JVC Everio GZ-MG670 Camcorder Review

Compression & Media Summary
• MPEG-2 compression is popular and compatible with most editing software • Four quality settings, from 8.5Mbps to 1.5Mbps • HD up-conversion through an HDMI output: doesn't really improve video quality, but makes it easier to watch footage on an HD television • 80GB hard drive will hold up to 19 hours of footage in the highest quality • Generic editing software and some unintuitive upload/export features
	Low Light Performance	(Page 6 of 17)	Manual Controls

Compression (3.50)

The JVC GZ-MG670 records video using the MPEG-2 codec, which is the compression you'll commonly find on standard definition camcorders that record to internal hard drives, flash memory, or DVD. It isn't the best or most efficient method of compression, but MPEG-2 is very popular, which means you shouldn't have trouble finding software that is compatible with your footage.

There are four video quality options available on the GZ-MG670: Ultra Fine (8.5 Mbps), Fine (5.5 Mbps), Normal (4.2 Mbps), and Economy (1.5 Mbps). The Economy setting records video at 352 x 240, while the other settings all capture footage at 720 x 480.

A unique feature on the GZ-MG670 is its HD up-conversion option, which is available via the camcorder's HDMI output. Does this output actually provide higher quality video? Not really—but that doesn't mean it is totally useless. The HDMI output allows you to easily connect the GZ-MG670 to a high definition television and view your footage in a 720/480p widescreen presentation. The quality may not be better than when connected via a standard RCA cable, but your picture looks full and promising in its correct aspect ratio.
 

Media (8.71)

The JVC GZ-MG670 records video to its 80 GB internal hard drive or MicroSD memory cards. This 80 GB is a significant upgrade over the 30 GB hard drive featured on the GZ-MG330 and it should provide you with enough space to capture all the highlights from your family vacation (it'll store up to 19 hours of footage at the highest quality). The MicroSD card slot is a good option to have in a pinch and can be useful if you want to capture video that you can quickly hand off to a friend.

The MicroSD slot might come in handy if you want to quickly transfer video clips or still photos.

The various recording qualities on the GZ-MG670 allow for different record times on the 80 GB internal hard drive. This table breaks down how much video can be recorded with each setting:

Editing (5.50)

The JVC GZ-MG670 comes with two programs to help you organize and edit your footage—Digital Photo Navigator 1.5 and Everio Media Browser SD. The Digital Photo Navigator software is essentially a photo album program that allows you to store, sort and export your images and clips. The Everio Media Browser SD offers a few more features, including minor editing capability, DVD creation, and YouTube uploading, but it is still a very basic video program overall. Neither the Digital Photo Navigator nor the Media Browser are compatible with Macs.

Movies can be displayed as thumbnails on the Media Browser software.

The Media Browser software offers an upload to YouTube feature.

The GZ-MG670 itself features a number of "one-touch" buttons that attempt to provide seamless execution with a connected PC. The buttons don't do a very good job, however, and their use is confusing. The Upload and Export buttons must be engaged before you begin recording. Afterwards, this footage can either be quickly uploaded to YouTube or exported to iTunes using the Media Browser software.

Direct DVD is the last "one-touch" button and it is probably the most useful. It allows you to burn footage from the camcorder onto a DVD—using an external disc burner or PC of course.