The 2002 Videomaker Best Products of the Year Awards (page 2)

Best Analog Camcorder
JVC GR-SXM740 S-VHS-C
While it was not the smallest or least expensive analog camcorder we saw this year, JVC's beginner-friendly S-VHS-C camcorder did boast the highest quality image, and that was enough to push it to the top of our list. The SXM740 includes a full feature set and the potential convenience of being able to play the tapes back in S-VHS VCRs (with the included adapter).
www.jvc.com
$500

Most Innovative Camcorder
Sony DCR-IP220 MICROMV
This year Sony combined impressive 2.1 megapixel still capabilities with the new MICROMV format in its ultra-small IP220 camera. In our tests, the quality of the unique MICROMV-format video was indistinguishable from comparable Mini DV camcorders under normal viewing. With a style that looks like no other camcorder, this was a fun and easy camera to use. Despite some limitations when editing MICROMV video on a computer, for the home and vacation videographer, this is an eminently portable all-in-one imaging device.
www.sel.sony.com
$1,999

Best Turnkey Editing System Over $6,000
Laird DVora AVID Xpress DV 3.5
Ready to go pro? You can now get yourself into a no-compromises Avid system for well under $10,000. The Laird DVora system, with a full compliment of video inputs (including YUV) and professional XLR audio inputs mounted on a steel, rack-mountable break-out box, is the way to go. The performance, stability, features and price of the DVora made this our choice at the top end.
www.lairdtelemedia.com
$7,499

Best Turnkey Editing System $2,000-$6,000
1 Beyond 660 SE+ Canopus DVStorm SystemOne inherent problem with reviews of computers is that by the time the review hits the stands, something faster and cheaper is already out. The problem is even more acute with yearly awards. When it was released, the 1 Beyond 660 SE+ was the fastest machine we had ever seen. With the robust real-time capabilities of the Canopus DVStorm SE+ card, dual-AMD processors and hundreds of gigs of storage space, this was our dream machine. Although this particular box has since been superceded, take a look at the latest faster-better-cheaper 1 Beyond machines.
www.1beyond.com
$5,995

Best Turnkey Editing System Under $2,000
Apple eMac
The cute integrated monitor and low price of this machine might make you skeptical about its performance, but the bottom line is that, with the included iMovie 2 editing software, the eMac does a nice job editing video. Apple made our choice easy in this category by throwing in a DVD SuperDrive and iDVD 2 to make discs.
www.apple.com
$1,499

Best Editing Laptop
DVGear DVMobile Pro Dell Latitude C840
We don't award ties, but if ever there was a tie, this would have been it. The winner in this category depends on what you need. For raw performance, hardware features and price, the 1 Beyond DV Pro 2600 laptop ($3,995) takes top honors, but the primary characteristic of an editing laptop is portability, and the DVGear-configured Dell is 33% lighter and explicitly designed for the road. We also preferred the distinctly sharper LCD screen and the comprehensive Adobe Digital Video Collection software.
www.dvgear.com
$4,749