Filed under: Home Entertainment

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/tech_news/End_Of_An_Era_JVC_finally_shuts_the_door_stops_making_VCR’; We were fully prepared to start harshing on VHS as a dead-end technology that never went anywhere during its time in retail (as a joke, of course), and out of nowhere, a bona fide tear slowly ran down our left cheek. Today, friends, is a day worth remembering. Today truly marks the end of an era, as so far as we can tell, JVC really was the only company still producing standalone VCRs. Of course, the outfit will continue to serve customers with a need to play back VHS tapes by offering up DVD / VHS combo units, but those looking for a shiny new slice of retro in 2008 will be out of luck after remaining inventories dry up. All told, over 900 million VCRs were produced worldwide, with 50 million of those boasting a JVC label. We simply couldn’t think of a more fitting way to put the iconic VCR (which just turned 30 in 2005) to bed than by hosting up a poll and soliciting your input — here’s hoping the videocassette lives on in your domicile in one form or another, even if it’s just the resident dust collector.

[Via Impress]

Standalone VCR party finally ends, JVC shuts the door as it leaves originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Betcha didn’t see this one coming, did you Philips? No sooner than the aforementioned company unveiled a rather striking 56-inch Quad Full 3D HDTV over on the left coast of the US did Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) and JVC Victor one-up that with a 72-inch prototype of their own. Revealed at CEATEC 2008, the Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) set doesn’t even require viewers to sport those face-consuming glasses to experience the effect. In essence, the display utilizes multiple projectors to really emphasize that elusive third-dimension, but the viewing angle is understandably limited. Oh, and we hope you’re not too geeked up about this — NICT stated that we probably wouldn’t see these in the commercial realm before 2011. Ah well, at least there’s IMAX to hold us.

[Via Gearlog]

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

While JVC Victor hasn’t promised us a review unit just yet (cmon, we’re still begging here), we did get a chance to get up close with its SDHC concept camcorder today at CEATEC. Designed for the more sophisticated user (as opposed to family users, they tell us), the camera will shoot both high-quality HD video and stills, something they say has yet to be done in a device. The upcoming Everio is slated for release in the first half of 2009 at an undisclosed price, but JVC promises the unit is, indeed, coming. In the meantime, we’ll have to make do with these new shots in the gallery below.

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

[Via TechRadar]

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

JVC has pushed out a release today clarifying some of the claims it made back at CEDIA 2008, and by and large, it’s things that prospective buyers will want to hear. The company introduced an HD foursome of projectors in Denver earlier this month, but apparently, some of the specifications it included weren’t, shall we say, final. Looking specifically at contrast ratio, we see the DLA-HD750 and DLA-HD20 jumping from 30,000:1 to 50,000:1, the DLA-RS10 going from 17,000:1 to 32,000:1 and the DLA-HD350 doubling up from 15,000:1 to 30,000:1. Also of note, JVC is now highlighting the 16-step fixed aperture in the DLA-HD750 and DLA-RS20 that “helps eliminate extraneous light that can reduce contrast levels and allows adjustment of brightness to suit user preferences.” As for updated prices, you can expect to pay around $6,000 for the DLA-HD350, while the DLA-HD750, DLA-RS10 and DLA-RS20 come in at $8,000, $6,000 and $8,000 in order of mention.

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Wireless

With Belkin’s FlyWire just about to hit the market, JVC’s planning to ride the wave and produce a wireless HDMI box of its very own. The unit was said to be a last minute addition to its CEDIA arsenal, and the representatives on hand weren’t even briefed on what wireless technology the demo was using. Of note, there was a live demo involving no smoke nor mirrors, where the box received a 1080p signal via HDMI and beamed it out to a hidden receiver that was connected to an HDTV via (you guessed it) HDMI. JVC is obviously aiming for consumers with just one primary set-top-box (a PS3, for instance), and the plug-and-play nature means it can work with any source and any display so long as HDMI is involved. Pricing hasn’t been set, but we were told to expect a Q1 2009 launch. Check out the prototype in the gallery below.

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Filed under: Displays

Look, we wouldn’t want to be paused for your wicked, Quad HD amusement either. But seeing such a vivid demo on JVC’s 4K2K (4,096 x 2,400), super high definition LCD as we strolled through IFA’s digital playground reminded us of something: maybe not everything looks better in Quad HD. Think about it before you hustle on over to Japan for Panasonic’s 150-inch Quad HD set next year.

All juvenility aside, the image above was created using JVC “soon to arrive” ultra high-definition player attached over dual-link DVI to the 4k2k display. The video uses MPEG-4AVC compression to convert the 6Gbps original 4K source into 50Mbps. More pics in the gallery below.

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

Another tradeshow, another chance for DivX to add juice to its symphony of new consumer hardware. Listen closely so your attention’s undivided as the first DivX HD-compatible DVD player from a major manufacturer, the LG DVS450H, stands ready to play back full length HD flicks from disc or USB flash drive. Turkish manufacturer Vestel is back to straighten the facts, introducing the first DivX-capable STB for Europe in the t5000. It’s still undergoing DivX certification, but promises a firmware update should be the only thing needed to ensure complete compatibility. JVC steps up to make the people unite with its first Blu-ray player, the NX-BD3, carrying DLNA and DivX certs to acquire content via wired or wireless networks, and play back DivX files from DVD or CD after it goes on sale in September.

Read - LG
Read - Vestel
Read - JVC

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

The appearance of Blu-ray HTIB systems under a number of brands is an encouraging sign that the format is at least trying to move into the mainstream living room, and now JVC’s thrown its hat into the ring with the 2.1-channel NX-BD3. Of course, simply pulling bits off of Blu-ray discs isn’t enough entertainment value these days, so the system also sports DLNA support, a 200-Watt powered sub and a 4×55-Watt amplifier (leaving you two channels to grow into). At £799 ($1,465) for a 2.1-channel setup, you might expect to get the latest and greatest in Blu-ray tech, but Profile 2.0, DTS-HD MA and Dolby TrueHD didn’t make the cut — let’s hope some sort of “market adjustment” happens between the time this appears next month and when it crosses the pond.

[Via Electronista]

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Filed under: Portable Audio

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Filed under: Portable Audio

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

Finished digging through the gallery of hands-on shots, have you? If you’ve been hankering for a review of JVC’s especially capacious GZ-HD40, Engadget HD has the goods. Head on over for the full spill.

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Filed under: Digital Cameras, HDTV

Engadget HD managed to acquire one of JVC’s Everio HD40 camcorders — you know, that HD shooter with 120GB of onboard storage. If you’re interested in seeing it get unboxed and manhandled (along with comparison shots with Samsung’s delightful SC-HMX20C), click on over and enjoy. For those wanting some serious impressions, keep a check on this space — we’ll be forming some opinions and penning a review here shortly.

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Filed under: Portable Audio

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Filed under: Digital Cameras, HDTV, Portable Video

We got a quick look at JVC’s new AVCHD camcorders today, the GD-HD40, GZ-HD30 and GZ-HD10. Of note, the HD40 comes complete with a dock for extra hookups like FireWire, and the HD40 and HD30 can shoot video in MPEG-2 for higher quality and easier editing. JVC has done some serious work on noise reduction on all of the cameras, but from the samples shown, it comes at the cost of detail — some of the vids we saw looked more like watercolors or 3D renders than true video. Hopefully that’s something you’ll be able to configure to your liking, and we’re glad JVC is leaving MPEG-2 on here to avoid compression that might exacerbate the problem further. That said, most users are going to be very pleased with the kind of color and low noise they can get at night or in badly-lit rooms. The cameras are certainly small for their feature sets, but at about a pound apiece they feel pretty heavy for their size. Otherwise the build is standard JVC fare — not too fancy, not too plain. We also got a chance to peep some over JVC’s other new consumer gear, so check it out in the gallery below.

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Filed under: HDTV

It’s no secret the rest of the display industry hasn’t been happy with Vizio shaking up the low end with its cheap HDTVs, and now Mitsubishi and others have joined in a lawsuit accusing the manufacturer of refusing to license necessary patents. The 15 patents allegedly violated are for MPEG-2 compression that Mitsu, Sony, Samsung, Philips, Thomson, JVC and Columbia University of New York claim Vizio refuses to license. Vizio says it don’t need no stinking licenses, since its suppliers already have them and it believes these licenses extend to its products. MPEG-LA also filed a similar suit against Target’s TruTech house brand of televisions; while we’ll have to wait for a ruling on the case to see who is right, it seems if they can’t compete with these lower prices, other manufacturers will make sure cheap HDTVs cost more to make. For its part, Vizio says it does not believe this suit will have a materially adverse impact on its business, so for now, let the low-price flat screens roll.

Read - Mitsubishi, Samsung Sue Vizio Over Video Patents
Read - VIZIO Comments on MPEG-2 Lawsuit By Electronics Competitors

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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment

For the folks that just can’t let go, JVC is introducing a new duo of recorders that handle VHS, DVD and HDD-based logging. Predictably, the DR-HX500 holds 500GB while the DR-HX250 gets a 250GB drive, and outside of that, both units are identical. You’ll find a built-in analog / digital TV tuner, an HDMI socket and all the dubbing features you (or your grandmother) can handle. It should be noted that digital TV recordings can only be stored on the HDD, but it is possible to capture a digital show there while copying an analog broadcast to VHS / DVD. The pair is all geared up to land in multi-generational homes this July, with prices being pegged at ¥95,000 ($906) and ¥75,000 ($715), respectively.

[Via Pocket-lint]

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

If you’ve been feeling like those videos you’ve been making of you and your friends dancing to “Lipgloss” haven’t been landing on YouTube fast enough, JVC has got you covered. The company is launching the new Everio S Series GZ-MS100 camcorder, a cheapo model designed to get your clips onto the internet as fast as humanly possible. Utilizing CyberLink software and a dedicated “upload” button on the camera, you can share your embarrassing moments with the world in no time at all. The GZ-MS100 records to SD card, features touch sensitive buttons and scroll-bar, and retails for the ultra-affordable price of $349.99. In June, all of your grainy, pixelated dreams can come true.

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Filed under: Home Entertainment

Every bean-counter knows that falling prices and shrinking margins add up to one thing - cost-cutting pressure. Now we get word that JVC and Kenwood are merging underneath a single holding company, aptly named JVC Kenwood Holdings. Hopes are high for the new company, with plans to quadruple profit in three short years by focusing on car and home audio. Expect to see more of this kind of merger/acquisition activity, especially among small- to medium-sized companies as more competition — especially from South Korea and China — ramps up. Every JVC share will be exchanged for two shares in the new company, while Kenwood stock will get a 1-for-1 rate. JVC definitely got the better end of the deal, with JVC’s president continuing on in that role with the new company. It will be interesting to watch how this might affect Kenwood/Bain Capital bidding for D&M Holdings.

EDIT: the new company will be called JVC Kenwood Holdings, not JVC Holdings. - Thanks, dcny!

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Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Here’s a curious one. Straight out of JVC’s Japanese laboratory comes the Publio TX-700, which was seemingly created to be used in stores to play back video files and promotional stills depending on what type of sale was ongoing. Still, we see a fair bit more potential in this 7-inch gizmo. It does look a tad bulky — we’ll give you that — but it manages to feature MPEG1/2, MP3, JPEG and BMP format support, an SD expansion slot, built-in stereo speakers, USB 2.0 connectivity and a programmable on / off setting. Unfortunately, we’re left wondering what the screen resolution, price and availability dates are, but feel free to ask the owner of the next retail establishment you find one in where he / she managed to procure it from.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

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