JVC Unveils Next-Generation Everio - The Everio GZ-X900 Camcorder

Just as the dust of the Consumer Electronics Show settles, JVC surprises with one more camcorder here at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) show in Las Vegas. The new Everio GZ-X900 is the latest in the high definition Everio series of hard drive and flash memory camcorders. Featuring an ultra-compact body and a high resolution, 9-megapixel CMOS sensor, JVC seems to making a clear break from older strategies and following a route similar to Samsung, Sony, and others. (View Photo Gallery)

The new camcorder, nicknamed the Everio X, is a true pocket-sized camcorder, measuring 37 x 66 x 124 mm (1.46 x 2.60 x 4.88 inches) and weighing 298g (0.66 pounds). Like the Samsung HMX-R10 and Sony Webbie series, the MHS-CM1 and MHS-PM1, the new JVC camcorder appears to have a sensor borrowed from a point-and-shoot still camera. The camcorders can leverage the high resolution of the sensors to produce incredibly high-resolution images. Frequently, such camcorders experience substandard compression artifacting because the processor is comparatively underdeveloped. However, all the models that Camcorderinfo.com has reviewed to date employ the MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 compression. The Everio X uses the AVCHD format with a bit rate up to 24Mbps, which may produce better results.

The Everio GZ-X900 features a 1/2.33-inch CMOS sensor with a gross pixel count of 10.3 megapixels, allowing for a native still capture of up to 9 megapixels. The camcorder has an f/3.4 lens, and the optical zoom is limited to 5x (like the Samsung HMX-R10). Video is recorded in full 1920 x 1080, presumably in 1080i. Video and stills are captured to SD/SDHC cards.

The camcorder offers optical image stabilization, face detection, x.v.Color recording, and a 20x slow motion. Like all the JVC camcorders announced this year, the GZ-X900 has the ability to export to iTunes and simplifies upload to YouTube.

The new design of the Everio X, as well as the other Everios announced at CES, indicates a shift in strategy for JVC. In the past, JVC has aimed the premiere Everio model at camcorder enthusiasts, bulking it up with external controls (as with the GZ-HD6 and others). Perhaps shifts in buying habits due to the economy, coupled with improved technologies, may make the design right for the market. Certainly, JVC, Samsung, and others are banking on it.

The JVC GZ-X900 has not been fixed with a price or release date yet.

View Photo Gallery