Customer Reviews

Sony DCR-DVD201 DVD Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

I am a point and shoot type: Kids/parties/family stuff. No pro training or desire. I just wanted a new camcorder to video the little ones as they grew up.

I haven't bought a camcorder in 10+ years and I did a lot of research. I was ready to buy a Sony DCR TRV38, but the new DVD recorders had just come out. These are 2 different categories of camcorders, but each has its appeal. I decided to give the DVD201 a try for the convenience of direct DVD recording. I have compared the two (borrowed my parents' TRV38 for comparison) side by side. Here are my impressions:
1. Size: the DVD201 is smaller and felt good in hand. Very easy controls.

2. The DVD201 didn't have a touch screen LED. That's good for me!! Its LED screen is 2.5" versus 3.5" on the TRV38. Sony has incorporated a new technology for the LED that lets you see it in bright sunlight. This feature was EXCELLENT!! It actually worked. I never had to use the viewfinder because of screen "washout." It easily beat the TRV38 in that department. The TRV38's LED was unusable in bright sunlight.

3. Image quality: Hands-down, the TRV38 wins here. I was a bit disappointed with the DVD201. Why? Read the review of the Sony DCR-HC40 at camcorderinfo.com and you'll see that they weren't impressed with the CCD (sensor) of that camcorder (it got unsatisfactory marks for low-light quality / and video quality in general). Unfortunately, that CCD is the SAME ONE USED IN THE DVD201. In order to make the camcorder smaller, Sony had to reduce the size of the CCD to 1/5". They claim that "new technology" compensates for the smaller sensor......NOT REALLY!! The larger 1/4.7" CCD of the TRV38 shows in the quality of the video. Both have the same 690K effective pixel resolution, so what gives? Does it matter? Not really!! The bottom line is that the TRV38 provides richer, fuller, and brighter video quality than the DVD201 (for $200 less). The DVD201 video looked gray and washed-out compared to the TRV38. Maybe it's the media itself; mini-DV versus mini-DVD. Maybe it's the sensor. Maybe it's the recording format. It doesn't matter why......the video quality doesn't compare to cheaper units. [side note: the TRV38 has consistently earned very high marks for video quality and low-light ability]

4. As far as low-light ability, the TRV38 "wins" here too, but not by that much. I thought the DVD201 was comparable here with the TRV38. In low light, both videos were a bit grainy. The "Super nightshot plus" gimmicks were just that; gimmicks. The DVD201 does look better due to color being incorporated into the nightshot IR scene. Not a big deal, however.

5. Here's where the new Sony shines: The convenience of the DVD201 is unmatched. Simply pop in a mini-DVD (expensive media, however) and record away. Unfortunately, you have to "finalize" the disc before playing it in a DVD player. The manual warns that this process could take 1 minute to 2 hours?!? HUH? I have burned several so far and it never took more than 3 minutes. Here's the real kicker: Pop the finalized disc into your DVD player and watch it right now!! It's that simple. You will be enjoying your videos while everyone else with a mini-dv camcorder is still trying to hook up the darn camera to the TV with cables. THIS IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST REASON TO BUY THIS CAMCORDER..........Convenience. You don't have to download anything to your computer, compile it, burn a DVD (on the computer), and then pop it into the DVD player.

6. My kids love to watch their home videos...right now!! This camera eliminates the need to hook up anything to your TV with cables (where little hands can break an expensive camera). If you loathe the thought of taking video on a mini-DV, downloading it to the computer via hotwire, compiling/editing your obviously amateur video, re-writing it to a DVD with a DVD burner, and ONLY then get to enjoy it "effortlessly" on your TV, then the DVD201 is for you.

7. Here's the downfall, however; Not much editing ability with the DVD201. Using a DVD-R disc, you burn the DVD as you are taking the video. If you use a DVD-RW, you can download the video to the computer, erase, edit, and rewrite with it. (Apparently, the supplied editing software sucks, but I can't comment because I haven't used it). I will probably never edit much, so I don't mind. If you love to edit, think twice about this camera.

PROs: Small size, good feel, excellent LED screen, ultra convenient DVD media (can eliminate computer interface if desired), perfect if you don't care about doing much editing, excellent image stabilization, "finished product" for kids' review very quick (shoot the video, finalize disk, ready for DVD player, DONE!!), good sound quality

CONs: Video quality not as good as cheaper units (looks gray/washed-out), expensive media, sound of DVD spinning captured on tape (low "whir" audible), a bit grainy low-light performance, no wind filter, not much editing ability

HERE'S THE QUESTION TO ASK YOURSELF: Is the convenience of the DVD media worth an extra 200 bucks at the expense of video quality? I'm still debating. Don't get me wrong. The video quality is good, but not great. The DVD201 is a good point and shoot camcorder, but isn't video quality what it's all about? Maybe. Maybe not. Convenience is a huge factor for some of us. One thing is for sure; the DVD201 beats the heck out of the JVC VHS-C I'm replacing. Of course that camcorder is 10+ years old.

BOTTOM LINE: Who will buy this camcorder? People who place convenience at the top of their list of features and are willing to sacrifice some video quality to get it!!!

Hope this helps. By the way, I'm debating whether to return my DVD201 or not.

Have had this camera for a few weeks now, and I must say the image quality is impressive. We originally had a DCR-DVD200 on backorder since Christmas time, and recently found out that it was discontinued by Sony (as well as the DVD100 & 300), making way for the new DVD101 & 201. Glad I waited, for these new models are over 25% smaller than their predecessors, and hopefully Sony has addressed some of the earlier complaints customers had about the previous models, improving on the features/qualities.

Besides the sharp image quality, the stereo sound is superb (in my opinion), however the spinning noise of the disc in quiet environments can be noticable in your recordings. The "Pixela" software that comes included seems to be a little too basic, and found using the free Windows Movie Maker is much better, however you can only make VCDs with WMM. I have tried some trial versions of DVD editing software (Ulead's Videostudio and Movie Factory), but so far they don't seem to support this camera, or at least the 'Dolby Digital' audio, rendering the captured videos silent. Anyone recommend a certain program to use that works with this? Those seem to be my only complaints.

All in all, I'm quite happy with this camera, and recommend it for the ease of use and image quality.

It's just incredible convenience to be able to record directly onto a (mini) DVD, then pop the DVD into your home DVD player, and then play your video and also store it on a permanent (100+ years?) medium. No more fumbling with IEEE 1394 cables, transfering video over to VCR or (ugh!) PC, only to face a demagnetized VHS tape or crashed computer hard drive.

The convenience of using DVD-R/RW is the #1 reason why you'd buy this camcorder. It's also stylish and easy to operate, with a great shape for the (right-hande) palm. But Sony should have included a larger zoom than the 10x optical included. Considering Canon's miniDV can do 20+x zoom, Sony should improve this.

The review by Pat from Colorado is helpful but I disagree with his/her assessment of the video quality. I think the DVD201's video quality is pretty good. It's not pro-quality like the 3-CCD camcorders from Canon, but it's pretty good compared to other consumer-class miniDV camcorders. Initially I was afraid of digital artifacts on the video, but have seen none so far.

With DVD-R (much cheaper than the 3" DVD-RW, which is also hard to find) you can record only once, but you can always just copy the files to your PC and use Windows Movie Maker or Adobe Premiere or any video-editing package. I haven't tried it, though. It's just fabulous to just pop out the DVD from the camcorder, pop it into the DVD player and not worry about anything else.

Is this worth $900 while you can get a great miniDV camcorder from Canon, JVC or Panasonic for one-third of that? I can't answer this question for you. For me, the convenience alone is worth a heft premium, since I no longer pull my hair out over frustrated video-transfer attempts. I can now actually enjoy shooting AND playing back my home videos. I can now live a few years longer, I think.

NOTE: When buying blank media, be sure to buy the right format!

The DCRDVD201 camcorder is a pleasure to use because it is not difficult to operate, has many great features, and probably its best feature- it is very small and lightweight.
It does not take hours of user manual reading and fidgeting around with the camera to begin using it, and ocassionally referring to the manual to use its more complicated features is all you need to do.
The steady shot is always on and makes recording and viewing easy. The super night shot works well also, but unless your nocturnal, it doesn't get used too much.

The image mixer software that comes with the camera is not as self explanatory as the camera is, but with a little extra effort and time, the program is versatile and capable of handling all your editing needs.
The hype over the DVD camcorders is over done. Unless you buy and use the expensive little DVD-+R's to record onto, and have nothing to edit, there is little benefit to recording directly to a DVD. But if you use the DVD-RW's so you can edit, erase, and re-record, you are going through the motions of putting the video on your computer anyway; which you can do with miniDV or another recording format. In short, the DVD's that you record to is just temporary storage, if you, like most people will edit your recording before putting the video on a final DVD-+R.
I say all that to say- suprisingly, the picture quality is argueably not as good as miniDV and if you are going to have to transfer your recorded material to a computer to edit and finalize anyway- you may want to save yourself the extra $500 and buy a camcorder that doesn't record onto DVD-+R's.

This is our first camcorder. Admittedly we were intimidated by all of the choices and formats on the market. This DVD camcorder is a wonderful option because you do not need to use a computer or any additional equipment to watch your movies. If you do desire to do editing with your PC, you can do it with a usb port and unlike many other camcorder formats you do not need a firewire. We have a DVD player (not even a new or fancy one) and we are able to pop the DVD right from the camcorder into the DVD player and watch it right away - no extra steps. There is no need to plug the camcorder into a vcr or tv to play it if you have a dvd player. To us that made it worth the extra cost beyond that of a minidv camcorder. In addition, the DVD media is a lot more permanent than most tape formats as a DVD will last a much longer time - no need to transfer it into another form for archiving. The DVDs can even be played on the sony playstation game players.
If you don't want to buy a lot of extra equipment for a computer and you want instant gratification where you can view your movies quickly and archive them without hassle, this is the camcorder for you!

I have had many camcorders in the past 20 or so years. From the first huge on the shoulder model to the large screen rotatable Hi 8. I film 18-u girls fastpitch softball as a side gig. After using all the others I decided to go to the DVD type for ease of use in transferring to my computer for editing and the capability to view as soon as I was finished filming for the day using only a DVD player in my truck. The still picture quality is as good as my 5mp Dimage and can be stored on the same DVD disk as the filming. The film picture quality is dumbfounding and is extremly easy to use. The menus are easily accessible and workable with one hand. The huge battery life can go almost the entire day, 8 hours of use. Yes I bought the high $ camera and i'm glad I did it's the best thing to happen to my business and enjoyment of filming ever. Did I mention the nightshot mode? I bought an extender so this thing reaches out 100' in total darkness. I'm a hunter, but now I find myself shooting DVDs of my friends hunting more than my weapon. Spend the money this is the best.

Being a electronics layman I had spent some time reading the reviews on this DVD 201. I originally purchased the DVD 101 but didn't realize until after I had ordered it that the 201 has a much better CCD (provides for a clearer picture). I returned the 101 and purchased the 201. If you're thinking about purchasing the 201 vs the 101 for only $100 more the 201 makes a better buy just for the optical clarity. The 201 has a 1/5th CCD vs the 101's 1/6th CCD. (Bigger does mean better here.) Other than that they seem to be identical cameras. I have had no problems taking pictures or recording video to the camera. It is almost as easy as my old Hi-8 camcorder. The only difference in recording between the Hi-8 and the DVD is that you have to finalize the disk when you are done. The DVD-R's/RW's are also a bit more expensive but make for much better storage (size wise) and they won't ever demagnitize on you over time.

I own this camera. Nowhere does Sony tell you that this camera will only function reliably with sony discs. The manual only tells you it has to be an 8cm disc. When you turn the camera on (after you buy it) it will show "sony disc reccomended" on the screen, not required. After losing discs to access error messages (this included my daughters sweet 16 party,an overseas trip and finally a vacation in the mountains) I sent it in to sony. Sony sent it back stating nothing was wrong, but that sony discs had to be used to guarantee it will work (stated nowhere on the box or manual). The sony discs are hard to find and more expensive than any other brand. Sony forces you to buy their discs after you've bought the camera otherwise why not clearly state Sony Discs Mandatory on the box or handbook prior to purchase. They are ripping their customers off!

Sony is currently the only manufacturer making DVD-RW camcorders and apparently they haven't perfected it. I bought mine for almost $1,000 and have had to send it to repair twice, sending it AGAIN as the finalized DVD's all SKIP!!! The DVD's are also very expensive, only hold 25 minutes of video and although RW's allow you to re-record you cannot edit out certain clips and record over those. I am truly disappointed to have bought such an expensive defective camera, and what's worse is the terrible service I have received from Sony. They will not return my money, and will not give me a new camera. Recently I learned from an employee at another store that MANY customers return this model for the same skipping problem. Sony must be aware of this yet continues to con people out of their money. The most they can do for me is issue an "exchange" someone else's defective camera...and that's not guaranteed...so here we are 4 months later...with a defective camera having missed out on precious family memories...going through hassle, time & expense of continuing to have to contact Sony, ship back, test, retest etc. Save yourself the aggravation...do NOT buy this product.

This camera, which I have owned for a year or so, is limited in every way. The 30 minute time limit (actually 21 or 22 minutes for a formatted DVD) is only the begining. Once you have the images, you can't do much with them, as the camera and the software (CRAP!) is not very useful or user-friendly. If you don't buy SONY brand discs, many other brands, that claim to be Sony compatible (such as panasonic) will fail ONLY WHEN FINALIZING - that means you just lost 30 minutes of footage - for us it was our daughter's first day skiing!

Thanks Sony, for reminding me why I hate your products!