Samsung SC-DC173U DVD Camcorder with 34x Optical Zoom

I was given this camcorder as a Christmas present when I gave birth 2 twin girls. I recorded on it & found it would not finalize & repeatedly received a disk error message. I tried again & got the same message. Now I have two unviewable disks with precious family memories on them. When I called customer support I got a woman who barely spoke English who went through several steps with me & then told me 2 only purchase Memorex RW disks. There should be a warning with the camera. Nowhere in the owners manual is a specific brand name disk mentioned. I did use a Sony disk once & it did finalize but am at a loss as 2 what 2 do with others. I am very unhappy with this product.

I don't usually write reviews but, I feel the need 2 let everyone know what a poor camcorder this is. I unfortuantely didn't do any research prior 2 buying on black friday 1 week before my new baby was 2 be born. The whole 8 mos that I have owned this I was only able 2 record & finalize 1 disk with no problems (the 1st disk) since then it stops recording mid disk says "write error" & it won't finalize. I thought maybe it was the disk so I bought some more/different brand of dvd-r it worked fine then mid disk same thing when I press record it says "write error" doesn't record or finalize this time it erased the month worth of taping my new baby. I tried 2 take it back 2 the store were I purchased but, since I didn't buy a protection plan & it was over 30 days I am stuck with it. Called Samsung & I have 2 send it in 4 the repair. My son is about 2 crawl anyday & it will be missed. I am not the only one with this problem. Now that I have done some research a lot of people are having the same problem. For something as important as taping precious memories I wish I would have paid more 4 a better camera. Memories are priceless.

Camcorder is Ok but it seems like the batteries go down 2 easy. Tried
several batteries, but have the same results.

I've had nothing but problems from this camera. It sucks the battery down lightening fast, it won't shut off sometimes & this weekend, it would skip on the recordings so it didn't record all of the event I was trying 2 capture. Returning this immediately!

While I bought this as a christmas present 4 my wife, She has yet 2 be able 2 use it. She tried 2 record a small video & it would not play back. Then the camera started telling her weird things like, the disk is not formated & do you want the camera 2 format it. When we answered yes, the same message just continued 2 come up. I called Samsung & was told that there was a patch I could download onto a dvd which could be put in the camera 2 correct the problem. When I told them I did not have a DVD burner, they offered 2 send me a disk. After waiting 2 weeks, the disk arrived but was on a full sized CD rather than the mini DVD so I could not put it in the camera 2 download. I borrowed a computer with a DVD burner & copied the file onto a mini DVD. Then when I put it in the camera, the camera told me the disc was bad. I did this three times with three different discs & the results were the same each time.

I have now sent the camera back 2 the on-line store which sent the camera. They indicated that they will send me a new one. I am just hoping the software patch has been installed on the new camera when I get it & my problems are resolved. I was hoping 2 just get my money back & try a different brand but at this point, the distributor just wants 2 send me the same camera.

Based on my experience 2 date with Samsung, I don't think I would buy anything else from that company.

Why use a camcorder with tapes when you can use this one that records directly on a DVD? With the Samsung SC-DC173 DVD Camcorder you'll have a record of the major moments that matches your most vivid & happiest memories. You'll write those incredible moments directly 2 a blank 8-centimeter DVD; once you're done, you can simply pop the disc into a computer or DVD player & begin sharing your movies. Before sharing, you can preview your video on the 2.7 inch LCD screen. See if you've caught everything - the 680,000 pixel CCD, 33x optical & 1200x digital zoom help you capture every detail brilliantly. 1200x digital zoom 4-in-1 multi-memory card slot compatible with SD - MMC - MemoryStick - Memory Stick Pro Digital image stabilization - Virtually eliminates shake due 2 normal handheld movement MPEG-4 recording - MPEG4 provides enhanced video image quality & maximizes the amount of video you can record. In addition, MPEG4 even lets you quickly & easily share video clips via email May be used as a Webcam when connected 2 a PC via USB 16 - 9 recording & viewing - Samsung's 16 - 9 recording option ensures that the entire image is recorded. Once your movies are captured in widescreen format, you can enjoy viewing them without having 2 lose any of the images on your wide-format HDTV screen Supports DVD-RW/-R/+RW/+R (dual layer) - 8-centimeter size PictBridge compatible Samsung's Audio Enhancements & Effects reduce unwanted ambient sound, improve stereo separation, voice, & music playback, & lets you add echo sound effects Features USB 2.0 connectivity (Windows98, 2000, XP) Unit Dimensions - 2.36 x 3.44 x 4.78 / Weight - 0.95 lbs. Supplied accessories - AC adapter, battery pack, A/V cable, USB cable, software CD Accepts 30mm filters Uses 8cm DVD media, playable on most DVD players