JVC Slims MiniDV to Three (2 and 1/2) Models by David Kender Published on Jan 7, 2007 7:00 AM

January 7, 2007 - JVC announced this morning its MiniDV camcorder line will feature only three new models,  the GR-D750 ($249 MSRP), the GR-D770 ($279 MSRP), and the GR-D796 ($349 MSRP). This comes as no surprise as the industry is quickly abandoning advancements in their MiniDV lines. However,  these camcorder's new features include "easy to use controls" and a 35% longer recording time.

Each camcorder also includes a 1/6" 680K CCD and the same imager found on all their baseline models. All models include a 2.7" widescreen LCD and 34x optical / 800x digital zoom.

The differences between these models are few. The GR-D750 includes all the features above, plus a 135 minute battery. The GR-D770 adds an SD/MMC card slot for stills, a 640 x 480 still capacity, along with a USB port and some software. Presumably, the D770 comes with a short-life battery because the GR-D796's only upgrade is 135 minutes battery.  Essentially, the GR-D796 model is merely the D770 with an upgraded battery. The GR-D770 and GR-D796 also allow for Dual Record mode. This enables still images to be recorded to card as video while it's simultaneously being recorded to tape. The GR-D796 will ship with two short-life batteries.

All camcorders feature a color EVF, NightAlive shooting mode for low light environments, and the data-battery feature that gives the user an accurate, to-the-minute assesment of remaining battery life.

No date has yet been announced for the release of the camcorders.