
unauthorised use of accessories such as the AC power adaptor.
A memory card is not included. See page 26 for memory cards compatible with your camcorder.
Your camcorder includes the user manual CD and printed quick start guide.
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WHAT'S INCLUDED WITH YOUR CAMCORDER
Your new camcorder comes with the following accessories. If any of these items is missing from
your box, call Samsung’s Customer Care Centre.
Model name Colour Memory card slot LCD screen Lens
HMX-U20BP Black
Yes Colour Optical zoom: x3 (Photo only)
Intelli zoom: x3.6 (Video only)
HMX-U20RP Pink Red
HMX-U20LP Blue
HMX-U20SP Silver
The shape is the same for all models. Only the colour is different.
AUDIO
Battery
(IA-BH130LB)
AC power adaptor
(AA-MA9 type) Audio/Video cable Wrist strap
User manual CD Quick start guide
•
getting to know the camcorder
Checking your accessories
Optional accessories
Mini HDMI cable
10

Front & Right side
LOCATION OF CONTROLS
󱯎 LCD screen
󱯐 Photo ( ) button
󱯒 Zoom (W/T) lever
󱯔 Recording start/stop ( ) button
󱯖 Play ( ) button
󱯘 ////OK button
󱯚 Built-in speaker
󱯜 Power ( ) button
󱯞 CHG (Charging) indicator
󱯠 Share ( ) button / SMART AUTO button
󱯡 MENU button
11
󱳛
󱳡
󱳝
󱳟
󱳧
󱳩
󱳫
󱳭
󱳣
󱳮
󱳥

Rear/Left/Bottom side
Be careful not to cover the internal microphone and lens during recording.
󱯎 Lens
󱯐 Internal microphone
󱯒 Jack cover (AV, HDMI, DC IN)
󱯔 AV jack
󱯖 HDMI jack
󱯘 DC IN jack
󱯚 OPEN lever
󱯜 Built-in USB jack
󱯞 Battery slot
󱯠 Memory card slot
󱯡 Battery release switch
󱯢Memory card / Battery cover
󱯣 Wrist strap hook
󱯤 Tripod receptacle
getting to know the camcorder
12
󱳭
󱳫
󱳮 󱳯 󱳰
󱳱
󱳝
󱳛
󱳟
󱳡
󱳣
󱳥
󱳩
󱳧

1 Video record mode
2 Remaining recordable time
3 Operating mode (STBY (Standby) /
M
(Recording))
4 Photo counter (total number of
recordable photos)
5 Photo record mode
6 Photo resolution
7 Optical zoom
8 Zoom Mute
9 Battery information (remaining
battery level)
10 Warning indicators
11 Date/Time display
12 Smart Auto mode
13 Shortcut menu (OK Guide)
: Display
: Quick view
: Shortcut menu selection /
Return
14 Time Lapse REC *
15 Video resolution
IDENTIFYING THE SCREEN DISPLAYS
The available functions vary depending on the operation mode you’ve selected, and different
indicators appear depending on the setting values.
PRECHECK!
This On Screen Display (OSD) is shown in the record ( ) mode only.
Select the record mode by pressing the Play ( ) button. page 20
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Record mode
Settings of functions marked with * are not retained when the camcorder is turned off.
The on-screen indicators are based on an 8GB SDHC memory card.
The screen above is an example and may differ from the actual display.
For enhanced performance, the display indications and the order are subject to change without
prior notice.
This camcorder provides one combined video and photo record mode. You can easily record
videos or photos in the same mode without having to change it.
The total number of recordable photos is counted based on available space on the storage media.
The largest number the photo counter can display is 9999.
You can check the selected mode indicator only when the on-screen information mode is set to full
display. page 21
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1 Video play mode
2 Operating status (Play / Pause)
3 Time code (elapsed time/recorded
time)
4 File name (file number)
5 Recorded date/time display
6 Battery information (remaining
battery level)
7 Button guide
8 Shortcut menu (OK Guide)
/  : Move to previous file /
REW (rewind)
/  : Move to next file /
FF (fast forward)

/
▂
: Volume up/volume down
/ : Play/pause
9 Share mark
10 Protection
11 Video resolution
PRECHECK!
This On Screen Display (OSD) is shown in video play ( /
SD
) mode only.
Select the play mode by pressing the Play ( ) button. page 20
•
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Video play mode
PRECHECK!
This On Screen Display (OSD) is shown in photo play ( ) mode only.
Select the play mode by pressing the Play ( ) button. page 20
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Photo play mode
1 Photo play mode
2 Slide show
3 Image counter (current image/total
number of recorded images)
4 File name (file number)
5 Recorded date/time display
6 Battery information (remaining
battery level)
7 Button guide
8 Shortcut menu (OK Guide)
/ :: Previous/next photo
: Playback zoom
9 Protection
10 Photo resolution
getting to know the camcorder
14
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