Panasonic VDR-D230 Camcorder Reviewby Michael PerlmanPublished on Dec 10, 2007 7:40 AM 
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Compression (4.0)
The Panasonic VDR-D230 (Review, Specs, $0.00) compresses video in the MPEG2 format, common to all standard definition DVD and hard disk drive (HDD) camcorders. MPEG2 is not the format of choice is video quality is your top concern. It was developed as a means to fit as much video as one could on an 8cm DVD disc. The bit rate is less than one third that of DV, the compression used in MiniDV camcorders. MPEG2 also creates headaches when it comes time to edit your video. Unlike the more or less universally standard DV, every manufacturer employs slight variations in their MPEG2 encoding, ensuring that nothing is perfectly compatible with all editing software.
There are three quality settings on the VDR-D230, each one corresponding to a bit rate. The highest quality, XP, records at approximately 10Mbps. SP records at approximately 5Mbps, and LP at 2.5Mbps. All bit rates are variable (VDR), as opposed to constant (CBR), which means that moments with less pixel activity or complexity are automatically recorded at a lower-than-max bit rate. In order to ensure the best quality, we suggest that you always shoot in the highest quality.
Media (4.5)
The Panasonic VDR-D230 captures video to 8cm DVD discs, sometimes called miniDVD. These are a very common media that can be found in lots of stores, from corner bodegas to office supply stores. There are multiple formats for the DVD media. The VDR-D230 is compatible with the following: DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM, and DVD-R DL (Dual Layer). Each of these has its own merits and drawbacks. The -RW and –RAM varieties are reusable, which might make them a better value if you’re backing footage up to a computer.
On the whole, DVD discs have a lot of disadvantages compared to other media. The recording times are limited, they’re easily damaged, and you may not have compatible home DVD players and computer disc drives to read the discs properly (depending on the format). It’s little wonder that consumers once enthralled with DVD are moving towards hard disc drive (HDD) camcorders.
When recording in the highest quality XP mode, a single sided disc can hold 18 minutes of video. In SP mode, it can hold 37 minutes, and in LP mode it can hold 75 minutes. A dual layer disc approximately doubles these times.
Editing (5.0)
The VDR-D230 ships with a disc full of mediocre software for importing, editing, and outputting your video. Programs include DVD-MovieAlbumSE 4.3, DVDfunSTUDIO 2.5 (both for Windows), and ImageMixer 3 (for Macs). The MovieAlbumSE portion of the software is for the importing and editing tasks, and leaves much to be desired. The latter portion, DVDfunSTUDIO, is dedicated to creating a finished movie disc to be burned to DVD, complete with menus. Both of these programs lack the intuitive design of programs like Adobe Premiere Elements and other beginner-friendly programs. We wouldn’t be surprised if the software included with the VDR-D230 turns beginners off from editing entirely.
Importing any video from DVD camcorders can be tricky. The problem is that manufacturer all put their little variations in, making it difficult to find a software that can work with them all. We were able to import the VDR-D230’s video in a variety of programs, but the aspect ratio was often distorted in the process. It’s a shame that the most surefire method should be the included software, but as we discussed above, it’s not very good.