JVC GRD200 MiniDV 1.33 Megapixel Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom
by JVC
(Click here)
Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: JVCModel: SL148
Product features:
- New compact design for mega-fun and mega-style
- HG Digital Stills (1600x1200/1280x960/1024x768/ 640x480)
- 200x Digital Hyper Zoom with Spline Interpolation
- 2.5" 110k-pixel Amorphous-Silicon LCD Color Monitor
- Web Camera Function and MPEG-4 Email Video Clips
- AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to B-Male Cable (6 Feet / 1.8 Meters)
- AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to Mini-B Cable (6 Feet / 1.8 Meters)
- AmazonBasics IEEE 1394 4-Pin/6-Pin FireWire Cable (6 Feet/1.8 Meters)
- Corel VideoStudio Pro X2 [Old Version]
- Roxio Creator 2010 [OLD VERSION]
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of JVC GRD200 MiniDV 1.33 Megapixel Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom
Customer Review: Perfect for those looking for a budget digital camcorder!
Summary: 5 Stars
After reading many reviews (good and bad), I decided to spend my hard earned money on this JVC camcorder because of the price and all the features. I bought this camcorder back in February when Amazon had it on sale for 66% off (main reason of purchase). So far, it has probably been the best purchase I have ever made.
The good things I like about this camcorder is that it is light weight compared to my older Panasonic VHS-C camcorder. Also, the high resolution recording's quality is absolutely gorgeous. There are manual options to set the color schemes (sephia, b&w, classic) as well as an option to record in widescreen mode and a wide lens mode. This camcorder also has great built in transition effects and a automatic mode for beginners that sets everything according to outside conditions. As for the digital camera features, they are pretty much average. If you wish to store high resolution pictures, it'd be a good idea to invest in a high capacity SD memory card. The camera mode even has a built in flash.
Now for the real stuff, the real reason why I purchased this was to output the video onto DVD. The USB cable included with this camera only made quality for "VHS" or VCD style. VCD is nothing like DVD quality. The USB cable's limitations in speed only allowed output to VCD. However, this camera also has a Firewire/IEEE1394 input which allows high speed data transfer with the PC. In order to output to DVD you'll need 5 things: firewire card, firewire cable, dvd authoring/encoding/capturing program, dvd burner, and blank dvd media. None of these listed comes with the camcorder so that's a minus. However, after purchasing the firewire cable as well as the firewire card I was able to capture, edit, and make menus for my home video onto DVD via Ulead VideoStudio 8 (a great program, btw). The quality was just amazing. Not only did I have a home video in digital format but I also had it in a format that will last me years to come.
Some things that I didn't like about this camcorder was the "night alive" feature. The "Night Alive" feature slows down the frames per second so much so that it is impossible to record without having the video lag. Battery life isn't that great either but I remedied that by buying a extra battery just in case. To store pictures you'd have to use a switch to switch it to memory mode to save the pics on the SD card otherwise it's picture on tape which is even worse quality, an annoyance but livable.
So for a camcorder/camera that allows output to DVD as well as take digital pictures for under $300, you really can't find a better camcorder with all these features for that low of a budget.
Description of JVC GRD200 MiniDV 1.33 Megapixel Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom
N/AAmazon.com Product Description If style, quality, and convenience is what your searching for, the JVC GRD200 MiniDV camcorder is your answer to these needs and more. The GRD200 features a 1.33-megapixel CCD for superior video (540 Lines of resolution) and still photos (1600 x 1200), a bright 2.5-inch LCD, 200x digital zoom, a powerful software package, and much more.
Optics
The GRD200 features a high-performance 1/4-inch 1.3-megapixel CCD to capture high-quality video and digital photos. It's also fitted with a 10x optical zoom lens as well as a 200x digital hyper zoom with spline interpolation.
Digital zoom is a powerful tool, but it can lead to "jaggies"--zigzag contours that reduce picture quality. JVC has adopted spline interpolation to mathematically smooth such contours, making them look more natural. And since frame signals, not field signals, are processed, vertical resolution is increased, also improving quality.
Digital Stills and MPEG Video
In addition to high-quality video, the GRD200 also captures digital still photos in four resolution modes: 1600 x 1200 (UXGA), 1280 x 960 (SXGA), 1024 x 768 (XGA) or 640 x 480 (VGA). The images are stored on the included 8 MB MultiMedia card (MMC) or optional Secure Digital (SD) memory cards.
You can also record small video clips (160 x 120 pixels) for distribution to friends and family over e-mail or the Internet using the MPEG-4 format feature. Video clips can be recorded from the real-time camera image or recorded video footage and stored on a the memory card. With the included 8 MB MMC card, you can record up to 7 minutes of MPEG-4 video.
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- 2.5-inch 110k-pixel amorphous silicon LCD view screen and color viewfinder
- The Picture Stabilizer system corrects camera shake instantly, giving you smooth and stable pictures.
- A combination of built-in Digital Special Effects and Wipes/Fades will give your videos a polished and professional look.
- PCM Digital Stereo Sound: 16-bit offers one set of stereo tracks and achieves the same quality as CD, while the 12-bit mode creates two sets of stereo tracks.
- Analog Input: allows you to record into the camcorder all of your memories recorded in the analog format, by allowing you to archive them onto Mini DV tape
- Power Linked Operation: prepares the camera to record simply by opening the LCD or pulling out the viewfinder
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The GRD200 comes with the standard IEEE 1394 port (also referred to as FireWire), which provides a lossless connection to a PC or other DV machines. Additionally, the GRD200 includes a standard A/V cable to view video footage on your TV and a USB cable for transferring digital stills to your PC.
MiniDV Format
MiniDV is the preferred format for personal and broadcast-quality video, highly regarded for its high audio and image quality. With up to 540 lines of horizontal resolution and minimum color noise, MiniDV delivers a 20-percent clearer picture than analog camcorder formats. This is all delivered on a cassette that's 1/12th the size of a standard VHS tape. A MiniDV tape offers digital recording time of 2 full hours--20 times the capacity of a CD.
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The GRD200 comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack. The camera itself measures 2.5 by 3.75 by 4.8 inches and weighs 17 ounces. This package includes the GRD200 camcorder, battery pack, AC adapter, remote control, shoulder strap, USB and A/V cables, 8 MB MMC memory card, and a CD-ROM with software.
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