JVC Everio GZ-HM340 Camcorder Review
Compression & Media
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| Compression & Media Summary | ||||
 • Uses standard AVCHD compression for capturing HD video.• The camcorder has no standard definition recording settings, but it has four quality settings for recording HD video. • You can record to the camcorder's 16GB of internal flash memory or to a removable SD/SDHC memory card. • The HM340 ships with an updated version of Everio Media Browser HD that allows you to import your clips to a computer, upload to YouTube, and create DVDs. |
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The JVC GZ-HM340 uses the AVC/H.264 codec to compress video and the camcorder is AVCHD compliant. That means it has the same compression system used by most HD camcorders from Sony, Canon, and Panasonic. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of AVCHD here.
The GZ-HM340 has four quality options for recording HD video, but the camcorder has no standard definition recording setting. The top quality option—UXP—records at a maximum bitrate of 24Mbps, which is the highest bitrate possible with AVCHD recording.
| Format | Resolution | Bitrate | Codec |
| UXP | 1920 x 1080 | 24Mbps | AVC/H.264 (AVCHD) |
| XP | 1920 x 1080 | 17Mbps | AVC/H.264 (AVCHD) |
| SP | 1920 x 1080 | 12Mbps | AVC/H.264 (AVCHD) |
| EP | 1920 x 1080 | 5Mbps | AVC/H.264 (AVCHD) |
The GZ-HM340 has two options for recording media: 16GB of internal flash memory and an SD/SDHC memory card slot. The 16GB of internal flash memory isn't a lot—there are many models out there with upwards of 64GB of internal flash memory—but it is still a good feature to have. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of flash memory.
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| The camcorder can record to SD/SDHC memory cards or its 16GB of internal flash memory. |
With the memory card slot as a backup, you can also take advantage of JVC's 'seamless recording,' which will automatically continue recording on the memory card once you've filled up the internal memory. The table below lists the approximate record times for the GZ-HM340:
| UXP (24Mbps) |
XP (17Mbps) |
SP (12Mbps) |
EP (5Mbps) |
|
| 16GB internal flash memory | 1 hour 20 min | 2 hours | 2 hours 56 min | 7 hours 20 min |
| 4GB SD/SDHC card | 20 min | 30 min | 44 min | 1 hour 50 min |
| 8GB SDHC card | 40 min | 1 hour | 1 hour 28 min | 3 hours 40 min |
| 16GB SDHC card | 1 hour 20 min | 2 hours | 2 hours 56 min | 7 hours 20 min |
| 32GB SDHC card | 2 hour 40 min | 4 hours | 5 hours 52 min | 14 hours 40 min |
The GZ-HM340 ships with a new version of Everio Media Browser HD (version 2.0.6). When you connect your camcorder to a computer with the software installed, the software should open automatically and allow you to import your clips. This is same software that is activated if you recorded your footage using the 'one-touch' upload feature. This button, located in the LCD cavity, is somewhat confusing: you can't record your video, then push the button to upload to YouTube. Instead, you have to press the button ahead of time, record the footage, then plug the HM340 into your computer. The videos you recorded in 'one-touch' mode will be automatically selected for upload to YouTube.
For an overview of the software that ships with the JVC GZ-HM340 and other JVC camcorders, see our article: 'Video Editing Software For Your Camcorder'
In addition to this provided software, the GZ-HM340 has some internal editing features. You can trim and split clips, add faders or wipes, and create playlists right on the camcorder itself.
| JVC GZ-HM340 Comparisons | ||
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| JVC GZ-HM200 | Panasonic HDC-TM10 | Samsung HMX-H106 |
