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

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Friday, 23 May 2008 07:00

Opinion and Analysis

The GZ-MS100 is due on Australian shores in the “2nd half” of 2008, with a price still to be determined, although JVC's US website says it sells for US $349.99. No specifications or other details are yet available on the Australian website, but you can get more specific information at the US website.

That probably means around AUD $500, although this has not been confirmed, and given the tendency of companies to charge a lot more in Australian dollars, the pricing could well be higher, bumping up against traditional standard definition tape based cameras and digital cameras.

Already, Canon has sold digital cameras that can record video in 1024x768 resolution for the last couple of years, which is higher than the standard definition resolution of 640x480.

Most digital cameras record in 640x480 today, and your traditional video camera has been available in standard and high definition versions for some time.

If you’re comfortable with your computer and either already know or are willing to learn some basic video editing, you can easily use your existing video capture devices to capture video on the run. Even phones such as the Nokia N95 and the LG Viewty can capture video and upload them – direct from the phone – to YouTube, without needing your computer at all.

So… if you are a novice and want a simple way to upload videos to YouTube, this camera will certainly appeal for its ultra ease of use and convenience.

But if you’re more experienced, you might just decide to buy yourself a new digital camera or new high quality video capable phone, or saving for a proper hard disk equipped Everio camcorder (or some other brand) with the money instead, no matter what the final Australian price ends up being.