Get a DVD camcorder for $170 shipped
DVD camcorders used to cost a small fortune; this one's $170.
(Credit: CNET)I'm not wild about DVD camcorders (for reasons I'll explain shortly), but there's something to be said for the convenience of capturing video on a disc you can pop into any set-top DVD player. If that sounds appealing, Circuit City has the Panasonic VDR-D210 mini-DVD camcorder on sale for $169.96 with free shipping (plus sales tax in most states).
Though an entry-level camcorder, the VDR-D210 offers some nice features, including a 32X optical zoom, optical image stabilization, a 2.7-inch wide LCD, and a reasonably compact design.
Not bad, right? Right--but be sure to read CNET's review of the VDR-D210 before you pull the trigger. As with all mini-DVD camcorders, you get limited recording time per disc, and there's no easy way to import your video to your PC for editing. But if you want to watch little Johnny's soccer game on the big screen the minute you get home, this is a fine solution. I can remember when DVD camcorders started at around $600, so $170 is a pretty smokin' deal.
Rick Broida, a technology writer for nearly 20 years, is the author of more than a dozen books. In addition to writing CNET's The Cheapskate blog, he oversees BNET's Business Hacks. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers. Follow Rick on Twitter at cheapskateblog. 
Also what is the file type that it's saved onto in the DVD and are there options? You also didn't talk about the diameter of the lens. The bigger the lense the better the quality essentially. A friend has a 2Megapixel camera on his phone, and my phone has a 2 megapixel camera. Which one comes in clearer? Mine. Why? The lens.
Megapixels only account for how big the picutre will be. You actually accounted for very little fo the information. Could you please either produce more information or perhaps a review on it? Somewhere?
Some of your articles are well written but some of them are rather poor like this one. I only ask that you not cut corners on deals like this and give us the confidence in the product or tell us that it's likely somewhat risky. Sorry if this is a little bit critical on your deal. Just wanted to provide some feedback.
Honestly the specs on the page you DID link us too did not talk about lens diameter and the resolution size isn't even 1megapixel. It's only VGA.
I've never owned a camcorder so I don't know how that size is going to look on a mini disc played in a DVD player. This article has not given me a comparison in any way, or any sort of confidence in this product. If I was in the market to buy a Camera I would probably end up doing hours of research to compare and try to get good information so that if I did buy it I wouldn't have to upgrade to something better 3 months from now because of a poorly made article.
Thanks for the tip but please try to market the item better so that consumers are better informed and have more confidence. Remember the Xbox 360 thing? We questioned it as being a good Media Extender becaues it has roughly 20-30 percent fail rates which means that it's likely they willl have to replace it. it's the same sort of concept here. Better to buy a product that will cost you more short term but last you longer than to save some money now only to have to pay for it or replace it with the same option at a later date.
Sorry for making this so long. Just disapointed with some of the articles of late. I usually love the articles here.
Lens System
Type
Zoom lens - 2.3 mm - 73.6 mm - F/1.8-3.7
Focal Length
2.3 mm - 73.6 mm
Lens Aperture
F/1.8-3.7
Optical Zoom
32 x
Lens system type
Zoom lens
Min focal length
2.3 mm
Max focal length
73.6 mm
Auto Focus
TTL contrast detection
Filter Size
37 mm
Focus Adjustment
Manual, Automatic
Zoom Adjustment
Motorized drive
- by spykotic00 August 25, 2008 9:03 AM PDT
- Had you read the article carefully, you would have clicked on the link provided for the review.
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