Blue JVC Everio GZ-MG330 Camcorder reviews

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JVC Everios are under increasing competition from other manufacturers - as well as the latest flash memory models. So JVC is making its hard disk camcorders smaller, more compact, and better value. The JVC Everio GZ-MG330 sets its crosshairs precisely at the entry-level user. Its small size, low price and color options and also this JVC Everio GZ-MG330 shoots in standard definition (740x480). The JVC Everio GZ-MG330 is a standard definition hard drive camcorder for those seeking a higher capacity than the card-only alternatives. With many of the same internal components as the JVC GZ-MS100, the MG330 follows up with the same excellent performa.

Video is primarily recorded to a 1.8in hard disk with 30GB capacity, although there is a slot for a micro SDHC card. Shooting is exclusively at the DVD resolution of 720 x 576, using MPEG-2 compression. Four quality modes are available - Ultra Fine at 8.5Mbits/sec, Fine at 5.5Mbits/sec, Norm at 4.2Mbits/sec, and Eco at 1.5Mbits/sec. In the latter mode, you can store over 37 hours of video, although this drops to around seven hours in Ultra Fine.

Menu systems control most camera functions. Five buttons and a "Laser Touch" slider can be found around the LCD display. While I didn't find the menus necessarily "counter-intuitive," they did take a bit of practice. The Laser Touch navigation left me unimpressed. It's a nice idea, but since it allows only one dimension of scrolling, you have to do item selection with the very small buttons.

The camera comes with an AC adapter, A/V cable, USB cable, remote control, battery and CD-ROM with basic editing software. Some of the GZ-MG330's larger cousins in the Everio line come with a docking station, but the GZ-MG330 has everything a consumer shooter needs from a standard-definition hard-drive camcorder.

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