Sony HDR-SR7 First Impressions Reviewby Michael PerlmanPublished on May 23, 2007 1:55 PM 
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Audio
The HDR-SR7 (Specs, Recent News, $1399) records Dolby Digital 5.1 channel surround sound via a built-in stereo microphone mounted to the top of the camcorder. This is an unfortunate design, for most fingers will have a tendency to wander on top of the microphone, muffling hours of splashes and giggles from the weekend pool party footage. 5.1 channel surround sound has become the standard sound recording option on most new HDV and AVCHD models, and to be honest, it sounds pretty good. At tradeshows and crazy events, audio is crisp and does not bleed like a standard PCM stereo electret mic found on older MiniDV and standard definition DVD camcorders. The SR7 had one microphone level setting: normal and low. Based on the performance of the SR300 (Review, Specs, $761.95)’s microphone, which is virtually identical, there was no real difference.
Playback
To enter playback mode, hit the onscreen button in the lower-left corner. You can also press the playback button located in the LCD cavity. Here, it’s just like the DCR-SR300 (Review, Specs, $761.95). Up to six icons are visible at a time, representing recorded video and images. Along the bottom of the screen is a horizontal row of tabs including video footage, digital stills, media from the memory stick, and bookending camera mode and options buttons. You can press an icon to play a video or view a still in full screen, and play, fast forward, rewind, pause, next clip, last clip, and stop functions are available via touch screen buttons.
Connectivity
Sony’s port configuration should be published and studied in depth by other manufacturers. By migrating 70% of the SR7’s connections to the right side, Sony has eliminated LCD clutter, field of view obstructions, and overall wire mayhem madness. The right side is home to the HDMI terminal, mic and headphone jacks, A/V out, and Component/USB out. To be honest, the port covers are not the bulkiest, held by a pair of feeble plastic strips, so tug lightly. On the back, the remote jack and DC in terminals are covered by smaller versions of the flimsy port covers. The MemoryStick Pro DUO slot sits within the LCD cavity, a characteristic of most Sony models. Sony’s AIS, or Active Interface Shoe rests on top of the SR7, but it is only compatible with Sony brand accessories—a marketing ploy thrown in the same crafty cauldron as the MemoryStick.
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HDMI, mic, and headphone jacks |
Component/USB and composite jacks |
The proprietary fit accessory shoe |