Sony's newly re-styled DVDirect DVD recorder, the VRD-MC5, allows home video and digital photos to be recorded to DVD without a PC. The VRD-MC5 can be connected to virtually any camcorder, VCR, even Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) for direct recording of video to standard DVDs playable on most consumer DVD players. The MC5 also incorporates memory card slots for the 5 popular camera memory card types and will directly record images from the memory card to DVD as a playable slideshow or just for photo storage. The built in 2.5" color LCD screen makes it easy to preview video or view up to 6 digital pictures at a time. The VRD-MC5 thrusts DVDirect into the high definition world by supporting transfer of AVCHD video to DVD. AVCHD is a high definition camcorder format supported by some Sony Handycam camcorders. For example, high definition AVCHD video can be transferred from Sony hard disk or Memory Stick based Handycam camcorders to DVD in native 1080i resolution and played back on most Blu-ray Disc players /recorders and other compatible devices. The VRD-MC5 can also transfer video from Sony standard definition and AVCHD HDD/MemoryStick Handycam camcorders at up to 6X speed, which translates to 1 hour of video recorded in about 10 minutes. Record all the video to DVD from Sony HDD/MemoryStick Handycam camcorders, just selected scenes, even just the video shot since the last DVD burn. Full support for 4:3 full screen or 16:9 wide screen video and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound.