- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 25 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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4.0 stars
"Fun and easy to use once you crack the software issues"
Pros: Small, lightweight, & great to have on hand for when you don't want to lug your camcorder around
Cons: Not the greatest image quality, poor software design
Summary: I've had this camera for several months now, and have greatly enjoyed using it. It's perfect for slipping in your pocket and capturing video when you wouldn't typically want to haul a camcorder with you. The still picture image quality is pretty poor (think lower-end cell phone camera), and the MPEG-4 video at highest quality is comparable to the WAV files created when I dump my camcorder MPEG-2 video into my computer and save it at lower resolution. So I'd not recommend it for capturing the most important moments in your life, but for capturing video on a whim it's perfect, and an unobtrusive alternative to a bulkier camcorder.
My biggest complaint relates to the software. The editing software bundled with the product is not user-friendly, and its conversion of the ASF format to WAV files results in a high loss of image quality. Worse still, the ASF format in which video is recorded cannot be played on computers lacking the necessary Panasonic codec. That codec is provided in the software that comes with the camera, but cannot be downloaded for free from the Panasonic website. Result: you can email those fun little videos to your friends, but unless they also own a DSnap camera and have installed the necessary software, they won't be able to watch the files! In addition, even if you have the codec, you'll not be able to view or edit your video in third party software (including Windows Moviemaker) unless you can convert the file to something other than the native ASF.
The only solution I have found to this codec problem is to download (for free) the "Windows Media Encoder" software from Microsoft's website. You can then convert your ASF files into WAV files that any Windows user can view using Windows Media Player, and that you can edit in movie-editing software. (This process also typically reduces the video file size, which helps when emailing.) Unlike the Panasonic software, Windows Media Encoder also converts the file without any appreciable loss of image quality.
I haven't yet tried the feature allowing you to record TV onto the device for viewing later, but that's next on my list!
So, all in all I'm a big fan of the DSnap, and would happily recommend it to anyone for whom the highest image quality is not an essential requirement. Just don't forget to download Windows Media Encoder!
- 1 reply to this review
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Just like the line says, does anyone know where to find the codecs for .avi files?
Where to buy
Panasonic D-snap SV-AV50 (silver):
$399.99
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$399.99 | Yes |
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