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The first impression you get from the new Sony DSR-DUI DVCAM hard drive recorder is ... cool! Then you'll wonder if this little gadget is a serious tool or a toy. Short answer: It's a tool, but you'll have to get used to it.
This is not a VTR with a hard drive instead of a tape transport-you'll quickly notice the lack of a "record" button. That's because the input is controlled from whatever camera or camcorder you're feeding the DUI via its iLink (IEEE1394) connector. Hit the record button on the camera/camcorder and the DU1 starts recording. Hit the record button again, and the DU 1 stops.
A caveat here: For a number of camcorders, you must simultaneously record on a tape within the camcorder, because triggering the record button without a tape in the camcorder won't do a thing. However, should you run out of tape while shooting, the DUI will keep recording while you change tapes and trigger the record button again. With three hours of record time, you can do a lot of DVCAM or DV tape changes and not lose any footage.
The Small Details
Because this is a new technology for Sony, the manual (provided on CD-ROM) can be a bit confusing, as the DUI operates slightly differently depending on what Sony camcorder you're using....