Rating: 
Summary: Great Picture Quality but Lacks tools
Review: Sony DVD Handycam has great picture quality, if all you want is to film and playback on your DVD player. I wanted to make a compilation DVD but The "ImageMixer Ver.1.5 for Sony DVD Handycam" sucks. I bought another Movie editor but it cannot read the MPG created by the Sony software. The Sony USB driver is not recognized by any other video capture tools, I have to use Analog video capture. If I could, i would return the DVD and get a mimDV camera, they are supported by most tools.
Rating: 
Summary: entry level DVD camcorder from Sony
Review: the DCR-DVD100 is the "value" entry of the recently released line of miniDVD camcorders from sony. other models in this line are the DCR-DVD300 and DCR-DVD200. the main difference the three camcorders in this line are LCD size and CCD resolution:
- DCR-DVD300: 3.5" LCD, 1MP CCD
- DCR-DVD200: 2.5" LCD, 1MP CCD
- DCR-DVD100: 2.5" LCD, 640K CCD pros:
- records dolby digital stereo.
- carl zeiss lens.
- 10x optical zoom.
- video quality almost at par with miniDV camcorders (at slower recording modes).
- Super SteadyShot image stabilization system - and sony's system really helps.
- three low light shooting modes: Nightshot, Super Nightshot, and Color Slow Shutter.
- great connectivity options: firewire, USB 2.0, S-video, headphone, mic input, etc.
- USB 2.0 support for fast downloads.
- the convenience of DVD navigation - simply select the scene and you're there!
- supports analog-to-digital conversion.
- hot accessory shoe with lots of optional accessories. cons:
- inferior CCD resolution vs the DVD200 and DVD300.
- expensive - as with most sony products, you pay a premium, plus you pay for DVD convergence.
- average low light performance.
- no memory stick support; if you want to take a still picture, it is saved on the DVD.
- mic picks up DVD spinning noise in quiet environments.
- finalizing a DVD takes upwards of 10 minutes, and it can be a confusing process.
- don't expect much from the still images recorded.
- no pop-up flash for taking stills and no built in video light but you can get a flash/video combo light for less than a hundred bucks.
- smaller LCD (2.5") vs the DVD300 (3.5").
- no manual focus ring.
- getting video into editing software (e.g. Final Cut Pro) is harder than it should be.
- not Mac friendly.
- poor battery life with included battery so add $$ to your budget to buy a higher capacity spare.
- compared to current release camcorders, this is a pretty big one at 3.1 x 3.8 x 5.6" weighing 1 lb 6 oz. this is a nice, solid effort by sony and i give them points for dvd convergence. however, in my opinion, the DCR-DVD100 is too big, not easy to use, and does not use the 1MP CCD that the DVD200 and DVD300 have. it's expensive for the feature set but the alternative to this dvd camcorder (a miniDV tape camcorder and DVD recorder combo) is even more expensive. i already have a dvd recorder so for me, a smaller and easier to use miniDV camcorder makes more sense. if this is your situation as well, i would recommend a panasonic gs-70 or sony's pc-105, both miniDV camcorders. otherwise, if you want a finalized DVD straight out of your camcorder, consider the DCR-DVD100. a final note. if you have decided you want to record directly to a DVD, which camcorder should you buy? DCR-DVD100 or DCR-DVD200 or DCR-DVD300? i highly recommend spending the extra ... bucks (street price) to get the higher resolution CCD of the DVD200/DVD300. if you want a bigger 3.5" LCD, it'll cost you an extra ... bucks to go to the DVD300. i think this is a fair price for the upgrade too. i hope this helps you with your buying decision. peace.
Rating:
Summary: entry level DVD camcorder from Sony
Review: the DCR-DVD100 is the "value" entry of the recently released line of miniDVD camcorders from sony. other models in this line are the DCR-DVD300 and DCR-DVD200. the main difference the three camcorders in this line are LCD size and CCD resolution:
- DCR-DVD300: 3.5" LCD, 1MP CCD
- DCR-DVD200: 2.5" LCD, 1MP CCD
- DCR-DVD100: 2.5" LCD, 640K CCD pros:
- records dolby digital stereo.
- carl zeiss lens.
- 10x optical zoom.
- video quality almost at par with miniDV camcorders (at slower recording modes).
- Super SteadyShot image stabilization system - and sony's system really helps.
- three low light shooting modes: Nightshot, Super Nightshot, and Color Slow Shutter.
- great connectivity options: firewire, USB 2.0, S-video, headphone, mic input, etc.
- USB 2.0 support for fast downloads.
- the convenience of DVD navigation - simply select the scene and you're there!
- supports analog-to-digital conversion.
- hot accessory shoe with lots of optional accessories. cons:
- inferior CCD resolution vs the DVD200 and DVD300.
- expensive - as with most sony products, you pay a premium, plus you pay for DVD convergence.
- average low light performance.
- no memory stick support; if you want to take a still picture, it is saved on the DVD.
- mic picks up DVD spinning noise in quiet environments.
- finalizing a DVD takes upwards of 10 minutes, and it can be a confusing process.
- don't expect much from the still images recorded.
- no pop-up flash for taking stills and no built in video light but you can get a flash/video combo light for less than a hundred bucks.
- smaller LCD (2.5") vs the DVD300 (3.5").
- no manual focus ring.
- getting video into editing software (e.g. Final Cut Pro) is harder than it should be.
- not Mac friendly.
- poor battery life with included battery so add $$ to your budget to buy a higher capacity spare.
- compared to current release camcorders, this is a pretty big one at 3.1 x 3.8 x 5.6" weighing 1 lb 6 oz. this is a nice, solid effort by sony and i give them points for dvd convergence. however, in my opinion, the DCR-DVD100 is too big, not easy to use, and does not use the 1MP CCD that the DVD200 and DVD300 have. it's expensive for the feature set but the alternative to this dvd camcorder (a miniDV tape camcorder and DVD recorder combo) is even more expensive. i already have a dvd recorder so for me, a smaller and easier to use miniDV camcorder makes more sense. if this is your situation as well, i would recommend a panasonic gs-70 or sony's pc-105, both miniDV camcorders. otherwise, if you want a finalized DVD straight out of your camcorder, consider the DCR-DVD100. a final note. if you have decided you want to record directly to a DVD, which camcorder should you buy? DCR-DVD100 or DCR-DVD200 or DCR-DVD300? i highly recommend spending the extra ... bucks (street price) to get the higher resolution CCD of the DVD200/DVD300. if you want a bigger 3.5" LCD, it'll cost you an extra ... bucks to go to the DVD300. i think this is a fair price for the upgrade too. i hope this helps you with your buying decision. peace.
Rating:
Summary: Good product, but beware of DVD drawbacks
Review: This is a good product, but I wish I had known the following: There is a significant delay between when you push the record button and when recording actually starts, in the neighborhood of a few seconds. Also, there is no editing as-you-go with DVD. If you are used being able review the last part of what you taped and record over it if you don't like what you see, you will be frustrated with DVD recording. There is no editing unless you transfer it to your computer and then of course you need to record it again on a DVD burner or video CD. I ended up exchanging my DVD100 for a miniDV format TRV22, which has the same resolution & basic features, is smaller, cheaper, and doesn't suffer from the problems mentioned above.
Rating: 
Summary: DCR-DVD100 is the Best Camcorder
Review: This is the best camcorder I ever seen in any other brands. It works great, we can record and play on DVDs\PC's.
Rating: 
Summary: Bought to record new born, but no recording media avaliable!
Review: Watch out before you buy this or any of the other Handycams. At the time I am writing this, no stores have the 1.4GB dvds that they use to record. Even Sony doesn't have them. Make sure you can find a supply of thier recording media before you buy any of these products. I bought the Sony DVD-100 and I am stuck. The Handycam comes with 1 DVD-R so when that is used up your done. Think about this before you purchase a $1,000.00 camcorder that you will be only able to use for 30 mins until more disks are available. A fact I wish I was aware of while I was making my decision to purchase it.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT SONY PRODUCT!!!
Review: We are extremely pleased with this new Sony product!! We went with the 100 series only because of price. We found the mini DVD-R and DVD-RW discs very difficult to find during the Christmas shopping season, but I did find some discs and used our camcorder for the first time at Christmas with our family. It was very simple to operate, made an exceptional quality recording which, after 1 minute of finalizing (quite simple actually), played in our DVD player perfectly! How much more convenient can it get? No a/v wires, no special connections to hook up to your tv to play your 8mm, etc., just plain simplicity -- go right from the camcorder to your DVD! I am very excited to use the movie editing software included with the camcorder to edit, print stills, etc. What more could you ask for than a movie/still digital camcorder that records on, above all, DVD discs? It can't get much simpler than that! The instruction manual that comes with the camcorder is very easy to follow -- I sat down for a little over an hour reading the entire manual and was able to operate this camcorder quite proficiently. All the necessary operations are right where they need to be on the camcorder -- in other words, it is user friendly and functionally intelligently designed. If you want an easy to use camcorder with the versatility and quality of a DVD, this series of camcorders is for you!!
Rating: 
Summary: Nice Camera for the right user.
Review: We bought this camcorder just before Christmas. We did not plan on buying it so i didnt have time to research it before we purchased. The reason we went with the DVD100 is that my hubby,who is electronics illiterate, loved the idea of instant playback on our DVD players. My inlaws are from out of state; so this has been a great way to share videos of the children with them. Even my husband can do it. LOL The still images are poor; even a little worse than i expected which is a bit disappointing. Like most people, i have a separate 4MP digi-cam for stills so this wasn't a huge set back; although it would have been handy to be able to snap a few stills without missing a beat. The ease of use is very good. It took about 5 minutes to learn basic recording. I do recommend that you use the manual...there are a few things to learn for optimized use. I'm not sure where the folks are who cannot find media. I have had no problem with this at all. Of course,i purchased a few 3 packs of the DVD-Rs with the cam. I was at a large chain electronics store just yesterday 3-4-04 and saw plenty of media on the shelves. In true Sony Style if you use non Sony media the cam will prompt you to use genuine Sony DVDs. Mildly annoying. Video quality is good; i am waiting to test it this summer at a few horse shows to see how it handles in high action settings. I dont have anything to compare the battery life to; since my last camcorder was ancient. I like the fact that it constantly estimates remaining battery life so you can manage shots accordingly. Purchase an extra battery just to be safe. I like the size of the DVD100. Not to big not to small. I also liked the "button" style of the 100 over the touch screen on the 300. Thats just personal preference. I would recommend this camera to anyone who wants the convenience of the DVD format. We have been happy with it. Good Luck!
Rating:
Summary: Nice Camera for the right user.
Review: We bought this camcorder just before Christmas. We did not plan on buying it so i didnt have time to research it before we purchased. The reason we went with the DVD100 is that my hubby,who is electronics illiterate, loved the idea of instant playback on our DVD players. My inlaws are from out of state; so this has been a great way to share videos of the children with them. Even my husband can do it. LOL The still images are poor; even a little worse than i expected which is a bit disappointing. Like most people, i have a separate 4MP digi-cam for stills so this wasn't a huge set back; although it would have been handy to be able to snap a few stills without missing a beat. The ease of use is very good. It took about 5 minutes to learn basic recording. I do recommend that you use the manual...there are a few things to learn for optimized use. I'm not sure where the folks are who cannot find media. I have had no problem with this at all. Of course,i purchased a few 3 packs of the DVD-Rs with the cam. I was at a large chain electronics store just yesterday 3-4-04 and saw plenty of media on the shelves. In true Sony Style if you use non Sony media the cam will prompt you to use genuine Sony DVDs. Mildly annoying. Video quality is good; i am waiting to test it this summer at a few horse shows to see how it handles in high action settings. I dont have anything to compare the battery life to; since my last camcorder was ancient. I like the fact that it constantly estimates remaining battery life so you can manage shots accordingly. Purchase an extra battery just to be safe. I like the size of the DVD100. Not to big not to small. I also liked the "button" style of the 100 over the touch screen on the 300. Thats just personal preference. I would recommend this camera to anyone who wants the convenience of the DVD format. We have been happy with it. Good Luck!
Rating:
Summary: love this product!
Review: We just purchased the DCR DVD 100 this past weekend and love it so far -- the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I don't know enough about it yet to use all of the features.
It only took about 15-20 mins to figure out the basics of the camera to begin to be able to use it.
Also - I wanted to point out, that while the store where we purchased the camera didn't have any additional media another "large chain electronics store" had TONS...so the media is out there and available. Like alot of other reviewers, we won't be using this recorder to take stills, so I wasn't concerned about the quality - we have a regular digital camera that we like to use.
Anyways....I would definitely recommend this product!
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