You can skip the movie rental store and be the star of your own DVD video with Sony's new line of DVD Handycam camcorders with their lightweight, portable designs and easy-to-use features.

The DCR-DVD101 and DCR-DVD201 camcorders weigh just over a pound and are small enough to fit into a jacket pocket.

For added convenience, both models have a mini joystick controller on the outside of the units to easily navigate through the camcorders' menu systems.

Sony's DVD camcorders record on 3-inch DVD-R and DVD-RW media and each model incorporates a 2.5-inch SwivelScreen™ hybrid LCD display with a start/stop record button on the frame. This additional record button offers added flexibility when you are trying to capture a challenging angle like a low shot of a child crawling on the floor or when you flip the screen to record yourself.

And when bright sunlight is the day's biggest challenge, hybrid technology prevents LCD washout so the viewing display can be employed

DVD recordings can be enjoyed using most current home and PC DVD players, as well as later releases of PlayStation2 videogame consoles.

In addition to recording video, both camcorders also capture JPEG still images for viewing on either your PC or TV.

The DCR-DVD101 model captures 640 x 480 resolution images, ideally sized for sharing as e-mail attachments, while the DCR-DVD201 model incorporates a one-megapixel imager to produce higher resolution video and still image resolution (1152 x 864). Both models can take thousands of still shots on a single 3-inch disc.

The disc-based recording system allows for quick access to favorite scenes and pictures without the fuss of rewinding and fast-forwarding. Thumbnail images of video are created from the start of every recorded scene.

You never have to worry about recording over their irreplaceable memories as the camcorder intuitively only records on empty areas of the disc.

To further enhance the experience, discs can be titled with customized descriptions, so your "Holiday Party" footage is easily distinguishable from "Skiing in Vail."

Customize Video with In-Camera Editing
When recording on a DVD-RW disc, there is the flexibility to do some simple in-camera editing. For example, if the last recorded scene didn't turn out perfectly, just erase the last video excerpt and shoot the desired scene in its place. In addition, when in VR (video recording) mode, you can design a playlist of your video clips, and rearrange the order of the scenes and images for a more customized finished product without modifying the video.

To round out the DVD Handycam camcorder experience, video and still editing software is supplied. With Pixela ImageMixer software for Sony Electronics, you can spice up your home movies by adding smooth transitions or funky music. The software also allows for making copies of your latest home movie to share with friends.

Each camcorder has multiple quality recording options that can extend a single-sided disc's capacity to hold up to 60 minutes of video.

Life-in-Motion Recording and Connectivity Features
Super SteadyShot Picture Stabilization - Using motion sensors to compensate for camera shake, this Worry Free Recording™ feature enhances video and eliminates high frequency vibration without compromising picture quality, meaning virtually no blurred images during shaky camera situations.

InfoLithium Battery with AccuPower™ System - All Sony Handycam camcorders conveniently indicate the remaining minutes of battery life on the LCD or viewfinder display, allowing users to keep an accurate and constant reading of remaining battery power.

USB 2.0 Interface - If you do not have a DVD drive in your PC, Sony's DVD camcorders have a USB 2.0 interface for uncomplicated video and still data transfer to a compatible PC (Microsoft Windows ME/2000 and later operating system) with the supplied USB cable and driver CD-ROM. And as USB 2.0 on the camcorder is backward compatible, it will work seamlessly with the popular USB 1.1 interface as well.

Each model comes with a 10X optical/120X precision digital zoom to bring the action up close and the new NightShot Plus system that allows for recording in darkness while delivering more natural color to video. Both the DCR-DVD101 and the DCR-DVD201 models will be available in April for about $900 and $1,000, respectively.