JVC is the latest company to offer pocket camcorders. They’re calling theirs “Picsio”. The GC-FM1 is the first model, offered in Black Ice, Blue Steel and Purple Passion.
The camcorders utilize CMOS image sensors. They record in 1440×1080, progressive, and take 8-megapixel stills. Electronic image stabilization is provided, and the camcorder includes a 4x digital zoom. The video is stored on SD/SDHC cards, encoded as H.264 and saved with a QuickTime wrapper. There’s an HDMI output, and a USB port for transferring video and charging the camcorder.
So, are pocket camcorders the netbooks of the camcorder world? Just something that’ll get the job done but will be a passing fad for the current economy? Or are they here to stay? And if so, what’s their role? First camcorder to give a kiddo? The camcorders they’ll eventually be passing out to students on the first day of school? Gateway drug of choice for someone who thinks they want a camcorder? You be the judge, our lines are open.
Here come the next-gen iPods. These little candy-colored players are available at a steal of a price compared to previous generations ($179 for 16GB nano is a great deal, particularly for a genuine iPod). Not only does the 16GB nano also include an FM tuner (about time, if you ask me) but they also include a video camera. It’s a simple camera, to be sure; recording only SD video in H.264 with AAC audio; but for a lot of people, that’s all they’ll ever really need. We’d expect it to operate a lot like a cell phone camera, but just easier to find your footage after it’s been shot (once you sync your iPod, at least).
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