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Sony Handycam DCR-TRV230 Digital-8 CamcorderDigital 8 system offers high quality digital images with over 500 lines of horizontal resolution and records 12 bit / 16 bit PCM digital...
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Digital 8 system offers high quality digital images with over 500 lines of horizontal resolution and records 12 bit / 16 bit PCM digital audio. The Digital 8 Handycam is the only kind of Digital Handycam that can play back Video 8 and Hi8 analog video. Besides, the new recording pattern allows digital recording on 8mm tape1, enabling users to keep their collection of analog recordings. With the A/D conversion function, it is possible to transfer analog recordings to digital format.
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7 Reviews from Shopping.com
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My worst buy ever
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Pros: backward compatibility
Cons: poor picture quality, particularly under low light conditions
The Bottom Line:
DCR-TRV230 does not produce the kind of quality images expected from a $700 digital camcorder. I can't recommend it without reservations.
I bought a Sony DCR-TRV230 from my local BestBuy without doing my homework. I paid for my mistake dearly!
The TRV-230 would have been a decent camcorder if Sony had not used a 1/6" CCD with a 4 lux rating, which is not mentioned anywhere on the box or on the store store display card. The only reference is made to the almost useless "0 lux nightshot" capability. If you are planning to use this device to record images indoors, particularly in the evening, stay away from it. The image is very grainy, and it does not even compare to the images taken with my 10-year-old Ricoh standard 8mm camcorder. It is a shame! It is possible to improve the quality to some extent by switching to "sunset and moon" AE mode, but this is still far less than satisfactory for a $700 product.
The camcorder has some nice features such as digital effects, on-screen indicators to show remaining battery life and recording time etc, but none of these features really make sense when the picture quality is substandard.
I am unfortunately stuck with this camcorder as I was asked to pay 15% restocking fee even if I wanted to upgrade to a DCR-TRV730. This is much more than I am willing spend on a camcorder.
The bottom line is, if you are going to shoot most of your videos outdoors under bright sunlight, if you need backward compatibility with your existing analog 8 mm tapes, and if you can find a deal which you will be spending less than $550, buy this camera. Otherwise stay away from it!
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