Panasonic VDRM70B review

What you need to know

Reviewed by: Bill O'Brien

Reviewed on: 13 October 2004

Tags: Panasonic, Panasonic VDRM70B, microphone, handheld, DVD player

We like:

Compact design for a mini-DVD model; simple menu system; 16:9 recording capability

We don't like:

No headphone jack; no built-in flash or video light; viewfinder doesn't tilt; low-light mode mostly ineffective

You might also need:

A spare battery

CNET UK judgement:

The VDR-M70 doesn't shake our belief that mini-DVD camcorders still are not ready for prime time

Full review:

DVD camcorders such as Panasonic's VDRM70B are great until you realise that mini-DVD-R/RAM discs are still very expensive and that you can't just pull the discs out of the camera and stick them into your set-top DVD player. They need to be finalised first, and that puts an end to any more recording on that disc. If you add a computer between the two and use it to import, edit, and create DVDs, then you transform the VDRM70B into nearly the most perfect of all recording devices, with media that has at least a 10-year shelf life and won't stretch, break, or degrade your video on the 1st or the 10,000th rewrite. Without the computer, save a couple of hundred pounds and find yourself a nice MiniDV camcorder instead. Continue Reading...