Sony DCR-DVD201 DVD Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom
By: Sony Average Rating: 2.5 Total Reviews: 41
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 On: 2007-12-10
I bought this camera back in December 2004 just before going on a trip to Europe, at the time it was the "bees knees" in camcorders. It was the most amazing little gadget I had owned at the time, and I was thrilled with the results. Im still very happy with the results, but there are quite a few issues with it.
Firstly, you cant do anything with the video youve shot - even getting clips onto your PC is a chore. Sometimes the computer finds the camera, more often it doesnt. Ive now given up getting anything onto the PC, and I just watch the video on the TV unedited. The software that comes with it is completely useless. All you can do is stitch together different clips in their entirety. I managed to do this ONCE in 2 years, but never got the software to burn a DVD of what I had stitched together - the software crashed the computer every time I tried to do it, so I gave up trying.
Secondly, like so many other people, disc errors pop up every once in a while. I admit I have been lucky with it, and have only had a couple, but then again, I havent used this camera much in all that time, and you just dont know when its going to happen. (I had a disc error when I put a new SONY DVD into the camera in St Petersburg, Russia. I didnt have another DVD with me, so I have no video of St Petersburg at all.)
Lastly, finalising a disc is a nightmare. You spend 10 or 15 mins chewing your nails to the quick waiting for the camera to start beeping and flashing DISC ERROR at you, thus loosing everything youve shot. Again, this has only happened to me a handful of times, but it happens right at the moment when you dont want it to happen. I lost the whole of the west of Ireland because of a disc error during finalising - once again, a SONY disc. Its not as if you can just put another disc in and go back to Ireland to reshoot it all. The 3 or 4 other times its happened was close to home, when I just did go back and reshoot it another day. But what if it had been something important, like the birth of a child or a wedding, like other reviewers have had?
After reading so many horror stories about this camera, I can say Im one of the lucky few. My camera has only done the dirty on me a couple of times, but then again, every time I use it, I think to myself, Is this the time its gonna stuff up??? Which is a real pity, because on the whole its been a nice little camera, and has traveled with me to a lot of places, and has generally been great. But ... you just never know when the moment will come.
Using Sony discs wont solve the disc error problem. Ive only ever used Sony brand discs, and they also give errors when the camera feels like it. And the camera hates DVD+R discs - I wasted money on a whole packet of these, only to have every one of them get a DISC ERROR from the camera when I first put them in. Obviously it only likes DVD-R discs.
I would say, save your nerves and dont buy any DVD camcorder, no matter what the brand. Theyre far too temperamental and the technology too dodgy.
On: 2007-09-19
JUST LIKE SEVERAL OTHERS I BOUGHT THIS CAMCORDER WHEN IT FIRST CAME ON THE MARKET. MINE WAS PURCHASED IN DEC. 2004. IT WORKED FINE UNTIL JUNE OF THIS YEAR. AFTER SPENDING CLOSE TO AN HOUR ON THE PHONE WITH SONYS REPAIR DEPT. I FOUND OUT IT WILL COST $211 TO REPAIR, AND I ONLY GET A 90 DAY GUARANTEE ON THAT. MY CAMCORDER JUST STOPPED WORKING, PERIOD! FOR NO REASON AT ALL, THE LCD SCREEN WAS THE FIRST THING THAT WENT, THEN IT WOULD NOT CHARGE, THEN IT WOULD NOT EVEN POWER ON!! THIS CAMERA HAS NEVER BEEN DROPPED, HIT, NEVER WET, NEVER USED OUTSIDE IN RAIN OR SNOW ETC; THIS IS THE BIGGEST WASTE OF $800 I HAVE EVER SEEN, AND ITS OBVIOUS FROM THE OTHER OPINIONS I HAVE READ, IM NOT THE ONLY PERSON TO HAVE GOTTEN THE ROYAL SHAFT FROM SONY. MY NEXT LETTER WILL BE TO SONY. SO ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY, PLEASE, PLEASE, DO NOT PURCHASE ANYTHING MADE BY SONY!!!!
On: 2007-09-18
Ive had this camera for over a year. Its a gamble to use however. Youll either be able to finalize your discs with no problems and have a great little DVD of your favorite moments, or it will have an error and erase everything! Its really up to how it feels at the moment, too. You have to record without moving as well, remember, theres a tiny laser etching data inside there and any sudden turns will erase the disk.
If you can get it to work, the picture will look FANTASTIC! But its really too much a gamble to take. Dont buy.
On: 2007-03-30
While I purchased my DVD201 almost 2 1/2 years ago, I have yet to put over 30 hours of recording on it. The problem is that the camera has a horrible time with disc access errors. I have used brand new SONY DVD-R discs (both the 1.4GB single sided and the 2.8 GB double sided), and every time it is a crap shoot as to whether it will work or not.
About 1/3 of the disks never get recognized by the camera at all - and basically have to be returned as bad, even though they seem to work ok in my personal computer. Of the ones that originally work, almost HALF of them end up with disc access errors at some point - many when I am finalizing the disc! That means I lose the entire contants of the recording! Ive lost recordings of family vacations, holidays and birthdays, and finally (the straw that broke the proverbial camels back) I LOST THE VIDEO OF MY ONLY DAUGHTERS WEDDING! UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!
I went to SONYs online "help", and found it was a joke! Not only were they incredibly slow, they asked me the same questions over and over again. DId you format the diswc? (no - the DVD-Rs do not require formatting). Have you finalized the disc? (no - the camera does not even recognize it has a disc in it - I cant even record, let alone finalize anything) Have you tried a new disc? (yes, about 6 of them, right out of the package)
If the discs would fail initially, then I could at least get new ones - BUT TO HAVE IT FAIL AFTER THE PICTURES ARE RECORDED does not leave me ANY options. SONY recommended going to a data recovery house to recover the data, but they want $400 bucks to get whatever you get - I am not even sure the data is recoverable!
Ive been on several boards and have seen the same problem reported over and over (unfortunately, not before I had purchased the camera). Has ANYONE had ANY luck getting this camera to work reliably? SONY wants $211 (flat rate) for me to send the camera to them for repair, and a couple of other places have quoted about $140-$160. Before I throw any more money down the drain with this camera - Id like some assurance that it will actually work. ANY suggestions greatly appreciated!
 On: 2007-01-09
Works wonderfully except the scrolling button is rather small and hard to use with larger hands. Recording on the DVD is great. Seeing the DVD almost instantaneously is great. Light weight enough to carry everywhere.
On: 2006-10-23
Users beware of this product. It is a waste of your time, data, and money. It has been to the Sony Repair Center twice and they are still unable to solve the disc error access problems when I use generic dvd discs. Their only answer is that I must use Genuine Sony Brand and the camcorder would not recognise other generic discs. They said this inspite of the fact that I already have recorded and finalized several dozen generic dvds, that will work fine on my television dvd player, but will not play again on my Sony dvd201. The Repair Center also said that my dozens of other non-finalized discs, that are no longer recognized by my camera, will no longer work because they are not Sony Brand. I suspect that there is probably a Sony Trojan on the headers of their Sony Brand DVDs so that you have to purchase Sony Brand to make your camcorder function. I have spent hours of my time in frustration trying to make these discs work again. There are also numerson other functional problems with this Sony dvd201 camcorder. Disc ejection is very difficut if you put a non-recognized disc in the camera. When the camera gets hot, with normal use, then disc ejection is very difficutlt.
On: 2006-10-22
Users beware of this product. It is a waste of your time, data, and money. It has been to the Sony Repair Center twice and they are still unable to solve the disc error access problems when I use generic dvd discs. Their only answer is that I must use Genuine Sony Brand and the camcorder would not recognise other generic discs. They said this inspite of the fact that I already have recorded and finalized several dozen generic dvds, that will work fine on my television dvd player, but will not play again on my Sony dvd201. The Repair Center also said that my dozens of other non-finalized discs, that are no longer recognized by my camera, will no longer work because they are not Sony Brand. I suspect that there is probably a Sony Trojan on the headers of their Sony Brand DVDs so that you have to purchase Sony Brand to make your camcorder function. I have spent hours of my time in frustration trying to make these discs work again. There are also numerson other functional problems with this Sony dvd201 camcorder. Disc ejection is very difficut if you put a non-recognized disc in the camera. When the camera gets hot, with normal use, then disc ejection is very difficutlt.
On: 2006-07-16
I too have suffered the same unexplained frustrations with the mini-DVD format errors, disc errors, etc that randomly and unpredictably come with this camera. I have a DCR DVD-300 which is essentially the same as the 100 and 200 series with a few more options. I would recommend a mini-DV or solid state format until this technology is perfected. Early on during my ownership of the camera which has been for over three years, I had a disc get stuck in the camera. It would not eject due to a format problem. Sonys only answer was to charge over $200 just to open the camera. Instead, I purchased a technical repair manual, and removed the disc myself. Since that time, Ive had no fewer than six discs result in format errors or disc errors. This will happen when you least expect it. My most recent one happened two weeks ago when my nephew was filming my wedding! Therefore, no wedding video! Im sure I can spend an exorbitant amount to a data recovery service.
Sony should provide a solid data recovery software program with this camera.
The editing software is not user friendly either. In hindsight, as much as I love the camera when it is working properly, the risk isnt worth the format. Wait for technology to catch up.
A program called CD Roller will offer help in many cases.
On: 2006-06-25
We bought this camcorder in 2004 when it first came out. Seemed like a decent deal at the time. First problem, have lens adapter to put additional lenses on it but cant screw them on b/c of the way the cd portion is shaped. Second and BIGGEST problem: CCD DIED. 2 years old. Used maybe 5 or 6 times. Worst use of $800 Ive ever had. Now it is off warranty and Sony wants $211 to fix it. And no, it is NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL AS THE 200 MODEL IS. Same problem according to the website pictures of the 200 model recall information. My camera says it was manufactured in April 04. The recall only covers until MARCH 04. After reading the other reviews on data loss, we will have to seriously consider whether we choose Sony or not. Ive had issues with Sony in the past (over Trinitron parts and cost of repair), and apparently some things have not changed with that company. If I could give it ZERO stars I would.
 On: 2006-03-15
I got this camera because I was being deployed to Iraq with the Army, and wanted a removable media that I can mail home and be played back without the device being there to plug in. That is the only good thing I have to say about it. The record time is poor, but accessing the disc on the device is like a digital camera without having to fast-forward and rewind. I guess there are two good things about it. The only software that works with it is the program it comes with, and that isnt all that great. I have taken care of this thing like you wouldnt believe. I built a padded airtight case for it out of a .50 cal ammo can. One week after the one year warranty was up it just stopped working. It wont read discs and makes a strange sound. I have never dropped it or handled roughly. The DVD is more of a novelty and isnt worth the money I paid for it. I can only imagine what it will cost to fix the thing. My digital 8mm has never failed me. If I were to do it all over again, I would have gone with a mini DV.
On: 2006-01-02
The main problem is that you will loose your precious movies and pictures. I already lost 3 dvds. And it happens with both Sony and third party disks. I also had 2 dvd-rw Sony that I couldnt copy on my computer but the copy worked flawless at the store on a VAIO(so I couldnt make any complaint, even with all my extended warranty). I did a little search on the internet and saw that data recovery companies(Apex Technology Limited UK being one of them) now specify ALL dvd-based Sony camcorders in their advertising. So I probably wont buy any similar camera made by Sony. And their only support is like "We regret the difficulties you are experiencing. However it is not possible to recover the data on a corrupted disc. You may contact any third party solution providers to recover the data from the corrupted discs." To tell the truth, I am really shocked that a company like Sony can market something like this.
On: 2005-12-25
Im calling it quits with this hunk of crap. I am sick of losing data due to "disc access errors". I just lost THREE STRAIGHT DVDs including the filming of my daughters first Christmas. And what is Sonys solution to this problem? They refer me to a data recovery service that wants to charge me $400+ PER DISC to get my data back. I dont usually take the time to write reviews, but people must be warned. Thanks for nothing, Sony.
On: 2005-10-27
Believe me when I tell you....this camera is a joke. You have to capture into sonys worthless software which allows little or no editing. I would consider this one of the worst purchases I have ever made. Absolutely no help from Sony techs and the geeks at best buy tell me Im up a creek. Thanks sony.
On: 2005-07-27
As a camcorder, Ive found the DCR-201 works pretty well... both the picture and sound quality of recordings have been just fine, by and large.
HOWEVER, I am frustrated beyond words at the fact that this piece of Sony equipment is not Mac compatible! My primary rationale in purchasing a Mini-DVD camcorder (as opposed to one using another format) was the idea that I could edit and make copies of film on my computer. What Sony & Amazon failed to mention ANYWHERE - in product descriptions, in Amazon reviews, etc. - is the fact that the Sony/Pixela editing software (which many other reviewers have complained about) is NOT Mac compatible. And, from what I can tell, neither Sony nor Pixela have any intent of releasing a Mac version of the software.
All of which means... well, it means that I wasted a lot of time, effort and money. If you own a Mac, DO NOT buy a Sony mini-DVD camcorder.
On: 2005-07-13
I own this camera. Nowhere does Sony tell you that this camera will only function reliably with sony discs. The manual only tells you it has to be an 8cm disc. When you turn the camera on (after you buy it) it will show "sony disc reccomended" on the screen, not required. After losing discs to access error messages (this included my daughters sweet 16 party,an overseas trip and finally a vacation in the mountains) I sent it in to sony. Sony sent it back stating nothing was wrong, but that sony discs had to be used to guarantee it will work (stated nowhere on the box or manual). The sony discs are hard to find and more expensive than any other brand. Sony forces you to buy their discs after youve bought the camera otherwise why not clearly state Sony Discs Mandatory on the box or handbook prior to purchase. They are ripping their customers off!
On: 2005-06-28
If you want to lose the precious moments of your life time use this camera. I have recorded 7 dvds and 3 of them lost the data due to disc access errors. Worst of all Sony service denies there are any problems with this pile of junk. And refered me to a data recovery service that could possibley recover it for $400 per disc. But being a Sony referal I was eligable for a 10% discount. If there are no problems why the service discount. Im considering class action lawsuit because I know the are plenty of people in the same boat. I have never written a review before, but I dont want anyone to suffer the loss of their precious memories.
On: 2005-06-20
The technology is coming, but it is one of those items that you might want to wait a year to see what updates they can do. The current Camera/DVD or Video war reminds me a lot of the Beta VS VHS war. It is just a matter of time before the Cameras are all DVD and have almost movie quality. I think at this point just for the simple reason that SONY has discontinued many other versions that were new 6 or 9 months ago, that should be reason enough to wait. But again.. its up to you
On: 2005-06-14
Do not buy. This camera has very little real value.It privides USELESS EDITING support.The bundled software ( Pixela Image Mixer) SUCKS big time. There is no way to get your movies off the camera except using this software. If you happen to lose or scratch the software cd, you have to BUY IT AGAIN @ $40.
Im wasting a little bit of my life by writing this review because i happen to be one frustrated owner of this product - Sony DCR DVD-201.
Here are two conversations I had with Sony customer support after I lost my software CD:
[...]
 On: 2005-06-06
I have been using the DCR-DVD201 for quite a while now, racking up a mini DVD stack of very high quality images and close-ups of flowers and other subjects. I am very picky, as an artist of ministure etchings and engravings, and find the image quality excellent. Sure, one can spend $4000-$5000 and upgrade for a professional unit and probably be happy having that...but this camera is great, and I use it just about everyday.
In fact the images are so good that I use a screen capture to make flower prints from the movie images (using the high resolution mode on the camera).
The Carl Zeiss lens is definite plus as well. I have been around these lens systems all my life and own other Zeiss lenses in microscopes, etc. My father as an MD used them.
The convenience of finializing a DVD in a few minutes (I noticed somewhere that the finalization process can take hours...it doesnt) and them being able to play in in your TV set or computer immediatley thereafer is great. The controls and compactness of the camera is wonderful...I often carry it in my pocket, with no problem. My main concern is forgetting that I am carrying it and losing it...that is how nice and compact this unit is.
I would say that one should know how to use the camera by reading the manual and experimenting with it and think before you record the image if you plan to edit anything later. I edit the finished product on my computer from the original DVD. A nice camera, with great image quality for the price. No problem. - John Anthony Miller, artist. www.johnanthonymiller.com
On: 2005-06-02
This camera does not work with Adobe Premiere Elements 1.0. I repeat... this camera does not work with Adobe Premiere Elements 1.0. After days of troubleshooting and a potentially $39 phone call to Adobe, their tech help put it simply. He said, "That camera records in MPEG-2. Adobe Premiere Elements doesnt like MPEG-2. You need to try converting your MPEG-2s to AVI files before bringing them into Adobe Premiere Elements."
Well, Im working on that, but so far, no luck. Despite the fact that my computer has enough hard drive space, plenty of RAM, has been defragged, etc. etc., the picture is still jumpy and theres no sound. Instead of editing videos, Im now hunting all over the web for file conversion programs that work with the DVD201 and Adobe Premiere Elements. Not fun and itll probably cost me.
I will say that this cameras touch screen is very intuitive and fun to use. Overall, the camera is easy and fun to use, but if you have any delusions of video editing, stick with the older Mini-DV cameras. Also, the software that came with this camera is AWFUL.
On: 2005-05-09
i think it is a good buy, because I bought it ;-:
i read a lot of reviews before i bought. some were accurate, some were not, at least in my experience. for example, i was not able to edit the movies using MS movie maker, as gadgester suggests below. after a careful read, i realized he never tried it, why mention it then? i think that may be misleading.
the camera is very small, but very user friendly. I used dvd-rw from office depot, they worked well so far. No problems finalizing, unfinalizing or playing. Does not take much time to do any of those operations.
i noticed that i was able to backup existing movies by recording on regular cd-r media, which is very very cheap these days. Of course you need to use a computer to do this.
i am not giving it 5 stars because i havent been able (and i expected it) to edit movies yet. may be someone has suggestions as to how to do it.
On: 2005-03-29
Sony is currently the only manufacturer making DVD-RW camcorders and apparently they havent perfected it. I bought mine for almost $1,000 and have had to send it to repair twice, sending it AGAIN as the finalized DVDs all SKIP!!! The DVDs are also very expensive, only hold 25 minutes of video and although RWs allow you to re-record you cannot edit out certain clips and record over those. I am truly disappointed to have bought such an expensive defective camera, and whats worse is the terrible service I have received from Sony. They will not return my money, and will not give me a new camera. Recently I learned from an employee at another store that MANY customers return this model for the same skipping problem. Sony must be aware of this yet continues to con people out of their money. The most they can do for me is issue an "exchange" someone elses defective camera...and thats not guaranteed...so here we are 4 months later...with a defective camera having missed out on precious family memories...going through hassle, time & expense of continuing to have to contact Sony, ship back, test, retest etc. Save yourself the aggravation...do NOT buy this product.
On: 2005-03-26
Even though I craved the convenience of a camcorder that could record directly onto a DVD disk, I almost didnt buy the Sony DCR-DVD201 Handycam Camcorder because of the many, well-written reviews on this website that faulted the color quality of the recorded footage.
I went ahead and bought the unit despite expecting to be displeased with the video quality. However, after shooting my first DVD and playing it back in our average-quality DVD player, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the picture quality was excellent. On this disk I had shot in daylight, and incandescant light, some outdoor scenes as well, both wide angle and close-up, and the image crispness and color quality was outstanding at all times.
I never owned any camcorder before (either digital or VCR/VHS), and Im not really a technical/computer person. Yet I found the camcorder easy to learn and use. In fact, Im teaching my 5 year old daughter how to use it and shes almost competent with it after just a couple of sessions.
Basically, all you do is charge the battery, insert a DVD, record your footage, finalize the DVD, and pop it out of the camcorder into your DVD player or computer to play it back. I would say its almost idiot-proof, but I still tried to record while the lens cap was on, and my 5-year old had to tell me to take the lens cap off!
I dont know if the other reviews mention it, but theres also a remote control. I already bought a tripod for the camcorder (with a 20% discount on accessories that you get as soon as you register the camcorder at the Sony website), and I plan to work the camcorder with the remote control from a tripod so I can get into the picture with the rest of the family.
The unit fits into your hand really well. And, the sound quality was excellent too - I didnt hear any of the DVD spinning noise that the other reviewers unfortunately experienced.
I am using the unit for family footage at present and dont have any immediate plans to do any editing of my recordings. That would be beyond my time and abilities, so I cant comment on the editing software that comes with the unit. I do some teaching might record some lectures on it but I can do so without need of the editing function.
Before I saw this all-in-one unit, I almost bought a camcorder plus a separate device for the sole purpose of burning DVDs of your recordings ($300 at best buy); I am delighted with the convenience of having it all in one unit, without experiencing any of the quality problems mentioned in the other reviews.
 On: 2005-03-08
The camcorder is fairly easy to operate and the picture quality is OK. The small size is great and the ease of popping the DVD out of the camcorder and into a DVD player is the best feature of all.
The biggest problem is the Pixela software. It is probably the worst video editor Ive tried to use and Ive tried a lot. Most of the video editors are set up to work with a mini-DV format camera. Pinnacle, Adobe Premiere, Premiere elements, Ulead, Avid all have trouble with this camera. I have to capture the video using Pixela, then import the mpegs into another program to edit and the sound doesnt work. Does anyone know of a video editor that works with a Sony DVD camcorder???
Its great if you never want to edit a video, but after you get bored watching the same raw footage and want to experiment with some movie making, youre out of luck with a Sony DVD.
On: 2005-02-21
As Pee Wee Herman once said " Everybodys got a big BUT". This is truly an outstanding camcorder. The convenience of recording directly onto a DVD is great. Sound quality, picture quality and ease of use are all five stars. BUT, the software SONY provides is absolutely, positively the WORST piece of garbage ever invented for video editing. If you are looking for a camcorder now, and can afford a few hundred extra bucks, SONY DVD is the way to go.
On: 2005-02-21
I purchased a new DVD201 with high hopes on how it would work. I already own a Sony DVD recorder for my home ent. center and a Sony Mavica CD camera, which I love (and uses the same batteries as this camcorder), so I thought this camera would be ideal for us, as I would have no problems using Sony products with Sony products.
But even at the highest quality setting (HQ setting) the picture quality is lousy - the colors are all faded and washed out. I thought at first this might be because I was using SP mode and VR recording setting, so I switched to HQ and Video mode. Very little difference. I filmed well-lit indoor scenes of items with bright colors and went outside and filmed flowers in bloom and other items with vivid color. Only the outside shots came even close to being acceptable - the inside shots were not good, and for $900 with all the accessories, this is too much to pay for a poor quality picture. I am very disappointed. I would have kept this camera if it were not for this problem. Also, it is just as someone else posted here, this is not a bug in the camera I bought - this is how it works. DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE IMAGE IN THE VIEWFINDER when you try this camera in the store. Burn a DVD-R disc, then play it back on a DVD player on any TV - you will see the problem.
Also, the shots taken outside are noisy, with little wind today, the shots sound like I am in a wind tunnel. The mike picked up lots of wind noise. This is not acceptable either.
Finally, the sound on the inside shots have a high amount of background noise (whirring sound) due to the DVD motor. This is also unacceptable.
SONY ENGINEERS: YOU NEED TO REWORK THIS DESIGN!
On: 2005-02-19
It does an excellant job shooting movies, but still camera has a lot to be desired. I bought the video flash light, it helps some, but I was expecting more for the still pictures
On: 2005-01-02
This camera, which I have owned for a year or so, is limited in every way. The 30 minute time limit (actually 21 or 22 minutes for a formatted DVD) is only the begining. Once you have the images, you cant do much with them, as the camera and the software (CRAP!) is not very useful or user-friendly. If you dont buy SONY brand discs, many other brands, that claim to be Sony compatible (such as panasonic) will fail ONLY WHEN FINALIZING - that means you just lost 30 minutes of footage - for us it was our daughters first day skiing!
Thanks Sony, for reminding me why I hate your products!
On: 2004-12-07
I read many reviews of this product before my purchase. I am very happy with my Sony DCR-DVD 201. It was very easy to use. I did not find the user manual overwhelming as some people noted. I am not very "techy," yet I found this product to be a great investment and easy to use. I recommend it for parents who wish to record their childrens activities.
On: 2004-10-29
I have had many camcorders in the past 20 or so years. From the first huge on the shoulder model to the large screen rotatable Hi 8. I film 18-u girls fastpitch softball as a side gig. After using all the others I decided to go to the DVD type for ease of use in transferring to my computer for editing and the capability to view as soon as I was finished filming for the day using only a DVD player in my truck. The still picture quality is as good as my 5mp Dimage and can be stored on the same DVD disk as the filming. The film picture quality is dumbfounding and is extremly easy to use. The menus are easily accessible and workable with one hand. The huge battery life can go almost the entire day, 8 hours of use. Yes I bought the high $ camera and im glad I did its the best thing to happen to my business and enjoyment of filming ever. Did I mention the nightshot mode? I bought an extender so this thing reaches out 100 in total darkness. Im a hunter, but now I find myself shooting DVDs of my friends hunting more than my weapon. Spend the money this is the best.
On: 2004-10-28
I have had many camcorders in the past 20 or so years. From the first huge on the shoulder model to the large screen rotatable Hi 8. I film 18-u girls fastpitch softball as a side gig. After using all the others I decided to go to the DVD type for ease of use in transferring to my computer for editing and the capability to view as soon as I was finished filming for the day using only a DVD player in my truck. The still picture quality is as good as my 5mp Dimage and can be stored on the same DVD disk as the filming. The film picture quality is dumbfounding and is extremly easy to use. The menus are easily accessible and workable with one hand. The huge battery life can go almost the entire day, 8 hours of use. Yes I bought the high $ camera and im glad I did its the best thing to happen to my business and enjoyment of filming ever. Did I mention the nightshot mode? I bought an extender so this thing reaches out 100 in total darkness. Im a hunter, but now I find myself shooting DVDs of my friends hunting more than my weapon. Spend the money this is the best.
On: 2004-09-20
The camera wont work with CompUSA DVD-Rs (I tried a bunch of them). I dont know if it is the cameras fault or CompUSAs, but I recommend trying out the blank DVD-Rs in the store before taking them home.
On: 2004-09-19
The camera wont work with CompUSA DVD-Rs (I tried a bunch of them). I dont know if it is the cameras fault or CompUSAs, but I recommend trying out the blank DVD-Rs in the store before taking them home.
On: 2004-09-06
This is our first camcorder. Admittedly we were intimidated by all of the choices and formats on the market. This DVD camcorder is a wonderful option because you do not need to use a computer or any additional equipment to watch your movies. If you do desire to do editing with your PC, you can do it with a usb port and unlike many other camcorder formats you do not need a firewire. We have a DVD player (not even a new or fancy one) and we are able to pop the DVD right from the camcorder into the DVD player and watch it right away - no extra steps. There is no need to plug the camcorder into a vcr or tv to play it if you have a dvd player. To us that made it worth the extra cost beyond that of a minidv camcorder. In addition, the DVD media is a lot more permanent than most tape formats as a DVD will last a much longer time - no need to transfer it into another form for archiving. The DVDs can even be played on the sony playstation game players.
If you dont want to buy a lot of extra equipment for a computer and you want instant gratification where you can view your movies quickly and archive them without hassle, this is the camcorder for you!
On: 2004-09-05
This is our first camcorder. Admittedly we were intimidated by all of the choices and formats on the market. This DVD camcorder is a wonderful option because you do not need to use a computer or any additional equipment to watch your movies. If you do desire to do editing with your PC, you can do it with a usb port and unlike many other camcorder formats you do not need a firewire. We have a DVD player (not even a new or fancy one) and we are able to pop the DVD right from the camcorder into the DVD player and watch it right away - no extra steps. There is no need to plug the camcorder into a vcr or tv to play it if you have a dvd player. To us that made it worth the extra cost beyond that of a minidv camcorder. In addition, the DVD media is a lot more permanent than most tape formats as a DVD will last a much longer time - no need to transfer it into another form for archiving. The DVDs can even be played on the sony playstation game players.
If you dont want to buy a lot of extra equipment for a computer and you want instant gratification where you can view your movies quickly and archive them without hassle, this is the camcorder for you!
On: 2004-06-27
TO START OFF, SONY LIED IN THE PROMOTION OF THIS CAMERA...IT HAS NO COMPATIBLE MICROPHONES TO MOUNT ON THE INTELLISHUE...IT HAS NO SOFTWARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE FORMAT OF THIS CAMERA...THE PICTURE QUALITY IS NOT AS GOOD AS MINI DV..I THINK MY 8MM MIGHT HAVE BETTER QUALITY...SONY MAKES ALL THESE CLAIMS AND THEY ARE NOT TRUE...THE SONY TECH TEAM THAT I HAVE TALKED TO FOR DAYS NOW DOES NOT HAVE A CLUE ABOUT THIS CAMERA..THEY ARE UNEDUCATED AND COULD NOT HELP ME IN THE LEAST WAY WHEN I CALLED TO GET HELP SOLVING THESE PROBLEMS ..NOW THAT I BROUGHT ALL THESE PROBLEMS TO THEIR ATTENTION..THEY SAY "TOUGH LUCK-THANKS FOR BUYING THIS CAMERA"...THIS IS FRAUD AND NOT TO MENTION THE HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT I GOT WHEN I TRIED TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS...I WOULD HAVE NEVER BOUGHT THIS CAMERA IF I WAS NOT TRICKED INTO BUYING IT FROM SONY...THE SOFTWARE SONY PROVIDES CRASHES CONSTANTLY AND IS LIMITED AND UNPREDICTIBLE WITH FLAWS IN YOUR FINAL PRODUCT...IF YOU PLAN TO DO EDITING OR WANT ACCESSORIES TO GO WITH YOUR CAMERA...THIS IS NOT THE CAMERA TO BUY...I AM VERY DISAPOINTED IN SONY WITH THIS PRODUCT...I LIKE DVD FORMAT...BUT SONY HAS NOT FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO IT RIGHT AND I AM STUCK WITH A VERY EXPENSIVE EXPERIMENTAL CAMERA THAT DOES NOT DO THE JOB THAT SONY CLAIMS IT WOULD..SAVE HALF YOUR MONEY AND GET A MINI DV CAMERA...SONY GOT ME ON THIS ONE...I WILL NOT BUY SONY ANYMORE DUE TO THE LYING AND UNWILLINGNESS TO MAKE GOOD ON THIS PIECE OF JUNK THEY SOLD ME...I SAY BOYCOTT SONY UNTIL THEY WAKE UP AND REALIZE THE CUSTOMERS ARE NOT GOING TO KEEP PAYING HIGH PRICES FOR POOR PRODUCTS...
On: 2004-06-18
The DCRDVD201 camcorder is a pleasure to use because it is not difficult to operate, has many great features, and probably its best feature- it is very small and lightweight.
It does not take hours of user manual reading and fidgeting around with the camera to begin using it, and ocassionally referring to the manual to use its more complicated features is all you need to do.
The steady shot is always on and makes recording and viewing easy. The super night shot works well also, but unless your nocturnal, it doesnt get used too much.
The image mixer software that comes with the camera is not as self explanatory as the camera is, but with a little extra effort and time, the program is versatile and capable of handling all your editing needs.
The hype over the DVD camcorders is over done. Unless you buy and use the expensive little DVD-+Rs to record onto, and have nothing to edit, there is little benefit to recording directly to a DVD. But if you use the DVD-RWs so you can edit, erase, and re-record, you are going through the motions of putting the video on your computer anyway; which you can do with miniDV or another recording format. In short, the DVDs that you record to is just temporary storage, if you, like most people will edit your recording before putting the video on a final DVD-+R.
I say all that to say- suprisingly, the picture quality is argueably not as good as miniDV and if you are going to have to transfer your recorded material to a computer to edit and finalize anyway- you may want to save yourself the extra $500 and buy a camcorder that doesnt record onto DVD-+Rs.
On: 2004-06-15
Unfortunatly only getting 1 Megapixel with still photography just doesnt cut it. Since I also own a Sony Digital Still Camera (MVC-CD300), which is a 3.3 Megapixel camera, I guess I was expecting better from this camera for still photography. After all, this one uses a DVD whereas the other uses a CD.Over all, though I agree that moving the videos and pictures you take onto your computer is a breeze. The video is easily edited and making a home movie for DVD is a breeze. The quality of watching the video played either from the camera itself or a DVD player on TV is great. Again, its a GREAT video camera and if you dont own a digital still camera, you get both options from this device (just dont expect to get postcard-quality pictures out of it). This is the best personal DVD recorder that I have seen on the market to date.
On: 2004-06-15
i bought the dvd201 i am learning the feature. its looks ok but it absorbs more yellow in the picture. and i am really anxious to know how can i use it as webcam?
the main drawback of this camcorder is lack of memory slot.
by: gadgester On: 2004-06-10
Its just incredible convenience to be able to record directly onto a (mini) DVD, then pop the DVD into your home DVD player, and then play your video and also store it on a permanent (100+ years?) medium. No more fumbling with IEEE 1394 cables, transfering video over to VCR or (ugh!) PC, only to face a demagnetized VHS tape or crashed computer hard drive.The convenience of using DVD-R/RW is the #1 reason why youd buy this camcorder. Its also stylish and easy to operate, with a great shape for the (right-hande) palm. But Sony should have included a larger zoom than the 10x optical included. Considering Canons miniDV can do 20+x zoom, Sony should improve this. The review by Pat from Colorado is helpful but I disagree with his/her assessment of the video quality. I think the DVD201s video quality is pretty good. Its not pro-quality like the 3-CCD camcorders from Canon, but its pretty good compared to other consumer-class miniDV camcorders. Initially I was afraid of digital artifacts on the video, but have seen none so far. With DVD-R (much cheaper than the 3" DVD-RW, which is also hard to find) you can record only once, but you can always just copy the files to your PC and use Windows Movie Maker or Adobe Premiere or any video-editing package. I havent tried it, though. Its just fabulous to just pop out the DVD from the camcorder, pop it into the DVD player and not worry about anything else. Is this worth $900 while you can get a great miniDV camcorder from Canon, JVC or Panasonic for one-third of that? I cant answer this question for you. For me, the convenience alone is worth a heft premium, since I no longer pull my hair out over frustrated video-transfer attempts. I can now actually enjoy shooting AND playing back my home videos. I can now live a few years longer, I think. NOTE: When buying blank media, be sure to buy the right format!
On: 2004-06-03
I find it easy to use,nice and compact, fun and very nice camcorder with a lot of extras. Ive just got my about a week ago, still learning how to use it, but Im having fun doing it.
Sony: They sure make nice electronics,expensive but nice.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-03
I waited for this 2nd generation model to hit the market but I was nothing but disappointed. I purchased the DVD 201 through a retail chain 2 week ago and I see many yellow dots on the screen and it actually records to the DVD. The coloring looks distorted. It does not seem to happen outside and at first I thought it was low lighting so I bought a light which does not seem to help with the spots. With the shades open (in the house)the dots disappear, but once the shades are closed you see tons of dots again. I have a realitively well lite house in addition to using the 3 watt light on the hotshoe. I exchanged once already ( 2 weeks prior) because I thought it was a mfg defect but I am still having the same problem with the replacement. I have a work order number for repair from Sony that is the best they can do to resolve the issue. What a shame a brand new camcorder has to be serviced 2 weeks old and on top of it I have to pay shipping expenses. I returned it to the store again and am going to read reviews to find a better quality camera. I previously had a JVC which was great and currently they seem to have the better reviews than Sony and Canon. I dont think the DVD world is up to speed yet. Save your money until it is perfected.
On: 2004-05-06
Being a electronics layman I had spent some time reading the reviews on this DVD 201. I originally purchased the DVD 101 but didnt realize until after I had ordered it that the 201 has a much better CCD (provides for a clearer picture). I returned the 101 and purchased the 201. If youre thinking about purchasing the 201 vs the 101 for only $100 more the 201 makes a better buy just for the optical clarity. The 201 has a 1/5th CCD vs the 101s 1/6th CCD. (Bigger does mean better here.) Other than that they seem to be identical cameras. I have had no problems taking pictures or recording video to the camera. It is almost as easy as my old Hi-8 camcorder. The only difference in recording between the Hi-8 and the DVD is that you have to finalize the disk when you are done. The DVD-Rs/RWs are also a bit more expensive but make for much better storage (size wise) and they wont ever demagnitize on you over time.
On: 2004-04-25
If you compare the prices between buying directly thru Circuit City or on their website and Amazon (Circuit City), Amazon offers a better deal for your money. If you choose to go thru Amazon to pickup the product at Circuit City you can expect to be notified when to pick it up in 24hrs. If you track your order it will say that youll get confirmation in 1 hour so that you can go down to Circuit City and pick it up - not correct. I got worried when the day passed and still no notice, but the next morning I got the email to pickup the product. It was worth waiting 24hrs because of the money I saved. The camcorder fits in the palm of your hand and Im impressed with it.
On: 2004-04-20
I am a point and shoot type: Kids/parties/family stuff. No pro training or desire. I just wanted a new camcorder to video the little ones as they grew up.I havent bought a camcorder in 10+ years and I did a lot of research. I was ready to buy a Sony DCR TRV38, but the new DVD recorders had just come out. These are 2 different categories of camcorders, but each has its appeal. I decided to give the DVD201 a try for the convenience of direct DVD recording. I have compared the two (borrowed my parents TRV38 for comparison) side by side. Here are my impressions:
1. Size: the DVD201 is smaller and felt good in hand. Very easy controls. 2. The DVD201 didnt have a touch screen LED. Thats good for me!! Its LED screen is 2.5" versus 3.5" on the TRV38. Sony has incorporated a new technology for the LED that lets you see it in bright sunlight. This feature was EXCELLENT!! It actually worked. I never had to use the viewfinder because of screen "washout." It easily beat the TRV38 in that department. The TRV38s LED was unusable in bright sunlight. 3. Image quality: Hands-down, the TRV38 wins here. I was a bit disappointed with the DVD201. Why? Read the review of the Sony DCR-HC40 at camcorderinfo.com and youll see that they werent impressed with the CCD (sensor) of that camcorder (it got unsatisfactory marks for low-light quality / and video quality in general). Unfortunately, that CCD is the SAME ONE USED IN THE DVD201. In order to make the camcorder smaller, Sony had to reduce the size of the CCD to 1/5". They claim that "new technology" compensates for the smaller sensor......NOT REALLY!! The larger 1/4.7" CCD of the TRV38 shows in the quality of the video. Both have the same 690K effective pixel resolution, so what gives? Does it matter? Not really!! The bottom line is that the TRV38 provides richer, fuller, and brighter video quality than the DVD201 (for $200 less). The DVD201 video looked gray and washed-out compared to the TRV38. Maybe its the media itself; mini-DV versus mini-DVD. Maybe its the sensor. Maybe its the recording format. It doesnt matter why......the video quality doesnt compare to cheaper units. [side note: the TRV38 has consistently earned very high marks for video quality and low-light ability] 4. As far as low-light ability, the TRV38 "wins" here too, but not by that much. I thought the DVD201 was comparable here with the TRV38. In low light, both videos were a bit grainy. The "Super nightshot plus" gimmicks were just that; gimmicks. The DVD201 does look better due to color being incorporated into the nightshot IR scene. Not a big deal, however. 5. Heres where the new Sony shines: The convenience of the DVD201 is unmatched. Simply pop in a mini-DVD (expensive media, however) and record away. Unfortunately, you have to "finalize" the disc before playing it in a DVD player. The manual warns that this process could take 1 minute to 2 hours?!? HUH? I have burned several so far and it never took more than 3 minutes. Heres the real kicker: Pop the finalized disc into your DVD player and watch it right now!! Its that simple. You will be enjoying your videos while everyone else with a mini-dv camcorder is still trying to hook up the darn camera to the TV with cables. THIS IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST REASON TO BUY THIS CAMCORDER..........Convenience. You dont have to download anything to your computer, compile it, burn a DVD (on the computer), and then pop it into the DVD player.
6. My kids love to watch their home videos...right now!! This camera eliminates the need to hook up anything to your TV with cables (where little hands can break an expensive camera). If you loathe the thought of taking video on a mini-DV, downloading it to the computer via hotwire, compiling/editing your obviously amateur video, re-writing it to a DVD with a DVD burner, and ONLY then get to enjoy it "effortlessly" on your TV, then the DVD201 is for you. 7. Heres the downfall, however; Not much editing ability with the DVD201. Using a DVD-R disc, you burn the DVD as you are taking the video. If you use a DVD-RW, you can download the video to the computer, erase, edit, and rewrite with it. (Apparently, the supplied editing software sucks, but I cant comment because I havent used it). I will probably never edit much, so I dont mind. If you love to edit, think twice about this camera. PROs: Small size, good feel, excellent LED screen, ultra convenient DVD media (can eliminate computer interface if desired), perfect if you dont care about doing much editing, excellent image stabilization, "finished product" for kids review very quick (shoot the video, finalize disk, ready for DVD player, DONE!!), good sound quality CONs: Video quality not as good as cheaper units (looks gray/washed-out), expensive media, sound of DVD spinning captured on tape (low "whir" audible), a bit grainy low-light performance, no wind filter, not much editing ability HERES THE QUESTION TO ASK YOURSELF: Is the convenience of the DVD media worth an extra 200 bucks at the expense of video quality? Im still debating. Dont get me wrong. The video quality is good, but not great. The DVD201 is a good point and shoot camcorder, but isnt video quality what its all about? Maybe. Maybe not. Convenience is a huge factor for some of us. One thing is for sure; the DVD201 beats the heck out of the JVC VHS-C Im replacing. Of course that camcorder is 10+ years old. BOTTOM LINE: Who will buy this camcorder? People who place convenience at the top of their list of features and are willing to sacrifice some video quality to get it!!! Hope this helps. By the way, Im debating whether to return my DVD201 or not.
On: 2004-04-19
I am a point and shoot type: Kids/parties/family stuff. No pro training or desire. I just wanted a new camcorder to video the little ones as they grew up.I havent bought a camcorder in 10+ years and I did a lot of research. I was ready to buy a Sony DCR TRV38, but the new DVD recorders had just come out. These are 2 different categories of camcorders, but each has its appeal. I decided to give the DVD201 a try for the convenience of direct DVD recording. I have compared the two (borrowed my parents TRV38 for comparison) side by side. Here are my impressions:
1. Size: the DVD201 is smaller and felt good in hand. Very easy controls. 2. The DVD201 didnt have a touch screen LED. Thats good for me!! Its LED screen is 2.5" versus 3.5" on the TRV38. Sony has incorporated a new technology for the LED that lets you see it in bright sunlight. This feature was EXCELLENT!! It actually worked. I never had to use the viewfinder because of screen "washout." It easily beat the TRV38 in that department. The TRV38s LED was unusable in bright sunlight. 3. Image quality: Hands-down, the TRV38 wins here. I was a bit disappointed with the DVD201. Why? Read the review of the Sony DCR-HC40 at camcorderinfo.com and youll see that they werent impressed with the CCD (sensor) of that camcorder (it got unsatisfactory marks for low-light quality / and video quality in general). Unfortunately, that CCD is the SAME ONE USED IN THE DVD201. In order to make the camcorder smaller, Sony had to reduce the size of the CCD to 1/5". They claim that "new technology" compensates for the smaller sensor......NOT REALLY!! The larger 1/4.7" CCD of the TRV38 shows in the quality of the video. Both have the same 690K effective pixel resolution, so what gives? Does it matter? Not really!! The bottom line is that the TRV38 provides richer, fuller, and brighter video quality than the DVD201 (for $200 less). The DVD201 video looked gray and washed-out compared to the TRV38. Maybe its the media itself; mini-DV versus mini-DVD. Maybe its the sensor. Maybe its the recording format. It doesnt matter why......the video quality doesnt compare to cheaper units. [side note: the TRV38 has consistently earned very high marks for video quality and low-light ability] 4. As far as low-light ability, the TRV38 "wins" here too, but not by that much. I thought the DVD201 was comparable here with the TRV38. In low light, both videos were a bit grainy. The "Super nightshot plus" gimmicks were just that; gimmicks. The DVD201 does look better due to color being incorporated into the nightshot IR scene. Not a big deal, however. 5. Heres where the new Sony shines: The convenience of the DVD201 is unmatched. Simply pop in a mini-DVD (expensive media, however) and record away. Unfortunately, you have to "finalize" the disc before playing it in a DVD player. The manual warns that this process could take 1 minute to 2 hours?!? HUH? I have burned several so far and it never took more than 3 minutes. Heres the real kicker: Pop the finalized disc into your DVD player and watch it right now!! Its that simple. You will be enjoying your videos while everyone else with a mini-dv camcorder is still trying to hook up the darn camera to the TV with cables. THIS IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST REASON TO BUY THIS CAMCORDER..........Convenience. You dont have to download anything to your computer, compile it, burn a DVD (on the computer), and then pop it into the DVD player.
6. My kids love to watch their home videos...right now!! This camera eliminates the need to hook up anything to your TV with cables (where little hands can break an expensive camera). If you loathe the thought of taking video on a mini-DV, downloading it to the computer via hotwire, compiling/editing your obviously amateur video, re-writing it to a DVD with a DVD burner, and ONLY then get to enjoy it "effortlessly" on your TV, then the DVD201 is for you. 7. Heres the downfall, however; Not much editing ability with the DVD201. Using a DVD-R disc, you burn the DVD as you are taking the video. If you use a DVD-RW, you can download the video to the computer, erase, edit, and rewrite with it. (Apparently, the supplied editing software sucks, but I cant comment because I havent used it). I will probably never edit much, so I dont mind. If you love to edit, think twice about this camera. PROs: Small size, good feel, excellent LED screen, ultra convenient DVD media (can eliminate computer interface if desired), perfect if you dont care about doing much editing, excellent image stabilization, "finished product" for kids review very quick (shoot the video, finalize disk, ready for DVD player, DONE!!), good sound quality CONs: Video quality not as good as cheaper units (looks gray/washed-out), expensive media, sound of DVD spinning captured on tape (low "whir" audible), a bit grainy low-light performance, no wind filter, not much editing ability HERES THE QUESTION TO ASK YOURSELF: Is the convenience of the DVD media worth an extra 200 bucks at the expense of video quality? Im still debating. Dont get me wrong. The video quality is good, but not great. The DVD201 is a good point and shoot camcorder, but isnt video quality what its all about? Maybe. Maybe not. Convenience is a huge factor for some of us. One thing is for sure; the DVD201 beats the heck out of the JVC VHS-C Im replacing. Of course that camcorder is 10+ years old. BOTTOM LINE: Who will buy this camcorder? People who place convenience at the top of their list of features and are willing to sacrifice some video quality to get it!!! Hope this helps. By the way, Im debating whether to return my DVD201 or not.
On: 2004-04-15
Have had this camera for a few weeks now, and I must say the image quality is impressive. We originally had a DCR-DVD200 on backorder since Christmas time, and recently found out that it was discontinued by Sony (as well as the DVD100 & 300), making way for the new DVD101 & 201. Glad I waited, for these new models are over 25% smaller than their predecessors, and hopefully Sony has addressed some of the earlier complaints customers had about the previous models, improving on the features/qualities.Besides the sharp image quality, the stereo sound is superb (in my opinion), however the spinning noise of the disc in quiet environments can be noticable in your recordings. The "Pixela" software that comes included seems to be a little too basic, and found using the free Windows Movie Maker is much better, however you can only make VCDs with WMM. I have tried some trial versions of DVD editing software (Uleads Videostudio and Movie Factory), but so far they dont seem to support this camera, or at least the Dolby Digital audio, rendering the captured videos silent. Anyone recommend a certain program to use that works with this? Those seem to be my only complaints. All in all, Im quite happy with this camera, and recommend it for the ease of use and image quality.
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