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Panasonic PV-GS300 Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on Feb 21, 2006 3:00 PM 
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Audio (6.75)
There are a number of audio features included on the Panasonic PV-GS300 (Review, Specs, $469.99) which allow users to tailor audio recording to their needs. Externally, the PV-GS300 has an in-camera stereo microphone on the front while there is a Mic-in port located on the right. The inclusion of a Mic-in port is a great gesture; it allows users to avoid the often mediocre audio quality captured with the in-camera microphones. In case holding the microphone in your left hand is unfeasible, there is a cold accessory shoe on the top of the camcorder as well. However, the shoe and viewfinder are uncomfortably close, and it’s unlikely they can be used both comfortably and simultaneously. Last year's GS250 (Review, Specs, $1299.99) had a headphone jack, which we've lost this year.
In the PV-GS300 administrative menu is the wind cut control. This feature places a high pass filter on the audio recorded by the microphone. The filter blocks the low tones produced by wind striking the surface of the mic. Users may also choose whether to record in 12 or 16 bit audio modes. Higher quality audio will be recorded when sampling at the 16 bit recording rate. And finally, users can use a zoom mic feature which will record audio at greater distances than when the camcorder is recording in standard mode. The zoom mic raises audio levels, meaning this feature won’t work successfully in noisy situations since all audio will be raised and merely result in a confusing mush of sound. When viewing video in playback mode, users can dub alternate audio which will overwrite the original audio. This allows users to soundtrack video, produce breathy voice-overs or narrate footage easily through the playback menu structure.
When recording with 12 bit audio recording, users are provided with 4 channels of audio recording at a somewhat diminished quality. This means that users are able to leave the original audio that was recorded during shooting as well as record two additional mono tracks (one stereo track) during audio dubbing process. If the user chooses to shoot at the higher quality 16 bit rate, the original audio is erased during the dubbing process. If you aren’t concerned with dubbing, it is far better to record in 16 bit since it will yield greater quality. The ability to record 4 tracks is a great advantage though for users who don’t want to export footage from camcorder into postproduction editing software but still want to provide dubbing with original audio content.
VCR Mode (6.5)
For the VCR mode to activate, users must switch the mode dial into video playback mode. The joystick diagram on the LCD will appear immediately; to hide or reveal this feature, users merely need to press the joystick into the camcorder and release. The joystick in playback mode engages the following VCR controls: play/pause with the up arrow, fast forward with the right arrow, stop with the down arrow and rewind with the left arrow.
These controls are easy to use when holding the camcorder for shooting, but become less so when the camcorder is used as a deck for video playback navigation in postproduction editing suites or television viewing. Variable speed playback is available, but it can only be accessed by using the controls found on the included remote control. Audio dubbing, like variable speed playback, may also only be activated with the included remote control. Camcorders manufactured by competitors like Sony provide both of these features in-camera, freeing the user from reliance on a remote control that can be easily lost, forgotten, or misplaced.
Ports (6.5)
The PV-GS300 has the standard ports for DV (FireWire and i.Link by other names) and USB, located in the LCD cavity. The A/V and Mic-in are located behind a hard plastic flap towards the front of the right side. The SD card port is placed on the bottom of the camcorder’s body. While the A/V and mic ports are smartly positioned so as not to get a dangling wire in front of the lens, the bottom-loading SD card slot is annoying. GS300 users are among the more likely to use a tripod, and this design precludes the ability to swap cards quickly.
Last year’s GS250 offered a headphone output from the A/V port. This year’s A/V port is a new shape in order to accommodate an S-Video signal.
The worst news to report here is that the GS300 has lost the ability to perform analog to digital conversion. This hits fairly hard on the usability front and will lose a lot of fans.