Product: Sony DVD Handycam Price: $6,490 (DCR-DVD101/E); $7,790 (DCR-DVD201/E) Pros: Recorded video can be played on a DVD player without cables Cons: Takes a bit too long to process DVD discs to play on external players
Remember about five years ago, when the only thing you connected to your camera was a flash and the ubiquitous technology now known as universal serial bus (USB) was nothing more than a sketch in some Intel laboratory?
When digital photography was still in its infancy, the array of cables and adaptors needed to move photos from a camera to the desktop deterred many from migrating to the new format.
So Sony slapped an old floppy drive onto the newest digital camera and helped usher in a new age of photography.
The newest DVD201 Handycam combines a camcorder with a DVD-R/DVD-RW burner that writes to eight-inch discs, allowing it to record up to 60 minutes of digital video.
Granted, it is a lot easier nowadays to move video from most new digital camcorders to the desktop, thanks to the arrival of USB and Firewire. Still, nothing beats the convenience of taking out the small DVD-R or DVD-RW disc and slapping it into the nearest DVD drive. No crawling on the floor to attach cables, nothing to trip over or forget.
The integration of DVD technology into camcorders also has a style advantage over its floppy-based ancestor - the mini DVD-R/DVD-RW disc resembles something out of Mission: Impossible. You could almost hear a voice intone: 'This message will self-destruct in five seconds', as you view the recorded video on the bright 2.5-inch LCD display.