Customer Reviews

Sony DCR-DVD403 3MP DVD Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

This is the first camcorder I've purchased and I intentionally held off until a good DVD camcorder was available. The dcr-dvd403 is worth the wait.

Video quality is outstanding; I'm recording everything in 16:9 with the highest quality possible (the camcorder records in low, medium and high quality yielding 1 hour, 30 minutes or 20 minutes of recording time per dvd) and surround sound. The camera picture quality is good but not exceptional.

I've heard of horrible startup times in previous DVD camcorders and am happy to say that after you turn this on you only have to wait a few seconds to start recording. With DVD media, you do need to format the disc one time, which takes about 20 seconds, but that is a one time cost. You also need to finalize DVD-R or DVD-RW media (you don't need to finalize DVD+RW). The cool thing with DVD-RW is that you can unfinalize it and keep recording.

There are a few things on this camcorder that really stand out:
- Super quick startup
- When you take pictures they are stored on the DVD instead of a memory stick. You can record video and pictures on the same DVD.
- The night shot mode is really cool, let's you see in the dark
- The touch screen is really cool, much better than having a million buttons on the camcorder.
- 16:9 support and 5.1 surround sound is really cool.

I have been interested in buying a DVD camcorder for a while, but was held back by the reports of bad performance. I even tired one, the Panasonic M50 but returned it to the store after few days because of awful performance, bad colors, resolution, dark picture in the middle of a sunny day.
And then I was browsing for a replacement for the M50, and I saw the priliminary reports for the 403, no reviews were present but the specifications were very promising, about 10 times the resolution for the M50 and 3 times the resolution of the best DVD camcorder out there, flash for stills, cool lens, dolby digital sound, together with the small size and the convenience of the DVD camcorders. I saw that all the issues that were held against Sony DVD camcorders in reviews were addressed in this one. So, I decided to buy it, and I LOVE IT. Everything that I wanted in a camcorder is there, great colors, great sound, great resolution, great picutre on a 52 inch TV, great stills, the flash makes them come to life and the resolution is very good, comparable quality to the stills produced by my Canon S410, and you can record stills and videos on the same DVD, and watch both on your DVD player. And it is sooo easy to use, I finished my first DVD-R before even I went through 1/4 of the catalogue, buttons are intuitive and convenient. I agree with the previous reviewer about the finger prints on the screen from using it to make adjustments, but when the screen is on you do not see them at all. And imagine how proud I was about my purchase infront of my husband and kids, when I was able to pop the finalized DVD into our DVD player few minutes after I just finished recording.
I was researching DVD camcorders for few months before I bought this one, and the bottom line is, if money is not an issue for you, then consider this one, if you compare the specifications, this camcorder is in a category of it's own compared to any other DVD camcorder out there. I am in love with it, and I have been shopping for accessories for it already. It is worth every penny I paid.

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.

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.

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.

Also, be sure you record in DVD-RW Video (not VR) mode.

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. )

2. Reformat your mini camcorder disk (which erases all the images) and keep on recording more video.

3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 until you have enough .mpg files on your hard drive to fill a large DVD.


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

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.

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.)

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.

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.

Besides the ease of use with my computer, the best things about this camera are:

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

The sound is fantastic, especially when I heard it on my friends surround sound system while watching the videos on his plasma TV.

Low light shots are very good.

Accessories I plan on buying soon:

A charger that let's me charge my batteries outside of the camera.

Telescoping microphone for even more professional audio.

Wide angle lens adapter and various lens filters.

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.

From a hardware standpoint this camcorder is excellent. Picture quality under a variety of lighting conditions including dim lighting is excellent. The quality of the still photos is also excellent-- I haven't used my digital still camera since I bought it. The only letdown is the very mediocre software package that comes with it. I'm surprised a quality company like Sony would bundle a $1000 high end camera with budget software. It's workable but don'w expect much more than very basic functionality.

This is the first miniDVD camcorder that has worked it out in terms of ease of use, reliability, and picture quality. Sure, in 2-5 years we will all be using blu-ray digital cameras that will hold 2 hours of HD video on 1 disk, making the paltry 21 minutes of high quality video (1 hour on low quality setting or 30 minutes on normal quality)seem quaint, but until then this one is it.

UPDATE-- I've have the camera a couple of weeks now. I'm feeling better about the bundled software--it turns out a lot of the bugs that I initially experienced using the software were due to codec issues and not the software itself. I actually find the software, although basic in it's features, pretty useful and stable. For those who want to edit their videos more extensively, Windows Movie Maker is free from Microsoft and handles the MPEG2 video format used by this camera very well.

The camera itself is a joy to use. I have found that 21 minutes of high quality video per disc is not as restrictive as I once thought-- having the power to edit my videos (ie cut out the garbage)makes that 21 minutes go a long way. And the media itself is not expensive-- I just bought 20 miniDVD-Rs online for $20.

Overall, a great choice--it gives me the option to burn my video right away and watch it on my DVD player at home, or if I feel like it I can download it to my computer and edit it and then burn it and watch it. Either way, a winner.

I had been waiting for a good quality camcorder that have a DVD5 quality recording. Here I found this one with amazing Dolby Digital 5.1 sound and true 16:9 wide screen capture.

After I read reviews by S. George and got other website's preliminary information, I decided that is time for me to get one. I used it to record my daughter's Piano Recital and found its picture of true DVD5 quality. The recording is sharp and crisp. I would suggest setting mic to low instead of high, if possible, to reduce hissing noise. But in general, the hissing noise is very low and acceptable. There are a lot of finger prints on the LCD display because I have to set special effects using its softkey on screen.

A 21 minutes of recording(in High Quality mode)is enough for any event. Sonystyle.com mentions that DVD player have problem recognizing recorded 16:9 format in DVD+RW and will display as 4:3 format instead. For that reason, I used DVD-R and DVD-RW exclusively in my camcording.

It's startup time is fast except when using non-Sony mini-DVD. It displays "WARNING" when non-Sony mini-DVD is used. It lasts for 2 seconds that blocks the view of picture on screen. There is no such warning when use Sony mini-DVD! Give me a break! We cannot affort to buy Sony products all the time!

To sum up, I highly recommend this product to people with good video & sound quality in mind.

Happy camcording...

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Updated May 10, 2005.......check out www.camcorderinfo.com, its review is a very detail. Hope it helps.

Was shopping around for a camcorder for awhile, and was debating against a mini dv and or dvd camcorder. Panasonic even has 3ccd camcorders at a comparable price offering supposedely a better quality camera. I had my heart set on a dvd camcorder as I didnt want the hassle of transferring to PC and then burning to dvd. Knowing myslef, I would just never get around do doing it. So after having my mind set on a dvd camcorder, looked on the internet and there was the sony 403, the specs looked good but there werent that many reviews posted.

Decided to go with it, and I must say it is one fantastic camcorder, quality is great, low light is not that bad either. Built in flash for stills work great and quality still quality is great also. I have no need for my digital camera anymore. Is convenient to store both video and stills on the same dvd.

Havent used the software for editing yet, from the reviews ive read it isnt that great, but dont expect to to do that much editing. Finalizing the dvd creates an own dvd menu, again great feature.

Touch screen is A+, 16:9 recording works well. 5.1 surround sound is great add on. Battery life on packaged battery gives good recording time.

I was skeptical of the only 30 min recording time on SP mode on the camera. mini dv's offer 60 min, but after recording a couple of dvd, you really don't realize how long 30 minutes is. SHould be ample for a standard home video. There is a setting at LP mode for 60 minutes, haven;t tried it yet, but will. My guess is that I won't notice a big difference.

Overall my opinion is that if your the average user, wants great quality footage easy to use, this camcorder is for u. I personally cant tell the difference between a 3ccd camera. It is pricey, but i think sony has set a new standard in DVD camcorders.

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 can't believe how easy this camera is to operate.

I received the camcorder last night and was anxious to get some test footage of my daughter before she went to bed. To save time, I skipped reading the directions and went straight to fiddling with the camera. With absolutely no difficulty or direction I was able to snap on the battery pack, plug the camera to AC power, pop in a disc, and begin recording my daughter's silly bed time antics.

Now it was time to play it in the DVD player. A freind had told me that you need to "finalize" the disc before you can play it in a DVD player. So, after a moment of hunting in the setup menu I found and selected the "finalize" option. A little whirring and a grave warning not to vibrate the camera, and a few minutes later the disc was done.

I placed the disc in the DVD player still believing this was too good to be true, but there it was. My daughter giggling and singing in 16:9 aspect ratio on my big TV, with no wires and no need to boot up my computer. Within 30 minutes of pulling the camera out of the box I was playing a freshly recorded movie without having to glance at the manual. I can't say enough about the ease of use.

And, the quality is top notch. I'm no expert but I have an older Sony Mini-DV and I've been exposed to home movies made on a number of different cameras. The picture quality on this one is as good or better than any video camera I've ever seen. But it was the sound quality that shocked me.

As I sat watching my daughter sing on camera I heard her singing in front of me. Then, I was startled to hear the sounds of my wife and I laughing and coaxing her comming from the surround speakers behind me. That's right, this thing records in Dolby 5.1 surround sound!

So far, I've only recorded two discs worth of material, and I haven't even gotten into exploring the more advanced features of the camera, but it does everything I want it to do. Incredible ease of use. High quality digital picture and sound. The only drawback I see is the $5-$8 price tag per blank disc. But as one reviewer mentioned you can transfer your movie to a much cheaper full size CD-R using a DVD recorder or your computer. Then you can reuse the same $8 mini disc over and over again.

Either way, it's a small price to pay for such a convenient and high quality product.

I purchased the DCR-DVD403 camcorder from Amazon, used it, and was generally happy with it. Then the automatic lens cover ceased to open within a few weeks of of purchase, which renders the camera unusable. Instead of a working camera, I get grinding gear noises.

Fortunately, the unit was within Sony's short 90 day warranty, so I followed the Sony procedure for repair, which includes filling out a form on their web site. I was instructed to send my unit to Laredo, Texas. I called to find out repairs take 10 to 15 days (that is business days: 2-3 weeks), and that I must pay for shipping to Laredo, but that Sony will pay for return shipping. The email I received after submitting the repair form said that Sony had negotiated a shipping discount with the UPS Store.

I went to a UPS Store, where I was told that people come in all the time with these Sony failed products with 'discounted' shipping, but they had no idea how to discount my shipping- they have no mechanism to do so without a work order number, which was not provided by Sony. So I ended up spending $32 for three day (insured) shipping to Laredo, TX.

I bought this camera to shoot my first child's early life, and now I'm waiting for repair and round-trip shipping that will take approx. a month, and it has cost me $32.

Sad, I called Sony customer support, was pleasant to the rep, describing that I was disappointed and wanted faster repair. I was passed to a 'supervisor', waited 19 minutes to talk to her, and was told there was nothing they could do to speed repairs, pay for my shipping, or help me in any way.

My lesson: Be very careful before purchasing this unit, or anything else from Sony. I was very careful with it, stored the camera safely, and have a gear-grinding, unit killing failure. And the 'legendary Sony quality' gone bad is backed by a short warranty period and terrible repair policy.

I hope you can find another manufacturer with a better quality unit, longer warranty, and better in-warranty repair.