Samsung DC164 DVD Camcorder with 33x Optical Zoom
By: Samsung Average Rating: 2.5 Total Reviews: 21
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 On: 2007-05-07
I used this camera successfully for one week and one day, upon which time it suddenly stopped being able to read any disc. After several hours of troubleshooting myself and engaging level 2 technical support, it was deemed in need of repair and now I must send it off to NJ.
Consequently, I cannot give the product anything but the lowest rating as something 30+ days old and used only a week should not fail like this.
 On: 2007-04-10
I received this product as a gift. While the camera itself was free, I had to buy a case, back-up batteries (after having read the negative reviews), mini DVDs, and a memory card, so it was far from free in the end. Heres my experience so far:
Pros:
--Lightweight, easy to hold
--Pretty
Cons:
--The battery problem is true and cannot be fixed from my experience. I bought a Samsung SB-LSM80 Equivalent Lithium Ion Battery TWO-PACK (Replaces SB-LS80 SB-LSM160--For Camcorder SC Series D263 D363 D365 D6040 D963 DVD DC164 DC) and a Memorex Mini DVD+RW 10 Pack. Even while fully charged, the battery indicator showed half-charge, for both the original battery and the new spare batteries I bought. After using the camera for about 5-10 minutes, it goes into a 1/4 charge mode. While it only takes about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes to fully charge from a 5-10 minute use, the battery indicator still only measures 1/2 charged. Very annoying.
--The DVD+RW discs do not allow for finalization which worries me.
I havent decided yet what to do--whether to deal with the product flaws or throw in the towel and buy my own digital camera
On: 2007-03-28
DONT BUY THIS CAMCORDER THE BATTERY ONLY LASTS FOR 20-25 MINUTES WHEN FULLY CHARGED. SOMETIMES YOU FEEL EMBRASSED.
On: 2007-03-19
I cant believe a company is allowed to sell such a piece of junk. Samsung should face a lawsuit for misleading buyers. This product does not fulfill the "implied warranty of merchantability". Id rate this product zero if it was an option.
Ive only been able to use DVD-Rs. Most do not finalize (disc error). (And, yes, the camcorder has already been sent back to Samsung once for "repair"....not as if that helped). The ones that do finalize always end up with clips that have errors (when I try to load the video to my computer for editing).
Luckily, Ive been able to recover much of the corrupted clips using IsoBuster (DVD data recovery software). Still, the image quality of this camcorder is pathetic. Ive used it for several months...but no more. Im sick of spending all my time trying to recover corrupted video files...and then watching video that is of lower quality than analog VHS.
I went out and bought a Sony DCR DVD405. No more messing around with any brands other than Sony or Canon.
...anyone want a Samsung SCDC 164 for really cheap?
 On: 2007-02-05
I bought this a week ago. A few things to mention...the indoor recording with low lighting is horrible. DVDs actually look like a movie recorded from the 80s. I opened my blinds and turned all the lights on and its perfect but that was the middle of the day when the sun was out. There is no night time recording on this. Everything looks dark. I used the DVD -Rs. These work fine...you dont have to format it. You do have to finalize the disc...takes about 2 seconds and you are done. I had the Samsung MiniDV camcorder..quality is about the same...zoom is much better on this one. I like the idea of having my discs ready to watch. I havent had a problem with the battery but am still disappointed after spending nearly $400 for a camcorder and cannot record indoors if its dark outside.
UPDATE 02/06/07 - I returned this for the SONY DVD108. Main reason was because for $20 more this camcorder comes with a great niteshot light. The Samsung did not record well indoors with low lighting. Majority of my home videos are of Christmas morning (when its dark outside) and my kids playing in the living room. Unless it was the middle of the day and I could open the curtains and blinds it wouldnt record well. The Sony DVD108 is much better for the same price. Also the SONY DVD108 has a 40X optical zoom. The man at Best Buy said that optical zoom is almost unheard of. He also said Samsung uses plastic for their lens...Sony uses glass which makes the picture clearer. The zoom on the SONY is fantastic. If you are looking for a camcorder within the $400 price range look at the SONY DVD108 youll be glad you did. Also - I was able to use the DVD -Rs on the SONY DVD108 as well and they work fine. The SONY also has a touch screen menu unlike the Samsung.
On: 2007-02-05
I bought the SC-DC164 camcorder in Nov 2006. Ive spent several hours using/investigating it, after thoroughly reading the user manual. Heres my take on this camcorder: DONT buy this model if you cant tolerate a lot of problems and "learning experiences" with it! If you dont mind going thru the problems/learning and are willing to buy extra/extended life batteries for it, then youll probably like it.
NEGATIVES:
1. VERY POOR battery life! A fully charged battery lasts about 15-20 mins before going into RED indicator! The unit may or may not shut down properly at this point, and if it doesnt you may have problems with the current disc youre using.
2. Regardless of what the manual says, this device is NOT compatible with DVD-R discs. Ive tried 2 brands and multiple discs. The DVD-R discs can be formatted, but after recording for approx 1-2 mins, I get a "disc error" every time. The disc is useless at this point. Ive switched to DVD+RW which seem to work well.
3. The battery CHARGER became defective after 4 sessions of use (approx 3-4 hours of usage time). I now have a partially recorded disc that I cant get out of the camera due to no power.
4. I thought the viewfinder (not the LCD screen) was useless because it was totally out of focus, until I found a tiny note in the manual advising of a tiny focus adjustment located on the right side of the viewfinder when its extended. Now that Ive adjusted it, its fine. What a pain!
POSITIVES:
1. This device is relatively inexpensive, and has many nice features. The optical zoom is outstanding. Its very light-weight, fits nicely in the palm of your right-hand, and the basic controls are easily accessible.
2. The LCD view-screen works well, and is very versatile.
3. IF (and only if) you use DVD+RW discs, then loading, using, changing discs is a snap. The camera will format these discs, and there is no "finalizing" or "unfinalizing" of discs needed. Ive opened, removed, and played a partially recorded disc on my DVD player, and then reinserted the disc in the camera and recorded more video on it successfully. I havent yet copied video to my PC or other DVD discs, so I dont know if I will have imcompatibility issues there. DVD+RW discs can only be formatted in "VR mode" (which may cause incompatibility with some DVD players).
4. Sound and color of recordings seems to be OK from my limited experience with this device. Low light has not been a problem for me. Auto focus seems to work pretty well.
Ive found a 1600mAh extended life battery (double the std capacity) on the web for $25 + shipping. I am torn between getting power problems solved and continuing to use this nice, compact video camcorder; or just returning it and moving on to another model with fewer problems! Buyer beware!
On: 2007-01-14
Okay, so I bought this camera before reading the reviews, and instantly became scared. When the UPS guy dropped it off, I opened it and charged the battery... I inserted a SD memory card, instantly began recording. I inserted a DVD-RW and recorded, finalized the disc, then popped it into the DVD player and it worked! I put the disc back into the camera and unfinalized and deleted the video... its great! GREAT picture and GREAT sound. This camera is a definate must have! I love it! The only thing is that its not firewire and wont connect with my mac. Boo on that, thats why I gave 4 stars instead of 5.
On: 2007-01-12
Very Good product for the price it is being offered for and for the features it has.
On: 2007-01-12
I read several negative reviews before buying. I also found some problems but they were solvable.
1. When the camcorder freezes, simple turning off and on did not reset the machine but removal of battery did.
2. When finalized, the resulting DVD was not playable and the content was not playable. But when it was back to unfinalized, the content was playable and while it was, I copied it to my computer.
Overall quality of picture and sound was very good. It was a good buy.
On: 2007-01-02
The Samsung DC 164 is an easy-to-use, small camcorder for non-professional purposes. BUT the faults of this product simply outweigh any logic to purchase it;
1. Battery Life is an absolute joke- there is no way youll even get close to 30 minutes worth on a full charge.
2. Like another owner stated, I found it impossible to finalize a DVD once the battery wore down (and I subsequently used the AC cord or re-charged the battery).
3. Picture quality is not up to the standards I was used to with my older Panasonic VHS camcorder.
4. If you own an Apple Mac computer, there is no way to upload your info using the universal port cable.
At this price-point, definitely consider some of the other brands on the market.
On: 2006-12-28
I bought this camera for my boyfriend before I read the reviews. I was worried and ready to send the camera back but he opened it up and began to use it and loved it. Its a cute camera, and the price is the best you are going to get for the quality. Many of the other people that wrote reviews obviously did not read the instructions, many of the problems that they faced were due to errors on thier own part. The only bad thing about this camera is that it doesnt have night vision and the battery dies pretty quickly. Buy a replacement battery and you will be fine.
On: 2006-12-25
This is a terriable camara - do not buy.
When i first started to play with this camara i popped in a 1GB SD card and recorded on to it. I thought cool feature.
When it came time to record some family moments i popped in DVD-R and started to shot away. Things were going ok intill the power lvl started to go down, and i did what anyone else would do - plug it in.
Apparently when you plug the power in to the camara when it is turned on - it restarts it. Which from reading other users posts - totally hoses the current DVD.
Right now i cant get the thing to even open to get the disc out let alone read it. It just says no disc. This is only after an hour of use. Its Christmas weekend, and wont be able to get awhold of Samsung till tuesday.
The downside is I cant get back to the store to return it.
Like other users have said - im going to stick with DV tapes.
On: 2006-12-14
I read the reviews for this item, on this site, before I purchased it and reading the reviews youll see their either great or terrible. From my expeience, Im in the great category.
Pros:
- The menu options are easy to navigate.
- Fits hand nicely.
- Battery charges quickly.
- PC software is easy to use.
- SD Card slot is handy.
- Descent zoom.
- All DVD format types
- Reversible screen (common yes, but I like it!)
Cons:
- Short battery life
- If battery goes dead and causes cam corder to shutdown, the DVD currently being recorded to does not properly close. Upon restart, with fresh battery, the DVD will be unworkable meaning you just lost all your pre-battery recharge video.
- Night mode isnt spectacular
- No light accessory attachment
Now yeah, there are some issues but what doesnt have some issues? As long as youre mindful of the battery, you shouldnt have any problems... for me - this camcorder is worth the money.
On: 2006-11-11
its a good camcorder but need to have a light belt in becuase image is a little to dark
On: 2006-11-06
Although some of the reviews are positive, please do not take a chance with this model. I purchased it in April, and have had only one disc (the first one) be able to finalize. After a few calls to tech support, I have been given no explanation,but was told the following each timeI called when it would not finalize a disc: 1) "I am not sure why, but maybe you had a bad disc " (I agreed, there was a possibility since it was the first time) 2)"I dont know, but at least you can still recover the information to your disc-burner on your PC (I agree, but why the heck would I want to continue to do this, I could do this with my old 8mm camcorder, but at least I did not loose the video) 3)AND I QUOTE " Oh, R- dont need to be finalized, you can just drop it in a DVD player, and if it doesnt work, try another dvd player." (Anyone with any sense knows this is totally wrong, and this woman had no ability to be giving out technical advice.) (I simply said okay, but let her know that the main reason I was calling was to document the failure of this device.
I attempted to try a different brand of R- disc, (originally used FUJI, now MAXELL)and after recording almost a full disc, it now reads a "NO DISC" error, and fails to even recognize it. SO LONG MEMORIES !!! There is no way to recover this, since it doesnt even read the disc to transfer to my PC. I am now in the process of gathering up all of the parts and documentation of all of my trouble, plus all of the bad reviews, and head to battle Circuit City for a refund (Somehow, I think I will be out $400 !!!)
As for the earlier review: WHERE DO YOU READ THAT R- IS NOT COMPATABLE ?(IT IS LISTED ON PAGE 10 !!!) WHERE DID YOU READ TO NOT OPEN THE DOOR ? I SURE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW.....
On: 2006-10-30
What a great little camcorder!! I love it and in fact now look for ways or activities to do in order to use it without looking so dumb.
Upside:Light weight and easy to use. Takes great clear video. Have to easily adjust for the right filming set up like in door out door etc,, but its simple to do. Has great microphone and sound quality as well.
Downside: Finalizing can be an issue until you really get with how and what NOT to do. I really wish amsung had added a feature that wouldnt allow you to open the door on the camera until youve finalized your disc. Not so great in dark situations.
Ok I bought this camera at Best Buy and as I have made it my own policy; any electronic device is subject to be repaired at some point, so I always buy the extra warranty too! One repair out weighs the additional expense.
OKOK! I admit and agree with some of the other reviews, BUT there are user reasons for some of these errors and wanted to share them.
1)You absolutely cannot open the disc door after you start recording or the
disc will read errors and wont finalize. (ITs in the manual)So dont open the door to check the disc or look at the disc until you finalize it!
2)You really can only use DVD + R or RW discs. IT says it in the manual. The negative R or RWs are not compatible.
Ok now I am going to tell you what to do when the disc errors happen. Even if the disc wont finalize the info still has been written onto the disc. Dont believe me....go to the disc manager and then disc info and it will tell you how much space is used. OILA! if it says anything over 1 minute, it has been written. BUT remember its digital and cannot and will be needed to be converted in order for any device to be able to see it and then you see it.
When I got my 1st disaster that said disc error wont finalize....Best Buy recommended a software to download from the internet called ISO Buster. I downloaded it and it retrieved the files from my disc. 2nd problem....those files need to be converted so I used my Sansdisk free software that came with my mP3 and it converted the files & now I can at least see them on my mp3...thank goodness because my video was from a recent vacation to Disney World.
Ok so this past week, I had my disc error 2 show up. I think I remember opening the door on accident before I even finalized the disc. BUT! and this is key. I can still see the movies!!! YEAH this is good!!! Heres what I discovered..........
HOOK THE CAMERA UP TO YOUR VCR VIA THE RED, YELLOW, WHITE AV CABLES, AND THE S VIDEO CONNECTION IF YOU HAVE IT. THEN PLAY YOUR MOVIE ON THE TV. IF YOU CAN SEE your VIDEO(S) YOU CAN RECORD THEM TOO!! ONTO A VCR TAPE!!! BEFORE YOU REALLY LOSE THE MOVIES. I havent lost my precious memories which were 2 birthday parties for my daughters. I put them onto tape.
I know what your thinking, "I didnt buy a DVD camcorder to record onto tape" But you can always put it back onto disc after you record it. I think its better anyway to have a back up and not lose the precious memories. I doesnt matter to me if its tape or DVD. As long as I can get it back and see it. I really wish I had done this with my Disney video, but I still have my disc and maybe I can find a way to restore it at a later time.
Remember: 1)Dont open the door on your camera until you finalize. (I put a piece of tape over the button to remind me)2)IF all else fails, hook the camera up to your VCR, put in a blank tape, record it onto tape.
Now aint you happy you read this review?
On: 2006-10-29
What a great little camcorder!! I love it and in fact now look for ways or activities to do in order to use it without looking so dumb.
Upside:Light weight and easy to use. Takes great clear video. Have to easily adjust for the right filming set up like in door out door etc,, but its simple to do. Has great microphone and sound quality as well.
Downside: Finalizing can be an issue until you really get with how and what NOT to do. I really wish amsung had added a feature that wouldnt allow you to open the door on the camera until youve finalized your disc. Not so great in dark situations.
Ok I bought this camera at Best Buy and as I have made it my own policy; any electronic device is subject to be repaired at some point, so I always buy the extra warranty too! One repair out weighs the additional expense.
OKOK! I admit and agree with some of the other reviews, BUT there are user reasons for some of these errors and wanted to share them.
1)You absolutely cannot open the disc door after you start recording or the
disc will read errors and wont finalize. (ITs in the manual)So dont open the door to check the disc or look at the disc until you finalize it!
2)You really can only use DVD + R or RW discs. IT says it in the manual. The negative R or RWs are not compatible.
Ok now I am going to tell you what to do when the disc errors happen. Even if the disc wont finalize the info still has been written onto the disc. Dont believe me....go to the disc manager and then disc info and it will tell you how much space is used. OILA! if it says anything over 1 minute, it has been written. BUT remember its digital and cannot and will be needed to be converted in order for any device to be able to see it and then you see it.
When I got my 1st disaster that said disc error wont finalize....Best Buy recommended a software to download from the internet called ISO Buster. I downloaded it and it retrieved the files from my disc. 2nd problem....those files need to be converted so I used my Sansdisk free software that came with my mP3 and it converted the files & now I can at least see them on my mp3...thank goodness because my video was from a recent vacation to Disney World.
Ok so this past week, I had my disc error 2 show up. I think I remember opening the door on accident before I even finalized the disc. BUT! and this is key. I can still see the movies!!! YEAH this is good!!! Heres what I discovered..........
HOOK THE CAMERA UP TO YOUR VCR VIA THE RED, YELLOW, WHITE AV CABLES, AND THE S VIDEO CONNECTION IF YOU HAVE IT. THEN PLAY YOUR MOVIE ON THE TV. IF YOU CAN SEE your VIDEO(S) YOU CAN RECORD THEM TOO!! ONTO A VCR TAPE!!! BEFORE YOU REALLY LOSE THE MOVIES. I havent lost my precious memories which were 2 birthday parties for my daughters. I put them onto tape.
I know what your thinking, "I didnt buy a DVD camcorder to record onto tape" But you can always put it back onto disc after you record it. I think its better anyway to have a back up and not lose the precious memories. I doesnt matter to me if its tape or DVD. As long as I can get it back and see it. I really wish I had done this with my Disney video, but I still have my disc and maybe I can find a way to restore it at a later time.
Remember: 1)Dont open the door on your camera until you finalize. (I put a piece of tape over the button to remind me)2)IF all else fails, hook the camera up to your VCR, put in a blank tape, record it onto tape.
Now aint you happy you read this review?
On: 2006-09-08
all i have to say:
1. My daughter junior high school graduation-------Gone.
2. memorial day bbq with my family----------Gone.
3. a day at universal---------Gone.
4. another three days of usage not gone, but i cant finalize.
I finally return to samsung repairs dept. They are going to send me a new camera once they get around to it. It has been three weeks since samsung approved a replacement.
stick with tape. then pass it unto dvd later.
a little more work but you will not lose new memories of your family.
this camera s@%&s.
by: Anonymous On: 2006-06-24
ive been saving up for the scdc163 for a long time and when i got it i was very satisfied w/ it. it has very good quility and outstanding zoom. its easy to use and is compact. its so compact that my hands can easly hold it,and im 11! its cool lookin! unlike other mini dvd camcorders. ive had no problems w/ it other then to wait for it to charge to try it out when i first got it.
On: 2006-05-16
I read these reviews after i had purchased this camera. I was very afraid of the results. After a weekend of use i could not find a reason to hate the camera. I was able to finalize and unfinalize my dvd-rw many times during testing without any issues. I will say in low light it does not record as well, you can play with the settings and find what works best, this is a issue with all or most cameras. Anyone with issues can also try the firmware upgrade with fixes compatibly issues with DVD types (perhaps the reason the 1st 2 reviews were not +)
On: 2006-05-15
This is the first product I have ever purchased from Samsung and have been dissatisfied with. It is a very expensive piece of [...] The videos are fuzzy at best, there is absolutely no taking videos in dimly lit areas and the digital camera photos come out looking like black and white photos.
You must change the settings from inside and outside constantly and the color is mediocre at best.
I also had disc errors. Anything recorded prior to the disc error you lose. Can be quite frustrating especially if your recording a special event.
I would actually give this product ZERO stars but that isnt an option.
It is worth returning to best buy and losing the 15% restocking fee. Spend an extra $200 and buy something a little more than the low end DVD camcorder.
On: 2006-05-11
1 disk recorded fine, second disk could not finalize, and recorder would freeze up. Had to remove battery to restore. Third recording attempt (3rd disk) I continued to get disk errors, and had to wait minutes for recovery. No I wasnt jumping up and down, I was highly stationary.
Software/Hardware doesnt allow for easy recorded data transfer to hard drive (USB). Data capture of recorded data crashed about 70% through every attempt (USB). Gave up an copied from mini DV through DVD burner.
Tried to return for exchange or money back, but Best Buy would not accommodate the request - 3 days after the return policy. I feel like I have a expensive peice of junk - Samsung will only service it. I really dont want this product, and wouldnt recommed it - obviously based on experience.
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