Sony GV-HD700 High Definition Video Walkman

The product pretty much does what it says, and does tape in HDV from the Firewire input. There were some minor issues connecting it to FCP 6.02, but suddenly, magically, it worked.Screen Spec: Sony (and most sites) say "1152K pixels" leading one to believe that the screen is 1440x800. According to a quick test by me, that is NOT the resolution. The manual says 800x480 (384,000 pixels) and that is likely correct. Sony gets the"1152" by taking 800H lines x 480V lines x 3 colors = 1152K. No one else I've ever seen, including Sony on other products measures resolution this way.To check it out further, I used a resolution chart and fed the FW output (HDV) to Quicktime to view on my Apple 30" display. Resolution to 800 lines, both H and V resolution was limited by the camera (which is about 690H 650V according to some tests by . When I looked at the same output on the GV-HD700 display, Vertical resolution topped out at about 400 lines, Horizontal at about 600 lines, confirming the 800x480 spec in the manual.There is considerable delay when inputting to the GV-HD700 using Firewire HDV signal, so its use in the field as a focusing aid is problematic. The screen resolution is better than the ones on a camera (my V1U has 960x220 according to Sony), but the delay (about 1/2 second or more to decode the HDV signal) means that on other than stationary objects, it is useless, and even on stationary objects, one must be patient to get the focus right and avoid overshoot. But since the screen is really only standard definition anyway, if you let the GV-HD700 downconvert to DV for firewire output, the delay is quit short and the display on the screen is essentially the same as when using HDV.I still give it four stars, because other than the spec issue, HDV delay is to be expected, and it is a much more cost effective deck than any other, like the MS10 or 15.Suggested enhancements (that is, cool features missing): 1. real HD display; 2. HDMI input for at least display purposes to minimize display latency for monitoring; 3. Component input, same reason as #2.

I bought this product from the SonyStyle website, and the i.Link (firewire) port died without warning. I paid for an extended warranty that is being carried out by ServiceNet. Sony gave me the option to return the product to them and wait to be credited, which is two credit card billing cycles (60 days), unless I pay another $1300 to buy another one. ServiceNet just gave me a claim number and said they would call back in 3 days.

If you are doing important work, do not rely on this machine. It only lasted us 4.5 months, with moderate usage. It is built very solid and have good feature, and clarity out of this world, but you will be up a creek if this machine go out on you.

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While expensive, this unit is not anywhere near the cost of monitor/load systems that will do the same thing.

It works flawlessly out of the box and I use it to review material... then load up into my editors on my Mac. This saves the mechanisms in my video cameras (Some which cost more than $3500) from constant abuse, and allows me to be very quickly selective on the material I need to upload.

An earlier review trashes Sony for not including a 1394 cable in the box, but virtually no manufacturer does, so it's really not an issue. There is also the problem of 4-4, or 4-6 pin cables that depend on the computer system you have. (The Sony GV-HD700 has a 4-pin out 1394... but my MAC is 6-pin which requires me to have the 4-6 pin).

All in all, this is a very cost-effective product that does a LOT more than I'll ever use it for, but will fit the needs of anyone using mini-DV or mini-HDDV tapes.

Five stars without reservation!

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I have a large collection of DV and HD DV tapes and wanted a way to play them on my home entertainment system without hooking up my camera. The Sony Video Walkman is just the ticket. I hooked it up using a DVI cable and can play my HD DV tape in high definition on my TV with amazing results. I also have used it to edit my tapes with good success. It is very portable and compact. One great feature is the ability of extracting photos from your videos. This is a very functional and well engineered device. If you are a serious video photographer and use a DV camera, this device is well worth the investment.

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Item was received just as advertised. It works great and saves a lot of wear and tare on cameras. Hreat job Amazon.