Upconverted 1080p. Native 720p. Sleazy.

i bought the 20x version- SUPER CAMERA!!!!!!
zoom is unbelievable! can tape a licence plate 600 feet away. picture quality excellent!

I've actually used a higher-end Everio model, and it was hands down the nicest handheld camera I've ever used. It had the ability to shoot stills... better stills than my $400 12MP Canon camera.

I'm surprised there would be that much difference between models. I can't help thinking that the price would outweigh the lack of a recording pause...

THIS DOES NOT RECORD IN STEREO

satyenshah wrote:Upconverted 1080p. Native 720p. Sleazy.

That's not the only sleazy thing about this JVC camcorder.

1) Unlike other cameras that explicitly say "digital stabilization," they call this feature "Advance Image Stabilization" with no clue that it's digital and not optical. See my other post about this.

2) Even worse, they don't specify anywhere that the camcorder does NOT record in stereo. In fact, specs on p27 states that the AVCHD standard has "Dolby Digital (2ch)," which is indeed stereo. And the L&R connectors on p14 means that it plays in stereo. All true but here's the catch: The diagram on p5 shows that there is only ONE mic, which means all recordings are MONAURAL (see #2).

Bought one and wanted to buy another , but it keeps telling me that my account purchased one, Anyone know how to change or increase an Order.

I bought one of these last time around. I love it. The 40x zoom is way more than you can use effectively, unless it's on a tripod. The soud is clear, just not stereo. It is so small and light,I love it. I'm considering a couple more. It also has a neat time lapse feature that allows you to capture frames every second, every 5 seconds, etc.
The supplied software is a little clunky, but does have facebook and youtube buttons. I'm in for another just to have as a spare.

ThunderThighs wrote:Email service@woot.com. Give them your order number and your request. They'll help you out.

If you don't see a response in a reasonable amount of time, be sure to check your spam/junk folders.

Thanks

maui wrote:OK. Bought one. 40X was what won me over. Hope that's enough for some am-a-tour wildlife vids. Anybody want to debunk and break my heart?

Okay, I'll take a stab (pun intended).

1) Since wildlife will be in a mostly uncontrolled environment, you'll want a camcorder that has specialty modes to adjust to difficult lighting and subjects. Wildlife won't exactly pose for you. This camcorder may be too basic.

2) Since you'll want an immersive realistic experience re-living the trip, stereo sound is preferable to this JVC monaural sound.

3) Since sound conditions are uncontrolled, you may want a camcorder that has more audio features. For example, zoom/amplification for faraway subjects, wind filters to filter out wind noise, etc.

4) Animals, especially flying birds, involve fast movement. A camcorder that can record at 60fps results in much smoother videos, and can capture intermediate movement (aka frames) that this JVC would miss. Many <$100 palmcorders have a 60fps option. For example, the Flip only records at 60fps while the Kodaks allow you to choose between 30fps (to save space) and 60fps (for high motion).

5) Good stabilization is important for wildlife videos, especially if you zoom, since camera shake is magnified. This appears to use inferior Digital Zoom, which often darkens the image and adds graininess -- especially noticiable in lower light. Optical stabilization is preferable.

Sorry. But I am medically trained, got an A in basic Cardiology so I might be able to salvage your broken heart...

modb058 wrote:Bought one and wanted to buy another , but it keeps telling me that my account purchased one, Anyone know how to change or increase an Order.

Yep, an account can only make one order each day, with the maximum total being 3 items.

You should have received an email confirming your order. Simply forward that email to service@woot.com, adding that you'd like to add to your order.

moonshinedistiller wrote:Never ever buy JVC equipment, Every JVC product that I personally purchased and used ended up going to goodwill, I work at a company that purchases large amount of electronic equipment we gave up on JVC because of poor quality and short useful life.

I have had good luck with JVC gear. My 3 year old Everio with a built-in hard drive is still working. Back in the days of DAT audio recorders, I used a consumer grade one (couldn't afford a pro model) and it worked flawlessly.

i was close to buying... then i took a stroll through the pictures...

... looks as if the camera is the battery charger? I see no separate charger...

mehh... I'll pass.

Most problems with camcorders are located directly behind the eyepiece or screen.

An associate went to a big rally in DC with a camcorder similar to the one here and a Flip camera I loaned him. The Flip shots, while not HD were FAR better than the other ones. Why? With he fancy He kept making 16 second "takes," zooming and fast panning like a fool, and lots of shots of the camera being carried lens pointing down (he forgot to to turn it off.)

The Flip was was used better with no zooming and one button, and he took longer interview shots. Bottom line: there is a learning curve that you need to master if you don't want un-viewable carp.

I've had a JVC Everio for years. Same camera FOR YEARS! Extremely dependable camera and I continue to use it with no problem whatsoever. I certainly would buy another, again, when I move into a Hi-Def camera. JVC's are superb. Do no believe the naysayers. Great camera, and this appears to be a decent price for a re-furb.

I have an older Everio and hate it. The reason I hate it is because of the difficulty in putting the videos into a movie format. My parents love to get an annual DVD of their grandkids and I don't participate due to the length of time and difficulty to get the JVC videos onto a DVD that can be read by a regular DVD player.

It is clearly not top of the line, but not a bad price for a budget cam

I'm looking for a camcorder in this style and price range, but I guess after reading comments this isn't it. I'm a still photographer and I have a slr that records video(Nikon D3s) but I want a handy thing like this for fun. I have a couple gopros and plan to get a third as well.

What I need is something good in very low light. I don't care about long range zoom as I know it will have a small maximum aperture zoomed out. I want a fast lens that can take filters. Any advice out there? I want to be able to add a remote mic as well.

LINCAR4 wrote:Get a class 10 at least. 16gb or 32gb if possible. If it's like my 720p Panasonic Lumix (which I use for video also) the 32gb will hold around 3-4.5 hours of video. Prices on these cards have dropped so much that I don't erase them when I fill them up and copy them to an external HD, I just archive and store them in a safe place. I figure if I used my old DV recorder, the price for 4-5 good quality tapes is around the price of one of these sd cards and I might as well just keep them and buy a new one. Who knows if the HD that you put your videos and pictures on won't crash. Better to have the original in my opinion.

Here's a 16G Class 10 on Deals Woot now http://deals.woot.com/deals/details/7ab023e1-d417-45c8-9b5f-3804afd8d1b2/patriot-lx-series-class-10-16gb-micro-sdhc-after-mir#2

moonshinedistiller wrote:Never ever buy JVC equipment, Every JVC product that I personally purchased and used ended up going to goodwill, I work at a company that purchases large amount of electronic equipment we gave up on JVC because of poor quality and short useful life.

I've used nothing but JVC equipment in my car for years without any issue.
I had one headunit that I had for 8 years and the only reason I don't have it now is that I sold the car and let it go finally.

Hasn't wooted in a while, felt good

sdc100 wrote:Actually, no. I bought a Samsung camcorder from Woot for only $50 more and it has stereo sound, good still photography (with flash!) and optical stabilization, in addition to all (?) of the features here. Simply put, stereo sound and still photography are not deluxe features in an HD camera. Even $29 eBay palmcorders have a still mode. Only the Flip lacks it. Ironically, JVC's own Picsio palmcorders has a 5 mp still mode so its omission here is inexcusable.

So, those others have the 40x zoom?

rrsuthy wrote:I have an older Everio and hate it. The reason I hate it is because of the difficulty in putting the videos into a movie format. My parents love to get an annual DVD of their grandkids and I don't participate due to the length of time and difficulty to get the JVC videos onto a DVD that can be read by a regular DVD player.

Why not just upload your videos online?

Consumers Report Rating

JVC Everio GZ-HM30
JVC-Everio GZ-HM30-Camcorder-image
Price range:
$179.00 - $229.96

Summary: A high-definition memory card camcorder from JVC with a 40x optical zoom.

Out of 100
Chart key
Highest rated
72
This model
52
Lowest rated
43

info Battery life (min.) 67


CR's Take

This Everio is an inexpensive basic model, with a long zoom and an excellent autofocus, but its image quality and battery life scores are lower than most. There are better choices among full-sized camcorders.
About - JVC Everio GZ-HM30

The JVC Everio GZ-HM30 is part of the camcorder test program at Consumer Reports. In our lab tests, HD camcorder models like the Everio GZ-HM30 are rated on multiple criteria, such as those listed below.


Picture quality:
Picture quality is based on the judgments of trained panelists who viewed recorded video images shot in good light at the highest quality setting available.

Low-light picture quality:
Low light Picture quality is based on the judgments of trained panelists who viewed recorded video images shot in dim light at the highest quality setting available.

Ease of use:
Ease of use takes into account ergonomics of the controls and displays, and user manual readability.

About This Brand

JVC’s Everio line of high-definiton and standard-definition camcorders consistently produces good high-definition and standard-definition models that record to internal flash memory, media cards, or hard disk drives. While JVC also offered a line of inexpensive Picsio pocket camcorders, it has announced that it will no longer offer pocket models in 2011.

Features & Specs - JVC Everio GZ-HM30
info Format SD, SDHC, SDXC
info Weight (lbs.) 0.5
info Size Average
info Optical zoom 40X
info LCD size (in.) 2.6
info Built-in light No
info HDMI output Yes
info AV Input No
info Microphone input No
info Digital still capable No
info Headphone out Yes
info Remote No
More features and specs
Additional Information (The information below has been supplied by an external source.)
General Information
Manufacturer Victor Company of Japan, Limited
Manufacturer Website Address www.jvc.com
Product Line Everio
Product Model GZ-HM30
Product Name Everio GZ-HM30 High Definition Digital Camcorder
Product Type Digital Camcorder

Blah Blah Blah. This is a great camera, JVC makes a superb product. As for transferring to disc? Piece of cake if you buy Roxio software for about 40 bucks. Not sure how the JVC software works, but I use Roxio to make and edit my videos and they look professional.

Does anyone know how much built-in memory it has?

dedicateddad wrote:
Seems to me that the BEST option is to sign up for some online service and pay the fees for permanent storage -- just make damn sure you don't miss a payment and lose all your crap!!

You do not have to pay to store your photos photobucket.com will store your pictures in albums for FREE and you have plenty of space. Right now my FREE account stores over 700 pictures. This is also helpful if you get a virus and lose you pictures on your computer!(yes I got that dang win 7 virus and it wiped everything out I am glad I had my family albums saved there)

my mom got this camera from qvc. It's simple enough to operate that she doesn't cower in fear from it. It records in a proprietary format so (as far as I know) you can edit only with their software, which is super simple and Dot's Poetry Corner.

Definitely a camera for mom.

TheFaz wrote:I will put away my cc until 2160p exists! It will come!

You're safe. If you buy one, whatcha gonna watch?
Lotsa luck finding a 2160p source(let alone a 4k source). A TV is one thing, you still need a source---Bluray won't do it and even it's dismally slow to be adopted. Upconversion is just a joke. Finally now after 6 years of 1080i(nobody broadcasts in 1080p) we're getting a good selection of cable broadcast channels, but if you notice, almost ALL streaming vids---Hulu, Vudu, Netflix, blah,blah,blah---are capped at 720p!!! Bandwidth is the limiting factor here, save your $ for a # of years.

davidlwolf wrote:Does anyone know how much built-in memory it has?

There is none.

Would this camcorder be good for skiing?

marktheshark4 wrote:Would this camcorder be good for skiing?

Actually skiis would be better for skiing.
Seriously the Go Pro camera would be much better for skiing as they are a much more robust camera. Here is a link. http://gopro.com/products

In for two. I shoot business video professionally (read: I get paid to do it) which is mostly boring stuff like meetings and trade shows. While my main camera is a JVC HD100, these will be good for locked down shots from other angles. 720p is ok by me since that's what I shoot all the time.

gillamonstar wrote:i was close to buying... then i took a stroll through the pictures...

... looks as if the camera is the battery charger? I see no separate charger...

mehh... I'll pass.

External chargers for these batteries are as low as $6 on eBay.

onefastbob wrote:Actually skiis would be better for skiing.
Seriously the Go Pro camera would be much better for skiing as they are a much more robust camera. Here is a link. http://gopro.com/products

Agreed! With the GoPro, the camera weighs a lot less, is pretty impact resistant in its case, and gives you about 150° to 170° view. Sure, it doesn't have a view finder built in, but that only wastes battery life anyway IMHO. One or two spills using the JVC and it'll probably break. Not to mention, the cold could have bad side effects on the functionality of the JVC Camcorder.

If you're charging down the mountain, you just want to focus on where you're going and what you're jumping off of... and the GoPro is pretty much "fire-and-forget" considering it captures almost everything in front of it . There are plenty of videos on youtube, as well as the official GoPro site!

sdc100 wrote:If you only want to record escapades, why not get a digital still camera which will do double duty? They're smaller, can take excellent still photos (this has no still mode), and in some cases, beat the video specs of this basic camcorder. Keep in mind that $119 is low end for camcorders while it's high end for refurbished point-and-shoots.

A good example is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10, which has been on Woot several times for only a bit more than this JVC. It features true 1080p video, which is better resolution than this JVC. And it has stereo sound, which this JVC does not. It also has other niceties like a touchscreen and GPS. The Lumix also features excellent optical and digital stabilization, while this JVC probably only has inferior digital stabilization (see my other post).

http://www.woot.com/Blog/ViewEntry.aspx?Id=19450

Except that the &*%%*& DSLRs don't have an articulating screen (you know, swivel and turn so you can be in front of the camera and actually see what is being recorded).. escapades usually have yourself in the video... yes, I know the Canon t3i and a few others do, but then you are paying 8-10x the price.

Does the HDMI out allow you to attach to a TV/Monitor to see what you are recording if in front of the camera too far away to really see the 3" LCD????

That makes it a winner if it does!

So you can buy these new all day long for $179 which includes a full factory warranty. Is a refurb with no warrany for $50 less really worth the gamble?

Does this camera allow you to take still shots or is it just a camcorder used for video?

Does anyone know if this camera comes with an SDXC card? It's not very clear on it.

speed0423 wrote:Does this camera allow you to take still shots or is it just a camcorder used for video?

No still shots with this camera.

invaderrev138 wrote:Does anyone know if this camera comes with an SDXC card? It's not very clear on it.

No SD card listed. So don't expect an SD card.

In the box:

JVC GZ-HM30 Everio Camcorder (Choose: Blue, Black, Silver or Red)
Li-Ion Battery Pack
USB Cable
AV Cable
AC Adapter
2-Way Grip Belt
Everio MediaBrowser 3 Bundled Software
User’s Manual
Warranty Card