I purchased an Everio before and it takes amazing video. Sadly the video format it produced was propriety and I had to use find a video conversion program to get the video to be editable in MY video tools as the software that came with it didn't install properly and if it had user forums said it was crap anyway :/
Leaving video on the camera and hooking it up to a TV via HDMI was a great way to view the video but sadly the only practical way
Here's part of a
review for the HD300, but the info should be the same for the HD500.
The JVC GZ-HD300 uses AVCHD compression (based on the MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 codec), which is essentially the standard for consumer HD camcorders that capture video to flash memory or an internal hard drive. While AVCHD compression has improved over the years to a point where it produces very good video, it also comes with a standard warning: AVCHD footage can be very difficult to edit using non-linear editing software. Clips are large and full of information, which makes editing the video sluggish and problematic on old or weak computers. Check out the Editing section of this review (below, after Media) for more information on this topic.
The camcorder can record video in 4 quality settings, ranging from 5Mbps bitrate on the lowest to 24Mbps at the highest quality. 24Mbps is actually the highest bitrate allowed for AVCHD footage, so the HD300 is pushing the codec to its far end with its highest quality setting. HD camcorders from Canon and Sanyo can also record at 24Mbps, while models from Sony and Panasonic top out at 16Mbps and 17Mbps respectively. While many people make a big deal about maximum bitrates, the truth is we've noticed very little difference between a camcorder that records at 17Mbps versus one that does 24Mbps. All video recorded on the GZ-HD300 is captured at a 1920 x 1080 resolution using the AVCHD codec.
...offers more internal editing options than your average camcorder. There's the basic options, like making playlists and dividing or trimming clips, but there's also some fancy post-production faders (white or black) as well as transition wipes (slide, door, scroll, or shutter). Now, using these tools to create a little video isn't the easiest process in the world, but it is a nice feature to play around with a few times. For people who want more control over their videos (as well as an easier platform for editing them) the camcorder ships with the Everio Media Browser HD software. The program's main function is to assist with video importing and organization so you can get your clips onto a computer. Other features include DVD creation, video exporting, and uploading to YouTube. The software is also compatible with the HD300's one-touch features that allow you to quickly upload, export to iTunes, or burn your videos to DVD. Unfortunately, these one-touch systems weren't as easy to use as they sound, and the software made things more difficult than they needed to be. The Media Browser software is also not compatible with Macs.
