Not to be outdone by Sony, JVC has a little something up their sleeve. Michael Silbergleid from DigitalTV magazine asked me to post this up:

"I got this little nugget from JVC for my April issue of
DigitalTV-Television Broadcast which comes out at NAB, but Dave
Walton at JVC is allowing me to make it public today.

Here's the short report as it will appear:

"JVC, which had cornered the professional HDV market with its
JY-HD10U camcorder (and GR-HD1 model for the consumer market), will offer a preview of its new 3-CCD ENG-style HDV camcorder at NAB. The new CU-VH1 clamshell HDV VCR will also be shown."

Now things get VERY interesting.

--------------------
Michael Silbergleid, Editor
DigitalTV - Television Broadcast Magazine"

- heath

Hehe, poor Sony! I guess things are beginning to get interesting.

My guess is the improved HD10 will be announced soon and ship by June/July. It would only be minor cosmetic changes and a firmware upgrade, so were not talking any great time frame here. This would put JVC in a very good market possition. $2000+ less than Sony's DSR 0000, or $1000 more for the new 3-CCD ENG-style HDV camcorder. I think JVC can be agressive like this because they don't really have any ultra sucessfull SD lines to phase out.
Ken

Good point, though I think JVC felt the pressure when Sony made the press release for CeBIT.

So maybe a new HD10 (cosmetic improvements), though I doubt it...And a new ENG 3 chip JVC HDV, plus the Sony HDV 3 chip (VX2000-looking camera). I'm excited!

heath

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of HD.

Please, JVC, please 24p! Now that would really have Sony shaking in their boots!

24P is not included in the HDV standard. However, they could maybe implement it the same way Panasonic implemented it in the DVX: shoot 1080/24P, then record it with 3:2 pulldown out to 1080/60i. That would be supremely cool.

Agreed! NAB will be very interesting this year.

This is "repetition of unconfirmed reports," so take it with a grain of salt, but here are a few JVC data points I've read from other sources over the last week or so:

1) Don't expect an "improved" HD10 at NAB or any time soon.

2) The camera that's being referred to as a 3-CCD ENG-style HDV camcorder is being talked about as having a significantly higher price tag than the $3K-5K price range of the existing, or an "improved", HD10.

3) It's not out of the range of possibility to see the 3-CCD high-end model be introduced as "HDVPRO"; backward-compatible with the HDV format, but able to record and playback at a significantly higher bit rate.

No matter what it is, of course, we only have a month or so to wait in order to see it.

Best wishes,
Len Feldman
Riverbend Entertainment

I used to like hockey, but I think this has become my new favorite sport! Kind of like the build up to the trading deadline, getting ready for the playoffs!
Ken

<<<-- Originally posted by Len Feldman :
3) It's not out of the range of possibility to see the 3-CCD high-end model be introduced as "HDVPRO"; backward-compatible with the HDV format, but able to record and playback at a significantly higher bit rate.-->>>

Now that's an interesting thought...

Let us not forget that it was JVC who first introduced us to "Digital-S", which became D-9 and DVCPRO50. Maybe they will indeed support some sort of higher-bitrate encoding.

Very interesting indeed!

<<<-- Originally posted by Len Feldman : This is "repetition of unconfirmed reports," so take it with a grain of salt, -- >>

Len,

The editor from DigitalTV magazine told us JVC okayed the info and announcement on this camera, because of the Sony HDV camera. That's pretty confirmed to me. DigitalTV is part of UMedia.

heath

Heath:

I wasn't referring to your post; I was referring to my own, which aggregated comments from threads on other boards that have discussed what JVC might or might not be planning to show at NAB. Since I was repeating information from unverified sources, I said that my own post was a "repetition of unconfirmed sources." Sorry for the confusion...

Sincerely,
Len Feldman
Riverbend Entertainment

Len,

My bad! :-)

heath

Shame JVC doesn't put out a photo and specs, like Sony did. Then we'd have something to talk about! ;-)

heath

I too have been interpolating the various points of rumor to arrive upon a hazy glimpse of what NAB 2004 may look like. (And a little of NAB 2005 thrown in for good measure as well.) Total speculation. Fodder for Area 51 perhaps, but for what it's worth, here it is:

http://geocities.com/mammacow3/

All I know is that the Sony cam is going to sell like hotcakes.

See you at NAB!

-Lorin

They have to bake those hotcakes first. I hope we don't have to wait till 2005 to eat them!
Ken