Digital camcorders make it easy to capture events like birthday parties, weddings, and family reunions. But what will you do once you've recorded a couple of home movies? If you want to make copies or archive your footage, then you'll have to copy it to a computer with a DVD burner. And computers are especially key with hard drive camcorders — when you fill up that hard drive, you'll need some place to store your footage so you can make more recordings. What happens if you don't have a computer? Can you still enjoy the convenience of a digital camcorder?

Absolutely, thanks to stand-alone DVD recorders specifically designed for use with camcorders. They allow you to easily copy your footage without loading videos on a PC or hooking up a typical component-style DVD recorder. They're perfect for folks who don't have a computer capable of managing large digital video files, or don't have a computer at all. And they'll work with almost any camcorder that has a USB, i.LINK™, or analog audio/video output.

I recently tried out the Sony VRD-MC5. Not only can this DVD recorder make copies of standard-definition videos, it can also copy high-def footage that you record with an AVCHD hard drive or DVD camcorder. And the 'MC5 records standard- and high-def footage on standard DVDs. The standard-definition (SD) discs can play in newer DVD players, and the HD discs will play back in a compatible Blu-ray Disc™ player or a computer with a compatible Blu-ray drive. This recorder also has memory card slots, so you can burn your digital photos to DVD.

The VRD-MC5 lets you make standard- and high-definition copies of your home videos, as well as archive photos.

Getting started

For this review, I recorded a few home movies on a Sony high-def hard drive camcorder, the HDR-SR7. This cam records standard- and high-definition footage, and stores these videos on a built-in 60-gigabyte hard drive.

The 'SR7 records standard- and high-definition footage to a built-in hard drive.

After filming a few scenes, I was ready to make copies. I simply connected both the camcorder and the recorder to a power outlet, and then connected the camcorder to the recorder using the mini-USB to USB cable that came in the box with the 'SR7. If I'd had a different type of camcorder — like a Mini DV camcorder or an older Hi8 camcorder — I could have used the i.LINK or audio/video inputs, respectively. I preferred to transfer my footage digitally via a USB or i.LINK cable, so I wouldn't lose video quality when making a copy.

Copying my videos

The first thing I noticed when I powered up the 'MC5 was the on-screen display. It was colorful and detailed, and was also very easy to navigate. Once I'd connected the camcorder, I had a few recording options. The menu system was pretty intuitive — I made high-def copies of my HD footage without even cracking open the manual. Pressing just a few buttons let me make an instant backup of the videos. The recorder filled the first disc with movie clips, and then prompted me to put in a second DVD. My scenes were automatically turned into different "chapters" on the DVD — I'd be able to select scenes to watch from the DVD's menu. I opened the owner's manual to find that I could make copies just of specific scenes or playlists, as well. These high-def discs play back in AVCHD-compatible Blu-ray Disc™ players.

Converting high-def videos to standard-definition
Next up, I made a standard-definition copy of my high-def videos. I'd recorded all my footage in high-definition, but wanted to record a few clips for playback in standard-definition DVD players, since I don't personally own a Blu-ray player. This would be handy for folks who wanted to share copies of videos with family members who don't have a high-def player. To make these SD copies of high-definition footage, I had to use the audio/video inputs of the 'MC5. This wasn't as convenient as using the USB inputs, but it wasn't difficult. I selected the scene I wanted to copy on the camcorder, pressed play, and then pressed record on the DVD recorder. The bright, clear display screen made this process easier — I previewed my footage as it was being burned to the disc. I finished copying my video clips, finalized the disc, and played it in my DVD player. In this analog recording mode, I used the menu system to automatically create five-minute chapters of my movies on the DVD.

I used the composite video input on the DVD recorder, but the 'MC5 also has an S-video input. If you're planning on making a lot of standard-def videos from your high-def footage, you may want to spring for Sony's optional S-video adapter, since this doesn't come in the box with the camcorder or the DVD recorder. If you'll only be capturing home movies in standard-definition, don't worry — you can use the USB input to make standard-def DVDs of your footage. If I'd recorded in standard-definition, I would have been able to use the USB input and wouldn't have had to bother with the audio/video inputs at all.

Archiving photos on a DVD
I also used the 'MC5 to make a DVD of photos for a friend who had borrowed my digital camera for a trip to Europe. I popped my camera's SD™ card into a slot on the side of the DVD recorder, and created a backup of her photos. I chose to make a PC backup, so she could transfer the photos to her computer. Another option would have let me create a "slideshow DVD," where she could play back the photos using her DVD player.

A few minor drawbacks

It would have been great to be able to downconvert high-definition footage to standard-def without resorting to the A/V inputs on the VRD-MC5. The digital transferring interface was a lot easier to use than interface for transferring videos through the analog inputs.

Another drawback of this DVD recorder is that it didn't play back the discs I burned — it didn't have any audio/video outputs to connect to a TV. While it's a convenient way to make copies of your AVCHD footage, it'd be even more convenient if this player had a component video or HDMI output to send that video to a television. Since it doesn't, you'll need a compatible Blu-ray Disc player or computer to view your high-definition movies. Overall though, the VRD-MC5 is a simple way for folks to make copies of their footage without using a computer.

Conclusion

I'd recommend this product for anyone with a camcorder, and especially for people with hard drive camcorders, since video files can take up a lot of room on your computer. If you're not planning on doing a lot of editing, a recorder like the VRD-MC5 lets you easily make copies of your home movies. Then you can share them with family and friends, or even make multiple copies to ensure your videos can be enjoyed for years to come.