JVC GR-DA20 Still Pushing MiniDV

Sept. 4, 2007 – JVC shows an old dog may indeed have a new trick or two. The GR-DA20, a new MiniDV camcorder, features a peculiar design: a vertically sliding LCD panel. The MiniDV tape format has been languishing in major markets over the last few years, all but abandoned by R&D departments as DVD, HDD, and flash memory media rose to prominence. The GR-DA20 has not been announced for the U.S. market.

 

The specs of the GR-DA20 project an entry-level performance. It includes a 1/6-inch 800K CCD and 34x optical zoom. The camcorder’s major selling point will not be performance, but rather the LCD design. The rear-mounted panel includes a 2.4-inch color LCD, joystick control, and three buttons. This panel slides vertically a few inches up and down, presumably to make angled shooting easier to view. A standard hand strap is mounted to the right side of the body.

 

The GR-DA20’s design is probably the biggest departure from traditional architecture in a MiniDV camcorder since JVC’s own GR-X5 (Review, Specs, $958) in 2005. The cubical X5 sold poorly, but performed very well in testing. The GR-DA20, with its entry-grade specs, is unlikely to repeat the surprise.

 

JVC GR-DA20 has not yet been announced for the U.S. Shipping dates and pricing information have also not been revealed.