Summary: It doesnt run DVD+RW consistently

Comment: I've used this successfully with Maxwell, Panasonic, Sony and other mini DVDs in -R and -RW formats.

However I have not had any success with Memorex Duralayer +RW DVDs.

In the 3 years? or so that I have had the camera it has functioned well.
I have had to replace the battery with a larger capacity model and to replace the charger when it cooked.

Other than those items it has done a good job.

Summary: Love and hate it

Comment: I've owned this camera for about 18 months now. I wanted a camera that could shoot both decent video and stills, and would do mpeg2 encoding to save me the work of converting DV-AVI files to mpeg2 myself. This camera largely met those goals but has lots of annoyances too.

1. The lens cover. If you read the reviews here you'll be well aware that the lens cover on this camera is very prone to failure. In my case the lens cover will not close. There was no apparent reason for the sudden failure; I have always taken good care of the camera and only use it lightly.

2. The PC software is truly appalling. Forget about doing anything useful with it. I use it in its first couple of steps just to get it to extract the individual mpeg2 files out of the DVD VOB files it creates, and then manually rename each one with the date and time, then I copy them out of the temp directory and quit the app. It's way more tedious than it need be just to do this, and useless beyond this basic task (and it crashes and/or hangs frequently so often requires several attempts).

3. If you use non-Sony media the camera complains, and you cannot access the non-Sony media on your PC until it is finalized. This is pure evil manufacturer lock-in BS; I don't believe there is any technical reason for this as non-Sony media support multi-session writes.

4. The still camera works great in good light but not in low light. The pictures are more reminiscent of CMOS sensors than a CCD.

5. It's a Sony. That means don't expect any of these issues to be fixed or even acknowledged. Once Sony have your money you're dirt.

Summary: Buyer beware

Comment: The Sony DVD403 Handycam takes great pictures and is easy to use, but beware! The software that comes with it messes up your computer BIG TIME! We have had to rebuild our computer and leave the software off. I have been told that "Sony is aware of this problem and is working on it" but I am very disappointed that they did not notify me of the problem. They could have easily done so since I registered the camera with them. If you have been experiencing problems with your computer not wanting to shut down and/or 'blue screen' and you have the software for this camera installed - that could be your problem.

Summary: A lot to remember

Comment: Nice images. Compact, easy to transport. Keep the manual handy as there are a lot of functions that are easily forgotten unless the camera is used often. Found this unit is not too nice to other disc manufacturers.
Use Sony discs to avoid disappointments.

Summary: Lens Cover 17 days over worthless warr..

Comment: Poor lens cover design this is an offical money trap dont buy this product
311 spending towards a quality cammera!