Quick Camcorder Review: JVC GZ-MG37

Following up on last year's GZ-MG30, the penultimate model in Everio's hard disk drive (HDD) camcorder line, the GC-MG37 has a MSRP of $799.  The camcorder captures video to a 30GB HDD, enough for 7 hours of the highest quality video and 37 hours of the lowest quality. We want to warn you, however:  the high quality is not that great to start with, and the low quality is very low.

The MG37 is equipped with a 1/6” CCD, the same as last year's model. Both produced terrible video: color fringing, noise, and bad color balance. Part of the problem with these camcorders is the data rate, which is more than twice as slow as a MiniDV camcorder. Though DVD camcorders have the same rate as the Everios, the MG37 is far worse than some comparatively priced DVD models.

In low light, the MG37 completely fell apart. All JVCs come with a particularly potent automatic gain control (AGC). Most camcorders employ some type of gain, but this AGC brightens the picture too much; nearly all the color information is lost at very low light levels and noise becomes a big problem. If you turn the AGC off, the picture darkens to the point of near-blackness. Again, the MG37 was one of the worst performers of the last few years.

For all its performance deficiencies, the GZ-MG37 is an easy camcorder to use. By definition, HDD camcorders are simple – no tapes or memory cards to change, no DVDs to scratch or lose, and no mechanisms to open and close. Navigating through the menu is done with a joystick located on the outer edge of the LCD panel. We love a good joystick, and this design does the job nicely. The menu has its eccentricities, but the layout is simple. Additional features like a battery life and HDD capacity indicator make this camera easy for even the greenest user to operate.

An Auto mode button is located in the LCD cavity of the MG37. Automatic controls are decent. The exposure works well, but the white balance is poor. Simple auto controls like backlight compensation and spot exposure control (in which you move a target across three zones on the LCD to adjust exposure) make you feel like part of the team without letting you ruin the picture entirely.

The manual controls are also good – not as good as those on Panasonic models, but much better than Sony offers. You can adjust shutter speed, white balance, focus, and exposure (in EV steps). All these controls can’t make a fundamentally bad image any better, however, and they feel like wasted features.

Still features are rare on the MG37.The MG37 can capture JPEGs to the HDD and SD cards in only one size, 640 x 480.  For additional still functionality, the step-up model, the MG77, is a better choice.

By free software standards, the MG37 does ship with a good editing package. The CyberLink bundle features PowerProducer, PowerDirector, PowerDVD, and Digital Photo Navigator. Altogether, the package allows novices to create some fairly good-looking DVDs.

Unfortunately, the footage itself will not look that good, and this is the main reason we cannot endorse this camcorder. Almost every other camcorder in the $800 range produces far better video than the MG37. Poor picture, combined with insufficient audio input and poor battery life (82 minutes), make it a tough sell. We don’t doubt that HDD, or something like it, will eventually eclipse camcorders with removable media. For now, however, the choice is clear. Stay away from the GZ-MG37.

JVC GZ-MG37 THE BOTTOM LINE Rating: 166.88

Likes

-Convenient -True wide angle of 55 degrees -32x optical zoom -SD memory card for still images

Dislikes

-$200 additional software purchase for Direct to DVD capabilities -Terrible menu structure -No analog-to-digital pass-through -No mic input

JVC GZ-MG77 Rating:	Sony DCR-HC96 Rating:225.67	Sony DCR-SR100 Rating:	Panasonic SDR-S100 Rating:204.24	Panasonic VDR-D100 Rating:178.42
Better	Better	Better	Better	Better
-Imager size is vastly larger and should result in higher video quality and resolution -Still image  resolution options	-Simple auto mode controls  -Electronic color viewfinder  -Proprietary hot shoe that accepts microphones, video lights and flashes  -Poorly placed, but present, in-camera flash  -Video color and resolution -Superior sampling rates -Low light capabilities  -Electronic color viewfinder  -Analog to digital pass through	-Built in flash for added illumination  -Certain Vaio computer owners won't have to pay for Burn to DVD feature -Electronic Color Viewfinder  -Proprietary shoe will allow for mic and video light connection  -Larger imager (by far) should lead to potentially better video and low light results  -Analog to digital pass through capabilities  -S-video both in and out	-Super compact -Even if dropped, damage shouldn't affect memory card -Video performance superior in terms of color accuracy and resolution -Manual control over gain levels -Far superior menu structure is both logical and simple to navigate -In camera flash -2.8 inch LCD screen -Highly portable -Optical zoom stabilization	-Low price  -Better color accuracy and video quality  -Electronic color viewfinder  -Manual control over gain  -Menu layout and appearance
Equal	Equal	Equal	Equal	Equal
-2.7 inch LCD  -16:9 wide angle mode  -30 GB hard disk drive  -SD cards for still images  -Direct to DVD burning  -Lacks a viewfinder for secondary monitor option  -External control layout  -SD memory card   -S-video out port  -Manual control over focus  -Manually alterable exposure and white balance settings	-Price range  -2.7 inch LCD screen  -Manual focus option  -Manual exposure control	-2.7 inch LCD screen  -30 GB drive  -Hard Disk Drive media  -Manual focus -No mic-input that isn't proprietary	-Exposure can be manually adjusted  -Digital control over manual focus  -SD memory card (although only SD memory card)  -MPEG2 recording format  -Manual shutter speed  -No viewfinder  -Manual control over white balance setting	-Comparably poor image quality and resolution  -MPEG2 format  -Resolution quality was similar  -Manual focus is digitally controlled  -Manual shutter speed  -Manual control over exposure levels  -Manual setting for white balance  -No mic-input  -Electronic image stabilization
Worse	Worse	Worse	Worse	Worse
-10x optical zoom range  -Higher MSRP (although only $100)	-Touch screen interface system falls short of the JVC ease-of-use   -No manual control over shutter speed  -Aloof original position of white balance will have to be remedied by restructuring menus  -No gain control  -Proprietary memory card format for still images  -10x optical zoom max.  -Smaller wide angle field of view	-Higher MSRP of $1100  -Proprietary memory format  -10x optical zoom	-Only includes a 2 GB SD card  -10x optical zoom has a poor control interface  -Wide angle field of view is lacking in comparison	-Crop and zoom widescreen   -No memory card option with this budget DVD camcorder  -30x optical zoom   -2.5 inch LCD screen  -No still capabilities