Rating: 
Summary: really cool
Review: I'll go into the negative first.Software: the software did take me a few tries initially installing it on our desktop, was kind of a pain, because the instructions are not very detailed. When I installed it again on my laptop, was much easier, just have to make sure you do it in the right order (do not plug in the USB cable until you click on USBReady.exe, then plug in cable into your camera and the pc. Then install the following: DVDRam Driver, MyDVD, DVD MovieAlbumSE. You'll have to restart the computer after installing each one of these). Lighting: In dark spaces and at night, honestly, the lack of lighing can make the picture quality in these settings horrible, depending on how dark the atmosphere is. In certain instances, you can go back and use your picture editing software to improve the quality and it turns out fine, but in others, it remains awful, and theres nothing you can do. Make sure you have proper lighting!!! Not sure if there is a light attachment yet, but one is SEVERELY needed. Thats really it on the negative - grant it they are pretty big negatives when talking about an expensive camera like this, but I found everything else to be great, including the picture and movie quality. Playing Double-Sided 2.8GB DVDs (smaller than normal DVDs) on your computer:
Despite what others have said, you CAN play these discs (they are about half the size of normal DVDs) on your computer, without having to use the camera as a device attached to your computer to access your pictures. Included on the install disc is a DVDRAM Driver - after you install this, you can pop the DVD into your computers DVD drive, and view pix (pix are stored as JPGs, but you'll need to use the software to play the movies - and make sure you have enough RAM on your pc - my laptop has only 256MB of RAM which nowadays is not enough to run anything, and movies sometimes don't play well - not because of the software (I think, I hope) but because of our memory capacity the laptop). Picture Quality:
Picture Quality, with the right lighting mind you, has been exceptional, from what I have seen. Keep in mind I have not owned any other kind of camera like this before (really went from throw-away cameras to this one), so I might not be the best one to comment here, but to me it looks great! Ease of Use:
I don't undertand when others say it is not intuitive to use. The disc navigation is very straight forward and joystick oriented. Changing modes is very easy from stills to movies to the stick memory cards. Size:
This thing is so compact, you can fit it in the palm of you hand, and doesn't weigh a ton. Awesome! Zoom:
Pix - 40x.
Movies - 240x. Overall:
I really do enjoy this camera, it is great. Advice:
Wait until the next version comes out to purchase. Some of the above wrinkles should be ironed out and it should be much cheaper than the @ $800.00 we paid. But DVD cameras I'm thinking are going to the new standard, and you'll want to jump on board this cool technology as soon as you can. Plus you can play the DVD-Rs (In my experience, I have not been able to play DVD-RAM discs yet) in your non-computer home DVD players, and now they are making progressive scan DVD players with a built-in memory stcik attachment - too cool, but again right now too expensive. We should have waited but we just had a baby!
Rating: 
Summary: Buyer beware
Review: If you purchase this product, I hope you are completely satisfied. It is my opinion that the reliability of Panasonic products has slipped in recent years, and this was confirmed to me when a product I purchased quickly failed. The reason I'm posting this is to warn you that the warranty that accompanies Panasonic products only has value if the company chooses to stand behind it. In my case, they weaseled out of it, leaving me with a total loss and no further recourse. Good luck with your decision.
Rating: 
Summary: great
Review: Panasonic VDRM30 DVD Digital Camcorder
by Panasonic theres no question about it looks and iam sure its beter then the old camcorders and I can't wait to own one.
Rating:
Summary: Like it!
Review: Small, cute, fairly intuitive - works good, except night vision(not that great). Needed to refer manual for seeing couple of things - "DVD needs to be finalized to play in DVD/laptop" & "how to connect AC power to finalize disc". Very convenient that output goes to DVD disc directly! Price much cheaper than Sony DVD camcorder :)
Rating:
Summary: Great Camera and Cheap to Run
Review: This camera is a little more expensive than others, but in the short run, it is more cost-effective. The camera doesn't use digital tapes, but 1.4GB DVD discs in two formats: DVD-R and DVD-RAM. The DVD-R discs can only be recorded on once and viewed immediately on your DVD player and/or computer. This actually works because I've tried it in both my DVD and computer and there is not problem -- if some users are having problems with playing back the DVD-R, it might be due to restriction of their hardware or because they're trying to play a DVD-RAM disc in a DVD player, which cannot be done, unless you buy a very expensive unit that runs DVD-RAM discs. Make sure your computer is compatible with this camera -- I bought the camera first and then a computer that had the neccessary software and hardware. It less than one hour, I was able to burn regular size (4.7GB) DVDs of my shots and play them on all DVD players. The picture quality is outstanding because there is no loss of resolution due to tape. The recordings are also have a longer shelf life because it's all digital (no tapes). DVD-RAM discs can be taped over 100,000 times, and to access them from your computer, you need a DVD player that can read DVD-RAM (this explains why some users are having problems). However, you can still download all footage and picture on your computer by using a USB2.0 cable, and it comes up great. Because you can use a DVD-RAM disc 100,000 times, you no longer need to buy digital video tapes, hence saving you serious money in the long run, especially if you're a frequent user like I am. The camera also takes good postcard-size photos (nearly 2000 per discs), so it's great to take on holidays or where ever without having to take a separate still digital camera. It terms of lighting, there is a flash available, with the model clearly listed in the booklet inclosed with the camera. The only frustration I have with the camera is that there is a slight lose of brightness (light) when converting from the camera to blank DVD-R discs, but I have the feeling that is most likely due to the software included with the package. Since I've bought this camera and showed my friends what I can do with it, they all want to buy one. The DVD straight recording is way above what's currently available out there on the market, the camera is certainly a benchmark for what will come in the future. Take time to read the manual and follow the instructions, and you won't be dissapointed like other users.
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