JVC to Expand Global HDD Camcorder Sales by 40 Percent in 2007

by John Neely
Published on Feb 20, 2007 12:01 PM

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February 20, 2007 – According to Forbes, Victor Co of Japan Ltd. (JVC) is aiming to sell 2.1 million HDD camcorders globally in the fiscal year ending March 2008.  That represents a 40 percent increase in JVC’s HDD camcorder sales over the current fiscal year.  JVC’s increase in sales can be partially attributed to the upcoming release of the Everio HD7, the first consumer camcorder capable of recording full 1920 x 1080 video.

Previously, JVC announced their goal of capturing 50 percent of the global HDD camcorder market.  JVC pioneered HDD consumer camcorders when the company introduced the Everio line in September 2004, and monopolized the market until Sony debuted their own models last summer.  Sony now offers more HDD camcorders than any other manufacturer, including the HDR-SR1, a high definition camcorder that uses the AVCHD codec to record 1080i video to HDD.

JVC’s Everio GZ-HD7, slated for global release in March 2007, may up the ante considerably in terms of HDD camcorder performance.  The new JVC uses a high-data rate (30Mbps) flavor of MPEG-2 compression, compared to a peak data rate of only 15Mbps for the Sony HDR-SR1.  MPEG-2 and AVCHD are very different methods of compression, however, which leaves experts debating the merits of each without the benefit of having tested the camcorders head-to-head.

With two companies jockeying for position in the HDD camcorder market, 2007 is shaping up to be a watershed year for a format that has proven extremely popular among consumers.