AfterDawn: News

JVC debuts first ever AVC/MPEG-2 HD camcorders

JVC has debuted three new HD Everio camcorders which promise to bring new features never before seen on camcorders.

The HD30 and HD40 are the first camcorders that capture picture in AVCHD (H.264) or MPEG-2 format with the ability to use either. AVC is better quality and more efficient but MPEG-2 is widespread and might be easier for some to edit.



The HD40 also claims to be the "longest-running HD camcorder available" with its ability to record up to 50 hours of 1920x1080 video at "Extended Play" mode. Of course at full quality, recording time is only 15 hours, but that it is still a very long running time. The HD40 boasts a 120GB HDD and the HD30 offers the same recording capabilities but with a built-in 80GB HDD instead.

The third camera, a more entry level HD camcorder, the HD10 has a 40GB HDD and has a 1440x1080 resolution.

Each new Everio supports "HDMI 1.3 output with Deep Color on compatible HDTVs, a newer HD Gigabrid Duo image processing chip, and the choice of using either Firewire or uSB for transfers. The camera lines come with Windows editing software and a plug-in to allow MPEG-2 editing in Final Cut Pro and iMovie."

JVC adds that AVCHD support is already built into Apple's latest software and should not be a problem. The camcorders are set to ship in early August with pricetags of $800 USD for the HD10, $1,000 USD for the HD30, and $1,300 USD for the high end HD40.


Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 16 Jun 2008 13:11

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• 8 comments

• DXR88

  A Hardrive in a camcorder,pointless. my camcorder has seen hell in back, and still works fine. hope the have one hell of a G shock sensor in that thing.

  16.6.2008 15:12 #1

• DVDBack23

  Originally posted by DXR88: A Hardrive in a camcorder,pointless. my camcorder has seen hell in back, and still works fine. hope the have one hell of a G shock sensor in that thing.How is it pointless? I find the 40GB HDD in my sony camcorder to be a million times more convenient then disc or tape.

  16.6.2008 15:37 #2

• ThePastor

  In either format they are still not as good as a good DVI tape recorder. The resolution may be better but what good is it if you are using a crappy file format?

  16.6.2008 16:15 #3

• error5

  Quote:JVC adds that AVCHD support is already built into Apple's latest software and should not be a problem. You'll need Final Cut Pro with the ProRes 422 codec (not to mention a pretty beefy machine) to keep the AVCHD video at 1920x1080 during editing.
  
  If you have iMovie or Final Cut Express and AIC, you'll see that the video has to be downsized/rendered to 1440x1080 before you can do any editing.
  
  I'm using FC Pro and ProRes 422 on a 2.8GHz Mac Pro with 2 Gigs RAM with 17 Mbps AVCHD footage from a Canon HF100. No hard drive, no tape, no moving parts - just SDHC flash memory.
  

  Pioneer Kuro 50" PDP-5010FD 1080p Plasma With 24fps input and 3:3 72Hz Playback - ISF Calibrated
  Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player// Sony PS3 60GB - soon to be replaced by the Panasonic DMP-BD50
  Marantz SR6001 Surround Sound Receiver With HDMI// B&W604/602/LCR600 // Hsu Research VTF3 Subwoofer
  HD DVD Titles - 85 // BluRay Titles - 63 (and counting)
  

  16.6.2008 16:26 #4

• DXR88

  Quote:Originally posted by DXR88: A Hardrive in a camcorder,pointless. my camcorder has seen hell in back, and still works fine. hope the have one hell of a G shock sensor in that thing.How is it pointless? I find the 40GB HDD in my sony camcorder to be a million times more convenient then disc or tape.
  Is it removable? i hope so me and my camcorder do alot of heavy moving
  
  if the harddrive take alot a shock it will scratch the disk, Then what buy another 400-800 dollar camcorder.
  
  ill take that back its not pointless just a bit(not smart)for the lack of better words.

  16.6.2008 17:02 #5

• ZippyDSM

  Quote:Originally posted by DXR88: A Hardrive in a camcorder,pointless. my camcorder has seen hell in back, and still works fine. hope the have one hell of a G shock sensor in that thing.How is it pointless? I find the 40GB HDD in my sony camcorder to be a million times more convenient then disc or tape.He has a point, HDDs are to sentive to damage, would not using 4-8 8GB flash chips riged together to make a single drive be better?
  
  I understand micronizing HDDs is cost effective in some ways but lets face it flash can built to to the same size and offer longevity tot he consuemr for just alil more cost.
  
  And when we are talking about 800+ another 100 is not going to hurt it.

  16.6.2008 21:12 #6

• Kazi

  Well, professional grade HD cameras use HDDs, so I can't see this being toooo much worse. Yet the file formats it records to is kind of disappointing. Editing will probably be difficult due to the fact that those formats are geared towards viewing and not editing. The HDV format is probably a lot better for editing than these two. Oh well, guess it's a consumer cam.

  16.6.2008 21:33 #7

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by Kazi: Well, professional grade HD cameras use HDDs, so I can't see this being toooo much worse. Yet the file formats it records to is kind of disappointing. Editing will probably be difficult due to the fact that those formats are geared towards viewing and not editing. The HDV format is probably a lot better for editing than these two. Oh well, guess it's a consumer cam.MR newby(me) has a dumb question..how hard would it be to dump it to your PCs HDD then let it take a few hours to convert it to something you can easily edit?

  16.6.2008 21:38 #8