Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I just got one of these babies. I am an IT professional and have the PC equipment for burning DVDs and capturing video, but I still felt that I wanted this unit.
The features that appealed to me were:
- 16x write speed
- Sony brand name
- DV input
- Dual Layer burning support
- Stand-alone mode (no PC needed)
I have this hooked up to my home theater. I have an HD setup and a Motorola 6412 Hi-Def DVR. So far I have been able to make excellent copies of kid's shows from Nick and Cartoon Network, etc, in the SLP format (6 hour record time). Those are GREAT for long trips with the portable DVD player.
I have also made excellent DVDs of my home movies shot with our Sony HC30 digital video camcorder. That's where the DV firewire (IEEE-1394) input comes in handy. You will have to buy a firewire cable if you don't already have one. I needed the 4 to 4 cable that has the mini d-shaped connectors on each end and I got that cheap from my favorite online auction site.
Now if you want to copy old VHS tapes that you have, or make backups of DVR'ed material then you may be out of luck as this unit does do a good job of honoring Macrovision copy protection when it detects it. I have been told there are "digital video stabilizer" like the "SIMA CT-2" (do a Google search) that will clean up the video signal and allow backup of your legally owned and obtained materials, so all is not lost in that area should you want to make backups of your old VHS tapes or make a backup of the Sopranos from your DVR.
Lastly, there are three different inputs: RCA composite video/audio (yellow, red, white plugs), S-Video and DV (firewire). I haven't tried S-Video, only the firewire and composite. If you plan to hook this up to a DVR, like the Mot 6412, getting audio into the device can be a challenge because the Mot 6412 seems to only have optical audio out and this device has no optical audio input. If you have a receiver then you can probably run the audio from one of your outputs (VCR, or TAPE) to the Sony unit, and the video directly from the 6412 to the Sony. That's what I did, and other than some lower than expected but acceptable volume levels on the digital channels all was fine.
Lastly, use good quality media. Don't go cheap. Use Memorex or better yet Sony DVDs. I use the DVD-R format because that's what my stand-alone player supports. When setting up the unit plan on burning and finalizing several DVDs each with material a few minutes long until you get all the cabling and quality settings right and the way you want them, especially if hooking up to a DVR.
I found the preview LCD to be very helpful, but you will have to have the unit close to you and not deep on a shelf or a rack to see it as the angle of viewing requires you almost be over top of the LCD to view it...the next model should have a pop-up tilt screen, IMHO.
Initialization and finalization of a DVD doesn't take that long. The unit is a little loud, but not too much so, and does throw some heat when burning. I suggest putting it in a well-ventilated area. I have mine on top of my home theater rack instead of inside it. It's small footprint and attractive finish, coupled with the fact that I will use this frequently for dubbing from my camcorder made that placement make sense for me.
I hope this review was helpful.
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Sony VRD-MC1 DVDirect External USB 2.0 Multi-Function 16x DVD RecorderWith the Sony VRD-MC1 DVDirect External USB 2.0 Multi-Function 16x DVD Recorder, you can record all of your video and digital photos to DVD without the need for a computer. Gone are the days when you have to download your photos and video to your hard drive in order to burn a DVD.
The Sony VRD-MC1 features one 4-pin i.LINK (IEEE1394) port for a camcorder connection, composite video, S-video and L/R audio connections for audio-video recording, and a USB 2.0 port. A memory stick duo slot and a multi-card slot that accepts a memory stick, SD memory cards, xD picture cards, and CompactFlash cards are included for your digital stills.
The Sony VRD-MC1 offers automatic menu and title/chapter creation and includes the award-winning Nero software suite that allows you to manage and edit your digital imagery quickly and easily.
Click here for more information about Sony VRD-MC1 DVDirect External USB 2.0 Multi-Function 16x DVD Recorder
