NO TAPE, NO DISC – NEW JVC CAMCORDERS FEATURE
LARGE CAPACITY, BUILT-IN HARD DISK DRIVES
New Everio G Series records more than 10.5
hours of DVD-quality video.
JVC
announced a new series of camcorders that eliminates the need to
carry tapes, discs or any media at all, yet can record up to seven
hours of DVD movie-quality video. They also record more than 10.5
hours at a quality level comparable to a DVD camcorder’s 30-minute
mode.
The new JVC Everio G Series camcorders record to a built-in
hard disk drive, similar to the hard drive found in laptop and
notebook computers, and will be available in 20 and 30 gigabyte (GB)
versions, offering unprecedented camcorder storage capacity.
The quality
looks good - almost as good as top of the line digital video
camcorders. The camcorders record video and audio directly to the
MPEG2 format - the same type of video files used in DVDs.
This means that
if you do lots of video editing - instead of transferring your video
in real time from your camcorder to your computer's hard drive, you
will be transferring a large file over USB 2 - which can occur three
to four times faster. This will save you lots of time.
for the entire line of JVC Everio camcorders
JVC’s initial Everio G offering consists of
four models. The most affordable is are GZ-MG20 with 20GB hard disk and
the GZ-MG30 with 30GB hard disk provide seven and 10.5 hours
respectively of DVD camcorder-quality (30-minute mode) video. Step
up versions with a 1.33 Megapixel CCD are the seven-hour 20GB hard
disk GZ-MG40 and 10.5-hour 30GB hard disk GZ-MG50. To put the
storage capacity in context, it would take 22 DVD camcorder discs (8
cm/1.4GB discs) to hold seven hours of video. More pixels equal
better image capture capabilties.
Despite the high capacity storage, Everio
G camcorders are small enough and light enough to take
anywhere. They are tiny. When we tested them out, I thought they
might be a bit too tiny for guys with big hands like mine. Each weighs less than 14 oz. with
the battery attached. Their design is similar to a MiniDV
camcorder’s, which means that they’re comfortable to hold and
operate, and include a large, 2.5-inch flip-out LCD monitor for easy
recording.
The Everios offer multiple
output connections allowing convenient TV playback, dubbing to a VCR or DVD
recorder, transfer to a PC or Apple Macintosh for DVD creation,
editing, or posting on the internet, or even burned directly without
a PC to a full length movie DVD disc using an optional DVD burner.
MPEG-2 Video Recording for DVD-Movie
Quality Footage
The Everio G series GZ-MG50 and GZ-MG30 offer over seven hours
storage at 9 Mbps, which is close to the maximum bit rate for DVD
movie quality recording, or 10.5 hours at 6 Mbps, comparable to DVD
Cam recordings. Two more modes are available for even more recording
time. The entry level GZ-MG40 and GZ-MG20 offer an impressive 4.5
hours storage at 9 Mbps, and over seven hours at 6 Mbps. Either way,
the high quality MPEG-2 recordings are in the same format used in
DVD so there will be no quality loss when burning them to DVD, and
no time- and quality-wasting conversion.
Shooting time (normal use)
| |
GZ-MG50 /GZ-MG30 |
|
GZ-MG40 / GZ-MG20 |
|
Bit rate Mbps* |
| Ultra(DVD Movie) |
7 hours |
|
4.5 hours |
|
9 |
| Fine (DVD) |
10.5 hours |
|
7 hours |
|
6 |
| Norm (TV) |
14 hours |
|
9 hours |
|
4.5 |
| Eco (Internet) |
37 hours |
|
25 hours |
|
1.7 |
*Combined A/V rates, Video Bit rate is fixed
for Ultra and Fine modes, variable for Norm and Eco modes.
Random Access to Recordings
The benefits of recording video to a hard disk are the same benefits
that have made hard disk-based audio players so popular — random
access to quickly locate desired material, the ability to
effortlessly delete unwanted material, and easily rearrange the
playback sequence. What’s more, there’s no danger of mistakenly
recording over something that’s to be saved.
Scene selection is made easy thanks to
on-screen index images, so the large amount recorded won’t become a
hindrance to quick accessibility. And with remote control operation,
it is possible to connect the Everio G camcorder to a TV and operate
it from a distance, just like a DVD deck. Playlist operation allows
recording of desired clips directly to DVD with the optional DVD
burner, or directly to VHS or other analog input devices with the
S-Video or Composite video output for perfect copies every time.
Hard Disk Protection and Stability
This is really interesting.
A challenge in designing and building a hard disk camcorder is
protecting the disk from shocks and vibrations. One way this is done
in the Everio G camcorders is through a unique floating suspension
system that effectively dampens vibrations through advanced polymer
shock absorbers. Another security measure familiar to notebook PC
users is its gravity-like force sensor system that automatically
senses sudden acceleration such as in a free fall situation, and
turns off the power to defend the hard disk so that a head crash can
be avoided in many cases even when the unit is dropped.
1.33 Megapixel and Image-Enhancing
Features
The GZ-MG50 and MG40 are equipped with a 1.33 Megapixel CCD image
sensor that enables capture of high quality video and stills. And
for the best possible video and still image quality, JVC’s Megabrid
Imaging Engine separately processes video and still signals,
providing optimal processing for each and assuring high sensitivity
and a high signal-to-noise ratio for moving pictures, as well as
clear, high resolution still images.
For all Everio models, encoding of moving
images to MPEG-2 data is handled by the world’s smallest MPEG-2
codec chips, developed by JVC.
Also present on all four models is JVC’s 3D
NR (3-Dimension Noise Reduction). Conventional 3D noise reduction
offers limited accuracy since it compares field A and field B that
make up a frame with different sets of odd and even scanning lines
to compensate for noise. JVC’s 3D NR technology compares field A to
field A, and field B to field B across two frames so that the
scanning lines are identical and noise can be reduced more
accurately. As a result, signal-to-noise ratio is improved by 2 dB
and noise reduced by about 30 percent. Flicker is eliminated and
color reproduction is improved, enhancing overall picture quality.
JPEG Digital Still Camera Function
The GZ-MG50 and MG40 are equipped with 1.33 Megapixel CCD to allow
digital still shooting at 1152 x 864, 1024 x 768, or 640 x 480 size.
At each size, two resolution modes are available: STD and FINE.
Digital stills or video can be stored on either the internal hard
drive or removable SD Memory Card (optional), whichever is more
convenient. The GZ-MG30 and MG20 offer shooting of 640 x 480 digital
stills.
Advanced Interfaces
Viewing or dubbing Everio video is a snap. Just connect the AV cable
and/or S Video cable to the analog inputs on a TV, DVD recorder or
VCR. Every analog copy is first generation made from the digital
original, so all copies made this way have the same high quality.
For quick downloading to a PC, simply
connect the camera via its USB 2.0 interface. All transfer is
digital-to-digital (approx 4x or better real time speed depending on
PC), so there is no quality lost in the process. And since the
camera supports PictBridge, it can be connected via the USB terminal
to a compatible printer to easily print stills directly from the
camera.
Everio G models also have an SD Memory Card
slot for direct transfer of digital still image data. DPOF (Digital
Print Order Format) support allows the menus on the camera screen to
be used to conveniently select images and quantity before giving
removable media to a printing service. The JPEG images themselves
conform to DCF, PIM 3 and Exif 2.2 for optimized print quality.
Make Full-length DVDs Easily, With or
Without a computer
In a unique collaboration with Apacer Technology Inc., JVC and
Apacer developed a new DVD video burner that connects directly from
the Everio G. Just select the playlist or file, or simply copy it
all – one touch creates a full length video DVD to watch on a DVD
player, with no need for a personal computer.
For those who want to edit with a computer,
JVC includes software for use with both the Windows® and Macintosh
platforms. Provided Pixela Capty MPEG Edit EX and optional
Capty DVD for making DVD Video software provide seamless
integration into the Apple Macintosh computer world. Of course
Everio G is compatible with iPhoto for still pictures.
For Windows® PCs, the CyberLink DVD
Solution bundled with Everio G models comprises three
applications that make it easy to make full-length DVD movies. A
standard 4.7GB single-layer DVD-R/RW disc holds over one hour of an
Ultra mode movie, and over 90 minutes of a Fine mode movie.
- PowerProducer™ offers easy saving and authoring of
video clips in any order to DVD, even directly from a
USB-connected camera, so users can share original DVDs with
anybody who owns a DVD player. The software makes it easy to
locate and transfer video files residing on the camera’s hard
drive. Saving to DVD requires only a PC with 256 MB RAM, 700MHz
or above Pentium III, USB 2.0 terminal and a DVD burner.
- PowerDirector™ Express offers feature-rich non-linear
editing so users can flex their creative muscle with titles and
even mix stills with videos. PowerDirector Express also converts
movies to a variety of file formats to send via the Web or
e-mail. Supported formats include DV-AVI, Windows®-AVI, MPEG-1
and MPEG-2, as well as Windows Media Video® and RealVideo® that
can be streamed uploaded or streamed over the Internet.
- PowerDVD™ conveniently plays back video clips and
DVDs with Dolby Digital audio.
Everio G Series models will be available in
August at approximately the following prices:
GZ-MG20 $800
GZ-MG30 $900
GZ-MG40 $900
GZ-MG50 $1,000
to get great prices on the entire line of JVC Everio camcorders
About JVC Company of America JVC
Company of America, headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, is a
division of JVC Americas Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Victor
Company of Japan Ltd., and a holding company for JVC companies
located in North and South America. JVC distributes a complete line
of video and audio equipment, including high definition displays,
camcorders, VCRs, D-VHS recorders, DVD players and recorders,
satellite systems, home and portable audio equipment, mobile
entertainment products and recording media. For further product
information, visit JVC’s Web site at http://www.jvc.com or call
800-526-5308.
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