A lot of people writing reviews here seem to think that they're stuck buying expensive small cancorder-size DVD's ($20 for 3) and filling them up with 20 minutes each of high quality video.
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br /For a few minutes extra work you can put your files on your computer and then, when you have enough files to make it worth while, create a new "big DVD." Then you can just reformat your little disk and keep using it in your camera to take more video.
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br /To do this,you must have a DVD drive on your computer. If you don't have one, invest a few bucks in getting an external one.
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br /Also, be sure you record in DVD-RW Video (not VR) mode.
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br /1. First use Picture Package (comes with the camera) to copy/convert the video from your little camcorder DVD-RW disk onto your hard drive in the form of individual .mpg files (You can do this by connecting your camera to your computer via the USP port, or, much more easily, just put the mini disk from the camera right into your DVD drive. )
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br /2. Reformat your mini camcorder disk (which erases all the images) and keep on recording more video.
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br /3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 until you have enough .mpg files on your hard drive to fill a large DVD.
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br /4. Get a piece of software called TIMPGEnc DVD Author 1.6. You can get a free 30 day trial at http://www.pegasys-inc.com/en/product/guide.html
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br /3. Using the Author 1.6 software, first convert all the .mpg files you select into DVD files (which will be stored on your hard drive), then, put a new (big) DVD in your DVD drive and, with one more click, burn the DVD files from your hard drive onto your DVD.
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br /Took me only a few minutes of fooling around with the software to figure out how to do this. (And I'm no computer wizard.)
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br /Now if there was an easy way to stream this stuff over the net, it'd be as useful as my still camera!

I have been using the DCR-DVD403 a lot since I got it and have been using $5 mini-DVD-RW disks. When you put the disk in for the first time the camera asks if you want to format in regular mode or "VR" mode. The VR mode let's you edit the disk in the camera so that's what I use, but I was worried that I would have to finalize the disk in the camera before being able to read the video files on my computer. NOT SO! My $70 aOpen DVD-R/RW drive in my computer reads the disks with no problem and I copied the .VRO files to my hard drive very quickly. I rename the .VRO extension to .MPG and the PowerDVD software that came with the aOpen drive displays my videos beautifully on the computer. The Nero disk burning software (also came with the aOpen drive) lets me compose my video files onto regular-sized (4.7GB 2 hour) disks and they are ready to give to friends and family! What used to take hours with my previous miniDV tape-based camcorder now takes only minutes. It's so nice not to have to capture footage onto the computer before I can use it.
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br /When I don't want to mess around at all with the computer I just use the mini-DVD-R disks, finalize them, and pop them right into my DVD player when I want to watch them.
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br /Besides the ease of use with my computer, the best things about this camera are:
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br /The 3 megapixel camera results in fantastic MPEG videos and also great still images (saved in the mini-DVD disks as JPG files.) I can finally stop carrying both a camcorder AND digital camera because the DCR-DVD403's still images give me the image size and resolution that I want and the camera even has a flash for still images.
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br /VR mode with the mini-DVD-RW disks let's me "on-the-fly" delete scenes I don't want. I couldn't do that with my mini-DV tape camcorder.
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br /The viewfinder is great when I am recording something in very bright light (like at the beach) and I don't want to struggle with the LCD display. Just don't forget to extend the viewfinder when you use it or else the battery presses against your cheek too much. Also, you have to close the LCD for the viewfinder to turn on.
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br /16x9 mode let's me create "movie-style" videos. I tested these on my friend's widescreen plasma TV and they fill up the whole screen without stretching and they look awesome on the huge TV screen!
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br /The included Video-IN cable lets me connect my old camcorder to the new one to transfer my mini-DV tapes to mini-DVD. This is so much easier than using the computer and a capture card.
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br /The sound is fantastic, especially when I heard it on my friends surround sound system while watching the videos on his plasma TV.
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br /Low light shots are very good.
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br /Accessories I plan on buying soon:
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br /A charger that let's me charge my batteries outside of the camera.
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br /Telescoping microphone for even more professional audio.
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br /Wide angle lens adapter and various lens filters.
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br /Sony also offers a video light that attaches to the top of the camera. The low light capabilities of the camera are great by itself but it will be nice to have greater control of lighting. The HVL-HFL1 video light also has a more powerful still image flash than the one that is on the camera.
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This is by far the best camcorder I have ever used. I have owned a Sony digital 8 and two Canon mini DV camcorders. The Canons were a ZR and Elura. Let me just say that the Mini DV is great for editing on my Mac but the video quality would fall off in low light situations. This DVD camcorder from Sony captures some of the best looking video I have ever seen. The media holds only 30 minutes on the standard setting and can be purchased in bulk so cost isn't really an issue. In low light this camcorder blows the others away. The clarity and color are fantastic and rival some of the best camcorders on the market at any price. I cannot emphasize just how well this camcorder functions indoors. Another real surprise comes from the digital stills. This is clearly no digital camera and the pictures have neither the sharpness or smoothness of a digital SLR; but, I have to tell you that some of the pictures I have taken with this camcorder are actually print quality. The pictures store on the DVD itself and show up as a slide show at the end of the disk. It won't replace the digital camera but the tiny flash and decent exposure/color will get the job done. Two gripes though....number one, it can take fifteen minutes to finalize the disk before you can drop it into a DVD plaver.....number two, it really needs a wind filter because you practically lose all your sound if it's breezy. If DVD convenience is important to you then give this a try.

I went through two phases of decision making before I chose this camera:
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br /1. The choice between Mini-DV format and DVD media cameras: I decided on the latter, since I have an old 8mm camcorder, and one of the primary reasons I dont take footage anymore is the hassle I had to go through each time to transfer onto videocassettes or DVDs. Supposedly, this was a much faster process if I would be able to write directly to the 1.4GB DVDs, and then all I'd have to do would be to compose them onto bigger ones. Hence, I decided against mini-DV camcorders.
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br /2. Once I decided on this type of format, then the rest of my choice was easy. At the time I bought my camcorder (~ Oct 2005), this was still by far the best DVD format camcorder available. Great quality video, 5.1 surround sound, exceptional in low light and took great stills. I was tempted by the Canon DC20, in that it was so much smaller and neater. However, since it was so new on the market, there were hardly any reviews and I was worried that it would just be a slightly better version of their DC10 (which seems to have significant picture quality issues).
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br /Having gone with the DCR-DVD403, I have one big complaint: With the Sony software, there is no simple way to transfer over to a full size DVD. You can edit your files to some extent, but can only burn them back to another mini DVD in your camcorder, not to your DVD burner. Sure your DVD burner comes with software, but this only allows you to do Disc copies, i.e. put the entire contents of your 1.4GB Camcorder DVD onto a regular 4.7GB one... A waste of space. Even though I knew upfront that these camcorders were not very good for editing, I for sure thought there'd be a real easy way to put the contents of three mini-DVDs onto a regular DVD with a basic menu giving you a choice of which of the three you want to see at any point in time. Isn't this one of the big reasons why DVDs are better than videocassettes? As it turns out, I have to go buy Video editing software and any sort of file compilation (i.e.to compile ten 30 second clips into 1 large clip with/without editing, takes a very long time unless you have a super, super fast computer). Why again did I not go with a Mini-DV camcorder, I have to ask myself?? (see point 1).

I echo many other reviewer's sentiments about the high quality Sony DCR-DVD403 camera - its great! I am quite concerned about the terrible things I have heard about Sony's support -- I hope I don't ever have to turn in my camera. Fortunately, so far my camera is working flawlessly. Some of the bundled software is a different story though -- what a disgrace! (details below)
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br /Camera Strengths:
br /* fast startup -- just a second or so from 'off' to 'record'
br /* remarkably good color, brightness and contrast, even under low light and other marginal viewing conditions -- its magic!
br /* even when moving the camera or when shooting in a moving car I never noticed any 'skips' or 'drop-outs' -- very reliable
br /* good battery life ... can record several full DVDs w/LCD viewer using one NP-FP71 (hi-capacity battery)
br /* remarkably easy to use and effective optical zoom -- once you get the hang of it, zooming is both smooth and silent
br /* i am a DCR novice but there's few shots I can't shoot well in the camer's "EASY" (full auto) mode -- again, magic!
br /* if what you have shot is 'good enough' As-Is, then the camera's built-in 'Finalize' function creates a DVD that can be played in any DVD player the auto-menu feature works fine.
br /* the camera itself w/the 'RCA' cable is an effective DVD player (small DVDs only), or plays un-'finalized' video ... the included remote is small and convenient
br /* the included PC software to download the video clips (as MPG files) to your PC seems is pretty easy to use and works fine
br /* the included PC software to edit your video clips -- to remove undesired portions of your video clips -- has a slick GUI and seems to work fine. It outputs new (smaller) MPG files
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br /Camera Challenges:
br /* nit: the disk cover occaisionally 'snags' on the velcro strap handle -- when the cover is open the camera does not sit well on even flat surfaces and puts a stress on the LCD monitor
br /* nit: the unnecessary multi-second "SONY disc recommended" message each time you boot the camera is ANNOYING. *sigh*
br /* MAJOR: their bundled ImageMixer EasyStep DVD software is -- simply stated -- terrible! Problems include:
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br /1) when the software encounters errors it often exits! you get NO error message and it simply shuts the window. what's up with _that_? I submit that in today's technology that's criminally negligent software behavior
br /2) the software sometimes pukes on large clips (100MB each) ... what's up with that? (100MB is NOT large for video)
br /3) sometimes -- for no reason I could discover -- the software pukes while building the DVD image. *whatever*
br /4) even when it works, the software does NOT allow you to define the order your clips appear on the DVD, and it has a severely limited menu building capability. *sigh*
br /5) the software ONLY allows you to create DVDs using the camera itself, which means are stuck creating little DVDs that are only about 30 minutes long. In other words, even if you have your own DVD burner you can't write to that. *sigh*
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br /Unless you are creating only short, simple DVDs don't waste your time trying to use ImageMixer EasyStep DVD. I whole-heartedly thank N. Bennett -- see review #10 for this camera -- who suggested using the included Sony software to download and edit the MPG clips (which I do), then use TMPGEnc DVD Author 1.6 to author a DVD image using the MPG files as input. That software gives you full control over the order of the clips and how the DVD menu is structured. That was all I was looking for (i.e., it doesn't do video editing, a whole other story). As the final step I use Nero Express to burn the DVD (works great), but likely any DVD burning tool can be used to write your file system-based DVD 'image' onto blank (full-size) DVDs.
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br /Bottom Line: The Sony DCR-DVD403 is a terrific camera -- I highly recommend it. But plan on using alternative software to author and burn your DVD's. I would have given Sony 5 stars overall but held one star back because of their simply terrible bundled DVD authoring software.

I have to be honest I too was skeptical of this camera till I bought one in late October. This camera is amazing! Some might say well the digial camera part of it isn't that good but it is still 3.0 megapixels and you can record on DVD's! The best thing though about this camera is that you can hook this thing up to your computer and make music videos if you want using your own MP3's! I know that they will make other DVD camcorders but right now it is the best even with the high price tag I have to say that it is well worth it. I have enjoyed mine way more than I ever thought that I would.

The camera is great - when it is working.
However if you need customer service you are in deep trouble. My camcorder developed a problem after about 45 days - and it was my fault. I sent it out to their service center in CT. They could not fix it and sent it back as I had sent it to them. Nothing gained - nothing lost.
I called customer service and they assured me the Sony service center in Laredo TX could fix it. Nope. They could make it inoperable - could not fix it - and REFUSED to return it in the same condition I sent it to them. It was working when I sent it to them with just an annoying problem.
The folks I had called at Sony service now refused to help after they convinced me to send it to TX! By the way, the nicest thing about Sony is their warm computerized voice directing you to the department you need. After that it goes straight down. Incredible hold times- but when you get a human you will get lots of "sorrys" and "I apologize",and "oks" and "very well" but - zilch on help- unless you want to spend $800+ for a fixed camcorder.
Tried to contact a supervisor and was put on hold for a long, long time - and then got transferred to a voice mail. Tried again and I waited, and waited, and waited and waited.
The supervisor with whom I spoke reinforced the Peter Principle very well.
Sony service is about the worst customer service I have ever encountered - and I am older than TV.
Bottom line - I sent them this camcorder with a little problem and they returned it dead.
No amount of reasoning could persuade them to return my camcorder in the same condition I sent it to them. As great as this camera is - the customer service is just as poor.

I spent months reading reviews to find a camcorder that would work well to record my daughter's dance recitals. This camcorder worked very well in low light and zoomed in clearly and quickly. I have recorded over 20 hours to this date, most in low light, but some in bright light.
br /I am a "real novice" at making videos, but this camcorder made a great recording. I had an old JVC camcorder and there is no comparision to the quality! This camcorder was easy for me to learn to use and didn't take more than a few minutes to get started recording. The touchscreen was great to use. I had no problems transferring the video to my home dvd recorder and computer. The remote is very handy during the transfer process. I transferred this to a new Windows XP machine. The included editing software is fun to use and was easy to install. I need to add that I am very tech literate, so what I may consider very easy, may not seem easy for someone else.
br /The battery charges (after the first time) in a couple of hours and does last for the advertised 120 minutes. The amount of time left for the battery and the recording time are accurate.
br /The issues I've had are:
br /The time and date remain on the screen for the entire recording, I can't find how to get them to come on a short time and then disappear.
br /Each Mini DVD RW only holds 30 min of video and it takes at least 20 seconds to eject the Mini DVD and insert another one. When you press the button to eject, it gives you a message that it needs to be finalized to play in another player and has to read the dvd. This process takes about 10 seconds longer if you have to format the new mini dvd after you insert it. This time doesn't count trying to get the hand strap out of the way to get the camcorder open and get the new mini dvd inserted. This doesn't seem like a long time, but it is an eternity when you miss a minute or 2 of recording your child dancing! So you have to plan ahead, have several Mini DVD RW's formatted and numbered, stop recording and change during a break in the action.
br /I use the mini RW'S and transfer them to dvd, so I can use the mini ones again. The mini dvds are pricey.
br /Over all, I've found this to be a great camcorder for the video novice, like me, who may need to record in low light situations. I am very pleased with the purchase of the camcorder and it meets the needs that I have!

I love the camera and it takes fantastic images...but editing your video's is virtually impossible since you cannot plug a firewire or USD cable into the unit, copy it to your PC and just "Edit". You need to convert the timing. MAOR MAJOR MAJOR pain.
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br /This is my 3rd SONY handycam, and I am seriously pissed at this dumb move. I use Windows XP Service Service Pack 2. I see others had some problem with this camera.
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br /Do not buy it if you plan on editing videos.

This camera has built-in lens cover opener. After powering the camera, they should open. Soon after purchasing this camera I started to have problems with automatic lens cover opener. Sometimes they didn't close. I ignored it. Now, they just don't open at all. In a nutshell, after just one year this camera is JUNK!!! I believe that Sony's "precision" gear mechanism opening lens cover has faulty design. Secondly, for such basic thing as lens opener, they could have provided some "push-up" button to unlock it. Don't buy this camera w/o some "protection plan". Sony's warranty is miserly 3 months. Dust accumulation, parts friction or minute dislocation etc could kill this camera after 3 month, then what???

I like the camera so far, and I'd give it higher ratings, but their software support is terrible. Particularly, the DVD403 comes with Sony's PicturePackage and PIXELA's ImageMixer EasyStepDVD. After ImageMixer EasyStepDVD installs there is no icon to launch the program anywhere (this is on XP). Even in the start menu, there is nothing. I located the executable file in the Program Files/PIXELA directory, and ran that. Nothing. You get an hour class for a couple seconds, and that's it. No error message, no dialog box, nothing.
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br /What's worse, if you go to www.imagemixer.com, you wouldn't even know the EasyStepDVD product exists. For that matter, search Google, and you wouldn't know it existed.
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br /Needless to say, I'm a bit disappointed. I'm going to have to buy Pinnacle Studio or something in order to edit these DVDs.

Here are some pluses: advantage of dvd on the fly. Reasonable picture quality. Amazing sound quality when original DVD is played back on a 5.1 capable DVD w/ apropriate decoders in place.
br /But... reason for 2 stars:
br /1. Poor image quality in other than perfectly lit scenes (say in-door evening events vs. beach in full summer sun)
br /2. Sony claims to be able to get good image even in low light situations. True, but to the cost of losing color spectrum and fading the image sharpness.
br /3. Editing software is downright childish. No use for someone willing to do more than point-shoot and play.
br /4. Advice for more advanced users: file can be imported and edited in advanced editing software. I use Pinnacle Studio 10 Media suite and it works pretty nice. However, in this way the original 5.1 sound is lost and if you still want a 5.1 DVD, Pinnacle will do that for you but the sound will never have the same natural quality as the original.
br /5. Noticed same problem as the guy returning from Alaska. With one little adjustment: camera goes out of focus even if recording from a tripod a semi-static scene (say a choir) for more than 5 minutes.
br /6. Lack of any wind cancellation system is petty for a 1 grant camera. I also own a Panasonic VHS-C and a Panasonic mini-DV and their wind cancellation is outstanding. Lack of this function seriously spoils the otherwise exceptional sound system and renders it unusable without sound post-processing, for recording in the middle of the nature.
br /7. Even though direct DVD recording compensates for lack of fire-wire port, one would have been nice, even instead the completely useless USB 2.0. IEEE1394 is the only port most processing applications accept for digital capture.
br /8. Lack of a S-video port is another goof for a DVD recording camera.
br /Bottom line: if you already got one, try getting used to it and you may need to invest extr-money in purchasing video editing software to make for the camera's shortcomings. If you didn't, don't spend the money on it. This technology is still in its infancy and there's lot of room for improvement.

Great camera!
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br /I bought this to record my daughter's 4th birthday party and it did a fantastic job. The widescreen recording format rocks, audio is good and picture is unbelievably clear. I am comparing this to a 4 yr old JVC mini DV recorder. The DVDs are easy to use with great start-up (my wife can use no problem :-)).
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br /I also love being able to pop the DVDs into the DVD player instead of attaching the camera to the TV.

Took months of study and finally decided on the 403. Took 9000 mile road trip with camera mounted on dashboard. Excellent highway shots. Removed camera at times and took digital stills which came out great. Good footage of national parks and route 66. Slight overkill if Dolby is not needed. Model 92 should suffice.

The camera works great but ...Neither Sony nor Pixela, the makers of the Picture Package software that comes with some Sony camcorders with mini-disks tells you that the software IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH WINDOWS XP, SERVICE PACK 2! It will crash your computer or not work properly. DO NOT install the Picture Package software if you have run Windows XP. If you have a DVD player on your computer, you can download the photos from the mini-disk without this dangerous software. Shame on Sony and Pixela for selling the software to Windows XP users or including it with the camera without a warning.

Great camcorder and easy to use; the reviews here helped me to decide what to purchase; its a pleasure just taping and then popping in the DVD after taping....

First, they should mention that this camcorder has 120x digital zoom, as well. I got the DVD92 for Christmas, and was a little unhappy with the picture quality, so I traded up to this one. No comparison! The video and still quality is superior to anything else I've seen, and the 5.1 sound adds that something extra. Now I'm only waiting for higher data-capacity mini-DVDs!

After months of research, I finally decided to go with the Sony dvd403. I do some video editing and was very concerned with the reviews that said there was little or no editing capability.
br /I did not load the sony software, because of all the bad press. I use Roxio Easy Media Creator 7.5 and am having no trouble at all loading and editing the software. I did make one mistake at my daughter's birthday party when I tried recording in "VR" instead of "VIDEO" mode. I had a lot of trouble modifying and even playing the DVD on a DVD player.
br /I record almost exclusively with DVD-RW's as they are easy to load on the hard drive and then reformat. This will save a lot of money and I no longer have to worry about wearing out the heads of the miniDV recorders.
br /I absolutely love the ease of use and the picture quality is exceptional for a camera that I only paid $700 for. I purchased an extended MACK warranty that offered damage protection. I feel pretty set for the next three years.
br /I have no regrets and would definitely purchase again.
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Okay, I just purchased this DVD403 and with in 1 hour had the same problem with my lens cover that I have read about all too many times (should have read this before I purchased).
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br /I was just about to break the cover off when I read one review that stated that this automatic cover is VERY SENSITIVE (too sensitive if you ask me) TO DUST. So before breaking out the plyers or calling Sony (which I understand is useless and pricey) I decided to just pry open the cover and blow into this area to "clean out" and particles that might be in there. I honestly thought that this would not work but after 4 puffs I turned the camera on and THE CRAZY THING OPENED!!!
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br /I do not know how long it will continue to work nor do I know if this "quick fix" will work again but I thought that I would put this out there for anyone to try BEFORE dropping even more cash into the camera or trashing it altogether.
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br /I sure hope that this helps and more so I hope that it will continue to fix the problem when it arises.
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br /Sony really needs to get their act together in regards to this. I mean uncovering a lens is a small function and they cannot get that right? Come on Sony, step it up!

Camera worked great until the auto lens cover didnt open. The repair center wants #300.00 to repair it. Looks to me by the reviews the lens cover is a problem. Dont buy it.

I had been researching camcorders for several months, and had decided to buy the Sony DVD92 model. Since most of my filming was going to be home videos, I started shooting in our well lit living room. The picture was very grainy, colors were faded, and the still photos were a joke. Now I'm no professional photographer, but I expected the picture quality to be decent for the money I spent. So, it went back to the store.
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br /After more research I was reluctant to by another Sony handycam, but ended up getting a Sony DVD403 because of all the great reviews. I am so glad I did. This camera is soo easy to use. I was able to pull it out of the box, set the date and time and start recording great quality videos. I love the touch screen menu. The 3.0MP still photos seem to be really good also (although the flash is bright, so I usually turn it off).
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br /I bought the DVD-RW mini discs and am able to finalize the disc, pop into the dvd player to watch, then unfinalize and record more video to it. Then copy to a regular DVD+R disc when full (this saves $ since regular dvds are cheaper than the mini dvds), and it only takes a few minutes.
br /I have also been able to hook it up to the VCR and record my old family video cassettes to a DVD.
br /So if you are trying to decide between this camera and Sony's cheaper DVD92 model, I would definitely pay the extra $ and get this camcorder. It's well worth it with all the extras it has on it! I got mine online for $698.
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br /This camcorder has excellent picture quality(even in low light - colors and quality are good), records in 5.1 dolby surround, widescreen format, flash for still photos, USB for use with PC, remote control, automatic lens cover (no cap to click on/off), and more. I also like that it automatically creates a thumbnail menu of each video clip taken, as well as a slideshow of the still photos taken when you finalize the dvd (no more rewinding to get to that certain spot you're looking for). I would definitely buy this again!

I am really happy with my new purchase. The still picture quality is great and so is the resolution on the DVD movies I have recorded so far. Also the low light performance is great.
Only negative is that it tend to give red eyes, when using the flash on still pictures, when there is insufficient background light and the software that comes with the package is pretty poor if you want to do something serious with your movies/pictures.

You have to keep this baby really clean. Its got a goofy lens cover mechanism that is very sensitive to the smallest particles. It constantly gets jammed.
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br /No other complaints, works great.

I bought my first camcorder (a Sharp) in 1986, back in the days of the old shoulder-mounted units that were as big as a small car, and have owned about a half-dozen since then. I'm also a big-time photo buff (at one time I subsidized my income as a photographer).
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br /This is, quite simply, the best camcorder I've ever owned, on many levels.
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br /First of all, I really love recording directly to a DVD. It eliminates the middle step of using a tape that then has to be transferred to disc. That eliminates one group of media storage, and also eliminates the loss of quality involved in dubbing from tape to disc. Further, the DVD format records in digital mode, so the quality of the picture and sound is virtually High Def; orders of magnitude better than the analogue mode of VHS of whatever format (my last two camcorders were VHS-C). On top of that, every copy of the original disc is of the same superb quality, as the original is in digital format. It just doesn't get any better. Better yet, as soon as you've finished taping you can finalize the disc in-camera and just slap it into virtually any DVD player and watch it immediately, eliminating the need of some formats for connecting your camcorder to the TV.
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br /If you're recording irreplaceable material, like home movies, the archival quality of discs far surpasses that of tape in test results on longevity.
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br /The Zeiss lens gives you an amazing picture, virtually pro level, and the 5.1 surround sound matches the quality of the picture.
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br /The picture stabilization system eliminates the "jittery" look of most home movies.
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br /Its touch-screen operation is very intuitive, and a joy to use.
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br /Its Night Shot infra red capability is simply amazing (though the one drawback to that mode is the greenish cast of the picture -- it's like I'm shooting an episode of "Cops"). However, you can still mount an external light source to the hot shoe if you wish to retain natural colors (and squints from your subjects). LOL
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br /You can even record in wide-screen mode, to capture that movie-theater experience if you play your movies on newer TVs with that format capability.
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br /It is very small and light, extraordinarily easy to carry and manipulate. The controls are all logically placed, and very easy to use.
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br /I can't recommend this camera highly enough. The best non-pro videocam I've ever seen. I love it!
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br /This is a PS added on 19 Feb: after reading the other reviews, in which a lot of the reviewers outlined problems they had with their camcorders, especially in view of the short 3 month original warranty, I went to Sony's website and found they have a variety of extended warranties available. You can extend your warranty within the first 60 days of your purchase (and this is a factory Sony warranty, folks), and in my case I opted for a 3 year parts and labor which includes accidental damage; it only cost $110 -- which I consider a heck of a deal. They have shorter term and no accidental damage policies available for even less; the 2 year plan was about $47 dollars.
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br /Something to think about. Talk about eliminating the worry factor.

This happend with in year. I seriously think sony should recall this product . it has major issue with this lens cover. if it happens u need to pay 150 $ for fixing. for labor. I sent a big email to sony . I don;t think they will do any thing about it.

I thought Sony was a trusting brand but don't be fooled.....Sony doesn't make things like they used to. My camcorder also broke in 4 months. When I called their 800 number to get it serviced, they want $311!!! Are they NUTS!!! I was also told by the woman on the phone that they received lots of calls today about the LEN Cover failures. Someone should start a class action on this CHEAPLY made/OVERPRICED product.

I have had mine for about 6 months now. I have taken it camping, hiking, and for 10 days to DisneyWorld. It performed perfectly! It hasn't been treated kindly (especially on Expedition Everest) and just keeps going.
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br /You have to read the manual to get the most out of this machine. Just by changing a few settings I have been able to go from recording the bright sunshine to recording the Moon passing in front of the Pleadies. (Yes, this camera is very good for Astronomy) My next project is to hook it up to a telescope and shoot through the tube.
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br /I highly recommend this product.
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br /P.S. Buy an extra battery. You won't regret it!

I am really happy with my new purchase. The still picture quality is great and so is the resolution on the DVD movies I have recorded so far. Also the low light performance is great.
br /Only negative is that it tend to give red eyes, when using the flash on still pictures, when there is insufficient background light and the software that comes with the package is pretty poor if you want to do something serious with your movies/pictures.

I purchased about 2 weeks ago and have been happy with the quality of pictures and general functionality so far. This is my first digital camcorder third camcorder over 16 years.
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br /On price... Amazon was by far the best when you consider free shipping and no sales tax, I saved about $200.
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br /I-Link... Be careful, the Amazon description (at my review time) is still showing the camera supports i-Link (aka firewire) allowing pass-through of analog input to your computer and high speed file transfers. Not true. The option is available on some of the other Sony digital camcorders but not this one. I informed Amazon to correct the description about a week ago. I was a bit disapointed, since I was considering using the camcorder to digitize my old 8mm tape library direct to my pc. You can record an analog signal (say from old camcorder) to the camcoder's DVD, but that is a 30-min (capacity of DVD) at a time process and presumably would be considerable wear-and-tear.
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br /File transfers to PC... I can echo some of the other reviews that I have experienced one problem so far on a file transfer from camcorder to pc with the Picture Package software. I tried to transfer a 25 min video - the transfer started then died about 25% of the way through. I'm trying to file an alternative to Picture Package.

Found a camera whose technology is compatible with both my Dell laptop and my Toshiba progressive scan dvd player. An understanding of the different types of dvd rw discs is necessary for how you want to use such discs (dvd-rw; dvd+rw; and dvd-r), I can edit and record as needed. Great price through Amazon as well.

I have this camera, and mostly love it. That is untill I want to edit my videos. Then I kick myself for ever buying it. Getting the files in a format that iMovie will accept is a feat of no small effort. You basically won't be able to import directly from the camera. I knew this going in. Apple has an mpeg2 component to Quicktime that will allow you to import mpeg2 video. So I thought I'd be able to stick these DVDs into my external tray DVD drive ( your powerbook's dvd drive isn't going to take these little discs) and just start importing the .VOB files off the DVD. No such luck. Sony has screwed up the time coding on these discs, making a direct import impossible. I have to use a program called Mpeg Steamclip first (this program is free and you can find it on the net, but you will need apple's $20 mpeg2 component) fix the time coding, and then export the videos to quicktime and then into iMovie (when I export to DV and then import into iMovie I lose a ton of quality for some reason). This process takes hours.
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br /The in camera editting features are not going to make up for a real editting tool like iMovie. Sony has next to no support for this camera either. Before you buy, goto Sony's site and check out their support.
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br /All that said, I like the camera. If you don't plan on editting you videos, it's awesome, and doubles nicely as a still camera too.

We babied this camera for less than a year--low mileage, carrying case, etc. Great quality, not a cheap unit... Now the auto lens is broken and won't open. No photos, No video. From the reviews it seems like this is all too common. You'd think Sony would put some thought into how they could make one of the only moving parts last longer than a few months! Buyer beware...(or take the replacement policy!)

I had bought this Camcorder 4 months ago and now that I am about to leave for vacation the lens cover (shutter) does not open. I called Sony and told them about this and they asked me to send this to one of their service center and asked to pay $150 upfront for labor charge.
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br /Other drawback is that for outdoor shooting 5.1 audio captures too much wind noise.
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br /I am very unhappy with Sony quality in recent products I bought. I "WAS" a Sony fan but no more. I have a 2 year old Mini-DV Camecorder in which the Mini-DV does not come out. You pay BIG bucks for very poor quality.
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br /Stay away from Sony products...there are other better products for half the price
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This camera is smaller than it looks online. I tried it out at Circuit City first to ensure the 8mm DVD's would be compatable with my older player. The software that comes with this camera is quirky and no upgrades from Sony have been issued yet. I'm still looking for easy to use editing software for this camera. But the video looks great on my tv and makes me look like a pro. It makes it's own chapters thumbnails. Your family will be impressed when you send them your vacation photos shot with this camera.

I bought this camcorder around 6 months back and so far no issues with it. Excellent video and picture quality and sound. I love the camcorder. The best part is that after you finalize the disc, just plug it in your DVD player and watch the video. That's simple.
br /When I used Sony discs, playing them on DVD players was not a problem at all, but when I used discs of Memorex, the camcorder recorded them fine, but they did not play well in any DVD player. The discs just stuck every few seconds. So after this I bought only sony discs.
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br /I gave it only 4 stars for the lack of software compatibility to be able to copy the video files that get created from this camcorder to directly burn it to a larger DVD disc.
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br /Ofcourse I spent extra 100 bucks (as far I remember) and bought 3 year insurance plan along with the camcorder just to stay on the safer side after reading some of the other user's reviews.
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I've owned this camera for about 18 months now. I wanted a camera that could shoot both decent video and stills, and would do mpeg2 encoding to save me the work of converting DV-AVI files to mpeg2 myself. This camera largely met those goals but has lots of annoyances too.
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br /1. The lens cover. If you read the reviews here you'll be well aware that the lens cover on this camera is very prone to failure. In my case the lens cover will not close. There was no apparent reason for the sudden failure; I have always taken good care of the camera and only use it lightly.
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br /2. The PC software is truly appalling. Forget about doing anything useful with it. I use it in its first couple of steps just to get it to extract the individual mpeg2 files out of the DVD VOB files it creates, and then manually rename each one with the date and time, then I copy them out of the temp directory and quit the app. It's way more tedious than it need be just to do this, and useless beyond this basic task (and it crashes and/or hangs frequently so often requires several attempts).
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br /3. If you use non-Sony media the camera complains, and you cannot access the non-Sony media on your PC until it is finalized. This is pure evil manufacturer lock-in BS; I don't believe there is any technical reason for this as non-Sony media support multi-session writes.
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br /4. The still camera works great in good light but not in low light. The pictures are more reminiscent of CMOS sensors than a CCD.
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br /5. It's a Sony. That means don't expect any of these issues to be fixed or even acknowledged. Once Sony have your money you're dirt.
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I love this camcorder and I have had no mechanical problems with it whatsoever, the only problem with it and the reason I gave it four stars is because of the wind noise. If you can get over that this is the dream camcorder. Everything is working perfectly even after having for a year and clunking it a few times! LOL. Also I lost the manual to the camcorder so I e-mailed the customer support and they gave me a link to get a new one on the internet. yay for sony!

With a Verbatim branded mini DVD-RW disc being used, this message pops up EVERYTIME when the camcorder starts up. And it stays up to 7 seconds before it disappears. Can you imagine how annoying is that?

The Sony DVD403 Handycam takes great pictures and is easy to use, but beware! The software that comes with it messes up your computer BIG TIME! We have had to rebuild our computer and leave the software off. I have been told that "Sony is aware of this problem and is working on it" but I am very disappointed that they did not notify me of the problem. They could have easily done so since I registered the camera with them. If you have been experiencing problems with your computer not wanting to shut down and/or 'blue screen' and you have the software for this camera installed - that could be your problem.

Nice images. Compact, easy to transport. Keep the manual handy as there are a lot of functions that are easily forgotten unless the camera is used often. Found this unit is not too nice to other disc manufacturers.
br /Use Sony discs to avoid disappointments.

After using this camcorder for over a year, I am very pleased with it, and highly recommend it.
br /My only desire for the camera would be greater control of the zoom. It is easy to zoom in and out fast, but a slow, smooth zoom takes a gentle touch on the zoom lever.

This camera has a nice picture and sound, and easy to play disks, but after a month and a half the lens cover (shutter) stopped working! The camera won't take videos or even pictures now, not even if we prop open the lens cover, so if I don't get it fixed we can't use it at all. And even with the 1-year parts warranty, Sony still is charging $150 flat rate labor fee to fix it because I didn't report it before the 90th day. And with no guarantee it will stay fixed, I am wondering if this camera is an endless money pit trap. I see several other reviews with the same problem, so please be forwarned.

This camera is EXCELLENT! It is high quality with every feature that you are looking for in a top-of-the line camera! I would recommend this to anyone and Amazon does provide the best offer!

I have had this camcorder for quite some time and it is a thing of beauty. I will now pass it on to my brother with some sadness, as I hate to see it go. Very easy to use. It turns on and off quickly. Comfortable to hold. Image stabilization is very good. Sound quality and video is very nice.
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br /The very best part about this camcorder is that it records to mini DVD that I could pop out and play right in my DVD player without having to convert or connect using wires. The only downside for me was the disc only recorded about 20 minutes worth of footage. I had to carry a small stack of discs with me when I went on vacation.
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br /I have owned four camcorders and this is my hands down favorite.

I've used this successfully with Maxwell, Panasonic, Sony and other mini DVDs in -R and -RW formats.
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br /However I have not had any success with Memorex Duralayer +RW DVDs.
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br /In the 3 years? or so that I have had the camera it has functioned well.
br /I have had to replace the battery with a larger capacity model and to replace the charger when it cooked.
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br /Other than those items it has done a good job.

An excellent camcorder for everyday use.A super easy setup and use lend itself to be used by all. wonderfull with function and options for ease of taking family movies all the time.

Poor lens cover design this is an offical money trap dont buy this product
br /311 spending towards a quality cammera!

I share the view of many others in this that the product is fairly good. And it produces a good quality video. It is possible to transfer clips to the pc using included Picture Package. But this does not work always. Picture Package does not copy the movie in some cases for XP home edition or in same cases when the user has changed from user accounts and is not the Admin.
br /Wind is a fairly important problem, there is no help on cancellation of this. It will make your voice un-usable in this cases.
br /Practical in the sense that you can make copies of the small DVDs

We had this camera for nine months, and treated it like a baby. Like so many others we had the lens cover stop working. Piece of junk! We won't ever buy Sony again.

AS I HAVE NOT HAD ENOUGH EXPERIENCE WITH IT YET (ONE WEEK) I WILL WRITE A FOLLOW-UP AT A LATER DATE, BUT THE STORY SO FAR IS " A GREAT CAM WITH A LOT OF FEATURES AND CRYSTAL CLEAR PLAYBACK, WIND NOISE AND (LACK OF IT, OR ANY NOISE, TALK ETC) IS GOING T O BE A FACTOR SO I MAY OPT FOR THE OUTBOARD MIC.

The shutter stuck the second time I used the thing. Unfortunately, I didn't try to return until day 91. Sony wants over $200 just to send it back for repairs! Don't spend this kind of money for something with a 90 day warranty!

I bought this believing it would be a nice way to record right onto DVD......nope. The whole process of finalizing the DVD and using mini DVDs makes this function cumbersome at best. You may want to invest in a MiniDV tape camcorder for the same video quality until this technology evolves. I know a few people with the Panasonic DVD recorders who say they find that product works much better than when they tried my Sony, so maybe its just a Sony poor design.