| A | is outstanding and exceptional, rated in the top 10% of camcorders. |
| B | means they are good, with some standout features. |
| C | means they are mediocre, and probably more trouble than they are worth. |
| D & F | mean they are absolutely awful or old. Avoid at all costs. |
- 3 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
Submit your own Sony DVD403 review!
- 42nd of 42 in Sony (#1 is )
- 131st of 133 in Mainstream Camcorders (#1 is Sony DCR-SX40)
- 25th of 26 in DVD Media (#1 is Sony DVD850)
- 72nd of 73 in Standard Definition (#1 is Sony DCR-SX40)
- 3 out of 5
Unexpected limitations mar otherwise solid product
( - 12/29/05)Yes, it is great to have an immediately playable DVD, but ...
a. Max time per DVD is 27-30 mins. So your video of the wedding etc may have an unexpected gap due to need to install a new blank DVD.
b. If you use non-Sony media, you get to see a big blue rectangle for a few seconds EACH time you turn on the camera. It urges you to switch to Sony media (although non-Sony media otherwise works fine). What's with that blatant advertising?
c. You don't know for sure if your camera and sound settings are right until you finalize a disc and put it in a real DVD players.
d. Apparently you can't play back a completed DVD on the camera itself, ie, using the LCD as a small display.
e. You can't simply copy video from the DVD or the camera to an MPEG or AVI file. You must use included software to move stuff around.
f. To edit or erase video you have to copy it all to a PC, then use Sony's included (limited) software, then copy it back to the camera on a new DVD blank.
Have to say I am disappointed, given the high price and potential of this camera.
