Hitachi DZ MV730A

I really like this camera a lot. It is easy to use. DVD-RAM idea is great, but not super compatible.

My goal was to take videos with the camera, then burn the DVD-RAM disc's images onto DVD-R type disks and then be on my way.

This version of the camera does not have a USB port, so the only way to get your videos on your computer is by taking the DVD-RAM out of the camera and inserting it into your computer CD/DVD drive. The only issue here is that most DVD drives that I know of do not read DVD-RAM discs, so I had to go out and buy a new DVD drive for my computer.

Now I can get the files from the DVD-RAM to my harddrive, but now I can't get any of my DVD programs to edit the file. I ended up buying Womble MPEG Video Wizard DVD but that was pretty expensive. This software allows me to edit the movies and then it gets the video all ready to be written to a DVD-R disc that you can play in your TV-based DVD player. The only problem with Womble (an otherwise awesome video editting software tool) is that they do not have DVD burning software bundled in with the program, so you have to use Nero or something like that to burn the disc.

Someone who wants to buy this camera and can use my review above to learn what you have to do and what tools you need to do it will have a much easier time that I did.

I am all set up now and completely love it, however, there were a lot of growing pains in the learning process. I hope this review makes it easier for you!

Jim

I have truly had a fantastic experience with this item. I was looking for a dvd camcorder that was affordable and a good value for my money. I have been satisfied with its' performance. I notice very little, if any, shaking or blurring. My only drawback is that the dvd's only last 30 inutes. However if you know to keep a supply of dvds on hand then it is an excellent value.

Like that it is small and compact, however it does not come with built in light and the picture is not real clear on play back. To get a better picture i went to the dvd ram disc which is better picture but alot more expensive.
Overall I rate this unit average.

While I made a mistake on the feed back I gave this seller.I will now correct it!
I got mixed up on the amount I had paid for shipping on this item with another item I had bought from another seller.Instead of paying $25.00 for shipping I have found it was only $15.00 that I had paid.While the shipping was only $7.77 and while I understand that sellers don't always understand the exact cost of shipping a item.I do feel that being it was a over charge of $7.23 for shipping I fell a seller should be a bit closer on the charge for shipping to a seller.And should not be more then a couple of dollars give or take a few mistakes along the way.I know make mistakes from time to time.And while I think this seller did make this mistake honestly.And that I would buy from this seller in the future. i don't agree with being over charged for shipping.

I bought this camcorder because it recorded to dvd in the camera and I wasn't dissapointed. First, it records in true widescreen mode which means that I can enjoy watching it on my high definition TV. It fills the screen completely without having black areas on either side of my screen. My HP computer accepts the dvd-ram disks and I can view them on Windows Media Center or edit it with Roxio Easy CD Creator or MyDVD programs. After copying it to my computer or to a DVD, I reuse the DVD-RAM disk over and over, which is a great savings. It also has a slot for an SD card for still photos, but I don't usually use that as I have a nice digital camera.
The best part is that I don't have to worry about the tape wearing down. I can go from one section to another quickly and as many times as I want to. I don't think I can ever go back to tapes!

This was my first camcorder and I must say I used it a lot. The quality is very good, and the on-board editing feature for DVD-RAM is really cool. It's a really easy camera to use, especially if you're just starting out. The only problem I had with this camera is that there is no USB connection, so if you're looking to put all your movies on the computer you need to buy an AV card, which can be pretty expensive.
Over all it's a very good camera, especially if you're just looking to film home movies ( birthdays, weddings... things of that nature.)

this item is in great condition works perfect,the only argument that i have is that did not had the instructions for the use and features, i decided to buy this item because i wanted to record some of the adventures of my kid so they can have memories of their childhood.

When I bought this camcorder, I thought that it was the neatest thing. It was great to use the DVDs instead of a tape. The main benefit from that was that you could review what you just recorded and then start recording again without worrying about being at the last point on the tape. The problem with the DVD is this: you must finalize the discs on the camcorder before you can play them in a DVD. I would finalize a disc, go to play it, and it was corrupted. This happened so many times that I sold the Hitachi and bought a Panasonic that uses tapes. I at least don't have the frustration anymore. If you are having problems with DVDs recorded on this camcorder, try www.cdroller.com for a program that will try to recover the data. I am not affiliated with the program. It was referred to me by Hitachi tech support. I think it was $25.00. But it was worth it to recover my discs. Out of 50 discs, I was able to recover 48, so that's not bad.

Great price for the product received. Quick shipment by seller. Good product like the camcorder.Would highly recommend to other!

Great little starter camcorder. It was easy to set up and fairly easy to operate once I understood the directions. The only reason I didn't understand them was because I failed to read them well enough. It's great for what I use it for....family and friends.