JVC goes YouTube with new Everio – is it worth it?

by Alex Zaharov-Reutt

Friday, 23 May 2008

Page 1 of 3 ! JVC, well known for its Everio range of hard disk equipped camcorders, is launching a new model that records exclusively to SD memory cards, and can automatically upload to YouTube once synched with your PC. While this sounds like a good idea, your existing digital camera is likely already more than good enough for YouTube videos – so is this new model worth it or a solution looking for a problem? YouTube here, YouTube there, soon it’ll be YouTube everywhere! Or at least, if its popularity continues growing as it has, with both camera and video camera manufacturers deciding to make YouTube compatible devices. JVC’s Everio range of camcorders are well known for bringing the ‘no tapes or discs’ convenience of hard disk video recording in standard or high definition (depending on the model) and have been solid performers in the global camcorder market. Now JVC has followed the path taken by its Japanese competitors Sony, with its NSC-GC1 Netcam Camcorder that also functions as a 5 megapixel digital camera, and Casio with its EX-Z77 7.2 megapixel digital camera that, like the new Everio, offers a specific YouTube video capture and upload facility. JVC’s Everio GZ-MS100 looks like a tiny barrel camcorder, with an 800,000 pixel widescreen, meaning only 0.8 megapixels, and can record up to 3 hours and 45 minutes of “DVD Ultra High Quality” video on a 16GB SDHC card, a figure which shrinks to 1h 50m on an 8GB card, 1h on a 4GB card and 29m on a 2GB card. Of course, if you choose lower video quality modes, the amount of video recording time increases dramatically, but unless you like having your master video recordings in lower than standard definition quality, you’ll always choose the highest quality mode with any recording device. Yes, YouTube will lower that video quality for you, even though it now offers a ‘high quality viewing mode’ for some, but not all, of its video clip collection, but that’s no reason to record it in a lower quality in-camera in the first place. You also get standard video camera features, such as a 35x optical zoom through the Konica Minolta lens, stereo audio recording, and flip-out LCD screen with ‘touch controls’ on the side of the LCD, among others that we’ll further explore on page 2. The touch controls aren’t on the LCD itself, and this was done on purpose. Called ‘Laser Touch Operation’, you slide your finger or thumb up on down the control bar to go through options and make selections, a light follows your finger movements to a nice visual effect. JVC promotes this as meaning your LCD screen won’t get fingerprints or smudges on it, but given that it’s easy to clean your screen with a cloth, it’s only a small benefit that just sounds “sort of” cool in marketing – your fingers will probably slip or you’ll touch the screen anyway, meaning you’ll still need to clean it at some stage. The most compelling feature of the JVC Everio GZ-MS100 is its specific YouTube video recording mode and automatic upload mode once connected to your PC, but unless you’re a real PC novice, even these features are of questionable value if you already own any kind of relatively modern video or digital camera. So, how does this feature work, and what other features does JVC tout to insist this model is far better than your regular video-capable digital camera for recording ‘short Internet videos’? Please read on to page 2. << First page <   1 2 3 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>

 

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