I am still at the verge of buying this product because I'm wondering how long it take from the time you turn it on to the time you can capture your first picture. If you have to wait for the DVD to spin up, that must be some time! Otherwise, this product looks fantastic!!

Would someone please respond who owns this camera/camcorder?

I just received the camcorder yesterday and I tried shooting some video at High Resolution and was surprised to find some frames being dropped when playing back on my DVD player. When the scene is fairly static the video is fine but when there is moderate movement I see occasional drops (about one frame every minute on average).
You have to however really watch for it to notice the drops (since it only drops one frame now and then). This appears as a sudden jump of a moving object as opposed to a smooth movement.
Just to rule out the possibility of bad media or the player I tried different media as well as another DVD player with the same results.
I hope this is only a problem with my unit, I'm going to try and exchange it for another one. Those of you that already have the camera please check your videos again carefully to see if you notice any sudden jumps and post your results.
Other than this problem the camera is great but for a camera at this price point dropping frames is unacceptable.

One other thing I have to mention about this camer is its awesome multi channel audio. I recorded some scenes outdoors with kids playing and birds chirping all around, then I played it back at home with 5.1 channel speakers and it sounded like I was back outdoors!. The surround effect was simply incredible.

UPDATE: I tried the videos with a Sony DVD player and I stopped seeing the dropped frames. So, there could be compatibility issues with DVD players (the other players I used were one from Apex and another from Samsung).

I love this camera, but can't seem to get the settings right for good night video and video stills. Does everyone have their settings on auto for exposure, white ballance, Program AE etc. I know this thing rocks, I just have gotten a little aggitated with the manual because it involves several models, not just the 403. Additionally, has anyone bought a external flash and if so which one and how much? Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks

I can't believe how easy this camera is to operate.

I received the camcorder last night and was anxious to get some test footage of my daughter before she went to bed. To save time, I skipped reading the directions and went straight to fiddling with the camera. With absolutely no difficulty or direction I was able to snap on the battery pack, plug the camera to AC power, pop in a disc, and begin recording my daughter's silly bed time antics.

Now it was time to play it in the DVD player. A freind had told me that you need to "finalize" the disc before you can play it in a DVD player. So, after a moment of hunting in the setup menu I found and selected the "finalize" option. A little whirring and a grave warning not to vibrate the camera, and a few minutes later the disc was done.

I placed the disc in the DVD player still believing this was too good to be true, but there it was. My daughter giggling and singing in 16:9 aspect ratio on my big TV, with no wires and no need to boot up my computer. Within 30 minutes of pulling the camera out of the box I was playing a freshly recorded movie without having to glance at the manual. I can't say enough about the ease of use.

And, the quality is top notch. I'm no expert but I have an older Sony Mini-DV and I've been exposed to home movies made on a number of different cameras. The picture quality on this one is as good or better than any video camera I've ever seen. But it was the sound quality that shocked me.

As I sat watching my daughter sing on camera I heard her singing in front of me. Then, I was startled to hear the sounds of my wife and I laughing and coaxing her comming from the surround speakers behind me. That's right, this thing records in Dolby 5.1 surround sound!

So far, I've only recorded two discs worth of material, and I haven't even gotten into exploring the more advanced features of the camera, but it does everything I want it to do. Incredible ease of use. High quality digital picture and sound. The only drawback I see is the $5-$8 price tag per blank disc. But as one reviewer mentioned you can transfer your movie to a much cheaper full size CD-R using a DVD recorder or your computer. Then you can reuse the same $8 mini disc over and over again.

Either way, it's a small price to pay for such a convenient and high quality product.

When recording outdoor, even there is not much wind at all, this camcorder produces a lot of wind noise just like a thunder storm out there. I set the volume to low in the setup menu, but it does not help at all. The picture quality is good, the wide screen produces a very nice view on the 16X9 TV.

Prior to buying this particular Camcorder I have owned over the past 6 years 2 digital Mini DV Camcorders from Sony, but felt the media is now outdated for the multimedia environment of today, so I opted for the Sony DCR-DVD403, in the belief that Sony's DVD Camcorder design is now on a par with Mini DV Camcorders. I must also add that I was looking for a small point-and-shoot camcorder, and not a Pro-Cam.

I was initially pleasantly surprised by the small size of the Camcorder and its simple interface. I was also impressed by both video picture (3.3 mega pixel CCD) and sound quality. The DVD is a real plus for me as I use DVD+RW, and these are both re-recordable and recognizable by my laptop (Sony Vaio), so I have no compatibility complaints. Overall, I rate the Sony DCR-DVD403 very highly for those who want a quality point-and-shoot camcorder that is easy to carry around.

I'm a bit disappointed. Just came back from Alaska and played back my dvd's. I have a 42" plasma and the video quality stinks. It looks much better on my 25" analog tv. While recording,if I zoomed in on anything it went out of vocus. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. I recorded in HQ but it didn't make any differnce. If there is any wind at all the sound is terrible. I'm going to try a piece of foam over the mike with a rubber band to hold it on and see how that works. Touch screen is nice. Battery holds up good, but that picture quality on my plasma is unaccecptable.

I bought this to replace my SVHS-C camera which I had been using along with SVHS editing VCR's to make short art films. I was split between the DVD403 and a Panasonic miniDV with 3 CCDs. I chose the Sony because of DVD ease-of-playback and night vision.

Video: The DVD403 has generally lifelike picture quality, but not quite as great as a 3 CCD model. The motion video seems to be derived from the 3 MP still sensor, so it's better than your average CCD video camera. HQ mode is better than miniDV but makes a disc last only 20 minutes. Also, the touchscreen is the only way to change settings, which is a little awkward.

Audio: Amazing! True 5.1 surround sound is recorded from a ring of microphones on the top of the unit. When played back on a stereo TV with headphones, the moment is reproduced exactly as you remembered. I haven't tried it on a surround receiver. The only drawback here is there are no 1/8" jacks of any sort, only a hotshoe for a fixed microphone on top of the camera.

Connectivity: Well, the software is buggy and restrictive and requires a USB 2.0 card. The most versatile formatting mode is VR on DVD-RW discs, allowing deletion of individual scenes. However, VR mode is only supported by a few DVD players and can be captured to PC by very few editing programs.

Overall, this camera captures life with great fidelity just as a roll of Kodachrome did in the 1950's. However, also like a slide, it's hard to do much with it after you've created the recording.

I'd read a lot of bad stuff about Sony's earlier model cameras - and in fact, Hitachi had developed the technology and produced better cameras for less cost to the consumer.

However, I read a few good reviews about this one and since I buy mostly Sony products, I took the plunge.

Fact is, this thing is awesome. It's lightweight, easy to control and takes terrific pictures. I do mean pictures, too. It's got a 3 MP camera that's a snap to take pics with, though, you do have to be careful that you've stopped moving.

The camera has a built-in flash, which was lacking from an older model camcorder I had that allowed me to take stills. Timing seems perfect as well. (I've had the camera now for several months.) Also, changing back and forth between video and still mode is literally a flick of the thumb.

The camera itself holds up extremely well. I'd read previously that minor movements will completely hose up DVD recordings, but not on this thing. I was moving all over the place as I recorded the interior of a house I was looking at, and it adjusted extremely well to differing light conditions as well as to bouncy movement.

The settings for the camera are very easy to configure. The video screen is a touch screen and a lot of the confusing dials and buttons are removed from previous models of Sony recorders.

I purchase my DVD media on ebay for about a dollar a DVD (that's the RW's, btw, so I can reuse them. I'd recommend getting single sided ones, so that you can label the DVD. Found that out the hard way after buying 50 dual sided DVD's. At that cheap a cost, it's not worth it for the inconvience of not being able to label the disks.)

Oh, and though they warn you not to jiggle the camera during formatting or writing the disk, it's not THAT screwy. I was in a moving car, as well as jostled a bed that the camera was sitting on, and neither disk was ruined. So, I'd take the warning seriously, but no need to consider your media at that much risk.

THe only annoying thing is that Sony flashes a warning every time you start up the camera with a non Sony DVD in the recorder. Grrr.

Overall: Easy to use, fantastic zoom, very speedy startup, very fast recording, easy to retrieve both video and pictures from the DVD - I expect to be able to use this for 4+ years as I did my last Sony video recorder.

My husband and I were very excited to get this camera because we wanted to edit video on our Mac. We did our research, compared several models, and even called Sony to make sure that this camera was compatible with our Mac and they told us it was. In the last few days, we have really enjoyed using this camera, it has great sound, a crisp picture, and is easy to use. It is virtually worthless to us, however, because it is not Mac compatible. I really do not appreciate being misinformed. Sony, shame on you.

I'm sure that I can find some third party software out there that will enable me to convert the video, but right now I am EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED with this product- Sony's website offers virtually no support for those of us outside the PC world. Thanks for nothing, Sony.

Trust me, Sony is the best.

Few would say that this is just my opinion, but believe me it is a fact. I went to the various stores and tried various handycams of different manufacturers and found that Sony DCR-DVD403 is the best among all keeping the money factor also in the mind.

Few good features:
- Easy to configure
- Has 3MP camera that provides you awesome pics
- Built-in flash
- Easy to handle and switching up the video/camera mode
- Light weight
- 10X zoom provides you the flexibility to take long distance snaps with much clarity

I am using it and the outcome is superb.

The "Sony DCR-DVD403 DVD Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom" it is brand new,in box.I have 3 Sony DCR-DVD403 DVD Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom and i want to sell them at the price of 600 each.

We needed a decent small, Video Camera but didnt want to lug two pieces of hardware around hence desire for a decent camera built in there too.

We got both in the DCR-DVD 403 and after 60 shots are concluding that the 3MP Camera works very well. No other DVD cam corder in the sub $1500 price range comes close on resolution. And compared with other 3MP digital cameras, you'll be hard pressed to find a 10X optical zoom.

3 other mega pros:
1. It fires up quickly and is dang easy to use.
2. Video quality is very, very good.
3. The cool features like the 5.1 surround sound, night mode and touch screen are all very functional... and not just poorly spliced add-ons


The minor cons:
Little niggles... very little niggles...
-My first shots have colours looking a little to the blue spectrum, easily corrected with a post processing however.
-The power/mode switch/button...perhaps flimsy and am not convinced that's going to be a long life item... but have warranty
The lumpy battery hanging off the back dont fit with the overall form, colour and aesthetics (and generally in the shops I went to, you only the cam with the power adapter attached so its bit of a surprise.)
DVD "Finishing" has to be done before playing the DVD so you can't just plunk out the little disc half way through use and plop it in the home DVD player (like I told the other stakeholder in the purchase). Still if you want to do interim viewing... just use the play back mode on the 403... "Finishing" itself is just a few prods on the touch screen anyway.
Requests... would like to have seen an AtoD feature like the (3 CCD equipped) panasonics... transfering them old VCR tapes to DVD would have been cool. You cant have it all I guess.

But the professional and the amateur reviews you can read are pretty much on the money, for my money.

Dang good cam-corder.

Well done Sony.

The Sony DCR-DVD403 DVD Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom it is brand new in box,never opened.I have 5 Sony DCR-DVD403 DVD Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom at the price of 750$

The good: Camera was very impressive -- easy to use, great LCD resolution, good image stabilization, clear picture, fairly good in low-light situations, and generally very 'friendly' to the touch.

The bad: Video editing choices are terrible; didn't realize that mini-dvd's have limited choices due to their format. I couldn't use any of the three editing software I had purchased, and was limited to some pretty lame software that came with the camera. After a week of fairly intense use, I'm returning this one, but was impressed enough to be purchasing Sony's HC90 in its place.

Lastly, I didn't trust that the little plastic on-off/navigation switch would last a year.

I was waiting for a DVD camcorder with least problems and good quality and finally
decided to buy Sony's DCR DVD 403 after reading reviews and information from
various web sites. Though it is not the perfect one, I am satisfied with the overall
quality and ease of use.
Video quality is very good if you are shooting outdoors and in High Quality (HQ) mode.
It's almost near to what you see on professional DVDs. Indoors, where light is low,
video is not as good as it is outdoors, it's somewhat grainy. Though I think I have
explore features of this camcorder to get good indoor video quality. Because the shooting
time in HQ mode is approximately 15 min. on a MiniDVD, you should use DVD-RW (You can
reuse DVD-RW after copying your video to a regular DVD or to your computer) and should carry
4-5 of them if you are going out. You can playback the DVD-RW without finalizing on your
TV or Computer by connecting the camera to the TV or Computer.
Also I had no problem in playing a finalized DVD-RW on my computer.
Overall creating a DVD is very easy on this camcorder, which was one of the main reason
I bought it.
Battery life is also good, I was able to shoot around 45 min. of video with lots of playback.
Of course the battery is new. So don't give-in to the scare tactics of the store salesman to
sell you additional battery.

Still-picture quality is very good and with the build in flash, there is no problem in taking
pictures in dark.

Overall this is a good camcorder for those who wants portability and quality (outdoors) of a DVD
and ease of use.

Simplicity - One word that can describe this camcorder entirely. It takes less than 5 min to figure out the various functions. It cannot get any easier.

Pros: The list goes on, but here are the TOP 5
1) 3 MP CCD...!!! - And a 3.2 MP digital still camera with FLASH
2) 5.1 Surround sound recording - This rocks - (First I have ever heard about such a thing in camcorders.. was blown away)
3) Touch Screen - No messy buttons, very clean interface
5) Good battery life - Get the FP90 for an increased battery life
5) Clarity/Quality - is incomparable in this price range

Cons: (I am just being picky here, but Sony could improve this to make it the BEST)
1) Disc loading mechanism is a little difficult with the strap coming in the way
2) A memory stick slot could have been useful, though not necessary
3) A viewfinder that can tilt
4) It weighs a little over 1 lb with the battery, could be a little lighter
5) Price of DVD+/-RW discs

If you are contemplating b/w DVD203 and DVD403, go with the 403, you wont be disappointed ..!!!!

The picture quality and features are all great...as good as one could hope for without going pro-level, but the best part is the ease of use. All the tch-shy folks in the house have no problem just picking it up and shooting away. I'm very happy.

It is excellent as a video camera and I have only good things to write about that function, but as a digital camera it is not really good.

I have a 3 year old Sony camera, which I use in 1.2 megapixel that take very clear pictures.

I printed pictures in the same size took with both cameras, and the 1.2 megapixel, are excellent, bright and clear. The 3.2 megapixel stills from the DVD-403 are darker, and with no clarity.

The camera is very easy to use, produces a real clear picture, and is a great value.

I am very dissappointed with this cause it does not work with apple technology. There is no way to download anything to my computer(Mac) and no one told me. I have talked to the people at Sony and at Apple and they told me that there is nothing I can do...which I am not happy about at all. On the positive side the quality is very good for the recorder although to record on the highest quality on disc you can only record for 20 minutes per disc which can be a pain if you want to record for longer without replacing the disc. I dont know about the quality of photographs cause I obviously can not download to my computer to look at them or print. This is probably a pretty recorder for someone who owns a PC and never plans to get a Mac

It does not matter what OS is running on your Computer. To access the videos and pictures stored on the DVD just pop the DVD in the DVD drive and launch your favorite file manager to get to the files. You can also use your favorite Image/Video editor to do what you want with the recorded content.
The only thing that is not compatible with the MAC is probably the included S/W which is pretty useless for for most purporses. I like the whole idea of not having to wire the camera to the PC to access the recorded content (which is the case with MiniDV camcorders).

The Mac comments so far have been both right and wrong. Yes you can pop the DVD into your Mac and access the files, but you can't edit them with any included software on the Mac, and Sony doesn't have anything for us. However there is shareware available that will convert the DVD footage into something iMovie can edit. It is called MPEG Streamclip.

It really isn't hard, but it isn't very friendly either. If you are a no hassles Mac owner, you might want to skip these DVD camcorders.

I purchased the DCR-DVD403 camcorder from Amazon, used it, and was generally happy with it. Then the automatic lens cover ceased to open within a few weeks of of purchase, which renders the camera unusable. Instead of a working camera, I get grinding gear noises.

Fortunately, the unit was within Sony's short 90 day warranty, so I followed the Sony procedure for repair, which includes filling out a form on their web site. I was instructed to send my unit to Laredo, Texas. I called to find out repairs take 10 to 15 days (that is business days: 2-3 weeks), and that I must pay for shipping to Laredo, but that Sony will pay for return shipping. The email I received after submitting the repair form said that Sony had negotiated a shipping discount with the UPS Store.

I went to a UPS Store, where I was told that people come in all the time with these Sony failed products with 'discounted' shipping, but they had no idea how to discount my shipping- they have no mechanism to do so without a work order number, which was not provided by Sony. So I ended up spending $32 for three day (insured) shipping to Laredo, TX.

I bought this camera to shoot my first child's early life, and now I'm waiting for repair and round-trip shipping that will take approx. a month, and it has cost me $32.

Sad, I called Sony customer support, was pleasant to the rep, describing that I was disappointed and wanted faster repair. I was passed to a 'supervisor', waited 19 minutes to talk to her, and was told there was nothing they could do to speed repairs, pay for my shipping, or help me in any way.

My lesson: Be very careful before purchasing this unit, or anything else from Sony. I was very careful with it, stored the camera safely, and have a gear-grinding, unit killing failure. And the 'legendary Sony quality' gone bad is backed by a short warranty period and terrible repair policy.

I hope you can find another manufacturer with a better quality unit, longer warranty, and better in-warranty repair.

This camera is great. It's small, durable, and produces excellent video and still images. I have a 3.2 megapixel Sony camera and it's images are slightly better than the 3.0mp camera on the DVD403. It's great that the stills are saved to the DVD rather than a separate memory card. The surround sound is also excellent. My only complaint the the actual microphone. There's a rubber seal around the perimeter of the microphone and it tends to easily slip out. It's easy to push back in but it seems like Sony could have designed this part better. Overall, this camera was an excellent purchase.

Let me shed some light on the negative aspects of this camera. The only problems I have noticed are:
1) You will get just 20 minutes of recording on high quality videos.
2) If you move the camera too fast you will notice some jerks in the picture.
3) Doesn't have a built-in flash but it does have infrared capability. the quality of picture in infrared mode wont be that good.
4) Media is expansive and is hardly available in the market.

Now the positive aspects of this camera are:

1) Brilliant picture quality
2) Amazing sound quality
3) built-in hot-shoe
4) CDs can be finalized easily. All the functions are easy.
5) It's very compact camera.
6) Hybrid screen eliminates the need of buttons.

To read more information about this camera I would suggest you to visit Sony's website.

There is currently a known issue with many of the Sony Camcorders. This is being called the "black screen of death".

What happens is that the camera works great for 1-2 years then the CCD goes out like a light. The camera will not take video again.

Sony is evasive if not downright deceitful about this issue when you call tech support. The fact is Sony does not stand behind their product. If this happens to you, Sony will not own the defect and you will be out hundreds of dollars.

There is a lengthy thread on CNET on this issue. Search for Sony black screen.

Wishing you luck in the purchase of your (not Sony) video camera,
Scott

Great item! Still learning to use it. Would be nice if it had a shoulder strap.

I already own a 201, the 403 is amazing, very fast boot sequence, easy to use touch screen, I can choose 16:9 or 4:3, battery back is smaller and lighter, buit-in flash and 3 Megs for photos !!!
Sony high quality product, the best sony camcorder.
Recommended.

Sony DVD-handycams take excellent video-shots. However there are a few disadvantages with recording on DVD. Although, I have an earlier model, I assume the problems are the same. The small discs are quite expensive. If you use the regular non-re-writable discs, you can't regret, rewind and retake the last scene. This is particularly annoying if you forget to turn off the power switch before you put the camera in the bag and accidently trigger the 'record' button. The entire disc can be wasted! And you are stuck with Sony's editing software. Other standard editing packages assume DV-input from tape, and nothing else! So, nowadays I always use rewritable discs to allow for more flexible recording. And at home, I use the Sony software to copy selected scenes to less expensive DVDs.

THIS ITEM HAS BEEN A DREAM TO OPERATE. I URGE EVERYONE IN THE ENTIRE FREE NATION TO PURCHASE THIS CAMCORDER. I HAVE NEVER BEEN HAPPIER WITH THE RESULTS, AND THE EASE OF OPERATION. SONY? YOU DID IT AGAIN.

I just purchased the camera so I could record my 2 little ones going off to their first day of school. So far I am very pleased with the camera and am glad I invested the money into it.

Pros: Easy to use / Easy to finalize
Nice still pictures
Lightweight and compact
Great night shots
Movies look and sound great on my 57" wide screen HD tv
Easy to use LCD touch screen
Easy to switch between modes

Cons: Wind noise in background
Viewfinder won't tilt up
No memory slot

Bottom line is that I wanted a great DVD camcorder/camera and I found it. Could it be improved - absolutely but for whats out there now in the DVD format you can't get any better. I have made a half dozen DVD's already and the kids just love popping them into the DVD player and watching them over and over again.

I give this camcorder 5 stars because it exceeded all my expectations.

I chose the DVD-403 because I wanted to make DVD's, but I didn't want to be left with an outdated camcorder a few years down the road. I have recorded a dozen DVD's since I purchased it, and I'm THRILLED with the quality of every minute of footage. I get to enjoy my memories in high-definition with sharp 5.1-channel sound.

The camcorder is a pleasure to carry around. It is small, quiet, and lightweight. The touch-screen is my favorite feature. I like to play back my favorite clips for friends. The menus make it really easy to navigate to the right chapter on the DVD. Playback is fun to watch since the screen is so large and the volume can be adjusted to be very loud.

I haven't connected my DVD-403 to a computer yet. I'm excited to archive my footage. I plan to use the analog-video inputs on the camcorder to transfer my old VHS-C camcorder footage through the DVD-403 to my computer. This thing does it all!

BE AWARE IF YOU HAVE A MAC, THIS CAMCORDER WILL NOT WORK. BE WARNED!

I still give it 5 stars. It's the only camera for this price range whre you can take pictures and video with the same device. The picture quality is really as it is told there 3 Megapixel. The only problem with still pictures is that the flash is too bright and spoils dark background.
The video quality is the best I've seen on digital video. The only problem there is that the video quality during a playback depends on the DVD player. My DVD player on computer shows the video shot with this camera with poor quality when the camera moves, the standalone DVD player pauses between different segments. But the best quality is when played from the camera itself. So, maybe it's worth to try Sony DVD player.

I used many kinds of camcorder before: Video 8, Hi8, Mini DV. I find this one is the most practical one: no rendering, no transferring. Just shoot, finalize (2 minutes only, with a touch of a button) and ready to watch and distribute among family and friends. The picture's quality is excellent and the most impressing of all is the sound. I never bring my mini DV camcorder again, goodbye to all the mini DV cassettes that pilling up in the drawer.
If you are looking for easy to use, practical and good quality camcorder, this camcorder is the answer.

i previouly used a miniDV videocam. although the picture quality is good enough, transferring the footage to a disk is too much of a hassle.
With DVD403 it is now a very simple step. once you finalise the mini disc, just have to transfer the files to your computer and burn them to a DVD. very good picture quality.


DVD403 also has an Easy Mode. with the press of a button, you are ready to use your camcorder. i only had to refer to the owners manual when it was time to finalise the disc.


take note though, the control for zooming in and out is very sensitive, takes a bit getting used to. there is a tendency to zoom in (or out) too quickly.

Best camcorder I've ever had!!!

Sony is the best. The thing fits into the palm of your hand and records with world class clarity. What more could you ask for?

Those complaining about re-recording disks and media shortages and price seem to have issues of their own. I bought the thing to be compact and take FAMILY pictures. If you want to be a movie producer, go to Hollywood. And if you're looking for cheap, run-of-the-mill electronics, you shouldn't be looking at Sony products anyway--people don't buy Sonys and Mercedes Benzs for the employee discounts...they buy them for their quality.

For those discerning individuals (like moi) that want a quality camcorder, buy this thing if you want a quality, long-lasting camera that won't be obsolete anytime soon (the thing has wide screen recording capability as well as 2048k pixels for video resolutioni with 16:9 recording capability (for your flat screen viewing pleasure) as well as 3048k pixels for still pictures (3 megapixel clarity pictures)--compared to 690k video pixels on most other DVD camcorders, which would look like garbage on your wide screen HDTVs.

My last sony (which I'm sending to my brother & sister in college now that I have this one) was purchased since '98 when I was in the service and followed me from the freezing cold of Germany to the powdered sands of Egypt and still works like it did on day one-I only had to buy new batteries because they began to wear out in 20 minutes! My cousins have the one that I purchased before that in '94 and IT still works. I think you all get the picture.

I LOVE SONY. AND I LOVVVVE THIS DVD CAMCORDER.
ps - Check out the ACC-DVDP case--it fits the camera like a glove. Sony even has an underwater case for this thing. WHAT???
Nothing more to ask for.
Except....that amazon is selling it right now for about $250 off the suggested retail. GET IT! GET IT! GET IT!

I just returned my DVD403 and purchased the Canon Optura 600 instead (brand new just came out miniDV with 4.3mpx photos).

The 403 is nice, but the miniDVD is too limited, specially if you want to edit a lot of video after shooting it like I do. No 1394 port was disappointing.

It's a good camera strictly for simple home movies and not much else. Well built, good features, but mpeg2 is just not as good as miniDV output...

Do your research before jumping into this one. Oh, getting -RW media is not all that easy either... A lot of places don't carry it and it's a tad expensive...

First of all, the automatic lens cover didn't function properly the first few days, but incredibly it fixed itself by dropping it from a chair!
In any case, it works very well although I must say that, because of the price, you might want to try some alternatives like buying a DV camcorder and a combo DVD-RW/VHS recorder. Both cost less than this camcorder and have more funcionality together because you can record on both DVD and VHS from other sources like TV or satellite and you can have more capacity than the mini-DVD's used by this cam.

I chose this one for I still trust SONY, if you want to a <1000$ camcorder I think this DV403 maybe the best one you could pick up.

a few thing you may want to check:
1. flash light is sooooo small, I estimate it 2X20mm, do not think it could shoot powerful light.
2. under high quality mode, each 8cm DVD disk could only survive 20 mins with 1.4G signle side capacity, the current price for a 3-pack in amazon is 9$, for DVD-RW 15$
3. 95% setting is thru the touch screen, it may be cool to ppl, but god knows how the stability it is.
4. focus adjusting is not as fast as you may think (it is my first cam, so no idea how about others), if the target has a 10m displacement in 0.5 second, I estimate this machine takes 1second to refocus on the target.
5. I hate the battery. According to the manual, if you do not using the cam for 3 months, all yr setting will be lost for battery is discharged (funny ?!). besides the accompanying NP-FP70 battery could support 120min/60min recording (Continuous/Typical) time, not satisfied by this time.
6. Manual sucks, the manual is same for 9 types of SONY camcoder.

It is still my first hour on that expensive toy, so...

The camera is great - when it is working.
However if you need customer service you are in deep trouble. My camcorder developed a problem after about 45 days - and it was my fault. I sent it out to their service center in CT. They could not fix it and sent it back as I had sent it to them. Nothing gained - nothing lost.
I called customer service and they assured me the Sony service center in Laredo TX could fix it. Nope. They could make it inoperable - could not fix it - and REFUSED to return it in the same condition I sent it to them. It was working when I sent it to them with just an annoying problem.
The folks I had called at Sony service now refused to help after they convinced me to send it to TX! By the way, the nicest thing about Sony is their warm computerized voice directing you to the department you need. After that it goes straight down. Incredible hold times- but when you get a human you will get lots of "sorrys" and "I apologize",and "oks" and "very well" but - zilch on help- unless you want to spend $800+ for a fixed camcorder.
Tried to contact a supervisor and was put on hold for a long, long time - and then got transferred to a voice mail. Tried again and I waited, and waited, and waited and waited.
The supervisor with whom I spoke reinforced the Peter Principle very well.
Sony service is about the worst customer service I have ever encountered - and I am older than TV.
Bottom line - I sent them this camcorder with a little problem and they returned it dead.
No amount of reasoning could persuade them to return my camcorder in the same condition I sent it to them. As great as this camera is - the customer service is just as poor.

Initially this camera worked fine and I was quite happy with its simplicity and quality. Then, after two months, the shutter system malfunctioned and I could not use the camera. I was in South Africa at the time and took it to Sony South Africa who advised me that the entire shutter system needed replacement. However, because Sony does not offer international warranties, I would have to pay for the repair. This was too expensive and so I shipped the camera to the USA for repair. I waited almost a month for the camera to be repaired and missed videoing my son's 2nd birthday. Then, after receiving the camera back, I used it to video a holiday with the family and also of a house I am building. When I tried to view the finalized DVD's, one was completely corrupted and all the video footage seems to be lost, and the other two will only play on the camera, and not on a PC or DVD player. All Sony can do is say sorry and I am now waiting to hear from their product support department and the repair facility that repaired it. I am reluctant to continue using this camera which I paid a lot of money for. My suggestion is to buy a different brand with a decent international warranty. Sony's warranty in general is very poor and does not say much for the faith they have in their own product.

This is a great camera but it WON'T work on a Mac. In fact, NO SONY DVD Camcorder or any other DVD camcorder will. It's a different format. If you have a Mac and want to edit, buy a Canon DV. I have a Canon Elura 90 and it's great. If you have a PC or a Mac and you don't want to edit then this is a great camera.

AS I HAVE NOT HAD ENOUGH EXPERIENCE WITH IT YET (ONE WEEK) I WILL WRITE A FOLLOW-UP AT A LATER DATE, BUT THE STORY SO FAR IS " A GREAT CAM WITH A LOT OF FEATURES AND CRYSTAL CLEAR PLAYBACK, WIND NOISE AND (LACK OF IT, OR ANY NOISE, TALK ETC) IS GOING T O BE A FACTOR SO I MAY OPT FOR THE OUTBOARD MIC.

I have been using the DCR-DVD403 a lot since I got it and have been using $5 mini-DVD-RW disks. When you put the disk in for the first time the camera asks if you want to format in regular mode or "VR" mode. The VR mode let's you edit the disk in the camera so that's what I use, but I was worried that I would have to finalize the disk in the camera before being able to read the video files on my computer. NOT SO! My $70 aOpen DVD-R/RW drive in my computer reads the disks with no problem and I copied the .VRO files to my hard drive very quickly. I rename the .VRO extension to .MPG and the PowerDVD software that came with the aOpen drive displays my videos beautifully on the computer. The Nero disk burning software (also came with the aOpen drive) lets me compose my video files onto regular-sized (4.7GB 2 hour) disks and they are ready to give to friends and family! What used to take hours with my previous miniDV tape-based camcorder now takes only minutes. It's so nice not to have to capture footage onto the computer before I can use it.

When I don't want to mess around at all with the computer I just use the mini-DVD-R disks, finalize them, and pop them right into my DVD player when I want to watch them.

Besides the ease of use with my computer, the best things about this camera are:

The 3 megapixel camera results in fantastic MPEG videos and also great still images (saved in the mini-DVD disks as JPG files.) I can finally stop carrying both a camcorder AND digital camera because the DCR-DVD403's still images give me the image size and resolution that I want and the camera even has a flash for still images.

VR mode with the mini-DVD-RW disks let's me "on-the-fly" delete scenes I don't want. I couldn't do that with my mini-DV tape camcorder.

The viewfinder is great when I am recording something in very bright light (like at the beach) and I don't want to struggle with the LCD display. Just don't forget to extend the viewfinder when you use it or else the battery presses against your cheek too much. Also, you have to close the LCD for the viewfinder to turn on.

16x9 mode let's me create "movie-style" videos. I tested these on my friend's widescreen plasma TV and they fill up the whole screen without stretching and they look awesome on the huge TV screen!

The included Video-IN cable lets me connect my old camcorder to the new one to transfer my mini-DV tapes to mini-DVD. This is so much easier than using the computer and a capture card.

The sound is fantastic, especially when I heard it on my friends surround sound system while watching the videos on his plasma TV.

Low light shots are very good.

Accessories I plan on buying soon:

A charger that let's me charge my batteries outside of the camera.

Telescoping microphone for even more professional audio.

Wide angle lens adapter and various lens filters.

Sony also offers a video light that attaches to the top of the camera. The low light capabilities of the camera are great by itself but it will be nice to have greater control of lighting. The HVL-HFL1 video light also has a more powerful still image flash than the one that is on the camera.

This is by far the best camcorder I have ever used. I have owned a Sony digital 8 and two Canon mini DV camcorders. The Canons were a ZR and Elura. Let me just say that the Mini DV is great for editing on my Mac but the video quality would fall off in low light situations. This DVD camcorder from Sony captures some of the best looking video I have ever seen. The media holds only 30 minutes on the standard setting and can be purchased in bulk. In low light this camcorder blows the others away. The clarity and color are fantastic and rival some of the best camcorders on the market at any price. Two gripes though....number one, it takes fifteen minutes to finalize the disk before you can drop it into a DVD plaver.....number two, it really needs a wind filter because you practically lose all your sound if it's breezy. If DVD convenience is important to you then give this a try.

Took months of study and finally decided on the 403. Took 9000 mile road trip with camera mounted on dashboard. Excellent highway shots. Removed camera at times and took digital stills which came out great. Good footage of national parks and route 66. Slight overkill if Dolby is not needed. Model 92 should suffice.

An excellent camcorder for everyday use.A super easy setup and use lend itself to be used by all. wonderfull with function and options for ease of taking family movies all the time.

Great camera!

I bought this to record my daughter's 4th birthday party and it did a fantastic job. The widescreen recording format rocks, audio is good and picture is unbelievably clear. I am comparing this to a 4 yr old JVC mini DV recorder. The DVDs are easy to use with great start-up (my wife can use no problem :-)).

I also love being able to pop the DVDs into the DVD player instead of attaching the camera to the TV.

I bought this believing it would be a nice way to record right onto DVD......nope. The whole process of finalizing the DVD and using mini DVDs makes this function cumbersome at best. You may want to invest in a MiniDV tape camcorder for the same video quality until this technology evolves. I know a few people with the Panasonic DVD recorders who say they find that product works much better than when they tried my Sony, so maybe its just a Sony poor design.

I have to be honest I too was skeptical of this camera till I bought one in late October. This camera is amazing! Some might say well the digial camera part of it isn't that good but it is still 3.0 megapixels and you can record on DVD's! The best thing though about this camera is that you can hook this thing up to your computer and make music videos if you want using your own MP3's! I know that they will make other DVD camcorders but right now it is the best even with the high price tag I have to say that it is well worth it. I have enjoyed mine way more than I ever thought that I would.

Found a camera whose technology is compatible with both my Dell laptop and my Toshiba progressive scan dvd player. An understanding of the different types of dvd rw discs is necessary for how you want to use such discs (dvd-rw; dvd+rw; and dvd-r), I can edit and record as needed. Great price through Amazon as well.

The shutter stuck the second time I used the thing. Unfortunately, I didn't try to return until day 91. Sony wants over $200 just to send it back for repairs! Don't spend this kind of money for something with a 90 day warranty!

I went through two phases of decision making before I chose this camera:

1. The choice between Mini-DV format and DVD media cameras: I decided on the latter, since I have an old 8mm camcorder, and one of the primary reasons I dont take footage anymore is the hassle I had to go through each time to transfer onto videocassettes or DVDs. Supposedly, this was a much faster process if I would be able to write directly to the 1.4GB DVDs, and then all I'd have to do would be to compose them onto bigger ones. Hence, I decided against mini-DV camcorders.

2. Once I decided on this type of format, then the rest of my choice was easy. At the time I bought my camcorder (~ Oct 2005), this was still by far the best DVD format camcorder available. Great quality video, 5.1 surround sound, exceptional in low light and took great stills. I was tempted by the Canon DC20, in that it was so much smaller and neater. However, since it was so new on the market, there were hardly any reviews and I was worried that it would just be a slightly better version of their DC10 (which seems to have significant picture quality issues).

Having gone with the DCR-DVD403, I have one big complaint: With the Sony software, there is no simple way to transfer over to a full size DVD. You can edit your files to some extent, but can only burn them back to another mini DVD in your camcorder, not to your DVD burner. Sure your DVD burner comes with software, but this only allows you to do Disc copies, i.e. put the entire contents of your 1.4GB Camcorder DVD onto a regular 4.7GB one... A waste of space. Even though I knew upfront that these camcorders were not very good for editing, I for sure thought there'd be a real easy way to put the contents of three mini-DVDs onto a regular DVD with a basic menu giving you a choice of which of the three you want to see at any point in time. Isn't this one of the big reasons why DVDs are better than videocassettes? As it turns out, I have to go buy Video editing software and any sort of file compilation (i.e.to compile ten 30 second clips into 1 large clip with/without editing, takes a very long time unless you have a super, super fast computer). Why again did I not go with a Mini-DV camcorder, I have to ask myself?? (see point 1).

A lot of people writing reviews here seem to think that they're stuck buying expensive small cancorder-size DVD's ($20 for 3) and filling them up with 20 minutes each of high quality video.

For a few minutes extra work you can put your files on your computer and then, when you have enough files to make it worth while, create a new "big DVD." Then you can just reformat your little disk and keep using it in your camera to take more video.

To do this,you must have a DVD drive on your computer. If you don't have one, invest a few bucks in getting an external one.

Also, be sure you record in DVD-RW Video (not VR) mode.

1. First use Picture Package (comes with the camera) to copy/convert the video from your little camcorder DVD-RW disk onto your hard drive in the form of individual .mpg files (You can do this by connecting your camera to your computer via the USP port, or, much more easily, just put the mini disk from the camera right into your DVD drive. )

2. Reformat your mini camcorder disk (which erases all the images) and keep on recording more video.

3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 until you have enough .mpg files on your hard drive to fill a large DVD.


4. Get a piece of software called TIMPGEnc DVD Author 1.6. You can get a free 30 day trial at http://www.pegasys-inc.com/en/product/guide.html

3. Using the Author 1.6 software, first convert all the .mpg files you select into DVD files (which will be stored on your hard drive), then, put a new (big) DVD in your DVD drive and, with one more click, burn the DVD files from your hard drive onto your DVD.

Took me only a few minutes of fooling around with the software to figure out how to do this. (And I'm no computer wizard.)

Now if there was an easy way to stream this stuff over the net, it'd be as useful as my still camera!

Here are some pluses: advantage of dvd on the fly. Reasonable picture quality. Amazing sound quality when original DVD is played back on a 5.1 capable DVD w/ apropriate decoders in place.
But... reason for 2 stars:
1. Poor image quality in other than perfectly lit scenes (say in-door evening events vs. beach in full summer sun)
2. Sony claims to be able to get good image even in low light situations. True, but to the cost of losing color spectrum and fading the image sharpness.
3. Editing software is downright childish. No use for someone willing to do more than point-shoot and play.
4. Advice for more advanced users: file can be imported and edited in advanced editing software. I use Pinnacle Studio 10 Media suite and it works pretty nice. However, in this way the original 5.1 sound is lost and if you still want a 5.1 DVD, Pinnacle will do that for you but the sound will never have the same natural quality as the original.
5. Noticed same problem as the guy returning from Alaska. With one little adjustment: camera goes out of focus even if recording from a tripod a semi-static scene (say a choir) for more than 5 minutes.
6. Lack of any wind cancellation system is petty for a 1 grant camera. I also own a Panasonic VHS-C and a Panasonic mini-DV and their wind cancellation is outstanding. Lack of this function seriously spoils the otherwise exceptional sound system and renders it unusable without sound post-processing, for recording in the middle of the nature.
7. Even though direct DVD recording compensates for lack of fire-wire port, one would have been nice, even instead the completely useless USB 2.0. IEEE1394 is the only port most processing applications accept for digital capture.
8. Lack of a S-video port is another goof for a DVD recording camera.
Bottom line: if you already got one, try getting used to it and you may need to invest extr-money in purchasing video editing software to make for the camera's shortcomings. If you didn't, don't spend the money on it. This technology is still in its infancy and there's lot of room for improvement.

After months of research, I finally decided to go with the Sony dvd403. I do some video editing and was very concerned with the reviews that said there was little or no editing capability.
I did not load the sony software, because of all the bad press. I use Roxio Easy Media Creator 7.5 and am having no trouble at all loading and editing the software. I did make one mistake at my daughter's birthday party when I tried recording in "VR" instead of "VIDEO" mode. I had a lot of trouble modifying and even playing the DVD on a DVD player.
I record almost exclusively with DVD-RW's as they are easy to load on the hard drive and then reformat. This will save a lot of money and I no longer have to worry about wearing out the heads of the miniDV recorders.
I absolutely love the ease of use and the picture quality is exceptional for a camera that I only paid $700 for. I purchased an extended MACK warranty that offered damage protection. I feel pretty set for the next three years.
I have no regrets and would definitely purchase again.

I spent months reading reviews to find a camcorder that would work well to record my daughter's dance recitals. This camcorder worked very well in low light and zoomed in clearly and quickly. I have recorded over 20 hours to this date, most in low light, but some in bright light.
I am a "real novice" at making videos, but this camcorder made a great recording. I had an old JVC camcorder and there is no comparision to the quality! This camcorder was easy for me to learn to use and didn't take more than a few minutes to get started recording. The touchscreen was great to use. I had no problems transferring the video to my home dvd recorder and computer. The remote is very handy during the transfer process. I transferred this to a new Windows XP machine. The included editing software is fun to use and was easy to install. I need to add that I am very tech literate, so what I may consider very easy, may not seem easy for someone else.
The battery charges (after the first time) in a couple of hours and does last for the advertised 120 minutes. The amount of time left for the battery and the recording time are accurate.
The issues I've had are:
The time and date remain on the screen for the entire recording, I can't find how to get them to come on a short time and then disappear.
Each Mini DVD RW only holds 30 min of video and it takes at least 20 seconds to eject the Mini DVD and insert another one. When you press the button to eject, it gives you a message that it needs to be finalized to play in another player and has to read the dvd. This process takes about 10 seconds longer if you have to format the new mini dvd after you insert it. This time doesn't count trying to get the hand strap out of the way to get the camcorder open and get the new mini dvd inserted. This doesn't seem like a long time, but it is an eternity when you miss a minute or 2 of recording your child dancing! So you have to plan ahead, have several Mini DVD RW's formatted and numbered, stop recording and change during a break in the action.
I use the mini RW'S and transfer them to dvd, so I can use the mini ones again. The mini dvds are pricey.
Over all, I've found this to be a great camcorder for the video novice, like me, who may need to record in low light situations. I am very pleased with the purchase of the camcorder and it meets the needs that I have!

I share the view of many others in this that the product is fairly good. And it produces a good quality video. It is possible to transfer clips to the pc using included Picture Package. But this does not work always. Picture Package does not copy the movie in some cases for XP home edition or in same cases when the user has changed from user accounts and is not the Admin.
Wind is a fairly important problem, there is no help on cancellation of this. It will make your voice un-usable in this cases.
Practical in the sense that you can make copies of the small DVDs

I purchased about 2 weeks ago and have been happy with the quality of pictures and general functionality so far. This is my first digital camcorder & third camcorder over 16 years.

On price... Amazon was by far the best when you consider free shipping and no sales tax, I saved about $200.

I-Link... Be careful, the Amazon description (at my review time) is still showing the camera supports i-Link (aka firewire) allowing pass-through of analog input to your computer and high speed file transfers. Not true. The option is available on some of the other Sony digital camcorders but not this one. I informed Amazon to correct the description about a week ago. I was a bit disapointed, since I was considering using the camcorder to digitize my old 8mm tape library direct to my pc. You can record an analog signal (say from old camcorder) to the camcoder's DVD, but that is a 30-min (capacity of DVD) at a time process and presumably would be considerable wear-and-tear.

File transfers to PC... I can echo some of the other reviews that I have experienced one problem so far on a file transfer from camcorder to pc with the Picture Package software. I tried to transfer a 25 min video - the transfer started then died about 25% of the way through. I'm trying to file an alternative to Picture Package.

With a Verbatim branded mini DVD-RW disc being used, this message pops up EVERYTIME when the camcorder starts up. And it stays up to 7 seconds before it disappears. Can you imagine how annoying is that?

I had been researching camcorders for several months, and had decided to buy the Sony DVD92 model. Since most of my filming was going to be home videos, I started shooting in our well lit living room. The picture was very grainy, colors were faded, and the still photos were a joke. Now I'm no professional photographer, but I expected the picture quality to be decent for the money I spent. So, it went back to the store.

After more research I was reluctant to by another Sony handycam, but ended up getting a Sony DVD403 because of all the great reviews. I am so glad I did. This camera is soo easy to use. I was able to pull it out of the box, set the date and time and start recording great quality videos. I love the touch screen menu. The 3.0MP still photos seem to be really good also (although the flash is bright, so I usually turn it off).

I bought the DVD-RW mini discs and am able to finalize the disc, pop into the dvd player to watch, then unfinalize and record more video to it. Then copy to a regular DVD+R disc when full (this saves $ since regular dvds are cheaper than the mini dvds), and it only takes a few minutes.
I have also been able to hook it up to the VCR and record my old family video cassettes to a DVD.
So if you are trying to decide between this camera and Sony's cheaper DVD92 model, I would definitely pay the extra $ and get this camcorder. It's well worth it with all the extras it has on it! I got mine online for $698.

This camcorder has excellent picture quality(even in low light - colors and quality are good), records in 5.1 dolby surround, widescreen format, flash for still photos, USB for use with PC, remote control, automatic lens cover (no cap to click on/off), and more. I also like that it automatically creates a thumbnail menu of each video clip taken, as well as a slideshow of the still photos taken when you finalize the dvd (no more rewinding to get to that certain spot you're looking for). I would definitely buy this again!

I like the camera so far, and I'd give it higher ratings, but their software support is terrible. Particularly, the DVD403 comes with Sony's PicturePackage and PIXELA's ImageMixer EasyStepDVD. After ImageMixer EasyStepDVD installs there is no icon to launch the program anywhere (this is on XP). Even in the start menu, there is nothing. I located the executable file in the Program Files/PIXELA directory, and ran that. Nothing. You get an hour class for a couple seconds, and that's it. No error message, no dialog box, nothing.

What's worse, if you go to www.imagemixer.com, you wouldn't even know the EasyStepDVD product exists. For that matter, search Google, and you wouldn't know it existed.

Needless to say, I'm a bit disappointed. I'm going to have to buy Pinnacle Studio or something in order to edit these DVDs.

This camera is smaller than it looks online. I tried it out at Circuit City first to ensure the 8mm DVD's would be compatable with my older player. The software that comes with this camera is quirky and no upgrades from Sony have been issued yet. I'm still looking for easy to use editing software for this camera. But the video looks great on my tv and makes me look like a pro. It makes it's own chapters & thumbnails. Your family will be impressed when you send them your vacation photos shot with this camera.

I echo many other reviewer's sentiments about the high quality Sony DCR-DVD403 camera - its great! I am quite concerned about the terrible things I have heard about Sony's support -- I hope I don't ever have to turn in my camera. Fortunately, so far my camera is working flawlessly. Some of the bundled software is a different story though -- what a disgrace! (details below)

Camera Strengths:
* fast startup -- just a second or so from 'off' to 'record'
* remarkably good color, brightness and contrast, even under low light and other marginal viewing conditions -- its magic!
* even when moving the camera or when shooting in a moving car I never noticed any 'skips' or 'drop-outs' -- very reliable
* good battery life ... can record several full DVDs w/LCD viewer using one NP-FP71 (hi-capacity battery)
* remarkably easy to use and effective optical zoom -- once you get the hang of it, zooming is both smooth and silent
* i am a DCR novice but there's few shots I can't shoot well in the camer's "EASY" (full auto) mode -- again, magic!
* if what you have shot is 'good enough' As-Is, then the camera's built-in 'Finalize' function creates a DVD that can be played in any DVD player & the auto-menu feature works fine.
* the camera itself w/the 'RCA' cable is an effective DVD player (small DVDs only), or plays un-'finalized' video ... the included remote is small and convenient
* the included PC software to download the video clips (as MPG files) to your PC seems is pretty easy to use and works fine
* the included PC software to edit your video clips -- to remove undesired portions of your video clips -- has a slick GUI and seems to work fine. It outputs new (smaller) MPG files

Camera Challenges:
* nit: the disk cover occaisionally 'snags' on the velcro strap handle -- when the cover is open the camera does not sit well on even flat surfaces and puts a stress on the LCD monitor
* nit: the unnecessary multi-second "SONY disc recommended" message each time you boot the camera is ANNOYING. *sigh*
* MAJOR: their bundled ImageMixer EasyStep DVD software is -- simply stated -- terrible! Problems include:

1) when the software encounters errors it often exits! you get NO error message and it simply shuts the window. what's up with _that_? I submit that in today's technology that's criminally negligent software behavior
2) the software sometimes pukes on large clips (>100MB each) ... what's up with that? (100MB is NOT large for video)
3) sometimes -- for no reason I could discover -- the software pukes while building the DVD image. *whatever*
4) even when it works, the software does NOT allow you to define the order your clips appear on the DVD, and it has a severely limited menu building capability. *sigh*
5) the software ONLY allows you to create DVDs using the camera itself, which means are stuck creating little DVDs that are only about 30 minutes long. In other words, even if you have your own DVD burner you can't write to that. *sigh*

Unless you are creating only short, simple DVDs don't waste your time trying to use ImageMixer EasyStep DVD. I whole-heartedly thank N. Bennett -- see review #10 for this camera -- who suggested using the included Sony software to download and edit the MPG clips (which I do), then use TMPGEnc DVD Author 1.6 to author a DVD image using the MPG files as input. That software gives you full control over the order of the clips and how the DVD menu is structured. That was all I was looking for (i.e., it doesn't do video editing, a whole other story). As the final step I use Nero Express to burn the DVD (works great), but likely any DVD burning tool can be used to write your file system-based DVD 'image' onto blank (full-size) DVDs.

Bottom Line: The Sony DCR-DVD403 is a terrific camera -- I highly recommend it. But plan on using alternative software to author and burn your DVD's. I would have given Sony 5 stars overall but held one star back because of their simply terrible bundled DVD authoring software.

I bought my first camcorder (a Sharp) in 1986, back in the days of the old shoulder-mounted units that were as big as a small car, and have owned about a half-dozen since then. I'm also a big-time photo buff (at one time I subsidized my income as a photographer).

This is, quite simply, the best camcorder I've ever owned, on many levels.

First of all, I really love recording directly to a DVD. It eliminates the middle step of using a tape that then has to be transferred to disc. That eliminates one group of media storage, and also eliminates the loss of quality involved in dubbing from tape to disc. Further, the DVD format records in digital mode, so the quality of the picture and sound is virtually High Def; orders of magnitude better than the analogue mode of VHS of whatever format (my last two camcorders were VHS-C). On top of that, every copy of the original disc is of the same superb quality, as the original is in digital format. It just doesn't get any better. Better yet, as soon as you've finished taping you can finalize the disc in-camera and just slap it into virtually any DVD player and watch it immediately, eliminating the need of some formats for connecting your camcorder to the TV.

If you're recording irreplaceable material, like home movies, the archival quality of discs far surpasses that of tape in test results on longevity.

The Zeiss lens gives you an amazing picture, virtually pro level, and the 5.1 surround sound matches the quality of the picture.

The picture stabilization system eliminates the "jittery" look of most home movies.

Its touch-screen operation is very intuitive, and a joy to use.

Its Night Shot infra red capability is simply amazing (though the one drawback to that mode is the greenish cast of the picture -- it's like I'm shooting an episode of "Cops"). However, you can still mount an external light source to the hot shoe if you wish to retain natural colors (and squints from your subjects). LOL

You can even record in wide-screen mode, to capture that movie-theater experience if you play your movies on newer TVs with that format capability.

It is very small and light, extraordinarily easy to carry and manipulate. The controls are all logically placed, and very easy to use.

I can't recommend this camera highly enough. The best non-pro videocam I've ever seen. I love it!

This camera has built-in lens cover opener. After powering the camera, they should open. Soon after purchasing this camera I started to have problems with automatic lens cover opener. Sometimes they didn't close. I ignored it. Now, they just don't open at all. In a nutshell, after just one year this camera is JUNK!!! I believe that Sony's "precision" gear mechanism opening lens cover has faulty design. Secondly, for such basic thing as lens opener, they could have provided some "push-up" button to unlock it. Don't buy this camera w/o some "protection plan". Sony's warranty is miserly 3 months. Dust accumulation, parts friction or minute dislocation etc could kill this camera after 3 month, then what???

I had bought this Camcorder 4 months ago and now that I am about to leave for vacation the lens cover (shutter) does not open. I called Sony and told them about this and they asked me to send this to one of their service center and asked to pay $150 upfront for labor charge.

Other drawback is that for outdoor shooting 5.1 audio captures too much wind noise.

I am very unhappy with Sony quality in recent products I bought. I "WAS" a Sony fan but no more. I have a 2 year old Mini-DV Camecorder in which the Mini-DV does not come out. You pay BIG bucks for very poor quality.

Stay away from Sony products...there are other better products for half the price

This camera is EXCELLENT! It is high quality with every feature that you are looking for in a top-of-the line camera! I would recommend this to anyone and Amazon does provide the best offer!

First, they should mention that this camcorder has 120x digital zoom, as well. I got the DVD92 for Christmas, and was a little unhappy with the picture quality, so I traded up to this one. No comparison! The video and still quality is superior to anything else I've seen, and the 5.1 sound adds that something extra. Now I'm only waiting for higher data-capacity mini-DVDs!

You have to keep this baby really clean. Its got a goofy lens cover mechanism that is very sensitive to the smallest particles. It constantly gets jammed.

No other complaints, works great.

Great camcorder and easy to use; the reviews here helped me to decide what to purchase; its a pleasure just taping and then popping in the DVD after taping....

I am really happy with my new purchase. The still picture quality is great and so is the resolution on the DVD movies I have recorded so far. Also the low light performance is great.
Only negative is that it tend to give red eyes, when using the flash on still pictures, when there is insufficient background light and the software that comes with the package is pretty poor if you want to do something serious with your movies/pictures.

I'm a kid but I use the Camcorder more often then my dad but since I know nothin' about copying DVDs or so it makes the Camcorder pretty fun. If you're thinking of getting a Camecorder like DCR-DVD92,it won't be that High-Tech.But still this is a great Camcorder!

This camera has a nice picture and sound, and easy to play disks, but after a month and a half the lens cover (shutter) stopped working! The camera won't take videos or even pictures now, not even if we prop open the lens cover, so if I don't get it fixed we can't use it at all. And even with the 1-year parts warranty, Sony still is charging $150 flat rate labor fee to fix it because I didn't report it before the 90th day. And with no guarantee it will stay fixed, I am wondering if this camera is an endless money pit trap. I see several other reviews with the same problem, so please be forwarned.

Camera worked great until the auto lens cover didnt open. The repair center wants #300.00 to repair it. Looks to me by the reviews the lens cover is a problem. Dont buy it.