Electronics manufacturers are always looking for the newest angle that will draw consumers to their products. With DVD players and burners having become increasingly common in homes across the country, it's no surprise Sony and others have begun offering DVD camcorders. As their name entails, these camcorders literally capture video and audio directly to DVD discs instead of tapes.

Obviously, the primary reason such devices were created was to maximize convenience. Once recorded, the disc can be ejected directly from the Sony DVD camcorder and immediately played in a standard player or home computer. Data can also be transferred from the disc in order to be edited if needed. Nevertheless, as convenient as these new products may be, are there any drawbacks?

The primary drawback of a Sony DVD camcorder over a MiniDV camcorder is recording time and quality. Since these camcorders use smaller DVD-Rs, they are typically capable of recording 30 minutes of high-quality footage or 60 minutes at a lower, VHS-type resolution. Additionally, since the footage is already compressed, no matter the setting, any additional tampering of the image (such as editing) can lead to even more compression.

In the end, the decision to buy a Sony DVD camcorder lies solely with the type of shooting you plan on doing with it. If you simply want a convenient way to record a family get-together or vacation, it is one of the better choices. If, on the other hand, you plan to edit your footage and image resolution is a priority, a MiniDV camera may be the way to go.