News

JVC Unveils 2004 Line-up (25/3/2004)

JVC's 2004 line-up is packed full of new technologies- wireless Home Cinema, DVD recorders coupled with either a 80GB or 160GB HDD and nine new flat panel TVs including a 50" Plasma with Optical Wireless transmission. However the most unusual and exciting innovation is JVC's Wood Cone speaker technology, which took over 20 years to develop and involved a process of soaking in Sake (Japanese rice wine).

CRT

JVC's line-up will be stronger than ever. Eleven new models will offer a wide range of technologies; from entry-level 28" widescreen TVs to top of the range Digital TVs with DIST picture enhancement technology and PAL Progressive component input.

LCD & Plasma

2003 saw huge growth in the LCD and Plasma sector and 2004 is going to be no exception. Last year JVC stepped away from the traditional silver frame and introduced the infinity black design throughout the LCD and Plasma range. For the ultimate designer look JVC will now offer Bellini Italian designer stands made especially for JVC (at an additional cost).

JVC will launch their first ever 50-inch W-XGA Plasma complete with Optical Wireless technology (also available on the 42") alongside their new 35-inch and 42-inch plasma TVs with built-in-tuners and speakers. JVC now have nine flat panel TVs ranging from 17-inch to 50-inch including the latest plasma and LCD technologies.

Home Cinema

In 2003, Home Cinema was the only growth area within Audio Systems taking sales away from traditional areas such as Micro and Mini Systems. This trend is set to continue into 2004 and JVC are ready to take the market by storm with a range packed with the latest technologies and options to cover all consumer preferences, meeting the demands of this growing market.

The Adagio brand will be continued with a new range of home cinema systems. The new Adagio QP range will feature a variety of high specification A/V control centres, with a variety of speaker and DVD options including Multi-Format DVD Recorders and Hard Drives. The top of the range QP-F90AL will come complete with a combined DVD Recorder and 160GB Hard Drive, five direct drive pole speakers and give a massive 700W of Digital sound output. New technologies such as wireless connection will be introduced on the TH-SW8 and TH-SW9, as well as Omni directional rear speaker technology, which disperses the sound 360 degrees for a fuller sound effect.

DVD Players

Last year all JVC DVD players featured a minimum 54Mhz Video Converter as standard and this commitment to picture quality will continue into 2004 even with the lead-in models. The design however is slicker and technologies like PAL Progressive have been added across many models to take the viewing experience to even higher levels. A highlight product is the XV-NP10 Media Station with two multi-card slots and DIVx playback.

Audio

The convergence story continues in 2004 with the advent of DVD playback within Audio Systems, giving the consumer even greater value and flexibility and providing another choice for the Home Cinema customer. Despite the conventional appearance these systems include the latest in picture performance such as Pal Progressive Scan and the inclusion of MP3, WMA and JPEG playback. One of the most exciting stories is the launch of the EX-A1, a truly radical take on the traditional Micro system. The speaker technology is the world's first and has taken Japanese engineer Mr Imamura 20 years to develop! The speaker cone is made out of birch wood and soaked in Sake to allow the wood to mould without cracking. The theory behind it is similar to a violin, guitar, piano or any other wooden instrument, which produces an amazing natural sound through wood. The engineer believed that speakers could be musical instruments too. The sound has to be heard to believe.

Recorder

The way we watch our television programmes and how we record them is changing. Analogue VCR is now in decline, DVD/VCR combi decks are booming and new recording methods becoming more and more popular. JVC's 2004 line-up will address these changing demands and trends. JVC's newly designed analogue VCR range incorporating both NICAM and S-VHS technology will provide consumers with a high quality VCR offering. JVC's DVD/VCR combi decks are also available in both NICAM and S-VHS. Sporting two different designs the emphasis will be on the superior S-VHS model with a blue illumination bar and PAL Progressive component output.

In the new emerging sector of recorder technology - Hard Disc Drive (HDD), DVD Recordable - JVC has a range to cater for all users. The DR-M10 is a multi-format standalone DVD recorder. This incorporates DVD-RAM, which drives the Live Memory simultaneous record/playback function; -RW (VR mode and Video mode) and -R recordings are also available for total flexibility. On board DigiPure Noise Reduction Processing ensures the highest possible picture quality of both recordings and playback. In addition the Flexible Recording (FR) mode sustains high quality recordings for longer. PAL Progressive component output and iLink DV input connections are also included.

There are three other models from JVC within this sector. The DR-MV1 combines the DR-M10 with a NICAM VCR. Incorporating twin tuners and the ability to dub from VHS to DVD-Rec and visa versa, this model offers the user entry into the DVD recordable market while at the same time the comfort of still being able to play there VHS library.

The DR-MH20 and the DR-MH30 combine the DR-M10 with Hard Disc Drive technology. A 80GB memory in the DR-MH20 enables the user to record between 17 hours (XP mode) and 136 hours (FR mode). The 160GB memory in the DR-MH30 doubles the capability (34 - 272 hours of recording depending on the mode). Both these models provide the user with the flexibility of HDD technology for total control of their television together with the archive solution of DVD recordable disc.

Digital Camcorder

JVC's emphasis this year will be on picture quality. The highlight for the digital camcorder line-up is a 3D Noise Reduction (3DNR) system that reduces picture noise distortion by a 1/3, especially in low-light conditions. A colour viewfinder, built-in auto LED light, new CrystalView LCD monitor and Power-Link operation also come as standard. All models have a fresh, new compact design. In addition, an F1.2 Aspherical Super Bright Lens (on the vertical range GR-DX28/57/97) will produce significantly brighter recordings for both moving and still images; a 1.33 Super HS Megapixel CCD will also help to produce clearer, sharper and more colourful recordings. Other highlights include a Microphone Input (Vertical range) and colour "trim" options to distinguish the models within the range.

Still image resolution has also been enhanced with UXGA digital still capture available on the Megapixel models. All digital camcorders (excluding the GR-D23) come complete with a USB Interface and Video CD creator software that enables film footage and images to be easily transferred onto PC, then burnt onto a VCD or DVD.

Mini Note PCs

The current Mini Note PC MP-XP731 is JVC's 3rd generation unit with an enhanced external drive incorporating a DVD/CR-RW and improved connectivity. Coming out in June will be the MP-XP841 JVC's 4th generation Mini Note PC. The new model will feature built-in DVD/CD-RW drive, improved processor and connectivity specifications.

www.jvc.co.uk