Sony DCR-DVD305 Camcorder Review

by David Kender
Published on Aug 31, 2006 10:00 AM

Intro Performance
Format
 Tour
Auto / Manual Controls Still Features
Handling and Use Audio / Playback / Connectivity
Other Features Comparisons / Conclusion
Specs/Ratings  


Compression (5.0)
The DCR-DVD305 (Review, Specs, $498) uses MPEG-2 compression for video like most other DVD camcorders on the consumer market. MPEG-2 video recorded to DVD tends to suffer more from compression than MiniDV tape-based camcorders, and there is a trade-off, inherent to disc, between convenience or quality. However, the performance inferiority of DVD camcorders is about to change. Earlier this summer, Sony announced the first ever AVCHD high definition DVD camcorder, the HDR-UX1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $729.95) will be available to consumers in October. The UX1 uses a completely different compression method – MPEG-4 H.264 to squeeze an HD image onto a conventional DVD. While we have yet to see AVCHD DVD footage, we have high hopes for this new format.

Back to the present. The DCR-DVD305 records at three compression settings: HQ, SP, and LP. At the highest quality HQ setting, the DCR-DVD305 can record 20 minutes of; it produces 30 minutes in SP, and 60 minutes in LP. These settings correspond to maximum bit rates, and the highest data rate DVD camcorders can manage is 8.5 Mbps, utilized during HQ mode. In comparison, MiniDV is captured at 25Mbps contributing to its generally superior video quality.

Media (5.0)
The DCR-DVD305 records 3-inch DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW.  All of these disc types are readily available everywhere from your local pharmacy to large electronics box stores.  If you're planning to shoot in rough and tumble settings, be aware that DVD's are more liable to skip than MiniDV tapes or HDD drives, though the media itself is relatively stable once it has been finalized. 

In addition, this camcorder supports Sony’s proprietary MemoryStick PRO Duo card format for still photo capture.  It's certainly an appreciated addition over the DCR-DVD205 (Review, Specs, $384.99), which only captures stills to DVD, but it’s a proprietary format that’s more expensive, and possibly harder to find than SD cards.

Editing (3.0)
Video recorded to DVD is notoriously difficult to edit which is one of the reasons the format has seen virtually no adoption by serious video hobbyists. Professional editing programs like Avid and Final Cut Pro don’t support MPEG-2 material for this reason, relegating MPEG-2 post-production to proprietary or low-end editing software. For many DVD camcorder users, this won’t be a problem since they have chosen the format for reasons of convenience. No other media type is instantly playable on a consumer appliance as common as a DVD player. If you do want to edit some of the MPEG-2 footage you shoot, you’ll need to convert it to a format that is compatible with your editing software, a process that is time-consuming but easily accomplished with a program like QuickTime Pro. The DCR-DVD305 ships with Nero Express 6, a rudimentary software package for DVD creation.






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