JVC GR-HD1 HD Digital Camcorder

• Reviewed by: thomas_trog

  Strengths: True 16:9 ratio and not matted or squeezed. Big improvement in the home video camera market. Composite output.

  Weaknesses: If you dont have the right lighting its a bit "Noisy" in the lux department. Apature adjustments usually help. It's only a single charge coupling device and not a 3CCD. For the money I wish it did.

  Overall: I have been reading comments on the web and it seems many people can't figure out how to install the software. This is DV and HDV. HDV is not captured the same way as normal DV is. As is commented above I am shocked this other person has used this a year and couldn't figure out how to install the driver properly. You can capture 1440x720 on this thing. Its a pain but it can be done. You dont install a JVC DV driver but you have to manually install the "JVC Tape Driver". Vegas or Premier will not directly capture HDV. You need to use the software that comes with it. The HD Capture software then just rename the m2t format to mpg and import to vegas. Only AVI Uncompress will change to 1440x720 You have to adjust it one field at a time and hit enter and go back to edit avi setup in vegas. First go into template setup in render and type 1440 in the width and hit the enter key.. it kicks you out but it will save the setting. then you change width to 720 or 756 and again hit enter. then save the template name. Hope that helps.

• Reviewed by: tomv41

  Strengths: Display screen,video capture option-HD,SD,DV

  Weaknesses: NOT COMPATIBLE WITH CURRENT VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE. WILL NOT WORK WITH PREMIERE. MUST CAPTURE IN DV MODE ONLY TO WORK WITH PREMIERE. ANY DV CAMERA UNDER $400 WILL DO THAT, THE HD1 IS $3,500.

  Overall: NO RESEARCH BEFORE INTRODUCING THIS CAMERA TO THE MAKET. THE FIRST BUYERS WERE`USED AS SCAPEGOATS TO TEST THE HD1. THE MARKET WAS NOT READY FOR A PRODUCT FOR WHICH THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE CUSTOMER SUPPORT. THE FEILD ENGINEER FOR PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT REFUSED`TO GIVE TECH SUPPORT, AND THE CONSUMER TECH SUPPORT GAVE ME THE RUBN AROUND TO THE PROFESSIONAL TECH. SO I MUST CONCLUDE THAT THE RIGHT HAND DOES`NOT KNOW WHAT THE LEFT HAND IS DOING. I AM CONFUSED AND DISSAPOINTED WITH JVC. TRY CALLING THEIR HELP LINE AND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHY I AM ONE ANGRY CUSTOMER. THE JVC HD1 IS NOT A CAMERA YOU WANT TO PAY 3,400 FOR. YOU CAN GET A`REGULAR DV CAMERA FOR LESS THAN $500.00. I REGRET THE DAY I BOUGHT THIS CAMERA. THAT IS THE TRUTH. IF I COULD SEND YOU THE VIDEO I COPIED FROM THIS CAMERA YOU WOULD NEVER BUY A JVC CAMERA, EVER.