I have two older camcorders. The first one was an RCA that is very large, and uses tapes. The second one I bought was was a smaller more compact JVC using the mini DV tapes. I was not in the market for a new camcorder. This one was a surprise gift for my 50th birthday from my husband. The JVC camcorder was given to me just in time for parents weekend at West Virginia University. We were headed there for a 3 day weekend of festivities. I was doubly excited now. A new camera to play with.

So here goes. Let me start by listing the maufacturers features and specifications first:

Records DVD-quality video to a built-in 20GB hard disk drive
20GB holds approximately:
4 hours 50 minutes at ULTRA (DVD movie) setting (8.5 Mbps)
7 hours 10 minutes at FINE (DVD) setting (5.5 Mbps)
9 hours 30 minutes at NORM (TV) setting (4.2 Mbps)
25 hours at ECO setting (Internet) (1.5 Mbps)
32X optical zoom (digital zoom to 800X)
2-1/2" color LCD cuts surface reflections and glare for clear, bright views even in outdoor recording
16 x9 Wide Mode
Digital Still Capable to either the HDD or SD card slot
Top JPEG resolution: 640 x 480
SD memory card slot
Dolby Digital 2.0 audio recording
Floating suspension and force sensor systems protect the hard disk from shock and vibration
Digital Image Stabilizer
Auto and manual focus
White balance control
Program AE modes including sepia, black & white, classic film, strobe, and sports
Displays remaining power level and recording time with included battery
Audio/video output (including S-video)
High-speed USB interface
Auto illumination light
Direct photo printing with PictBridge-compliant printers
Power Consumption: Approx. 6.5W
Power Source: (Battery) 7.2V / (AC adapter) 11V
Approx. Weight: 0.75lbs (340g) Without battery / 0.88lbs (400g) With battery
Dimensions: 2.68" (W) x 2.76" (H) x 4.29" (L) (68mm x 69mm x 109mm)
Manufacturer Warranty: 1 year parts, 90 days labor

Let me start with the reasons you might want to buy this camcorder. First of all there are no tapes and no discs. This innovative JVC GZ-MG21U can store approximately 5 hours of DVD-quality recordings on its built-in 20GB hard disk drive. I mean can you imagine filming your entire vacation or family event and not having to carry along all those extra tapes and cases? This means never having to stop and reload a new tape when it runs out of recording time. What a relief that is. I have used this camcorder to film our high school marching band show during pre-game halftime and at several band competitions. My daughter is in the band. I filmed on and around campus while at WVU for parents weekend. I even filmed while a passenger in the car and my husband was driving. The video images were stable even when filming in a moving car.

This JVC model has direct access capability with the 20g hard drive. This makes finding a particular recorded video clip easy to find. When you open the screen the movie clips you recorded are cataloged in thumbnail images. Just select the one you want to view and it's right there instantly. To free up disk space you can easily delete any video clip. You can arrange your clips into custom playlists to facilitate viewing them in any order. The MG-21U records on a blank space on the hard disk each time you record new video footage. Your previous videos are protected and cannot be recorded over.

When you are done shooting your video, just plug in the USB cable to the camcorder and your pc slot. Once downloaded onto your PC you can then transfer to DVD. With the easy to use software for editing your footage, you can even add titles and special effects. You can even integrate still images with your motion video. The audio/video slots on the camera with the provided cables allow you to play back on your TV or even record onto your VCR. My only problem is I seem to forget how to transfer the video from the camera to the pc then to the dvd burner. I have the manual however to consult for the transfer. I have made several DVD's.

The MG-21U uses a 32X optical zoom lens designed to allow more light. With its built in video noise reduction system and image stabilizer your result is a brighter, cleaner-looking picture, even in dimly lit conditions. A built-in LED light illuminates your subjects for more colorful video in dark environments and can even be set to turn on and off automatically. The marching band events I film are always at night. I have gotten clear video without any special lights.

The MG21 even has digital photo capability. You can use the hard disk for storage of digital images, or use the SD card slot to store images to the removable card. I have not used this feature yet, as I have a 4.0 megapixel digital camera. The camcorder's advanced image processor handles video and still images separately to deliver optimal performance for each. I am going to buy an SD card and try the digital camera feature.

The standard battery that comes with the camcorder provides 1 hour and 10 minutes length for taping. I plan to upgrade to the larger oem battery, available at Best Buy for $69.95. It provides over 4 hours of taping time. The battery is easy to charge. It charges in about 3-4 hours.








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