Sony VRDVC20 DVDirect DVD Recorder review:
1 stars (Major issue with this burner) - Buyer beware if you attempt to copy digital 8 tape from your camcorder using i-link to this burner.



I bought this burner with the goal of coverting all my digital 8 tapes to DVD using the i-link. What I discovered is that this burner automatically goes to pause if there is even the slightest gap on the tape you are trying copy. In order to start recording again you must physically press the record button again to start recording. If your tape has quite a few gaps -- which many home videos have, you will have to sit next to this burner and press record everytime it pauses. Bottom line to burn a DVD with this unit you have to sit next to it for the entire hour to make sure it does not stop -- unless your output take is well edited with no gaps at all.



I contacted Sony technical support on this issue and they admitted that the pausing of the burner using i-link because of tape gaps was a "design flaw" that had no remedy. Furthermore they had fielded many calls on this exact issue with their only suggestion to attempt to return the burner to the vendor.



If you are not going to use this burner with i-link and a camcorder then I guess you are ok. Unless you have perfect output tape with no gaps, you are in for a frustrating experience using this burner. Buyer Beware!!!


1 stars (Distorted Video when Capturing Video via Ilink Input) - get distorted video with my brand new VRD-VC20 when it is creating HQ DVD directly from the DV input using a Monster DV cable to my Sony TRV17. I have tried two different home video tapes and two different manufactures of DVD+r discs and their is video distortion and audio distortion at random points throughout playback on the newly created DVD discs. The Mini DV home movie tapes play back with no problem on the camera and also when played back from the TRV17 to the TV. I upgraded the VRD-VC20 with the June 2005 firmware update posted on your web site and it still is doing the same thing. The discs were all finalized properly. In addition to the distortion (blochy pixels, etc) the newly created discs have also had trouble loading when inserted into a new sony DVD/VCR combo player. I am getting ready to return this to the store I bought it at unless you have a solution. The VRD-VC20 was not hooked up to the computer during the capture process.

I also tried another new Sony Camcorder and another tape and I still got distored video and it skipped.

I'm not sure if this was a defective unit but test!


4 stars (Solid item, tech suppert lacking) - I purchased this item a few weeks ago and have used it to burn data DVDs, CDRs and also direct to DVD from my VCR. I am very happy with it. However, I upgraded the firmware in the device and after this I was unable to copy directly from my VCR into the device like I had in the past. Sony tech support tried to get me to send the device back to them. I hunted around some more and found a new video direct firmware version. Looks like the new firmware for the device needed the new video direct firmware to run DVD direct correctly. It would have been nice if the tech support person informed me of this instead of telling me to RMA it. Other than that the device has made me very happy burning DVDs. I would recommend using 2 DVDs to burn anything over 2 hours in direct mode as the 6 hour setting is just too pixelated for me. I will be burning the rest of my taped football games onto 2 disks. You can use Dual Layer disks, but they are still very expensive at over $5 each.

Sony VRDVC20 DVDirect DVD Recorder is the Electronics version. The full version can be purchased by clicking on the "CLICK HERE TO ORDER" button below for around  249.99USD.