CES 2012: JVC announces GY-HMQ10, world's first 4K camcorder
JVC has blown open the camcorder market at CES 2012 by introducing the world’s first 4K camcorder, the GY-HMQ10.
Expected to cost around £3,300, it houses an 8.3-megapixel sensor that shoots video at a 3840×2160 resolution. Though marginally less than Hollywood’s 4K camera’s, that’s still considerably higher than what you’d see projected down your local digital multiplex. It’s a resolution being identified as QFHD, AKA Quad Full High Definition, or 4 times 1080p.
Incredibly fast recording rates are also nessecary to pull off 4K video capture, and the GY-HMQ10 manages that too. It records at a rate of up to, 144Mpbs, drastically faster than your average 1080p camera’s 25MBps rate.
Recording onto SD and SDXC cards using a variable bitrate (VBR) h.264 codec, the camcorder also features a non-removable f/2.8 lens with 10x optical zoom, optical images stabiliser, 3.5-inch touchscreen and XLR sockets for pro audio inputs.
If 4K resolutions are higher than you need, you’ll still get top-notch 1080p flicks from the camera as well, thanks to the drastically better optical gear tucked in here compared to standard HD camcorders.
4K domestic screens are a little way off yet, but this year’s CES has proved perhaps their strongest springboard yet. It may take a few years, but this sort of camcorder will be exactly what you’ll need to make your holiday videos shine on the next wave of UDTVs on their way.
For more news from CES 2012, click here.
