The questions are grouped by ProHD product, in the following order:

• GY-HD100E & GY-HD101E ProHD Camcorders
• BR-HD50E ProHD Recorder / Player
• DR-HD100E ProHD Hard Disk Recorder

• What is the difference between GY-HD100E and GY-HD101E?
• Why bother with two different models GY-HD100E and GY-HD101E?
• For what applications should the digital in and out of the GY-HD101E be needed?
• What is the difference between the GY-HD100U and GY-HD101E models?
• Exactly what items are included in the JVC camcorder standard package?
• What other accessories are available?
• Does it play DVCAM format?
• Does the GY-HD100/101 record on DVCAM format?
• Will DV recorded on a JVC deck also playback in a Sony DV player/recorder?
• Does the 1080i provided by Sony's HDV2 produce an improved image quality over JVC's 1080i output?
• Why are the new HDV cameras less light sensitive than many current DV cameras?
• Why is there no high gain Lolux circuit to improve the low light capabilities?
• Can both the Viewfinder and LCD panel be on at the same time?
• Does the camera have external time code input? Can the TC or user bits be preset?
• What are the three User buttons for?
• How many camera set-ups can I save?

• Can the BR-HD50E up-convert recordings made in DV and DVCAM?
• Does the BR-HD50E have HD SDI in and out (or as an option?)
• Is a JVC HDV1 player/recorder able to play back Sony HDV2 recordings and vice versa?
• Does the BR-HD50E have external time code input/output? Can the TC or user bits be preset?

• Can I record HD on the DR-HD100 Hard Disk Recorder and SD on the tape at the same time?
• What options of control do you have of the DR-HD100 from the GY-HD100?
• What are the differences between DR-HD100 and the similar looking FS-4?

GY-HD100E & GY-HD101E ProHD Camcorders - Answers

What is the difference between GY-HD100E and GY-HD101E?

The FireWire (IEEE1394) port on the GY-HD101 allows input as well as output of the digital signals HDV (High Definition) and DV (Standard Definition). The GY-HD100 will only output. This is the one and only difference.

Why bother with two different models GY-HD100E and GY-HD101E?

The EC duty rate is significantly higher for digital recording devices that have an external digital input port. JVC has consequently chosen to offer a lower cost model for those users who have no requirement for an external digital input. (In North America where there is no differential in import duty rates, there is just the one model available, GY-HD100U).

For what applications should the digital in and out of the GY-HD101E be needed?

Any user, who is thinking to purchase now or at some future stage JVC external hard disk recorder DR-HD100, would be well advised to invest in the GY-HD101, because this model allows the captured footage to be reviewed on the camcorder's viewfinder(s).

What is the difference between the GY-HD100U and GY-HD101E models?

Basically the "U" is the model designed for the USA market and the "E" for the European market. In HDV mode there is no difference in record and playback features. The difference is ONLY in the Standard definition DV Mode. The U will only record and playback in NTSC and the E will only record and playback in PAL. This also applies to DVCAM playback.

Exactly what items are included in the JVC camcorder standard package?

• Camcorder (GY-HD100 or GY-HD101)
• Fujinon 16x zoom lens
• Microphone, detachable
• AC Adaptor/Battery charger
• L-ion battery BN-V428U
• Memory Card type SD16MB for memorizing up to 3 camera set-ups

What other accessories are available?

JVC has produced a small compendium of accessories, both JVC and 3rd party, which is constantly updated. The lists include underwater housings, larger batteries, brackets to hold DR-HD100, cinematographic equipment, lenses and lens adaptors, carrying cases and many more items. Please refer to Section E.3 under Essential Information

Does it play DVCAM format?

Yes. The GY-HD100E will playback a standard definition PAL DVCAM recording on the mini-sized cassette. The desktop BR-HD50E Recorder/Player will playback PAL DVCAM in both mini and standard size cassettes.

Does the GY-HD100/101 record on DVCAM format?

No. There are two different formats in which the GY-HD100 and BR-HD50 will record. The first is in HDV mode and this puts down an MPEG2-based transport stream on tape. The second is a standard DCT compressed DV type recording, and is compatible with all current standard DV material and equipment.

Will DV recorded on a JVC deck also playback in a Sony DV player/recorder?

Yes. As noted above, the standard definition DV recording made by the GY-HD100 or BR-HD50 is compatible with all current standard definition DV equipment, and therefore will playback on any regular Sony DV player/recorder.

Does the 1080i provided by Sony's HDV2 produce an improved image quality over JVC's 1080i output?

The 1080i output from the JVC camcorder is a proper 1080 line interlaced output. However, it is sourced from a 720P/25 recorded image as this is the recording format used by the GY-HD100 & 101. It is arguable that progressive pictures are subjectively better than interlaced images and all current flat panel displays are themselves inherently progressive. Progressive capture will not display the usual interfield flicker of an interlaced image as it is a frame based capture rather than a field based one.

Why are the new HDV cameras less light sensitive than many current DV cameras?

Whether 1080i or 720p, the CCD pixel count is much higher in HD cameras resulting in individual pixels being of a much smaller size than their SD predecessors, consequently delivering less output and requiring greater illumination.

Why is there no high gain Lolux circuit to improve the low light capabilities?

Many standard definition cameras have a Lolux facility which increases gain by over +30dB for shooting under extremely low light levels. However with this amount of gain, it does induce some considerable degree of noise, but for, say, news where the shot is very important and you cannot control the light levels, this will not be a real problem.

However, with HDV cameras MPEG-2 compression is used. This is necessary to reduce the extra data of HD, and so allow the same recording time on a tape for HDV as for standard DV. Because random noise is the enemy of compression, the gain is limited to a maximum of +18dB in the camera.

Can both the Viewfinder and LCD panel be on at the same time?

No. To conserve battery life only one can be on at a time. Initially the eye-piece viewfinder is on, and when the LCD panel is opened the viewfinder is turned off and vice versa.

Does the camera have external time code input? Can the TC or user bits be preset?

There is no external time code input. Time code and user bits can be preset using the menu screen.

What are the three User buttons for?

As the camera is small, to stop cluttering the camera with a multitude of controls, three assignable User buttons have been added, which can be configured for the cameraman's own shooting preferences. These could be independently assigned, for instance, to any of the following: Colour Bars, Preset Temperature, a selection of different Black Stretch and Black Compress levels, or Auto Iris exposure trims.

How many camera set-ups can I save?

You can save 2 within the camera itself and a further 3 on the supplied SD memory card. When a camera setup is saved on the SD card, it can be transferred to another camera to ensure they are set up the same.

BR-HD50E ProHD Recorder / Player - Answers

Can the BR-HD50E up-convert recordings made in DV and DVCAM?

The BR-HD50E is a remarkable and versatile high definition studio deck. Besides being capable of recording and playing more than 4 hours of HD material, the unit is a versatile up/down -converter. It is capable of real-time cross conversion from PAL SD and 720P to any DTV picture format. Because it is PAL DVCAM™ playback compatible, it can output DVCAM™ recordings in 1080i or 720p. DTV conversion is output in both analog component HD and digital component (via HDMI.). However it will not format convert from PAL to NTSC, or vice versa.

Does the BR-HD50E have HD SDI in and out (or as an option?)

The BR-HD50 does not have an HD SDI option. An HDMI digital output is provided for connection to HD monitors. A range of third party signal converters is available to transcode the analogue component output to HD SDI. Please refer to Section E.3 under Essential Information

Is a JVC HDV1 player/recorder able to play back Sony HDV2 recordings and vice versa?

No. While both JVC and Sony record in HDV, there are within HDV two variant formats, HDV1 (progressive type from JVC) and HDV2 (interlaced type from Sony). These two variants, whilst conforming to HDV standard are incompatible. The HDV format uses the same track length as standard DV and puts down an MPEG2 transport stream. The HDV2 interlaced format uses a slightly longer track than the standard DV format and lays down elementary streams onto the tape. Please refer to Section D.1 under ProHD Hardware

Does the BR-HD50E have external time code input/output? Can the TC or user bits be preset?

There is no external time code input/output. Time code and user bits can be preset using the menu screen.

DR-HD100E ProHD Hard Disk Recorder - Answers

Can I record HD on the DR-HD100 Hard Disk Recorder and SD on the tape at the same time?

No. The DR-HD100 records the signal from the Firewire (IEEE1394) port. The output from this port will be HDV or DV depending on which format the camcorder is switched to, and so it is only possible to record in the same format on both tape and HDD at the same time.

What options of control do you have of the DR-HD100 from the GY-HD100?

You can configure a selection of control methods from within the GY-HD100 menu. In SYNCHRO mode both the tape and HDD are controlled together for backup purposes. In SPLIT mode the lens Record button controls the tape and the Record trigger button on the side of the camcorder controls the HDD. And finally in SERIES mode the HDD will start recording, five minutes from the end of the tape for extending the record time.

What are the differences between DR-HD100 and the similar looking FS-4?

The following are unique features of the DR-HD100:

• Recording status displayed in camcorder's viewfinder
• Power management integrated with camcorder
• Uniform black housing to match camcorder
• Customised bracketry for DR-HD100 and camcorder.