Sony DCR-DVD508 Camcorder Reviewby Michael PerlmanPublished on Sep 27, 2007 4:20 PM 
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Audio (5.0)
The DCR-DVD508 (Review, Specs, $0.00) features a built-in 5.1 channel Surround Sound microphone mounted to the top. Since the camcorder is relatively bulky, you won’t have to worry about a finger obscuring the microphone. Audio options on the DCR-DVD508 are highly consumer—you have control over recording level: Normal (records sound at a fixed level), and Low (records sound at a variable level so sound is not too loud or soft). The DCR-DVD508 also has a hot proprietary accessory shoe that only accepts Sony products, so if you plan on throwing a boom microphone on top, you’d better find a Sony store. There are no mic or headphone jacks to be found on the DCR-DVD508, which means that shoe is your only hope.
The Panasonic HDC-SD1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99) and HDC-SD5 both feature mic jacks, zoom control, and audio level control. The JVC GZ-MG555 (Review, Specs, $626) offers a mic jack. The Canon DC50 (Review, Specs, $649.99) has nothing to offer in the audio department. All camcorders fall within the same price bracket. Would it be too much to add a little more meat to the DCR-DVD508’s audio, Sony?
Playback (6.0)
Playing back recorded video and stills is a snap. To activate the Playback menu, press the Playback button located along the outer ridge of the LCD cavity or the Playback button located on the bottom left corner of the LCD screen. When selected, a screen appears, similar to the Home menu. Along the bottom is a row of two large tabs (Video Playback and Photo Playback) bookended by two small tabs (Record Mode and Camera Menu). In Video mode, you cannot access the Camera menu from the Playback Screen—DVD camcorders have limited in-camera editing capabilities. A screen containing up to 12 icons at a time engulfs the Playback Screen. You can toggle between large and small icons by using the zoom lever. A vertical scroll bar is aligned to the left of the icons to browse through numerous pages.
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The Video mode playback screen, crammed with thumbnails of each clip |
The Video mode playback screen looking at an individual clip. |
To play back a clip, simply press on its corresponding icon and the clip will begin playing within the entirety of the LCD screen. An array of playback controls line the bottom and sides of the LCD screen: Stop, Rewind, Play/Pause, Fast Forward, Camera (Volume, Data Code), and Next and Previous Clip. In Photo mode, playback controls consist of Previous Image, Start/Pause slide show, Next Clip, and Camera. The Camera menu contains Print, Data Code, Slide Show Set, and Delete options.
Connectivity (6.0)
There are a minimal number of ports on the DCR-DVD508, most of them found in the back. To the right of the battery is a rugged plastic port cover that houses the remote (LANC) jack and USB terminal. Below the battery is a hard plastic door that swings up after much struggling to reveal the A/V out and DC in terminals. The Memory Stick Duo slot lies within the LCD cavity and the hot accessory shoe (the Sony-branded “Active Interface Shoe”) sits behind the microphone, sheltered by a thick plastic cover.
Overall, the placement of the ports and quality of the covers are great. It’s not fun having to route wires all the way from the front or within the LCD cavity. We could have used a mic and headphone jack, though—a Sony-only proprietary hot shoe just doesn’t cut it for better audio options.
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The ports of the Sony DCR-DVD508. Clockwise starting right: |
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