Customer Reviews

JVC GRDVL920U MiniDV Digital CyberCam Video Camera with 3.5" LCD, SD Memory Card Compatibility & Color Viewfinder

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Wow! That's really all that can be said, but I'll try my best to say more. I was really hesitant about getting the 920, as I planned on getting a sony in similar price range(trv25,27), but after extensively testing both, and excluding panasonic altogether because of a horrible past experience, the JVC was my only option, and boy is it one amazing option. The first thing that will shock you is the size and design. No matter how small and sleek you think this camcorder is, when you finally get your hands on it, it will be smaller and sleeker then you ever imagined. The design is just beautiful, putting anything sony and panasonic have to shame. Now let's get to the "real" issues. This camcorder has manual everything, from focus to white balance, the latter being one of the greatest features you'll ever use. The video quality is superb; the colors are very true to their subjects. The digital stills it takes are really great, of course nowhere near a dedicated digital camera, but definitely good enough to print a 4x6 or 5x7. You even get a 16mb media card, rather then the standard 8mb card.
Now the bad, I have to be honest there are a few things that did annoy me. First the battery is short, but that is the case with every battery included with every camcorder, it's just short. The second problem I have is that a few of the controls, and ports for firewire and usb are located under the lcd, which means you have to open the lcd to access them, thus draining your already low battery more. The last problem I have is the manner in which you charge the battery. There is no external charger included, and to make matters worse you can't use the camcorder as it's charging the battery.
My suggestions are: Buy a bigger battery and an external charger and you are set. The good far outweighs the bad in this situation ten times over. Believe me for the price, design, size, and manual features, you can't go wrong, you can't!!!! Wow I should work for JVC:)

This is an excellent camcorder.

The 920U (this camcorder) is much better than the 720U/820U. The earlier versions had a constant buzz on the recorded audio that appeared to come from the DV tape motor. The 920U is very quiet and the audio is crystal clear.

Video quality was much better, too, with sharper colors probably due to the improved lens. (The colors on the 720U/820U were washed out and dull.) On the 920U, I couldn't tell much difference between real life and recorded video in well-lighted conditions. Also, the viewfinder is color whereas the 720U/820U have B&W viewfinders.

Zoom is smooth and well-positioned. The menu is easy to use. Overall the ergonomics of the camcorder are excellent.

The 3.5" LCD is VERY nice. I'm definitely hooked on that feature.

I really like this camcorder. Too many functions, it takes a while to get to know all. I like the built-in light that many newer models lack. The 700X zoom is overkill, after about 200X you can't see much. I agree with the fisrt reviewer, you need to buy extra battery and a good universal charger. You can shop around for best deal, prices range from 650 to 1099. Remember the lower the price, the worse the service. Stick with the online companies that you trust.

This camcorder is AWESOME. I'm not so great at writing reviews, but here's what I have to say. The camcorder itself looks really cool. It's got a great design, and only weighs like 1 1/4 lbs, so it's really lightweight and doesn't hurt your arms. The picture and sound are perfect. When watching videos that I made, I sometimes felt like I was watching a DVD on a flat screen TV, the picture is THAT good. It has some nice features, and the only problem I have with it is there is no support for a microphone. But, the new features and everything else being so great really makes up for this. I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a superior video camera. The retail price is high, but I bought mine for much less from a respectable site. And it was worth every penny (and just might be worth the full price too). Bottom line - if you are shopping for a camcorder, you WANT this one.

I brought this DV for couple months. I have to admit this DV is much better than I expected. The quality of the video is excellent. The only bad thing is that the camera function is moderate. It only takes good picture in a well lighted place. Also, if you want to transfer your video to your PC, you need to have a firewire port. The usb only works with the SD, so don't expect that you can transfer the video from the usb port.

I purchased the camera as a gift for my husband in July of 2002. As new parents, we expected that we would want a camcorder to record important moments in our children's infancy and toddlerhood. We have not been able to do so, as the camera has been out of commission or in the repair shop for most of the time we've owned it.

In September of 2003, after approximately 15 total hours of normal use, significant digital noise / pixel distortion and a "head cleaning required" message began to appear. We followed the prescribed procedure and cleaned the video heads with a MiniDV cleaning tape. The problem was not corrected, so we sought repair of the camcorder (to the tune of $240). A rebuild of the drum assembly, supply and takeup reels was performed by a JVC-authorized repair center.

Since then, we have recorded less than two hours of tape, and the digital noise problem has again reappeared. Some research suggests that we are not the only ones who have had this difficulty with our JVC camcorder. Since my difficulties, I have found hundreds of consumer comments that suggest that this and several other models of JVC digital camcorders and DV recorders are riddled with digital noise problems.

I have never been so dissatisfied with such a major purchase and am currently seeking a full refund from JVC. Wish me luck.

I owned this camera for 2 years, and used it for lots of kids activities, hockey games and soccer games. I loved the fact that you could take video, and then go home and take still pictures of your video footage. It is nice not to have a digital camera on one shoulder, and a camcorder on the other. It does take a minute to switch to memory to take a picture, and then back to video to take video, but it is not all that bad, especially when you can video the whole thing, and then take still pics of the video. We went to EuroDisney for one of our kids dance recitals, and the camera fell about 3 feet and broke. Since then, I have been using a friends 820U, and even though it is almost the same camera, unfortunately, it does not take still pics as well as the 920U. I think I am gonna upgrade again, the pics arn't as clear, but the video is the same. I spend alot of time taking my video and transferring it to DVD movies to send to my parents back in the states, since we have moved to the UK for a year and a half now. She said she definately feels like she is not missing as much as the grandkids lives with the video I send. It is easy to transfer the video to the computer, and of course, takes a while to edit, since I tape everything! LOL It is a camcorder I would defiantely recommend if you tapes lots of kids activities and wants still pics and video.

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I used it for the first time during my vacation with my family to Southern California last December and it satisfied me very much. The manual is really easy to follow. It felt good in my palm during action. I took some pictures because the 920 is also equipped with memory card. I really proud of this camcorder...

Excellent camcorder. Great picture quality. The original battery life that comes with the camcorder is a little short when I use the LCD screen. Need to buy an extra one.