Would you recommend the VDRD250?

I'm looking to get my first camcorder and am considering the VDRD250.
Image quality and the ease of using DVDs appeals to me.
Anyone with some hands on experience with this camera, if you could post up your thoughts on it I would really appreciate it.
Merry Christmas!

I just bought this camcorder and it did not come with the software
dvdmovie album se. Could someone please help me to get the proper downloads for this . It would be much appreciated.
thank you magyver

I just bought this camcorder and it did not come with the software
dvdmovie album se. Could someone please help me to get the proper downloads for this . It would be much appreciated.
thank you magyver
Hi
In this thread(http://www.camcorderinfo.com/bbs/t123349.html) you can find a link and the serial number for moviealbum software.

thank you incredibly insightful forum for your help.
I ended up buying the D250.
This site is great for the reviews, hats off to you guys that worked so hard on them. The forum on this site freakin blows.

Can anyone point me to a website with a decent forum...where people actually respond to your posts?

I'm looking to get my first camcorder and am considering the VDRD250.
Image quality and the ease of using DVDs appeals to me.
Anyone with some hands on experience with this camera, if you could post up your thoughts on it I would really appreciate it.
Merry Christmas!


Hi I just tried both the Sony 403 and the vrd250
Both very decent camcorders but the 403 wins out in almost every category. The worse part of the Panny is the finalizing the dvd. Incredibly you have to use only non dvd + media and you must take off battery and put make shift battery charger on, then wait to finalize that way and then take out tape, put it in computer then take out charger, and put battery back in lol they must be joking. You might think thats not a big deal? Well let me tell you , its almost obscene, as it defeats the purpose of using a dvd ( faster videos)
Safe to say Sony doesn't makeyou do that as you can finalize the dvd with on board battery. If you don't end up losing the battery or the charger after a while with the battery or stepping on them your very lucky.
video quality Sony much more color
low light even
ability to focus in Sony wins
that said I loved the form of the Panny seemed well constructed and easy to use. I think Panny stripped this down too much and took off the leica lens . Its peformance is still better then a 1/6 single chip though and very clear video . I would have kept it cause it was cheaper, had it not been for the incredible dumb and dumber way you have to finalize this each time you want to record and use the tape in your computer to view. Hope this helps , hope the Panny 300 review is better then the 250..

Hi Cammark

You say "Incredibly you have to use only non dvd + media"
Is this a problem for you as YOU only have a player that uses + format discs? Or is it incredible in your opinion because the plus format is way more popular?
Also, I have to agree the finalizing issue is a joke having to use the mains adaptor. BUT that's ONLY if you record in VIDEO format, if VIDEO RECORD format is used then no finalizing is needed (?)
Sorry, newbie to the scene, just out getting info and trying to learn what i can.

Regards

Craig

Hi Cammark

You say "Incredibly you have to use only non dvd + media"
Is this a problem for you as YOU only have a player that uses + format discs? Or is it incredible in your opinion because the plus format is way more popular?
Also, I have to agree the finalizing issue is a joke having to use the mains adaptor. BUT that's ONLY if you record in VIDEO format, if VIDEO RECORD format is used then no finalizing is needed (?)
Sorry, newbie to the scene, just out getting info and trying to learn what i can.

Regards

Craig

Craig,
Perhaps I should not be so emphatic but thanks for interesting option I forgot about.. Ok to sum up: I could only use one dvd-rw after I finalized in the camera on computer not the dvd plus rw or plus r . I think the video was acceptable after finally understanding how to finalize using the cumbersome adpater and taking off the battery etc. s I know there are two forms to record on when finalizing and thought I was using the main mode. Do you know the difference between video record format and and video record. I hope one didn't include downloading the software, because it was soo easy to just use the dvd from Sony and not have anything to download. Anyway I took mine back. The bottom line is if I was able to use the dvd -rw or finalize faster without plugging in the charger I might have kept it. Its simply not comparable to the Sony in color or real looking video but its better then any 1/6 chip camcorders by far I ever used..
Now I have to understand what your talking about with the other recording format? The camcorder included another disc that came with it that was supppose to enable you to finalize on computer but that too was not readable on my computer or dvd player. so I could not finalize that also. If what you say is true, then my emphasis on incompatibility stands corrected. I didn't get to custom options cause it took me so long to get to compatibility issues. I realize my review if what your saying is true is definitely not fair to Panasonic. I don't then understand the differences in the two modes. Does one mode lose anything in compression and video quality? If not why the choices? Yes I am a newbie. That said Greg I really liked the handling of this and the color was less then the Sony but was acceptable. The real looking image from Sony was better though but Pannys was less compressed a definite plus.. I remember having an older 3ccd from Panasonic and this had a little less color but better low light . All in all cause it was soo much cheaper and loved the handling, if I didn't have to finalize I would have kept it. I can easily by new online for same price again. I just have to know the difference between the two record modes. I assmued I was trying to finalize on the major mode not the vcr mode???Any other explanations would help. Yes I should have read the manuals but I think I knew it all. Any more help appreciated Greg., thanks mark

Mark

I have posted the question on the differences between the two recording modes in another thread, so i'll see what we get back.
At the moment I am using VR format, that way I DONT have to do ANY finalizing, just take the disc out of the camcorder, put straight into my DVDR and dub it onto the hard drive for editing.
What camcorder do you have Mark?
Is the Sony more expensive?
Reasons I bought a DVD camcorder is that I thought it would be easier and the picture quality would be DVD, WRONG!! But I like it so far, and I'm sure I'll soon get into it. My Father in law has a Panasonic MiniDV camcorder, later on in the week I'm going to compare video quality.

All the best

Craig

at present none. I liked the Sony best but I didn't have point of comparison. Sold it and then got the panasonic. My tapes don't play unless its dvd rw and if I didn't finalize I worry that would not play. Why? because I took it out without finalizing and it didn't play but I didn't have it in that other format. The crucial question to be answered then becomes whats the differences between the two modes. I know the video quality in the mode I used and to me its not that great. Nice yes , better then a 1/6th quality chip from past? Yes definitely. Clear ? Yes, great handling? Yes but I didn't get the close real looking appeal I got from the Sony. This still reminded me of the past technology although with dvd control. Mark

Mark
Perhaps if we keep the thread at the top of the list some kind fellow may provide us with the answers we need :-)
Do you have the specs on your DVD player? It should list what it will and wont play.

Craig (Serious hangover)

Mark
Perhaps if we keep the thread at the top of the list some kind fellow may provide us with the answers we need :-)
Do you have the specs on your DVD player? It should list what it will and wont play.

Craig (Serious hangover)

I think its an initial. I was able to play the dv-rw in the computer. I still think the Sony had real looking video and the panny just nice clean older looking film video that was very adequate. I would think for 389 dollars or something panny is a good choice. I would like to see the review of this compared to the Panny Vrd 300. If he says the video quality is same I will be shocked although it has some things similar. For todays demands with HD tv and better technology I think it falls short for what I want. I would like to try the dvd 405 from Sony out but when reviewer said it fell short compared to color from 403 I hesitate. I didn't think the dvd 403 was over the top at all. I think it was too compressed but very good camcorder, way above the Panny vrd 250

Reasons I bought a DVD camcorder is that I thought it would be easier and the picture quality would be DVD, WRONG!! But I like it so far, and I'm sure I'll soon get into it. My Father in law has a Panasonic MiniDV camcorder, later on in the week I'm going to compare video quality.


http://www.mediacollege.com/video/camcorder/dvd/

craig
I spent the whole day comparing a few more camcorders. First the harddrive Samsung went back lol , too bad in low light and simply low in color . Still they are not far away from making a great camera like that
Second I compared Vrd 300 to the Vrd 250 and while the vrd 300 was clearer, It didn't impress me. Incidentally allot of people taking back camcorders and I can see one reason why: the color. It seems like these things have notched down in color. I remember my trv70 had more color then some of the expensive consumer cameras I have tried.
Ok then I tried the sr 100 hd 30gig memory hard drive Sony and it was going for $759 as a open box. Later I found out Circuit City called it a demonstrator. It looked good in store , once home, it was sharp photo but EXTREMELY disappointed with color again. You think for 900 list they would add some color to the Hd variance. Took that back but realize there were others taking back Vrd 300 and the most expensive Sony HC cams. Ok then looked at the dvd 405 and finally I think I liked that most of all the cams I tried. I didn't like the vrd 300 cause of small lens. About the dvd 405 I liked but did not buy because Circuit City well I don't want to get into it but they had an open box that turned out to be a demo all scratched up. I might buy if it gets cheaper. I think I still have the Canons to look at.
All in all I am disappointed in color levels of the newer affordable camcorders and quality. My friend bought a older professional sony camcorder mini dv and likes it now (trv 900 is great )

http://www.mediacollege.com/video/camcorder/dvd/

For goodness sake!!! The idiots in the shop said it was better than DV! Now I feel an idiot, I'm tottaly lost.

http://www.mediacollege.com/video/camcorder/dvd/

For goodness sake!!! The idiots in the shop said it was better than DV! Now I feel an idiot, I'm tottaly lost.

I just want to know whats better then what. I just got a trv 900 to see and play ( use to cost over 1999) and would like to compare it to high def camera with 3 ccds. I know high def is better but what are the cons and pros. I would like to know when the old professional min dvs cameras stop being better then the better consumer level camecorder for instance in mini dv.so far for 600 or 700 if you pick up a good trv 900 you would do ok. In another thread they compared the trv 70 and 80 and 50. The person said the trv 50 was best. He must be kidding but I could not add to the old thread. The trv 900 is great camcorder you just don't know what you can get on ebay as far as reliability though. I think the sony was way better then vrd 250 but in low light at time the vrd might have been brighter but the trv900 has tons of options to do better in low light I just have not learned how to tweak the exposure. This is great camcorder