Panasonic VDR-D230

Summary: I was very pleased with the cameras ability to create a disc which you can play back immediately on your DVD. Also must give panasonic credit for a fantastic zoom, and the image stabilization works really well even at full 32X zoom. Unfortunately the image quality is poor, and the colors appear very washed out. The camera permits you to save the video in two formats Video: which permits immediate playback on your DVD player but doesn't let you edit the video, or VR: which does not permit immediate play back on your DVD but will permit you to edit your video. When you process the video through your PC the software will convert it into MPEG-2 format, permit editing, then burn it to a DVD. I did not notice any degredation in quality after conversion at the highest possible setting (thank goodness) although logic would dictate that there is some. In my opinion this camera gives you a lot of technology for the money, but you pay a price in video quality. I returned mine and bought the Panasonic PV-GS320. Although it is the older technology the video quality is considerably better, and the color reproduction is dramatically better!