JVC Announces Two New Solid Media Digital Camcorders

NEW YORK – JVC today introduced two groundbreaking devices in their Everio line that they call “digital media cameras.” The cameras' new and improved features target convenience in a play to appeal to the "everyman" (or "everyperson") market of tomorrow. Besides unique design and tremendous portability, the GR-MC100 and GR-MC200 show promise in the video performance area, an area where many flash media machines have failed in the past.

GR-MC100

GR-MC200

“JVC is really excited in bringing these new media cameras to market. They’re called Everio. They are very small, easy to use, portable camcorders that are very high quality....This is a new category of media cameras, and there are other cameras similar to it in the media place called solid memory cameras, but we have big advantages which is the one hour of MiniDV quality. Just as there was an evolution in audio, that went from analog to digital to solid memory, we think that same evolution will happen to camcorders,” stated Dave Owen, General Manager, Video Division of JVC.

GR-MC200

GR-MC100 GR-MC200

JVC’s new digital media devices, the GZ-MC200 and the GZ-MC100, share much in common. They both record MPEG2 quality video and JPEG stills at a resolution of 1600 x 1200. They both house 1/3.6-inch CCDs with 2.12 gross megapixels, yielding 1.23 MPs for video and 2 MPs for stills. The processing is done using JVC’s Megabrid Imaging Engine and a newly developed nine-group 11-element structured lens that incorporates a 10x optical zoom and 200x digital zoom on both camcorders.

GR-MC200

One of the most groundbreaking features of both the GZ-MC200 and GZ-MC100 is their capability to record to Microdrive media. Both camcorders record at a bit rate of 8.5 Mbps in ultra-fine mode, which yields 60 minutes of video onto the included 4GB Microdrive, a medium similar in scope and compatibility to that used by portable music devices popular right now. Both camcorders also accommodate CompactFlash cards and SD Memory Card media. JVC’s Microdrive is similar in size to CompactFlash cards, but with a capacity of four gigabytes. In lower quality modes, the GZ-MC200 and GZ-MC100 can store up to 300 minutes of video in Economy mode (352x240/30p) and 9,999 standard size JPEGs (640x480). The better quality video modes record at 720x480/60i.

GR-MC200

GR-MC100

Both camcorders possess a 1.8-inch LCD screen (130K pixels), auto/manual focus, a modest amount of manual exposure (+/-6 for video, +/-2EV for stills), manual shutter speeds (1/2-1/4000 for video, 1/2-1/500 for stills), ISO settings of 80 and 160, a gain increase setting for video, preset exposure settings of Sports, Snow, and Spotlight, and white balance settings of Auto, MWB (manual), Fine, Cloud, and Halogen. There is a built-in auto flash, a wind-cut function, and a few digital effects.

GR-MC100

GR-MC200

Both the GZ-MC200 and the GZ-MC100 also include a Voice Recording Mode with the video and still recording modes. The voice recording mode allows .wav files with 16 bit 48kHz of up to 5 hours and 47 minutes to be recorded on to the Microdrive.

GR-MC200

What is different between the GZ-MC200 and GZ-MC100? Solely the dimensions and price, it seems. The GZ-MC200 has a rotating body and appears designed for two-handed use, while the GZ-MC100 seems geared for single-handed use. Both camcorders can be mounted on a tripod. Their sizes differ as well (GZ-MC100: 41x103x71mm, 315g; GZ-MC200: 74x56x94mm, 350g).

GR-MC200

The GZ-MC200 and the GZ-MC100 include three different software packages: PowerProducer, PowerDirectorExpress, and PowerDVD. These three applications allow for DVDs to be made and customized with rudimentary software and for video clips to be played back on the computer. The editing software, while not the most advanced in the world, and certainly a far cry from Avid or Final Cut, provides better options and visualization methods than the software included with the DVD camcorders on the market right now.

Luckily, both camcorders come with a 4GB Microdrive, as these little guys alone cost upwards of five hundred dollars (US$499). Also included are an AV/S-Video Out Multi-connector Cable, a USB cable, and a rechargeable battery. Neither the GZ-MC200 nor the GZ-MC100 support FireWire. Optional accessories include small metal carrying cases (VU-VM10KIT) and even smaller pouch-like carrying cases (CB-VM20).

The biggest problem area for earlier flash-media camcorders has been their ability to shoot video. JVC asserts that this video will match the same quality as MiniDV. At the Everio press event, company officials showed video from the new camcorder side-by-side with video from competing products, although no MiniDV camcorders. The difference, if any, has yet to be seen. JVC’s Megabrid technologies and attractive fixed bit rate, as well as the employment of their noise reduction technology, make the auspicious presentation seem plausible.

When asked about the camcorders’ convenience-driven design, Dave Owen stated, “We’re targeting the camcorder user that this is their maybe their second or third generation camera that they’ve bought, and they’re familiar using a camera and they’re going to find that this is a huge convenience for portability plus being able to take that media card and putting into their PC and drag and drop.”

Most flash-media camcorders of the past year have been relatively unbalanced hybrid machines that offer more still capabilities than a MiniDV camcorder, including higher resolution and ISO control, while offering horribly inferior video quality and little space to record video. With the GR-MC100 and GR-MC200, JVC keeps the main attraction and selling point -- portability -- and not only adds better and more recording options, but also the possibility of quality video worthy of recording at all.

The GR-MC100 and GR-MC200 will be available in October at US1,199.95 and US1,299.95 respectively.