JVC Everio GZ-MG30 30 GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder w/25x Optical Zoom | 
| Brand: JVC
List Price: $799.99
Buy New: $349.99
You Save: $450.00 (56%)
New (2) Used (3) from $294.50
Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 24503
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: Yes
Optical Zoom: 25
Digital Zoom: 800
Display Size: 2.5
Maximum Focal Length: 50
Minimum Focal Length: 2.2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 4.3 x 2.7 x 2.8
MPN: GZMG30
Model: GZMG30
UPC: 046838021787
EAN: 0046838021787
ASIN: B000A13YFM
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | 30 GB hard-drive camcorder; high-quality MPEG-2 recording | | • | F1.8 lens, 680K CCD, 25x optical zoom, 800x digital zoom | | • | 2.5-inch clear LCD monitor, power linked operation | | • | USB 2.0 high-speed interface | | • | Three-dimensional noise reduction for clear picture |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
No Tapes and No Discs. This JVC GZ-MG30 has a built-in 30GB hard-drive that is capable of recording up to 37 hours of video in a palm-sized, lightweight (14 ounce) digital-camcorder. You don't need to use replaceable tapes or discs. Instead, you can transfer images to other A/V devices at home through composite and S-Video ports or to your computer through the rapid USB 2.0 high-speed interface. There's a large 2.5" LCD screen for convenient viewing of images as being recorded or played. An astounding 25x optical and up to 800x digital-zoom brings distant objects super close for extremely flexible and creative photography. So on your next trip away from home, don't pack any tapes into your suitcase, just get yourself this Everio G from JVC.
The benefits of recording video to a hard disk are the same benefits that have made hard disk-based audio players so popular A? random access to quickly locate desired material, the ability to effortlessly delete unwanted material, and easily rearrange the playback sequence. What's more, there's no danger of mistakenly recording over something that's to be saved. Scene selection is made easy thanks to on-screen index images, so the large amount recorded won't become a hindrance to quick accessibility. And with remote control operation, it is possible to connect the Everio G camcorder to a TV and operate it from a distance. Auto LED Light, Power Linked Operation USB 2.0 high speed interface 3-D Noise Reduction for clear picture MPEG-2 Video Recording for DVD-Movie Quality Footage Image Stabilization - Floating Suspension System; Gravity-like Force Sensor System 640 x 480 VGA digital stills SD Memory Card slot DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) - DCF, PIM 3 and Exif 2.2 for optimized print quality Make Full-length DVDs Easily Convenient TV playback Easy dubbing to a VCR or DVD recorder Simple transfer to a PC or Apple Macintosh fo
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| Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...
 Indoor picture quality not sufficient. May 11, 2006
nishiko (United States)
51 out of 51 found this review helpful
First the good: this camera is small and very convenient in MANY ways and you don't have the cost of tapes or mini CD's. And if you are a little computer savvy, the file format issue that people are always complaining about really isn't that big of a deal. I have Pinnacle Studio Plus 9.x (ie, with all the latest online updates to that version) and it handles the files just fine once you rename the file extension from .mod to .mpg. I've seen a lot of reviews here and elsewhere on the Internet that Adobe Elements Premiere 2.0 also handles the files just fine. I think ULead and a few others might as well. If you aren't that computer savvy (and don't necessarily want to be), then you may want to consider another camera just for this reason alone (unless perhaps you buy JVC's external DVD burner drive and are happy with mostly unedited clips).
However, I have learned my lesson by putting too much trust in Amazon's online reviews and discounting what is said in official reviews too much sometimes. I don't think any of the reviews here mention this camera's poor indoor (low-med light) picture quality... so I figured the official reviews of it I found elsewhere online were just being too picky. PC Magazine does a good job of describing the poor (especially low to medium light) picture quality in their Oct 17, 2005 review of this camera (you can find it by searching PCMag.com - search on "GZ-MG30"). I'm sure there are many other reviews noting the picture quality issue as well.
I am giving this a 2 rating (really s/b about 2.5, no option for that) because I feel the low to medium light picture quality issue is enough to sink this camera for many people... especially at this price (I paid $550). If it was only $400, then I would have given it 3 stars (for overall price/value). If you will be using it almost exclusively outdoors, then I could probably give it a begrudging 4 stars.
For my all-around purposes, I am dissatisfied with this camera and wish I could return it. If you don't have good video quality, then nothing else really matters, does it? For some people, this camera might be just fine, but for the rest, I hope this review saves you from a costly mistake.
 Good product, bad recording format January 8, 2006
James G. Henderson (IA United States)
34 out of 35 found this review helpful
The image quality, small form-factor, small size, large hard drive, and battery life make this a winner. However, the .mod files are a pain in the butt. The only thing that you can view these with is the PowerDVD viewer. In order to convert these files to AVI or MPEG I had to by something called Power Producer, and let the computer work for an hour to convert a large file to MPEG. That's just wrong. The camara should have an option to compress to MPEG. This is similar to what the early Kodak digital camaras, such as the DC-120, did in saving images to the proprietary .kdc format. A royal pain.
Hopefully generation 2 will have MPEG conversion built in.
Anyhow, better and easier than converting from tape. A buy if you need a camcorder now.
 Response to previous question November 25, 2005
Danny J. Page (Orlando)
20 out of 54 found this review helpful
In regards to whether or not you should keep your old camera, that's up to you. Really, most people are turning their video into digital anyways, so it's really not a question anymore. This just facilitates that process. However, keep in mind one thing: digital items fail. Then again, so does analogue. But now instead of having 7 tapes and only 1 failing, you have 7 hours in one spot. Personally, I'd rather this than the old tapes.
Also note, this is the first release of a HDD based video camera. Either A, the price will come down and you'll kick yourself in the butt, or they'll keep coming out with better versions quickly for a while. But this is mostly based off the iPod frenzy. It's just a standard JVC camcorder made to store the information on a different format.
JVC Everio Hard Disk Camcorder February 9, 2006
Joyce Schultz (Ridgefield, NJ United States)
19 out of 19 found this review helpful
I waited a while before writing my review to really experience this camera. I have to say I love it. I went through some trial and error in the beginning but I really am enjoying the camera. I am not a professional videographer so this camera is fine for me. I have been taping all my son's basketball games and after a few times, I finally found a sports mode which works great. The camera is a perfect size. The convenience of not using tapes is incredible. I would suggest downloading your film often. It takes 11 minutes to download about an hour worth of filming. Since the camera can hold over 30 hours of information, I would not suggest downloading all the material at once. I have not used the software that came with the camera. After reading other reviews on the internet, I decided to get Adobe Premier Elements 2.0 which I am very satisfied with. The camera records in .MOD format so you need this software to convert it to MPEG. Yes, it takes a while for the process to complete, but once it is done, it is ready to be burned onto a DVD. You can also save the MPEG file to watch your entire movie on the computer in Windows Media Player. I would strongly suggest having at least a gig of ram and alot of hard drive if you plan on filming alot and keeping the footage on your computer. Even though this is the first hard disk camera, I am very happy with it for my use. Anyone that wants to record family events, games, etc., and is computer literate, this camera is for you. Would I recommend it to a professional videographer? No. The film quality is the same as a mini-dv or hi-8 recorder. The menu buttons are small, but easy to use and simplified. If anyone has this camera and has some good tips for me, please email me [...].
 Forced to use preprietary software playing video files with sound April 21, 2006
W. Dorn (San Jose, CA USA)
16 out of 18 found this review helpful
I got this camcorder yesterday. After taking some video images, I transferred the files to my PC and renamed the file extension from "MOD" to "MPG". It turns out that there is no audio playing the recorded video files using Microsoft Media Player 10. My Studio 8 software also failed to "initialize the audio file". To listen to the audio, I have to use the "Power DVD 5" or "CyberLink PowerDirector Express" came with the camcorder. As we all know that the video image software came with the camcorder is very limited. To do anything meaningful, I have to buy their upgrade. So far, I could not find a way to convert the MPG files to a compatible format so that I can play and edit them in Studio 8 or Media Player. For this reason, I'm going to return the camcorder to the vendor soon.
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