Sony Handycam DCR-DVD403 DVD Digital Camcorder

This camcorder takes, by far, the best video and a ...

Posted Jun 27, 2005 - This camcorder takes, by far, the best video and audio of any camcorder I've ever owned (this is my third). And that's really why we buy camcorders, right? The Good: o Wide-screen camera, takes up full screen when played on wide-screen TV o Camcorder view screen is wide-screen also o Dolby 5.1 surround-sound that REALLY works (when played on surround sound speakers) with BUILT-IN microphone (no external mike needed) o When you’re filming, it picks up your voice great and since you’re behind the camera, it plays mostly out the rear speakers on the home theater – very cool o Results (with normal resolution) look and sound as good as a DVD o Good in low-light (even no light) – like all SONY’s o Very few buttons, most functions available via touch screen menu (like new SONY’s) o The zoom button is proportional – the more you press it, the faster you zoom o Records directly to DVD’s in real DVD format (VOB is in TS_VIDEO folder), supports DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD+RW o The DVD+RW format can be played on some DVD players without finalizing (closing) the DVD o It comes with a 2-hour battery o It has a 3 mega-pixel CCD o The still pictures are the best from a consumer video camera (almost as good as a regular 3MP digital camera) o The stills are stored on the same DVD as the video, just in a different folder (no hated memory stick) The Bad: o It uses mini-DVD’s (8cm), not full-size DVD’s (12cm), so at normal resolution (which is very good), you only get 30 minutes of recording per DVD. Note that the best resolution only gets 20 minutes per DVD, and the resulting high frame rate is too high for some DVD players. Low resolution gets 60 minutes per DVD, but the video looks like a bad copy. Use normal, and buy multiple DVD+RW’s. o The on-off switch is very plasticky and flimsy. It feels like it will break easily. o The microphone is very sensitive. Some people complain about wind noise being picked up. I haven’t experienced this myself, but it hasn't been particularly windy when I've been fliming outside. o Analog zoom is only 10X (almost sufficient) o No manual zoom ring o It’s expensive ($1,000 list), $200 more than (almost) comparable DV cameras o Supposedly the DV videotape format has better resolution since it’s not compressed (DVD uses MPEG2 compression). This supposedly makes DV superior for editing, although I haven’t tried any editing yet. o The camera has built-in editing capabilities, but to use these, you must use a DVD-RW and record in a non-standard mode (VR). You’re better off recording in a standard DVD mode and editing the video on your computer. Everything on The Bad list is minor. The video results of this camcorder are absolutely amazing! The only thing I’ll truly be unhappy about is if that damn on-off switch breaks. The camera only comes with one DVD-R (write-once). You’ll want to buy DVD+RW’s (rewritable, no finalization necessary) and after you shoot video, copy them to large DVD’s. I bought a 3-pack of mini (8cm) DVD+RW’s from sony.com ($27.55 including tax, free shipping) before I ordered the camera. This way I had the DVD’s on hand when the camera arrived. I couldn’t find mini DVD+RW’s anywhere else at the time. So I carry 90 minutes worth of video at a time. I’ll probably buy a second 3-pack, too, along with a second battery, when the price comes down. This way I'll have three hours of recording time.

95% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful , unhelpful, or inappropriate?

An excellent camcorder!!! I bought this camcorder ...

Posted May 31, 2005 - An excellent camcorder!!! I bought this camcorder for my wife. We are expecting a baby pretty soon, and wanted to get a camcorder to capture the moments to come. This is our first camcorder, although we both have experience in digital photography. I had no background whatsoever in camcorders, so I started searching. It had to be easy to use. It had to have good resolution. The downloading of the video had to be a breeze. This camera fit all of these criteria. I didn't want to get involved with the conventional 8mm tapes. The DVD format makes it really easy to take care of your data. And oh how easy it was to operate! My wife opened up the box and just started using it on her own, while I was trying to read through the "Getting Started" portion of the instructions. The downloading is pretty simple. -R and -RW media needs to be "finalized" before being inserted into a DVD player (+RW media does not even have to be "finalized".). Or, you can just download via USB 2.0. I don't have anything to compare the images to since this is our first camcorder. But the images are really nice. Especially the "nightshot" capabilities of Sony helps in the dark. Overall, I would really REALLY recommend this camcorder for anyone just starting out with camcorders. It's well worth the $750 (after a $25 rebate) !!!!!!!!!!!

94% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful , unhelpful, or inappropriate?

Comment about this review

Excellent Camcorder

Posted Jul 8, 2005 - This camcorder is excellent. I did quite a bit of research between the Panasonic GS250 and this model, Sony DVD 403. I am glad that decided on this model. First, the picture on playback is great and the sound is very clear as well. I also appreciate the ability to quickly watch a recorded DVD just by popping the mini DVD (after finalizing) into the DVD player. Second, the cam operates well in lowlight. Third, if you zoom in and out slowly, the picture stays in focus pretty well. After practicing filming my daughter, I do realize the importance of getting a tripod to keep the cam steady. (You would not realize how difficult it is to keep your hand steady for a long period of time.) I also purchased a UV filter and intend to purchase a polarizer filter as well. the UV filter is a must to protect your lens and I use a polarizing filter in my SLR camera so I can't wait to see the picture enhancements on the cam. This is a great cam for anyone looking to shoot quality videos without the hassle of taking time and energy to do major editing.

93% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful , unhelpful, or inappropriate?

Comment about this review

Overall, the DCR-DVD403 is an excellent camcorder ...

Posted Apr 15, 2005 - Overall, the DCR-DVD403 is an excellent camcorder for the price. The only part of the design which I really don't like was the power switch which is very hard to operate when hodling the camera on shooting position. Furthermore, it doesnt look like it would last long. I only had the camera for a couple of days and the power switch seem to be mechanically unstable now and it might break soon. Also, very difficult to remove the disk from the camera.

91% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful , unhelpful, or inappropriate?

Comment about this review

I got this camera after looking at the reviews and ...

Posted Jun 3, 2005 - I got this camera after looking at the reviews and doing a lot of research to replace my lost MiniDV camera. The quality of the video and audio is outstanding. This camera by far has the best low light video that I have seen. The picture looks great on a 16:9 format TV with absolutely no pixalation. The fact that the DVD can be played in any DVD player immediately after shooting the video is a big plus. The video looked better than the video that I shoot using my JVC GR-DVM90 MiniDV camera in progressive scan mode. The zoom on this camera is pretty smooth. The still picture quality however is not that great, it does not even compare to the quality of pictures taken using my Olympus 3.2MP camera. But they look a lot better than a 1MP pictures and they are decent. I did test the video on the HQ mode (20 min. per disc) to make sure that there was no frame skipping as experienced by one user and did not find any. The software supplied with the camera is pretty basic and is pretty much worthless other than downloading the video in MPEG format to the computer for further editing. The files on the miniDVD could also be copied directly to the hard disk, but they are in the VOB format. Many freeware VOB tools can be use to extract the audio and video into MPEG format if required.

90% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful , unhelpful, or inappropriate?

Comment about this review

Excellent Camcorder all the way around

Posted Feb 24, 2006 - I wanted to wait awhile before I commented, so that I could use all the features and see how the recorder handles. After two months, I have to say that I am completely pleased with this camcorder. This camcorder takes an absolutely excellent video and the quality is unreal. As for the photos, I think they are terrific. We continually heard how not to expect good pictures from a camcorder. Well, I have seen way too many digital cameras that just plain stink. This blows them away. 1 The price is fabulous, especially using this site to find the best deal, we paid a little over 700 with everything included. 1 The mini-dvd is easy to handle and easy to use. If you use an -RW you can edit right on the camcorder. Otherwise, just transfer to your computer and put on a large DVD for consolidation or just finalize and use the mini. Don't know where people are buying their mini, but they don't cost as much as people make out. Buy 10 for $25 and I am sure that will go down. You can record up to 60 on the least quality and I haven't found too much problem with that, except when it is not light out you will want a better quality, thus cutting your time down. If you want something else besides a mini-dvd, then buy another camera. You will be hard pressed to find too many cameras that do everything. Mini-dvds and hard drives are the camcorders of the future, so you can buy your tapes and everything, but be careful, you are out of date. 1 The battery to me seems to last a long time as we have yet to have any problem with it. We don't record entire ball games or anything, but then again, if you are and you think any camcorders basic battery is going to last, you may be in for a surprise. This battery lasts at least 2 hours as long as you arent continually using it to watch what you just did. 1 The sound is real good, but maybe too good and not directed enough at the source. You pick up everything and I mean everything. Not really a problem, just be careful of wind and not zooming fluidily, as you can pick up the sounds of both. 1 The touch screen rocks and works really good. The zoon is nice but a little too touchy. Probably my fault and I need to learn to be more gentle, I don't know. I found the software hard to load on the computer and a little confusing, but that is why I married someone smarter than me, as she figure it out right away. 1 There are a lot of features and they do take time to understand, but the touch screen helps out and it is a fun camera. All in all, I am overjoyed with this purchase, and I hate to spend money, so that says a lot. 1

90% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful , unhelpful, or inappropriate?

Comment about this review

This is my first camcorder and I couldn't be more ...

Posted Apr 19, 2005 - This is my first camcorder and I couldn't be more pleased. I had always been waiting for the DVD-R medium to develop and from what I've read and heard Sony has more or less perfected the technology with this 3rd gen offering. The DVD403 utilizes very well Sony's famous steadyshot and nightshot technologies. The 16:9 aspect ratio is perfect for those with widescreen TVs. The 3MP still shot feature allows the DVD403 to easily replace the average digital camera. My only real gripe is that I wish the DVD-Rs had a higher capacity but hopefully that will come with time (and only be a function of changing the DVD-Rs and not the whole camera).

88% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful , unhelpful, or inappropriate?

Comment about this review

After an extensive research i got this camcorder, ...

Posted Apr 27, 2005 - After an extensive research i got this camcorder, which is my first dvd camcorder and I am very impressed. The quality of the video it's fantastic. It is very easy to use. The playback is a piece of cake . You don't have to rewind and forward all the time. You just select the play mode and all the videos and pictures which you have taken are already there!! The software needs kind of improvement but that's not an issue for me. This camera is a value for money. I 'd recommend it to everybody! You can't go wrong on this one!!!

87% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful , unhelpful, or inappropriate?

Comment about this review

So I got this camera for pretty cheap at only $800 ...

Posted May 24, 2005 - So I got this camera for pretty cheap at only $800 - $25 rebate makes it a damn good deal. First day I received the camera, I put it to charge. As it charged I used it and under house light there was some noise, but not that noticeable, but to the camera enthusiasts they will notice. I brought 3 pack dvd-rw Sony brand($15) once you get the 3 pack, your ready to go. You don't need anything, at the lowest quality setting the dvd-rw can record 1hr, at highest quality 30mins. Trust me you may think 30mins is not enough, but it is enough for one dvd-rw at highest quality settings. I recently recorded something thinking it'd be few hrs worth and put it in the lowest quality setting, what a mistake, at the end the recorded time was ~30mins, wish I had recorded it at highest quality setting. Even at lowest quality setting it is pretty good. The sound quality is good because its surround sound so it picks up alot more than you want to so be careful.(Dolby Digital 5.1). I gave this 4 stars because of the 2 weaknesses I put up above. Guess I just can't have enough optical zoom. Overall I would recommend this camera sub-$800

87% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful , unhelpful, or inappropriate?

Comment about this review

I upgraded from my Sony Hi8 to the Sony DCR-DVD403 ...

Posted Apr 19, 2005 - I upgraded from my Sony Hi8 to the Sony DCR-DVD403 on 01 April '05 for $750 + s&h. I have been doing a lot of research on the different DVD models available in the market. 403 is the latest of all. Here are some Pros. 1. Has 3 CCD which means true-to-life color. 2. The 3 MP picture mode also delivers good pictures. (Though I have a 5 MP digicam, its still handy to know that 403 can take good quality digi pics) 3. The best of all that I like is the way you navigate through the recorded scenes. No more REW and FF's and no more accidental over writing. 4. Each recording session is stored as individual tracks. What this means is that you have smaller files to edit and manipulate. Which means less time consuming while editing. 5. The touch screen is another feature that I like. No messy buttons on the body like other models. 6. Watching video in wide screen looks good. Its compatible with normal TVs as well. 7. The line-in recording is super. I can convert any movie to a DVD. 8. It operates good in low light. Now lets come to some cons. 1. The view finder, is always straight. I would have appreciated if it can be tilted up and down like other Sony Camcorders. 2. Mini DVD media is expensive. I work around this by having a few DVD-RWs. 3. The provided software, Picture Package, is a YUK. I never like it. You can use PP to only burn a MiniDVD on your camcorder. It cannot burn on my external DVD burner. Why would you wan to burn a MiniDVD? But one good thing about that is that the sound can be converted from 5.1 CH dolby to the normal 2 layer stereo. If you ask me why you want to do that, the answer is, if you want to use the MPEG with 5.1 CH Dolby on your other video editing s/w's like Photo Studio etc., you will not hear the sound. You need to convert the audio before using other s/w. I currently use PIXELA Image Mixer (This is provided for other older Sony DVD models) and its able to recognize the 5.1 CH sound. DVD encoding is also excellent in that software. If you can get a copy of that, then you need not use Picture Package at all. Overall, The best DVD camcorder in market.

86% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful , unhelpful, or inappropriate?

We've been using this miniDVD camcorder for about ...

Posted Jun 18, 2005 - We've been using this miniDVD camcorder for about 6 weeks and have been very impressed with it. The color, contrast, and resolution are superior. The image stabilization was great as was demonstrated when I forgot to bring a tripod to my daughter's graduation and had to hold the camcorder while recording the 1.5 hour ceremony. The 16:9 aspect ratio is wonderful, it makes you think you're watching a movie in the theater.

86% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful , unhelpful, or inappropriate?

Comment about this review

I have got PAL version (DCR-DVD803E) of this model ...

Posted May 14, 2005 - I have got PAL version (DCR-DVD803E) of this model few weeks ago. It has got the stunningly good performance with ease and convenience. Briefly the Pros & Cons: PRO's: 1. Convenience in playing back the recorded miniDVD in computer or set-top DVD players immediately after finalization. 2. 3M-pixel CCD Resolution (3.05M still and 2M video effective pixels) (1/3 inch size CCD means better video quality) 3. Very good low light performance 4. No need of rewinding, forwarding for blank space search with miniDV. 5. No possibility of accidentally video getting overwritten as with miniDV (in case of overlook) 6. 16:9 recording (Wide) 7. 5.1 Channel Dolby digital surround sound recording and in-built 5.1 ch enabled mic. 8. Excellent still quality equal to digital camera of 3M 9. Can edit MPEG2 after downloading clips from miniDVD and finally record into bigger DVD. 10. Provided software does the conversion of audio from 5.1 ch to stereo for compatilbility with many softwares. Till 5.1 ch enabled encoding softwares are available, the miniDVD could be copied directly to 12cm DVD without loosing such audio performance for home theatres. 11. Did not get wind noise when recorder with Mic ref level as LOW in breezy or auditorium atmosphere. Cons: 1. DVD (MPEG2) format is not recommended over DV for extensive editing. 2. May need to change miniDVD's (30min SP) for recording more often than a miniDV tapes (1 Hr. SP). But, this is not an issue for most of us as we may take a logical break (Standby during unimportant scene) well with-in leass than 30 min to change the mini DVD.

84% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful , unhelpful, or inappropriate?

I will get a “telephoto” mic. The “easy� ...

Posted May 19, 2005 - I will get a “telephoto” mic. The “easy” button lets you get started right out of the box. I got it Thursday and used it at a dog show Saturday. (My dog became an International Champion) I use the rewrite disk and then burn them on the cheap large disks. I highly recommend it.

82% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful , unhelpful, or inappropriate?

Comment about this review

This is the best camcorder I have, it is very smal ...

Posted May 16, 2005 - This is the best camcorder I have, it is very small and has big performance. The quality of pictures are great. The battery is longer than other batteries of other brand name.

80% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful , unhelpful, or inappropriate?

Comment about this review

Sony Handycam DCR-DVD403 DVD Digital Camcorder

Posted Jul 14, 2005 - Recorded video is of excellent quality. The camcorder captures strong, bright colors, and smooth movement in both indoor and outdoor lighting. It is user-friendly and the buttons fall comfortably under the fingers of the right hand. The battery life is better than I had expected. I am very satisfied with the product. I really recommend this camcorder to everyone.

80% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful , unhelpful, or inappropriate?

Comment about this review