Sony DVDirect

"Your home movies on DVD"

October, 2005

ABOVE: Sony DVDirect VRD-VC20 with Sony Camcorder DCR-HC32. INSET BELOW:  A USB 2.0 port lets you connect DVDirect to your PC.

If you travel often, and especially if you travel with kids, you've probably got a drawer filled with videocassettes of Little Angus crawling on the Matterhorn or Baby Bella being burped by a Venetian gondolier. Chances are, you'd like to transfer those videos to DVD, but your computer can't handle video or you haven't the patience to become a do-it-yourself film editor. What you need is Sony's DVDirect, an easy-to-use DVD recorder that you hook up to your camcorder or VCR whenever you want to transfer a home video to DVD.

The compact tabletop unit offers real-time recording (i.e., recording at your camcorder or VCR's playback speed) plus three quality modes that let you record anywhere from 1 to 12 hours of video on a single disc. It automatically divides videos into "chapters" of 5, 10, or 15 minutes in length and creates menus for convenient playback.

As a bonus, you can connect DVDirect to a computer you if want to become your neighborhood's answer to George Lukas or Jean-Luc Godard. Sony bundles the Nero video software suite with DVDirect, allowing you to edit and burn video to the recorder with your Windows XP or 2000 PC via the supplied high-speed USB cable.

I haven't tried DVDirect myself (my 15-year-old camcorder is on the fritz), but Sony's second-generation model VRD-VC20 has earned a "Gadget of the Week" award from Time Magazine (see story) and a "very good" rating from PC Magazine (read review). With its user-friendly design and a street price of about US $250, DVDirect looks like a great device for travelers who want to back up or share videos with a minimum of hassle after they get home.

For more information, visit www.sony.com/dvdirect.

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