Welcome!

Congratulations on your purchase of this Sony Handycam. With your Handycam, you can capture life's precious moments with superior picture and sound quality. Your Handycam is loaded with advanced features, but at the same time it is very easy to use. You will soon be producing home video that you can enjoy for years to come.

What you can do with your DVD Handycam

Your DVD Handycam uses DVD-R and DVD-RW as a recording media. You can enjoy your DVD Handycam in ways that are new and different from those of a tape media-based camcorder.

You can find a scene quickly using a Visual Index display.

The Visual Index display shows thumbnails of movies and still images recorded on the disc in your DVD Handycam. You can find the desired scene quickly using this convenient index.

You can play back still images, one after another.

You can play back still images one after another on your DVD Handycam. You can also enjoy the playback of still images continuously on a DVD player if you finalize the disc.

You can play back a disc recorded with your DVD Handycam on your DVD player.

You can play back a disc recorded with your DVD Handycam on DVD players that can play back DVD-R/DVD-RW.

You can edit and copy a disc easily by connecting your DVD Handycam to your computer.

You can edit and copy a disc easily on your computer using the supplied ImageMixer Ver.1.5 for Sony DVD Handycam software. It also enables you to produce your own original DVD disc.

What is the difference between DVD-R and DVD-RW?

Two types of discs are available and they are different in the following ways.

Which disc can I use?

8cm DVD-Rs and 8cm DVD-RWs are available.

How can I choose between these two discs?

The number of recordable times is different for the two discs. Choose the one that meets your needs.

8cm DVD-R

You can use the following discs:

• DMR30 (single-sided disc)
• DMR60DS (double-sided disc)

DVD-Rs can be recorded only once. They are suitable for long-term records and for making backup copies. Recorded in VIDEO mode.

8cm DVD-RW

You can use the following discs:

• DMW30 (single-sided disc)
• DMW60DS (double-sided disc)

DVD-RWs can be overwritten repeatedly. They are suitable for source gathering and temporary recordings. You can choose VIDEO mode or VR mode to make your recordings.

Discs other than these two types cannot be used in your DVD Handycam.

Examples of incompatible discs:

• 12cm DVD-R
• 12cm DVD-RW
• DVD+R
• DVD-RAM
• DVD+RW
• DVD-ROM
• CD-R
• CD-RW

In VIDEO mode and VR (Video Recording) mode

VIDEO mode: A disc has wide compatibility with other players.

VR mode: A disc can be edited on a DVD Handycam but the players are limited.

What kind of player can I use for playback?

You can play back a disc you have recorded on your DVD Handycam on other players by finalizing the disc (see page 64). The following list shows examples of players that can play back a disc recorded by your DVD Handycam. However, playback compatibility is not guaranteed with all players.*1

DVD-R (VIDEO mode only)

Players compatible with the DVD Video format.

DVD-RW (in VIDEO mode)

Players that can play back DVD-RWs.

DVD-RW (in VR mode)

Players that can play back DVD-RWs in VR mode.

Choosing a disc

For long-term storage

• To use the same disc over and over

• To play back on a DVD player

• To edit with a DVD Handycam

• DVD-R
• Use a DVD-RW in Video mode
• Use a DVD-RW in VR mode

How to prepare and use your DVD Handycam

Preparing

Prepare a new disc.

• You can start recording promptly with a DVD-R.
• You need to format a DVD-RW before recording. Formatting is also required when using a once recorded DVD-RW again.

Select a recording format (either VIDEO mode or VR mode) when using DVD-RW.

Shooting

Both movies and still images can be recorded on a single disc.

Because your movies and still images are recorded in free areas on the disc automatically, important recordings are not overwritten. If you finalize the recorded disc after shooting, you can play it back immediately on DVD players, etc.

Playing back

Select a scene to play back from the Visual Index display.

If you finalize the recorded disc after shooting, you can play it back on DVD players, etc.

Editing

You can make a copy of a disc you have recorded by connecting your DVD Handycam to your computer with the supplied software.

For the recommended computer system environment, see page 91.

You can produce an original DVD by editing your movies/still images on your computer.

Finalizing

Finalize the disc so that it becomes compatible with other DVD players.

You may not be able to record additional material, edit, or format a disc after finalizing it, depending on the kind of the disc used.

*1 Unfinalizing is required.
*2 Unfinalizing is not required.
*3 Recorded data will be erased.