The DCR-DVD403 is Sony's most advanced DVD camcorder to date, delivering excellent video and stills performance in a compact, easy-to-handle package.

The DCR-DVD403 records digital video and stills directly onto 3-inch permanent DVD-R or rewritable DVD-RW and DVD+RW. The excellent video quality stems from the large 1/3-inch CCD imager and professional Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar lens with 10X optical/120X digital zoom capability. The images captured in both 4:3 and 16:9 widescreen modes score particularly big in the saturation department, with colors appearing deep, vibrant, and intense.

The DCR-DVD403's integrated microphone records Dolby 5.1 surround sound directly to disc for superior audio to accompany home movies. Discs can be played back directly in most home DVD players, computers, or even some video game consoles.

Alternately, the unit offers a USB 2.0 interface to directly transfer video and stills to a compatible home computer for editing. This process is faster than downloading content from a MiniDV cassette and also allows the DCR-DVD403 to double as an external DVD burner.

There are other distinct advantages of the DVD format over MiniDV tape. For example, there is no need to fast-forward or rewind to access material. Instead, users can simply select a convenient thumbnail image. Users also don't have to purchase different media to store still images, as the DCR-DVD403 records both video and stills to the same discs.

The stills performance of the DCR-DVD403 is as impressive as the video performance. The camcorder's 3.05 megapixels for stills capture stunning photos. The low-light performance and automatic controls on the DCR-DVD403 are equally great. The only negative is a lack of manual controls on this unit for those users who want to do more than just point and shoot.

Despite the Sony DCR-DVD403 camcorder's excellent performance, it is still an extremely easy unit to operate. Within minutes of opening the box even a novice user will be comfortably shooting.

Warranty
90 days labor, 1 year parts