Camcorder Review: Sony DCR-DVD403 DVD

Go ahead and put a bag of popcorn in the microwave. No really, do it. We just finished our review and we have the DVD to prove it.

DVD camcorders like the Handycam DCR-DVD403 make perfect sense for the point and shoot user with a DVD player. Whether you want to make a camcorder upgrade or you're tired of connecting AV cords to the TV, DVD camcorders look better every day.

Keeping in step with the Handycam line, this camcorder is small, but not too small. It fits comfortably in your hands and is very lightweight. There is a variable speed, zoom rocker located on the top of the camcorder as well as an additional zoom control on the frame of the LCD. The fixed LCD zoom speed is adjustable through the menu system. The operator must access all of the manual adjustment controls via the touch screen-driven menu system.

All the buttons and controls are easy to access except the DVD transport, which lies beneath the hand strap. Swapping discs will be a little bit of a hassle while doing handheld work.

The widescreen LCD shows pillar bars in 4:3 mode, but the 16:9 format uses the entire screen. This is not a true 16:9 CCD. Instead, the camcorder uses more area of the oversized CCD to give a greater angle of view, which Sony is calling "Enhanced 16:9". This way of achieving a 16:9 frame allows for a higher quality than squeezing and stretching the frame to fit.

The Super SteadyShot performs exceptionally well. It does not interfere with pans and tilts, and turns shaky shots into smooth video. Also, the camcorder absorbs a decent amount of shock before the disc recording is affected.

The camcorder records onto 8cm DVD-R/W and DVD+RW discs. The discs are limited to a 1.4 GB recording capacity. It will take 20, 30 and 60 minutes at HQ, SP and LP recording qualities, respectively, to fill a single disc. To capture at a quality near Mini DV, plan on spending 2-3 times the amount on media. Don't expect to save money on media (barring a large price drop) unless you plan to use the lowest recording quality or rewriteable discs.

You can also record onto a compatible DVD-RW or DVD+RW disc. These discs can be erased and used again (up to a couple hundred times). This could offer some savings in media cost, but make sure to consider a method of backing-up the original footage before erasing it. Using rewriteable discs also enables some editing features.

The real advantage of the DVD format is its convenience. When you want to view the footage on a DVD player, just finalize the disc. Once that's done, drop the disc in your player, sit back and enjoy. Not all DVD players will be able to play the footage, however--there are known issues with some older players.

The onboard microphone is capable of recording stereo 2-channel, 4-channel and Dolby Digital 5.1. It's located on top of the camcorder towards the front. Overall it was fairly sensitive and picked up sound in all directions and didn't pick up much operator noise. There is also an option for an accessory shotgun mic for more precision. Unfortunately, there is no headphone jack.

One of the most interesting features is the Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. This technology will record the audio into a Dolby multi-channel compatible bitstream onto the DVD. Once you have the DVD finalized, you can play it back on a Dolby Digital 5.1-channel system.

Capturing in surround sound does provide some new problems and challenges. If you are prone to narrate as you shoot, remember that the narration will be playing back mostly from the rear channels from a compatible system, which might seem a little awkward. Where this technology will offer its best rewards is in venues where sound sources from all directions are important to record. Playing back a few minutes of vacation footage in the canopy of a rain forest, for example, will give you an experience as if you were really there.