JVC's Picsio pocket camcorder does fake 1080p for a real $200

We already saw the Picsio GC-FM1's splashy debut for Japan, but now JVC is announcing the camera for a Stateside release. Its advertised "1080p" resolution is actually 1440 x 1080 at 30 fps, while the 1280 x 720 mode at 60 fps sounds much more enticing to us, and it's all recorded to SD card (none is included) as H.264 .MOV files. There's really not a lot to set the camera apart in a sea of pocket cams, but you can always watch the incredible all-dancing, all-crazy promo video again after the break to pique your interest. The GC-FM1 is available now for $200.

[Honza Posted Oct 13th 2009 9:28AM]

It's not fake 1080p as there are 1080 horizontal lines.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2009 9:38AM]

You mean vertical. 1080 vertical lines of resolution.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2009 9:42AM]

I think they're calling it 'fake' because 16:9 HD is 1920x1080

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2009 9:57AM]

Believe it or not a very large number of professional HD cameras record in this resolution. It's called DVC PRO HD. It's Panasonic's HD.tape format. When it is displayed it stretches to 16:9, and it doesn't look too bad. However, it is no 1920 x 1280.

[Honza Posted Oct 13th 2009 10:13AM]

>You mean vertical. 1080 vertical lines of resolution.

No Birder. I mean 1080 horizontal lines. Each line is horizontal, and there are 1080 of them, stacked vertically.

[xCrunk Posted Oct 13th 2009 11:06AM]

Did anyone even watch the video? Holy good God....dancing, skate boarding pocket cams.

That video guarantees I will never buy one of these. Oh, and the ugly exterior. Looks like a reflector. Yuck!

[fieldcar Posted Oct 13th 2009 12:14PM]

@Honza: While you aren't wrong, you don't say "I bought the soda with 50 cents and a dollar".

Resolution is a count of nodes per axis (x&y), and there are 1,080 vertical nodes/pixels. You are going against common wisdom that 1080P is always a vertical measurement.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2009 12:22PM]

Seconding El Capitan. Many pro HD cams, even in the far upper price strata, have sensors that are only 1440x1080. Then they're upscaled and stored as 1920x1080 on DVCPROHD, HDCAM, or P2.

In fact, a majority of HD programming on broadcast and cable networks are using cameras with these sensors, so most of us rarely see true 1920x1080. Typically it only comes from shows shot on film.

[Wwhat Posted Oct 13th 2009 4:33PM]

So it's not fake but "Panasonic HD Fake®"

[Honza Posted Oct 14th 2009 8:41AM]

>You are going against common wisdom that 1080P is always a vertical measurement.

@Fieldcar: While I do agree its disingenuous, 1080P is a broadcast resolution, and as such is defined by the number of scanlines, not pixels.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2009 9:31AM]

1st ... Cute wishing for more colour's

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2009 9:31AM]

woops :-P

[TikiTeko Posted Oct 13th 2009 10:01AM]

Is it like your lifetime goal to be first?

Do you wake up in the morning and say "Today I am going to be First in Engadget!"

If it is.... then you are failing

[kiyu727 Posted Oct 13th 2009 9:35AM]

alright, cool stuff... - now whats special about it ?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2009 4:55PM]

Here are a list of PROFESSIONAL Formats that shoot 1080p as 1440 x 1080 and then stretch it out in editing software.

HDCAM
HDV
DVCPRO HD

It is not uncommon to squeeze it that way and then stretch it automatically in any quicklime player or editing software.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2009 9:39AM]

What I get from the video is that this product is like a mix between Planter's nuts and the California Raisins.

Count me in.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2009 9:41AM]

my iPod Touch G3 can do that already...
...ehhh no wait, it can't!

[crazacool Posted Oct 13th 2009 9:46AM]

Aren't you banned yet?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2009 9:47AM]

Very nice Fight Club reference...

[CameraGeek Posted Oct 13th 2009 9:55AM]

I'm pretty sure that 1440 x 1080 is actually the same resolution as HDV (the tape based HD format), so I'm not sure that "fake" is quite the right term to use....

[Jeff Posted Oct 13th 2009 10:59AM]

Right, its not fake its just not 16:9.

[CameraGeek Posted Oct 13th 2009 11:05AM]

Yes it is 16:9. 1440 x 1080 uses non-square pixels to create an image that's the same aspect ratio as 1920x1080.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2009 10:58AM]

Not enticing enough to separate me from my Flip Ultra HD.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2009 12:05PM]

I've got a samsung omnia i8910 HD mobile phone and frankly although it 'only' shoots at 720 x 1280, I find that to be excellent quality considering that I am not steven spielberg and its a fantastic compromise as I always have my mobile phone with me.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 14th 2009 12:51PM]

Wow genius solution. Buy a 720 dollar phone and you can get adequate quality video, instead of buying a separate 200 dollar device that is 4x as good.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 14th 2009 6:11PM]

Yea but this can take still shots at 8mp and this has image stabilization and it has a cooler video than the flip has. This also take 1080 and fliphd takes 720.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2009 1:45PM]

This is funny. Released today, already discounted 10%:

http://bountii.com/search.php?item=jvc+picsio

Probably the awful colors??

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2009 2:45PM]

I have a $300k Telepresence system in our office and we use the 720p/60 vs. the 1080p/30 resolution. It looks smoother when there is movement.

Wouldn't the 720p/60 on this camera be better for live video?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2009 2:50PM]

It's still 1080p, just not full raster 1080p. HDV & XDCam HD Both use this resolution with rectangular pixels, I think earlier AVCHD did too.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 13th 2009 2:55PM]

Ugh. That shell looks hideous.