Rating: 
Summary: What you can expect ?
Review: I got this device, and it does not work at all (Malasian edition). However, what I can expect from device, which was made in Malasia ($1.50 hr) with softare written in India ? I would suggest to stay awaw from cheap HP products....
Rating:
Summary: Piece of Crap
Review: OK, the idea is good. It appears to be a small, easy to use machine, just what you would want to transfer those old VHS tapes to DVD. But the first machine that I bought (made in Malaysia!) "froze" half-way thru my first video transfer, and then froze again on a second attempt, wasting about 5 hours of my life! So I exchanged it for a second machine (made in the Phillipines!). This one, my brand new Compac computer with tons of memory "did not recognize the device". Then, about 30 seconds later, the HP writer shut itself off! Just like that! There is no "on-off" switch (stupid idea), so I kept replugging it in to the wall, and everytime, it would shut itself off in about 3 seconds. WHAT A PIECE OF JUNK. And why does every piece of underdeveloped junk have to be made by rows of asian women getting $1.50 an hour? Message to HP: Spend MORE TIME in design and development. Get the bugs out. And have units assembled with components that work! I would have paid $100 more for this machine, IF IT HAD WORKED!! Now... I am so mad, I will never buy a piece of HP crap, ever, again, ever.
Rating: 
Summary: everything works great
Review: After reading some of these reviews I was a little anxious about the dc3000 but decided to give it a try and see what it could do. Given all the complexity with drivers, BIOS etc, I was expecting a difficult installation. I couldn't have been more pleased. The software installed on my Dell without a problem, I was making my first DVD in no time. The only issue I had was after powering down the computer the first time, I got a blue screen when I started the Dell the next day. I noted in the documentation it was critical to have the latest and greatest of all drivers etc. I went to dell's web site and downloaded an updated system BIOS and that solved the problem. I have since installed the software on a Compaq laptop and also have had no problems (after downloading latest drivers BIOS etc.) The video capture software works well, I have copied from a camcorder and also from old VHS tapes. I took a 6 hour VHS tape with holiday tv specials and made 3 DVDs with which will make it much easier for my kids to find Frosty the Snowman next Christmas. I also made a backup of about 4gb of digital photos onto the DVD to take advantage of the higher capacity. I think some users with older computers need to be cautious as any new product can cause compatability issues, but as long as your hardware manufacturer provides updated drivers, you should be OK.
Rating:
Summary: I should have known better
Review: I purchased the DVD Movie Writer because I thought it would be easy for other people to use in my household. However, the item arrived on Wednesday and was promptly repacked and mailed back to Amazon on Thursday after two very lengthy calls to HP Customer Support in India. The dc3000 was installed on a Dell Desktop and a Dell Laptop. Each running @ 2.3ghz and 512MB of RAM. Each system had the same problem - I could see the video preview and audio preview, however, when I went to record no video source was recognized. Further, the drivers for the video capture card appear to limit it's use with third part capture and authoring software. I had high expectations, and I was severally let down. So now I am off to the store to find a seperate capture device and a DVD +/- Recorder. I suppose now upon reflection, I should have done this the first time. If you are considering this product, wait until april witht he dc4000(?) is out, which will use Firewire and may have some of these bugs fixed. Whil I was waiting for shipping, I did more investigation, so I anticipated some of these problems, as they probably account for 50% or more of nagative posts concerning this product. It appears HP is selling a flawed device. I don't recommend rewarding overall poor corporate behavior.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Buy!!
Review: I can't understand why people are having problems with this???
If their computer meets the requirements then it will work.
I bought my Movie Writer this afternoon and have already ripped 2 DVD's as a test. I haven't even got a USB 2.0 port yet!!!
Granted, the picture quality isn't crystal clear but that's just due to me not "tweeking" my PC yet. I've had it hooked up to my DVD Player, VCR, DV Camera and not one problem.
The editing software ain't bad considering it's a "freebie". I have Vegas 4.0 and nothing can beat that but Showbiz does the job. If you want help with this then read the online manual or search the net. Apart from that the instruction manual with it gives you enough to go on. The manual is simple because using the Movie Writer is simple.
If I had to make one suggestion though, it is that it should have Firewire capabilities. However, what to do is capture your video using your DV camera's firewire then use the Movie Writer to burn the DVD. There's always a way around. Just my opinion even though I'm only a novice!!!
Rating:
Summary: DO NOT BUY THIS EVER
Review: This is a complete waste of money; the thing just does not work at all. The software is good but I could not get my computer to recognize the drive. The bottom line - buy something else
Rating: 
Summary: Ok, but info lacking
Review: I was in the market for a dvd burner. I did research and decided this would be the right one. I have a HP system, so didn't think any compatibliity problems would arise. None have so far. The only gripe I have about it comes from my own ignorance. I had no idea that there are different types of DVD recordables. What's all this + and - stuff?! There is nothing on the box or any website I found about it ONLY being able to read DVD+R & DVD+RW's. So I now have roughly $30 worth of DVD-R & RW's I can't use.
I like the writer, it does what I want and has a couple of perks, like being able to edit the scenes (I'm new to movie editing programs).
Just beware if you're not buffed up on the absolute latest in recorable media.
Rating:
Summary: At least it arrived quickly....
Review: I received the DVD Movie Writer DC3000 from Amazon's amazingly speedy shipping service in just a few days. But the trouble begin almost immediately when I tried to install it on my state-of-the-art DELL system. I reached the point where you simply connect the USB cable and my high-powered DELL instantly went into complete shock, totally frozen. Unplug the USB, everything's OK -- plug it in, freeze the computer. Two hours later, I'm still on the phone with an amazingly patient and kind HP tech in New Delhi. We're uninstalling and reinstalling, we're connecting and disconnecting other USB devices, we're booting and rebooting. Nothing helps. He orders a replacement unit, which should be here next week. Right now I'm assuming that HP rushed this device into the marketplace just to boost quarterly earnings and please their stockholders. Whatever happened to product testing? The entire computer industry seems to have gotten a "pass" on allowing defective products to enter the market. At least it's not a set of tires. Thank goodness for forums like these - I just wish I had read all the customer reviews before I purchased. Caveat emptor.
Rating:
Summary: Use an analog to digital converter card.
Review: I gave dc3000 an extra star because it finally did work. The transfer button never did work. I had to find the "wizard" to set it up. Not much is said about the actual copying, that it takes a looooonnnng time, that you may need multiple disks for one movie, the vcr must be stopped at the end of a disc recording and then restarted for the next disc (after you have searched out the appropriate frame. Last but not least -- the audio was displaced 1/4 to 1/2 second. This made it appear like a foreign movie which had translation audio dubbed in.
Also should have a firewire interface, needs its own dedicated VCR and - surprise - ties up your computer endlessly.
The verical mounting accessory -- if you do not mind holding the disc in while the door closes, then it's OK.
I have 1.5GB memory, 320GB storage, speed 2.6MHz
Rating:
Summary: Good product for simple transfer
Review: This is a good product for transfer of VHS tapes to DVD without much fuss. After having read the reviews of possible incompatability with Dell Laptops, I was concerned. I reviewed the faqs and website devoted to this machine written by one of the HP engineers and found them helpful and maybe crucial. I used a Dell Laptop running Windows 200Pro with no other video or DVD software. The installation was easy and the device was recognized. My initial transfer had poor sound, but checking the support website that is referred to by other reviewers, I was able to correct the problem fairly quickly. Make sure all virus software is disabled and your usb transfer rate is sufficient. I can start a transfer and walk away. It does take time. On my Laptop, 2 hours of tape equates to 2 hours transfer time, then at least another hour of processing and writing to the dvd. But, you can walk away. The software has a neat prompt asking if you want to burn another copy after the first which I always do. I have had no compatabilty problems with various dvd players. I say way to go HP!
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