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JVC's EX-S1 'wood cone' mini stereo boasts iPod dock, soul soothing vibe
Hard to pinpoint what it is exactly about JVC's Wood Cone range of products, but the mere sight of 'em just makes a good 82.4 percent of life's problems disappear. Trust us, we looked it up. The outfit's latest is a new mini stereo that's just about perfect for college dorm rooms or studio apartments, particularly if the dweller happens to own an iPod or iPhone. As with just about every other compact boombox on the market today, this one too has an integrated iDevice dock on top, though there's a standard CD tray, USB port and auxiliary input in order to fetch tunes from a plethora of sources. It's available in four luscious colors over in the Land of the Rising Sun, but you'll be left to guess as to a price. Something tells us it'll be just a wee bit higher than whatever you're expecting.
JVC intros Picsio GC-WP10 and GC-FM2 1080p pocket camcorders
JVC's been a mainstay in the handheld camcorder realm, but along with Sony, Kodak, Sanyo, Samsung and just about every other consumer electronics company in operation today, it's recently decided to hop onboard the pocket camcorder bandwagon. Today, the firm is introducing a diminutive duo in the Picsio GC-WP10 and GC-FM2, both of which are capable of logging 1,920 x 1,080/30fps clips. There's also inbuilt image stabilization, an HDMI output, a 3-inch rear touchscreen, compatibility with EyeFi's WiFi-enabled SD cards and a time-lapse recording feature for speeding things up on the fly. The WP10 steps it up a notch by being encased in a waterproof enclosure, though the omission of an optical zoomer puts somewhat of a damper on things. The FM2 boasts a pop-out USB plug and the both of 'em tout an SD / SDHC / SDXC card slot; the WP10 also adds an MP3 audio recorder for good measure. Check the FM2 early next month for $179.95 and the WP10 in late September for $20 more, but be sure to visit that More Coverage link first for a translated review.
JVC intros HD Everio GZ-HM1 video camera
JVC's already rolled out a handful of new Everio camcorders this year, and it's just now refreshed the top of the line with its new HD Everio GZ-HM1 video camera. This one will naturally give you full 1080p video recording (along with 10-megapixel still images), and you'll get some reasonably high-end features all around, including a Konica Minolta lens with a 10x optical zoom, optical image stabilization, 64GB of internal storage, an SDHC card slot for further expansion, a mic input and headphone output, and a full range of manual controls. Head on past the break for a video overview courtesy of JVC, and look for the camera itself to be availability immediately for $1,199.95.
JVC ships Bluetooth-packin', geotagging Everio GZ-HM550 camcorder
Ah, springtime. Ain't it beautiful? So beautiful, in fact, that you're apt to want to capture the flowers blooming and the kids playing around you, which is probably why JVC finally decided to ship the Everio GZ-HM550 that it announced back at CES. As far as handheld camcorders go, it's one of the better specced models on the market, touting a 10.6 megapixel CMOS sensor, 32GB of inbuilt storage, an SD / SDHC expansion slot, an integrated Bluetooth module (for controlling the camera's play, zoom and record functions via cellphone) and geotagging support when used with a compatible BT phone. Oh, and users can even sync up a Bluetooth headset in order to monitor the recorded sound or input voice recordings. You'll also get 1080p recording, a 16x zoom and the ability to snag 9 megapixel stills, all for the low, low price of $799.95. Go ahead -- step your YouTube game way up.
JVC trots out Everio GZ-HM340 HD camcorder with 16GB of internal storage
Too busy to deal with 8mm, DVDs or VHS tapes? Who isn't, right? JVC is looking to erase the tragic memories of converting your home videos to a format that someone could use by introducing the newest member of the Everio camcorder family: the GZ-HM340. Stocked with 16GB of internal Flash memory, a 20x optical Konica Minolta zoom lens, 1.37 megapixel CMOS sensor, image stabilization, one-touch upload to YouTube, face detection and an SD / SDHC expansion slot, this bad boy is set to land later in the month for a nickle under $500. Here's hoping it captures to something other than AVCHD, but our gut tells us this might be one dream that doesn't come true.
3D stole the show at CES 2010
Not sure why we've been putting this off, but we'll just come right out and say it: there's no doubt that this was the year for 3D at CES. We walked the show floor for countless hours and can tell you that just about everyone was showing something related to 3D at their booths. Most of these demos required a bit of a wait to experience them (thanks, hype), and everywhere you went people were talking about 3D. Granted, not all of that talk was positive, but it was talk nonetheless. Whether or not the technology will be seen in history as a success in the market place is obviously still up in the air, and much like a finely crafted episode of Lost, 3D at CES this year was littered with more questions than answers. %Gallery-82768%
JVC unveils a wide array of ominous iPod docks
For those about to dock, JVC has plenty iPod / iPhone sound systems coming out this year. First off, the company has unloaded a pair of shelf systems with dual iPod docks that each sport a USB port for mass storage playback and the requisite audio input, video output, CD player, and AM/FM receiver. Either get the UX-F3 (60 watts) for $200 when it comes out in May, or drop $400 for the 230 watt NX-D2 with Sound Turbo for "wall-shaking, bone shattering, low frequency performance." (Woah!) For nano fans, the SP-A130 is a compact powered speaker available in the four iPod nano 5G colors. Get yours in March for $29.95. If you spend a lot of time in bed (or wakin' up), the new RD-N1 ($130) CD player/tuner/iPod dock is one-piece tuner / CD player /clock radio with front facing audio input. Available in April. If you want to save a few bucks, the RA-P1 eschews the CD player and is priced for $60. Available in April. Last but certainly not least, the JVC Kaboom! is an iPod dock / boombox with USB for external media playback, CD player (with WMA and MP3 playback), FM tuner, and front audio input. Available this month for $300. PR after the break.
JVC busts out GZ-HM1 HD camcorder, lots of other video capturing devices
JVC's jumping in on the CES fun today with a whole slew of new camcorders, with the GZ-HM1 HD Everio leading the pack. This 1080p shooter offers up better-than-usual low light performance and camera-shake compensation. There's a 10.62 megapixel CMOS sensor within, though we imagine the $1,199.95 price tag will stun those who aren't looking for something fancy when it ships in March. The February-bound GZ-HM550 capture 1080p while offering up a 16x zoom, 32GB of internal flash memory, an SD / SDHC card slot, Bluetooth (for geotagging, naturally) and a $799.95 price tag. In case that guy is still too rich for your blood, JVC's offering up no fewer than eight other guys that range from $229.95 to $649.95, all of which should be out by next month. Peek those sources below if you're on the hunt for the nitty-gritty details.
Samsung, JVC pick RealD tech for their new 3D LCD televisions
A part of 3D's assault on the home theater this year is a battle over which glasses technology each manufacturer will choose, and after locking up Sony RealD has announced its tech is coming alongside new displays from JVC and Samsung. While JVC's 3D LCDs will use circular polarized passive glasses (like the ones you've probably worn at the movies) Samsung is promising to work on both active shutter LCD and passive eyewear models -- no word yet on any Gucci tie-ins, but it's still early.
JVC gets tubular with XS-SR3 iPod speaker dock
Not that we haven't seen an elongated iPod sound system before, but we've definitely yet to see one as totally bodacious as this. JVC has just slung out its XS-SR3 iPod speaker dock, which -- like B&W's Zeppelin Mini -- can hold your iPhone / iPod vertically or horizontally. JVC claims this little trick better enables users to view videos in widescreen form, while the 5-watts of power are sure to blow your skin back when cranked to 11. Other specs include a bundled remote and two audio inputs (one analog, one digital), and if you're even mildly interested, you can check it out later this month for $149.95. %Gallery-80419%
JVC intros cord-free TH-BA3 and TH-BS7 soundbar audio systems
JVC's never been much on using wires to hook up its home theater systems, and for those not looking for mind-blowing 7.1 surround, these soon-available wireless soundbar setups might just satisfy your aural cravings without forcing you to run ungodly lengths of cabling around your den. The TS-BA3 ($549.95) is a dual wireless soundbar system that consists of a 280-watt amplifier, 5.1-channel surround rig (including a soundbar, wireless subwoofer and wireless rear speaker kit) and built-in surround decoding. You'll also find a single analog input, two optical digital inputs and support for Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby ProLogic II surround signals. The TH-BS7 ($599.95) is engineered to mount alongside flat-panel HDTVs, with a 1.4-inch tall, ultrathin soundbar, an even slimmer wall-mountable amplifier / control unit and a wireless subwoofer. This one's packing 180-watts of teeth-rattling oomph and promises 4.1 sound with minimal consumption of floor space. Hop on past the break for the full release and detailed specifications. %Gallery-80245%
Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: Video Cameras
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. Whether you want them to or not, there's a good chance you've got a family member or two (or more) that feel compelled to capture every single moment on video, including those times when all you're doing is sitting around watching previously recorded memories. That's just an inevitably we face each and every family gathering, and if you must endure, might as well get them the best possible fidelity, right? Then again, maybe you are that memory-capturing individual -- in either case, we think we've got a few suggestions to maximize your holiday enjoyment. %Gallery-80100%
JVC's Everio GZ-HD620 crams 1080p sensor and 120GB storage into world's smallest HDD camcorder
It's been a continual process of evolution with JVC's Everio line, each iteration getting more pixels and smaller bodies, and the latest entry is the best combination yet. It's the GZ-HD620, a full 1080p-recording camcorder (courtesy of a 1920 x 1080 backside illuminated CMOS sensor) that also sports a 120GB HDD in a package that weighs just 270g. Footage is shot through a 30x optical zoom lens and can also be written to a microSDHC card, though that internal storage will be good for 11 hours of footage at the maximum bit rate (24Mbps), and a vacation-encompassing 50 hours at the minimum (5Mbps). The cam is said to be shipping tomorrow in Japan at a price somewhere north of ¥100,000, which should equate to a few hundred over the $1,000 mark whenever it hits the Territories.
JVC joins the sub-$200 Blu-ray player game with ultrathin XV-BP11
Sub-$200 Blu-ray players certainly aren't new -- heck, some guys have been doing it since the year 2008 -- but you'll never catch us kvetching about a little more competition. JVC has today introduced (in the briefest way possible, might we add) its newest Blu-ray player just ten months after deciding to play the BD game here in the States. The ultrathin (and "now available") XV-BP11 should slide into just about any AV rack, bringing Blu-ray / DVD playback, AVCHD support, HDMI 1.3, a USB socket and compatibility with a slew of audio formats. Curiously enough, the outfit doesn't bother to mention if this thing is Profile 2.0, but we're guessing (read: hoping) that it wouldn't do something as ludicrous as charge two bills for a Profile 1.1 deck in late 2009. Then again, we've seen zanier things go down... Update: Ouch -- this thing is only Profile 1.1. Dud. [Thanks, Aaron!]
JVC SP-FT is a drool-inducing, 31mm thin home theater speaker system
We know, life's tough. You want to buy the latest ultraslim HDTV, but find that your home theater speakers will look monstrously bulky sitting alongside it. JVC wouldn't want to cause you such headaches, which is why it's trotted out the above pair of 31mm thin speaker satelittes -- known as the SP-FT1 in black and SP-FT2 in their white garb -- and the AX-FT amplifier squeezed in between them. While you should probably not expect Telos 5000-like output, the amp will deliver 80W of total output over 4 independent channels, and has support for Dolby Digital, DTS and AAC formats. Prices are expected to be around ¥24,000 ($267) for the amp and ¥20,000 ($223) for the speakers when their black iterations hit Japan later this month, with the willowy white option showing up in November. %Gallery-75557% [Via Akihabara News]
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.
JVC Picsio GC-FM1 video camera flips out for its debut
Sure, JVC's new Picsio GC-FM1 pocket video camera has the specs to complete with the likes of Flip Video's Ultra HD and other similar offerings (1080p video, 8-megapixel stills, a 2-inch LCD, and HDMI out), but it also has a little something extra, something rarely seen in the world of anthropomorphized products since they heyday of the California Raisins: showmanship. Still no word on a North American appearance just yet, unfortunately but it looks like the camera will run around ¥20,000 (or about $220) when it hits Japan by the end of the month. In the meantime, we're sure the video after the break will more than tide you over.[Via Akihabara News]
JVC's trio of consumer-ish projectors still make wallets weep
Did we mention that CEDIA was a whirlwind of activity? There are a few bits of good stuff we didn't manage to get our HD hands on, including the new JVC projectors aimed at folks who just can't swing the mortgage-busting $175,000 for the company's pick o' the litter. The DLA-RS35, DLA-RS25 and DLA-RS15 are available through the "professional channels" CEDIA targets, but the equivalent DLA-HD990, DLA-HD950 and DLA-HD550 are in the consumer lineup. Everyone of the 1080p, D-ILA beamers gets the 120-Hz treatment, HQV Reon video processing, motorized lens zoom and focus, horizontal and vertical lens shifts and of course, ISF calibration modes so you can get things tweaked just so. Sounds great, but you can't expect JVC to deliver this feature set on the cheap -- $5,000 for the HD550, $5,500 for the RS15, $8,000 for the RS25 or HD950, and an even $10,000 for the RS35 or HD990.
JVC brings $1,000 HD Everio GZ-HM400 camcorder to America
JVC introduced its HD Everio GZ-HM400 in Japan way back in late July, but at long last, the time has come for the Yanks in attendance to grab one as their own. Shipping now (as in, right now) here on US soil, the Full HD camcorder packs a 10.3 megapixel sensor, 32GB of internal storage, an SD / SDHC expansion slot and the ability to capture stills at 9 megapixels. Over on the video side, users will have access to a trio of slow-motion recording modes (600fps, 300fps and 120fps), though we can't express in mere words how disheartened we are to hear that this thing utilizes the thoroughly worthless AVCHD format. If you aren't bothered in the least by that, you can pick yours up now for a nickel shy of a grand.
JVC's TH-BA1 and TH-SB100 soundbar systems fill out 4.1-channels
Back in January, JVC slated its TH-SB100 soundbar + subwoofer + Blu-ray player system as "3.1-channel," which kind of made sense since the soundbar housed LCR drivers. There's been something funny in the punch since then, because the TH-SB100 has morphed into something with 4.1-channel status. It's still a soundbar system, but JVC is using magic called "front surround" to get the outermost drivers to handle the left/right channels and the inside two drivers to handle the center + surround audio. It sounds crazy to us, but we'll try to keep an open mind because otherwise things look pretty good -- 220-Watts total, wireless subwoofer, and Dolby Digital, Pro Logic II and DTS processing in the soundbar. If all you've already got a Blu-ray player, opt for the $400 TH-BA1 (soundbar + sub only), otherwise get onboard with Blu-ray and grab the $700 TH-SB100 (complete with Blu-ray deck).