Others say...

"Easy to use"
I purchased this recorder after researching for a simple device to convert old VHS movies and digital camcorder tapes. After a quick read of the manual I was able to get going in less than 10 minutes. An added bonus which is only mentioned as a one-liner on the box; you can record shows/sports directly from your TiVo or DVD recorder.

There is an array of formats (hi-def to standard) to record in and the screen menu is easy to navigate.

Good product!

"Miscategorized on Amazon; I'm sure it's fine"
As others have mentioned, this "burner" cannot actually work directly with a PC, unlike earlier models in the series.

I previously owned a VRD-MC1, and as Amazon says that the VRD-MC3 is a "newer model" of that item, and that the VRD-MC5 is a "newer model" of the VRD-MC3, I just went ahead and bought this device. Unfortunately, the ability to interface with a PC has been removed in the VRD-MC5. (Others have noted that some of the marketing copy is also a bit misleading, or perhaps WAS a bit misleading in earlier versions of that copy.)

I definitely accept most of the responsibility for not doing enough research on the features of this recorder. However, I think that Amazon needs to recategorize this item. It does NOT belong in the "Electronics -> Computers & Add-ons" category, because it is NOT a computer peripheral.

As a standalone video recorder, or a peripheral for a camcorder or digital camera, I assume the unit will do a fine job. Just don't buy this if you are mastering DVDs using your computer.

"DVDirect"
This product is great. If you need your VHS tapes, DVD discs &/or mini video tapes moved to a DVD disc it is easy to use. I really have made use of my DVDirect by Sony.

"Love it!! So easy to use!!"
I purchased this dvd recorder to transfer my minidv tapes to dvd. I have a Sony minidv camcorder. It works awesome!! My husband & I had been working on transferring all the tapes to dvd for some time, but hadn't gotten very far. It is very time consuming to transfer the tape to the computer and then burn a dvd. This dvd recorder does it in real time, as you are watching the video it is being burned to dvd. All of our minidv tapes are on dvd now and this also has slots for your memory card for your digital camera. I have also used this to make photo CDs. Love it!! Love it!! Love it!!

"Terrific Recorder"
This recorder is terrific. Only had one small issue with the unit detecting copy protection signals on homemade tapes, but SONY C.S. quickly resolved that issue with a software fix. As an extra bonus, I have been able to record shows directly from my cable receiver. That feature was not advertised in the product literature.

I have been very happy with the performance of the VRDMC5. It has been worth the purchase price.