Well I'm messing around with a JVC Everio Camcorder. I seriously (perhaps foolishly) thought the footage would be as good as my GL2's.

It records to a propritary *.mod file. I change it to a *.mpg file and it plays fine in various video players like WinDVD.

My question is this: The 30GB hard drive in the camera holds 7 HOURS of footage. That is around 4.5GB per hour, as opposed to 16GB per hour that mini DV tapes use. I'm assuming this compression of data is what makes the files look more jaggy/digital looking?

Are future tapless (hard drive based) HIGH Definition Camcorders going to have similar issues? Will the 16GB/hour storage rate be radically reduced?

Thanks for any insight on this direct to disk camcorder's technology and reading through this newbie's question.

Sincerely, Rolland

The Everio MC500 & new 505 are 3CCD cameras and come close to what a GL2 can produce. The problem is the JVC's use MPEG-2 compression and Dolby Digital sound and produce those .mod files you mentioned which is a modified mpeg-2 wrapper. Mpeg-2 footage occupies around 4GB/Hr with the HQ setting while Mini-DV uses 13Gb/hr- big difference. Mpeg-2 and DV use different compression schemes and all things considered equal DV will/should produce better video.

JVC recently announced a new 3CCD hi-definition camera to be released in 2007 which will store the files on an internal hard-drive.....there's no mention of the compression method used but I'm guessing mpeg-2.......keep an eye out for that camera- it might be just what you're looking for.