Panasonic PV-GS19 Camcorder Review

Audio(5.0)
The audio features are yet another area where Panasonic scaled back in order to keep the retail price tag small. They give you the choice between 12 bit and 16 bit recording modes, but not much beyond that. There is no audio levels indicator, which is a feature that would not have taken much on Panasonic’s part to include. Once again, the PV-GS35 seems to hold all the cards, feature-wise, with its included audio dubbing option and it's microphone jack. Even that camcorder lacks many audio features. The next step up is the 3 CCD Panasonic PV-GS65 (Review, Specs, $899), with an accessory shoe, mic input, and headphone jack.

VCR Mode (6.5)
On-camcorder playback is available for both the MiniDV and the SD card. Each medium has its own selection on the mode dial for playback. Controls are operated by the joystick. The zoom controls volume. In still playback, the PV-GS19 (Review, Specs, $244.74) thumbnails the photos you have taken for easy viewing. It can be play them back in a slideshow format, as well.

The PV-GS19 can play back on your TV via the A/V port at the front of the body. To connect to a computer, there are ports for DV and USB. By comparison, the upgraded PV-GS35 comes with all these plus an S-Video port.

Ports (6.0)
Ports on the PV-GS19 are the bare minimum you should expect on a MiniDV. In the front is an A/V port. On the right side are DV and USB ports. There is no S-Video (included on the PV-GS35), no audio in, and no accessory shoe. The one port that really should have been included, even on such a low-cost camcorder, is a headphone jack – hence the low score.