JVC GR-C1
The JVC GR-C1 VideoMovie was a camcorder released in March 1984 by JVC and was notable as the first all-in-one VHS-C camcorder, as opposed to earlier portable systems in which the camera and recorder were separate units linked by a cable. It used a 30-minute VHS-C video tape, which could be played back in a standard VHS VCR using an adapter. The camera was also capable of playback in the viewfinder or through a composite video cable. A separate RF modulator was available to enable connection to the aerial socket of domestic televisions. By comparison, the camera's nearest competitor at the time, Sony's Betamovie, could record but not play back. JVC invented the VHS format and released the first VCR of that type, the JVC HR-3300, in 1976. Unlike later CCD-based camcorders, the GR-C1 uses a 1/2" Saticon pickup tube. It was also released under license and in a black finish by German company Telefunken as the 890 Movie and in a dark red by German company SABA as the VM 6700. The GR-C1 was voted one of the top 100 gadgets of all time. In popular culture The JVC GR-C1 was famous as Doc Brown's video camera (operated by