JVC Everio GZ-MG37 (30 GB) Hard Drive Camcorder
- HDD Size: 30 GB
- Recording Media: Hard Drive
- Optical Zoom: 32x
- Weight: 3 lb.
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Truly Digital Video
Pros
excellent videos, easy file transfer, easy archiving of files
Cons
no viewfinder, worthless still camera, proprietary video file format
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
This is an excellent addition for the family seeking to digitize their home gadgetry.
The JVC Everio GZ-MG37 is a leap forward in integration for the digital home.
Over the years I had been happy with my previous camcorders, including a now historic 1984 over the shoulder VHS model. I have usually waited for quantum leaps in technological features before making a new purchase.
I thought the mini DVD format was the end all. It seemed so simple to move the videos onto DVD's, but I was wrong. The ability to directly transfer video files from your camcorder to your computer is unbeatable. There's no more need for the stand alone DVD recorder. I had two of those. They are now collecting dust.
The Everio GZ-MG 37 has a 30 GB hard drive. This is enough for about 6 hours at the highest quality. And the quality is high. I have burned files to DVD and then played them back on a 62" DLP and have been very satisfied. Sound, too, is quite good.
Video transfer is very straightforward. The computer recognizes the JVC as an additional drive. It is as simple as drag and drop and you're ready to edit your videos. You should note, however, that the JVC produces proprietary files. These .mod files must be converted into .avi, .mpeg, or DivX through intermediary software. More on that, later.
The unit is very lightweight. Of course, this can be a drawback as far as steadiness goes. Although video shoots are really a snap, with setup being very intuitive, there is no viewfinder. As someone who is still a little old fashioned in some regards, I like the option of a viewfinder, especially in bright conditions, but I also find that I can steady a unit better with a viewfinder. There is no software stabilization, although as I had seen in other units, that can degrade video quality.
The Everio also comes with an optional dock, which I did not purchase, since I did not see any particular advantage, in my case, for the streamlined storage and transfer capabilities promoted by the dock. It's price was also out of line with its overall value.
The Everio also comes with some bundled software. The software is certainly a step up from Windows Movie Maker. The power Director Express and Power Director Producer are easy tools to edit and produce videos in numerous formats and compression levels. It has some special effects capabilities that smoothly integrate with your video. However, the version of the bundled software did not support widescreen format, whereas later editions, available as separate purchases, do.
The proprietary files produced by the JVC seep superfluous. I'm not certain why they can't directly record into highest quality .avi and then let the user decide whether to convert them to some other format or compression ratio through the software.
At any rate, the process is to transfer the .mod files to your computer and then produce a movie, saving it in your preferred format and compression. Afterward, you may choose to produce media, such as a DVD, SCVD, etc. The production time can be significant, depending on the size of your file and your computer's processor speed.
The versatility of this unit is a little bit hampered by its mediocre ability to take photo stills. I'm not quite certain why JVC even bothered, if the best they would put in was a 0.5 megapixel capability. Unless you're using the unit to capture stills for web publishing, don't bother sapping any photos. You'll need another unit.
The ease of use of this unit is very appealing. My children have very quickly become adept at shooting video, editing and publishing on YouTube in what seems like nanoseconds. The unit is made for today's digital world and is of high enough construction to withstand less than gentle usage.
Overall, I a very happy with this product and would certainly recommend its purchase.
Over the years I had been happy with my previous camcorders, including a now historic 1984 over the shoulder VHS model. I have usually waited for quantum leaps in technological features before making a new purchase.
I thought the mini DVD format was the end all. It seemed so simple to move the videos onto DVD's, but I was wrong. The ability to directly transfer video files from your camcorder to your computer is unbeatable. There's no more need for the stand alone DVD recorder. I had two of those. They are now collecting dust.
The Everio GZ-MG 37 has a 30 GB hard drive. This is enough for about 6 hours at the highest quality. And the quality is high. I have burned files to DVD and then played them back on a 62" DLP and have been very satisfied. Sound, too, is quite good.
Video transfer is very straightforward. The computer recognizes the JVC as an additional drive. It is as simple as drag and drop and you're ready to edit your videos. You should note, however, that the JVC produces proprietary files. These .mod files must be converted into .avi, .mpeg, or DivX through intermediary software. More on that, later.
The unit is very lightweight. Of course, this can be a drawback as far as steadiness goes. Although video shoots are really a snap, with setup being very intuitive, there is no viewfinder. As someone who is still a little old fashioned in some regards, I like the option of a viewfinder, especially in bright conditions, but I also find that I can steady a unit better with a viewfinder. There is no software stabilization, although as I had seen in other units, that can degrade video quality.
The Everio also comes with an optional dock, which I did not purchase, since I did not see any particular advantage, in my case, for the streamlined storage and transfer capabilities promoted by the dock. It's price was also out of line with its overall value.
The Everio also comes with some bundled software. The software is certainly a step up from Windows Movie Maker. The power Director Express and Power Director Producer are easy tools to edit and produce videos in numerous formats and compression levels. It has some special effects capabilities that smoothly integrate with your video. However, the version of the bundled software did not support widescreen format, whereas later editions, available as separate purchases, do.
The proprietary files produced by the JVC seep superfluous. I'm not certain why they can't directly record into highest quality .avi and then let the user decide whether to convert them to some other format or compression ratio through the software.
At any rate, the process is to transfer the .mod files to your computer and then produce a movie, saving it in your preferred format and compression. Afterward, you may choose to produce media, such as a DVD, SCVD, etc. The production time can be significant, depending on the size of your file and your computer's processor speed.
The versatility of this unit is a little bit hampered by its mediocre ability to take photo stills. I'm not quite certain why JVC even bothered, if the best they would put in was a 0.5 megapixel capability. Unless you're using the unit to capture stills for web publishing, don't bother sapping any photos. You'll need another unit.
The ease of use of this unit is very appealing. My children have very quickly become adept at shooting video, editing and publishing on YouTube in what seems like nanoseconds. The unit is made for today's digital world and is of high enough construction to withstand less than gentle usage.
Overall, I a very happy with this product and would certainly recommend its purchase.
