Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR
The Sony HVR-M15AU is an HDV format VTR ideally used with desktop editing workstations. It includes a stand and can be mounted vertically; a great space-saving feature. The modest frame is deceiving as this VTR performs a wide range of professional applications. The deck can play back both NTSC/PAL signals, as well as 720/30p. The unit records Sony's 1080i HDV in 24p, 30p and, 60i as well as DV and DVCAM. High definition can be recorded with either Mini DV tapes or the larger standard size cassettes for record times up to 276 minutes in HDV and DV mode.
- Multiple Formats
- The deck is capable of playing back DV, DVCAM and HDV signals. This added versatility allows for legacy playback of archived footage.
- Extended Record Times
- The deck can support standard size cassettes for extended record times. Archiving and longer projects can be recorded with ease. Record up to 276 minutes of HDV or DV footage and up to 184 of DVCAM footage on one tape.
- NTSC/PAL Switchable
- The VTR can record both NTSC and PAL standard definition signals. This added flexibility can be important when mastering for different regions.
- Go Vertical
- Unlike many decks, the HVR-M15AU's tape transport can be positioned vertically without any damage to the cassette. Have you ever wished you could stick that last piece of equipment into the useless nook in the corner? Well, with this compact VTR, you can! Just use the provided stand and you're ready to go.
- Auto-Repeat
- Presentations will benefit from the auto-repeat function. The deck will automatically start a video over again when this option is on. Simply set the deck up and let it do the rest.
| Signal System | NTSC/PAL, 1080/60i, 1080/24p, 1080/30p |
| Tape Format | HDV, DVCAM and DV (in SP Mode) |
| Tape Speed |
HDV: 18.8 mm/s DVCAM: 28.193 mm/s DV: 18.8 mm/s |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio | Not Specified By Manufacturer |
| Maximum Recording Time |
DV/HDV: 276 min DVCAM: 184 min |
| Audio Signal Format | 16 bit/48kHz |
| Frequency Response | Not Specified By Manufacturer |
| Signal to Noise Ratio | Not Specified By Manufacturer |
| Input and Output Connectors |
Component: RCA (x1 Output) Composite: RCA (x1 Input, Output) S-Video: 4-Pin (x1 Input, Output) i.LINK/FireWire: 6-Pin Control S Interface LAN C Interface |
| Power Requirements | 8.4 VDC |
| Power Consumption | 6W |
| Operating Temperature | 41-104°F (5-40°C) |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 7.1 x 2.9 x 10.5" (18.1 x 7.3 x 26.7 cm) |
| Weight | 5.1 lb (2.3 kg) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 27 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
96%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Easy to use (24)
- Compact (21)
- Professional quality (21)
- Highly compatible (20)
- Improves performance (12)
Cons
Best Uses
- Independent films (16)
- Complex projects (14)
- In the studio (13)
- Home movies (6)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Business owner (16), Professional artist (8), Enthusiast (4)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (13)
Most Liked Positive Review
Great Travel HDV VTR
Overall, very pleased with the build quality and performance of this deck. Handles all the various formats as advertised with ease -- miniDV, standard DV, miniDVCAM, standard DVCAM and HDV. Works seamlessly...Read complete review
Overall, very pleased with the build quality and performance of this deck. Handles all the various formats as advertised with ease -- miniDV, standard DV, miniDVCAM, standard DVCAM and HDV. Works seamlessly with Final Cut Pro (and Macbook Pro).
Only wish it had a small timecode/info screen and/or a way to access the internal menu options when connected via Firewire.
I have a portable edit suite setup -- Macbook Pro, 2 Iomega external drives, Apple 27" Cinema Display and of course the Sony HDV VTR. When connected via Firewire into the Macbook Pro, I am unable to access the menu options this way unless I connect it into an actual video monitor. But, you can't always get what you want (as the Rolling Stones says). For the portability and the multi-format and even the price, this is a great deck for any editorial setup.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Not for everyone
It wasn't until recently that I had the opportunity to record on-location, using this unit.
I would definitely NOT recommend it to anyone editing on the PC platform with Adobe
Products. Premiere ...Read complete review
It wasn't until recently that I had the opportunity to record on-location, using this unit.
I would definitely NOT recommend it to anyone editing on the PC platform with Adobe
Products. Premiere CS4 cannot even recognize it, although it is (very narrowly) compatible with CS2 for raw capturing. Frame edits (In/Out) or Batch Capturing is impossible, as the tape transport cannot "find" the editing points. It runs back and forth, searching, but never able to stop at the starting point. My FX-1 Camcorder has a much
better transport that is accurate for offline editing.
It's a shame, because the video quality of this unit is excellent.
Very disappointing.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 27 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-20
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Pros
- Compact Design
- Easy To Use
- Professional Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- In The Studio
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
it is a product of excellent quality.
B & H, has met its commitments. accessories supplied correspond to the descriptions of the manufacturers.
it's a solid device and I think as soon as I will soon be ordering again.
Thank you for your professionalism.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Compact Design
- Easy To Use
- Highly Compatible
- Improves Performance
- Lightweight
- Professional Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- Complex Projects
- Home Movies
- Independent Films
- In The Studio
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
Item is great no issues worked right out the box
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Highly Compatible
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
I use this machine on the desktop to capture tapes from any of my cameras. It takes Mini-DV, Fullsize DV, & HDV. The only thing it does not capture are LP recordings but as I seldom use LP mode it is not an issue. I also use it in the field so I can record to Fullsize DV from my mini-DV cams. An IEEE 1394 connection provides digital transfer to the unit.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Compact Design
- Easy To Use
- Highly Compatible
- Lightweight
- Professional Quality
Cons
- No HDMI output
Best Uses
- Complex Projects
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
This is a great addition, and now that I won't need to put additional demand on my camera to digitize HDV and DV sources, I hopefully can expect longer service life from my camera.The only drawback I see so far is that there is no HDMI output on the box, but looking at the next model up, the $1,500 in savings is a fair trade.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Compact Design
- Easy To Use
- Highly Compatible
- Improves Performance
- Lightweight
- Professional Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- Independent Films
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
solid build, smooth tape transport. used primarily as a log and capture source. perfect integration w/ FCP. all good. not cheap but what good equipment is?
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Compact Design
- Easy To Use
- Highly Compatible
- Improves Performance
- Lightweight
- Professional Quality
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Independent Films
- In The Studio
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
My DSR 11 worked like a champ until I sold it for someone else to get the benefit, but I've moved on to HDV and I needed a great deck to replace my other little wonder. The HVR-M15AU is perfect! It works seamlessly with Final Cut Pro and I've been able to back up all of those little field tapes so everything is handy on the larger cassettes. Yeah, I know Sony makes this gem, but I couldn't find it at the best price until I shopped B&H. They are my heroes!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Compact Design
- Easy To Use
- Highly Compatible
- Improves Performance
- Lightweight
- Professional Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- Complex Projects
- Home Movies
- Independent Films
- In The Studio
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
I bought the HVR-M15AU a couple of weeks ago and I'm very happy with the way it works, so far. It's very simply to use, close to self explaining. I even managed to record and digitalize my old Hi8 analogue tapes after some minutes, using an old Sony Hi8 camera connected to the HVR-M15AU through the analogue inputs on the HVR. For me having a lot of old valuable Mini DV tapes (multiple formats), this is perfect. Simple, well working and as we say in Norway; 'very useful to have inhouse' - well worth the price.
However, I miss the small integrated LCD screen.
PS. perfect for travelling
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Compact Design
- Easy To Use
- Professional Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- Complex Projects
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
Very usefull.
Help to maintain you camera free of problems
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Compact Design
- Easy To Use
- Highly Compatible
- Improves Performance
- Professional Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- Complex Projects
- Home Movies
- Independent Films
- In The Studio
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
I needed to replace a DSR-30 and a DS-11, as well as upgrade to HDV, and this was the perfect choice. The deck suits all of my needs and supports a lot of legacy formats perfectly, a must for me. The most basic Sony decks are always amazing quality! A really nice design to boot!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Compact Design
- Easy To Use
- Highly Compatible
- Professional Quality
Cons
- No timecodeinfo display
Best Uses
- Independent Films
- In The Studio
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
Overall, very pleased with the build quality and performance of this deck. Handles all the various formats as advertised with ease -- miniDV, standard DV, miniDVCAM, standard DVCAM and HDV. Works seamlessly with Final Cut Pro (and Macbook Pro).
Only wish it had a small timecode/info screen and/or a way to access the internal menu options when connected via Firewire.
I have a portable edit suite setup -- Macbook Pro, 2 Iomega external drives, Apple 27" Cinema Display and of course the Sony HDV VTR. When connected via Firewire into the Macbook Pro, I am unable to access the menu options this way unless I connect it into an actual video monitor. But, you can't always get what you want (as the Rolling Stones says). For the portability and the multi-format and even the price, this is a great deck for any editorial setup.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Compact Design
- Easy To Use
- Improves Performance
- Professional Quality
Cons
- Some compatiblity issues
Best Uses
- Independent Films
- In The Studio
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
A space saving design without losing any features.
I have yet to find a down vside to this HD VTR.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Compact Design
- Easy To Use
- Highly Compatible
Cons
Best Uses
- Editing Suite
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
Product works fine. I was surprised that the product had a 6 pin instead of 4 pin firewire connector. I thought this was the same model as another one we have but perhaps it's a slightly different model. Anyways, plugged it in and worked fine from the start. Had a couple issues with Final Cut having issues with it but this was resolved with rebooting the computer and then all worked fine. It does what it needs to what more could I ask?
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Highly Compatible
- Plays DVCAM DV
Cons
Best Uses
- Automated playback
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
We have 4 of these decks in a cable playback system. Smooth, reliable operation. The HVRs replaced DSR-11s that were powered on for over 70,000 hours. Can't beat Sony for long life.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Compact Design
- Easy To Use
- Highly Compatible
- Professional Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- Complex Projects
- In The Studio
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
This unit works great as a desktop tape ingest station.
Pros
- Compact Design
- Easy To Use
- Highly Compatible
- Professional Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- Complex Projects
- Independent Films
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
This deck is used everyday once the settings are set correctly this deck gets it done! I am so satisfied with this product I bought three of them for my company.
Pros
- Compact Design
- Easy To Use
- Highly Compatible
- Improves Performance
- Professional Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- Complex Projects
- Independent Films
- In The Studio
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
This deck was easy to integrate into our portable edit system. It is rugged and compact. It also came a great price.
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Highly Compatible
- Professional Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- Complex Projects
- Independent Films
- In The Studio
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
This HDV VTR used by pros and novices alike at a university. Bought to replace the Sony DSR-11; needed to upgrade to HD capability. Tolerates abuse & produces quality video. Interacts well w/Avid and Final Cut Pro, doesn't seem to care if it's connected to a Mac or other PC. Video doesn't jump, look grainy or (as with a certain other manufacturer) have lines running across the picture. Audio is true and clear. Already have 2 in edit suites, bought this for the campus TV station.
Pros
- Compact Design
- Easy To Use
- Highly Compatible
- Improves Performance
- Professional Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- Independent Films
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
This VTR is powerful and efficient. [...]
Pros
- Compact Design
- Easy To Use
- Highly Compatible
- Improves Performance
- Professional Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- Complex Projects
- Home Movies
- Independent Films
- In The Studio
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
Finished Faster on projects and made more $$$$$
Pros
- Compact Design
- Easy To Use
- Highly Compatible
- Improves Performance
- Professional Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- Complex Projects
- Home Movies
- Independent Films
Comments about Sony HVR-M15AU Desktop HDV VTR:
This unit is great because we constantly have need to play mini-dv, full size dvcam and now HDV. It's simple and easy to use. I wish it had a front display counter, but I knew that going in to it.
Displaying reviews 1-20
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What's in the Box
- Remote Commander Unit
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- Power Cord
- Stand
- Cleaning Cassette
- Operating Instructions
- 1-Year Warranty
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