JVC GZ-X900

Motion (9.2)

The JVC GZ-X900 records full 1920 x 1080 HD video using a 50i frame rate. The camcorder does have some a few slow motion modes that use high-speed frame rates, but all of them capture extremely low quality video and clips can only be a few seconds long. The high speed record options are 500fps, 250fps, and 100fps. The faster the recorded frame rate, the slower the final video will be. So, for example, recording 4 seconds (the maximum clip length) at 250fps will result in a 20-second slow-motion video. The slow motion modes are something that can be fun to play around with, but since the image quality is so poor, they aren't really useful for much else. (More on how we test motion.)

Motion, along with sharpness, is one of the positive aspects of the GZ-X900's video performance. The camcorder captured very smooth motion in our test—some of the smoothest motion we've seen this year. There was quite a bit of blur and trailing, but it wasn't too much worse than what we usually see from high-end HD camcorders. Artefacting was also present, but it wasn't a problem. The X900 doesn't offer any alternate frame rates for HD recording, so all video is recorded at 1080/50i (except for the low-quality slow motion modes).
 

The Sanyo VPC-HD2000 is a unique camcorder because it records HD video using a 60fps progressive frame rate (most consumer camcorders record interlaced, 50i HD video). This progressive frame rate allows for smoother motion and less blur when the video is viewed on an HDTV that can handle a 1080p signal. The Sanyo still has plenty of artefacting, however, so its motion isn't the best we've ever seen. A 60i and 30p mode are also included on the HD2000, both of which can be used to record full HD video.

The Panasonic HDC-HS300 captured decent motion in our testing, but it wasn't quite as good as the GZ-X900 or the Sanyo VPC-HD2000. The TM300 had some issues with trailing, a bit of artefacting, and it wasn't as smooth as the other two camcorders. Its motion wasn't bad, however, and its results were average for a camcorder of its class. Panasonic includes a 25p option on the HDC-HS300 that is designed to make footage look more cinema-like.

The JVC GZ-HD320 had similar motion rendering to the GZ-X900, except it had more artefacting and wasn't quite as smooth. The HD300 also doesn't offer the slow motion frame rate options that are found on the X900. What you can also see from these videos is how much sharper the GZ-X900 is than the HD300. When viewing these videos, keep in mind they've been heavily compressed during the upload process. Click on links to the HD versions for a better idea of the image quality on each camcorder.

Video Sharpness (12.53)

The JVC GZ-X900 captures video with excellent sharpness and clarity. We measured its horizontal sharpness at 1000 line widths per picture height (lw/ph) and its vertical sharpness at 650 lw/ph. While the large disparity between horizontal and vertical is a bit disconcerting, the truth is this is an exceptional video sharpness score overall. No other consumer camcorder we've tested this year has been able to crack 1000 lw/ph for either horizontal or vertical sharpness. (More on how we test video sharpness.)

Video Sharpness Score Comparisons

The X900's outstanding sharpness represents a major improvement over the JVC GZ-HD320, which only managed 550 lw/ph horizontal and 600 lw/ph vertical. It is also significantly better than both the Sanyo HD2000 and the Panasonic TM300.