JVC

Enhancing the loudspeaker voice through alcohol

CHIBA, Japan--Who said work and drinking don't mix?

A number of years ago, during an economic downturn, JVC had to lay off an engineer who had worked for the company for around 20 years. Sometime later, the engineer was in a tavern with a friend when he contemplated the squid snacks.

Why, he thought, are the squid so flexible? The bartender told him they soak in sake first.

The engineer had an insight into how to tackle a problem that had vexed acoustic engineers for years: how to make loudspeaker cones out of wood. Making speaker cabinets from wood … Read more

JVC, Kenwood partner on car tech development

Two of the biggest names in the aftermarket car tech world joined forces this week as Kenwood and JVC (known as Victor Co in Japan) announced they had set up a joint company to develop technologies for car electronics and home audio equipment. The new entity, called J&K Technology Corporation, will make use of the combine intellectual property rights of each company and appears to have been set up with a view to reducing distribution and development costs and harnessing economies of scale.

According to a translation of the official press release on Kenwood's Web site, the … Read more

JVC KT-HDP1 continues the HD Radio rollout

Following the release of HD Radio-compatible products from Sony and Dual this week, JVC today released details of what it calls the industry's first plug-and-play HD Radio receiver. The KT-HDP1 is an transportable AM/FM/HD Radio multicast tuner that can be used as portable device or can be permanently installed in a car. The KT-HDP1 is the second HD Radio-capable device from JVC, following its in-dash KDR-HD1 car stereo that we saw earlier this year. The portable tuner is on its way to Best Buy stores now, where it will be on sale for around $130 excluding installation … Read more

New JVC headphones sound like running shoes

Just got the press release on JVC's new in-ear HA-FX66 headphones. For a second I thought I was looking at a Nike press release after I read the headline "JVC Introduces In-ear Air Cushion headphones" and that they "use a soft cushion of air to provide a secure, comfortable fit."

The release goes on to note that JVC's research shows that "consumers' biggest problem with in-ear headphones is their tendency to fall out." (Wow, guys, you needed to conduct a study to come to that conclusion?) "The HA-FX66 headphones tackle that … Read more

JVC's vertically challenging camcorder

Had enough of IFA yet? Not us. We're excited about JVC's offering from the tech show in Berlin. Say "guten tag" to a new MiniDV camcorder, the GR-DA20.

It's quite a wide beast, the reason becoming apparent when you turn it around. The 61mm (2.4-inch) LCD screen doesn't flip out of the side, like on just about every other camcorder ever. Oh no. JVC has thrown out the rulebook and gone crazy with a wacky vertical-sliding screen.

The advantage of this unique arrangement is that you are looking straight at your subject, so … Read more

The world's new largest TV?

Tucked away on the JVC stand at this year's IFA trade show in Berlin was a little surprise. A 110-inch LCD projection TV, using three D-ILA--or to use the more descriptive name, liquid crystal on silicon--chips, through which light is projected to create an image on screen.

Easily the most impressive thing about this telly is the fact that it uses very little power. Indeed, JVC claims it uses roughly the same amount as a 37-inch LCD screen. That means that it drinks less precious electricity, which puts less of a strain on our planet and the bunnies can … Read more

JVC's new high-def hard drive camcorder

Earlier this year, JVC released the Everio GZ-HD7, an ambitious high-definition hard drive camcorder. Apparently it wasn't quite enough, because JVC just announced a smaller, less expensive follow-up to the HD7, the Everio GZ-HD3.

Strikingly similar to the HD7, the HD3 uses the same 3-chip sensor configuration and the same 60GB hard drive as its bigger brother. Unlike the HD7's 10x Fujinon lens, though, the HD3 uses a new 10x Konica Minolta-branded lens. The HD3 crams all of these neat features into a smaller, lighter body, measuring over an inch shorter and weighing a fifth of a pound … Read more

JVC HD camcorder leaked, not enough fingers to plug holes

Akihabara News made a big oopsie and posted a story about JVC's forthcoming Everio GZ-HD3. Though the page was quickly pulled, camcorderinfo.com managed to snatch the photo and a few details. A JVC spokesman admitted to me that Akihabara News had signed a nondisclosure agreement for information about the product, which provided a tacit admission that the product really exists and isn't just a rumor.

According to camcorderinfo.com, the HD3 will record HD video at only 1,440x1,080 in JVC's standard MPEG-2 TS format; the GZ-HD7 offers 1,920x1,080 "FHD" video, … Read more

JVC takes aim at Bose with more affordable high-end noise-canceling headphones

Every few weeks it seems someone's announcing a new pair of noise-canceling headphones that are designed to take on Bose's ultrapopular--and ultraexpensive--QuietComfort line of headphones. This week's entry is the JVC HA-NC250, the company's new top-end noise-canceling headphone.

The formula's pretty simple for creating--or at least attempting to create--a pair of Bose-killers. Make them sound good, look luxurious and comfortable, and then price them $100 less than the Bose QuietComfort 2 headphones, which sell for $300 (the smaller QuietComfort 3's go for $350).

This is what JVC has to say about the HA-NC250:

"… Read more