Death to the VCR
Written: Dec 25 '03 (Updated Dec 30 '03)
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Pros: Excellent styling, good color saturation, easy to use,
nice video editing software included.
Cons: Out of stock most of the time. Mini DVD software is a bit pricey.
The Bottom Line: Recommended for its ease of use and Sony dependability. The concept of going straight from the camera to the dvd player for playback is a big advantage.
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| johnofjr's Full Review: Sony Handycam DCR-DVD300 DVD Camcorder |
For many years, the VCR has been a "die-hard" product that refuses to go away. Well, finally, its' demise is inevitable. The DCRDVD300 will have a lot to do with the validity of the VCR.
The camcorder has many features and functions that will overwhelm the average user, but the plus is that this unit will not be obsolete for a long time to come.
The look and styling certainly lets you know that it is a Sony product. The build quality is exceptional and it is very durable for a camcorder that uses such delicate parts and mechanisms. The DVD slot is on the right side of the camera, and it uses a mini-dvd disc which is the same size of a mini-cd. The disc will hold about 90 mins of recording time in the low resolution mode and 30 mins in the highest quality resolution mode. I recommend purchasing a few DVD-RW discs to start out with so that you have the capability of recording and erasing, and then stepping up to the DVD-R format once you become an intermediate user. The RW's are a little pricey, but they are worth it, especially in case of emergencies.
The 300 model features a 2.5" screen while its little brother, the 100 model has a 1.5" screen. The features are similar on both models, and there is a $200-300 price difference in the two. The camera comes with a battery that will yield about 2 hours of recording time. I recommend a spare battery because using the lcd screen and the zoom feature will bring record time down to around 35-45 minutes. The night shot mode is pretty handy if you need to shoot in the dark. The picture quality will not be all that great in night-shot mode, but it serves its purpose. The zoom on the camera is reasonable. Playback is relatively easy. USB and firewire connections make streaming to the computer a breeze.
The camcorder also comes with pretty cool software that helps you transfer your video to your computer in the form of album compilations, thereby making it easy to organize, name, and store all of your recordings.
I see nothing but great things for this camcorder's future. The only complaint I have is that Sony is always in short supply on it's very popular items. Consumers who choose to shop around for the best price will be out of luck during the holiday season because this unit is in short supply, and the price line is being held pretty firmly if you are fortunate enough to find it in stock.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1099.99
Recommended for: Trendsetters - Hip and Stylish Gadgets
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Epinions.com ID:
johnofjr
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Location: Sandy Springs, Ga
Reviews written: 26
Trusted by: 5 members
About Me:
Helping someone make an informed buying decision while saving them money always makes me happy.
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