Sony NSC-GC1 First Impressions Camcorder Reviewby Michael PerlmanPublished on Jul 20, 2007 3:23 PM
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Audio
Not surprisingly, the NSC-GC1does not offer any control over audio. There is no audio jack; you have to rely on the top-mounted built-in mic. We’re not expecting to be impressed by audio quality, but the placement is smarter than some upright camcorders. The Sanyo VPC-HD2 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $585.36) and the Canon TX1 (Specs, Recent News, $365.54) both place the mic on the outside of the LCD panel, which is then often obscured by your left hand.
Playback
In order to play a video clip back on the NSC-GC1, press the mode button located within the round control panel. Unlike most camcorders, there is no main playback menu screen filled with scrollable icons representing individual clips. With the NSC-GC1, the first recorded video clip will automatically consume the full LCD screen, accompanied by its file name, date/time taken, and quality setting. Press the center of the joystick once to begin playing a clip, and a second time to stop playing a clip. Volume is controlled by shifting the joystick up or down, and reverse/cue is dictated by the left and right controls. A horizontal bar located at the bottom of the screen monitors the progress of the clip’s duration. Snapped stills are also thrown into the mix of video clips, and a media count will appear at the top of every video or still, for example: 9/15 (clip/still 9 out of a total of 15 clips/stills).
Connectivity
The NSC-GC1 has a total of three ports located in the back of the camcorder—USB, A/V-out, and DC in. The ports are sheltered by a flimsy plastic rectangle, secured to the body by two slim plastic strips. This is budget to the max, so don’t roughhouse the port cover, let alone breathe on it too hard. A USB cable is the only way to transfer video clips onto a computer, and the NSC-GC1 supports a USB 2.0 connection.
All ports are located in this small area on the back
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