[MacDV] Camcorder advise

[Mark O'Brien]

On Saturday, April 26, 2003, at 08:26  AM, Pat Sullivan wrote:

> A couple of questions about selecting a camcorder.  I have been 
> considering the Sony TRV140 since I would like to keep the price down 
> around $350.
>
> 1. Does this unit have Macrovision when used as a DV bridge? None of 
> the salespeople can answer this type of question. I would like to 
> convert some commercial VHS tapes to DVD format for longevity and 
> convenience.

Don't get this camera if you want to convert VHS tapes. This is the 
entry-level Digital8 camcorder from Sony, and they dropped the ability 
to import analog video (such as from a VHS player) and convert it to DV.

> 2. What about the Digital8 format vs miniDV? The tapes seem to be 
> about 1/2 the price and the same length, so it seemed like a good idea 
> based on that.

The both generate digital video in the DV format. The only difference 
is the actual cassette size and shape. Earlier Digital8 models (such as 
my TRV110) had the ability to play and digitize cassettes recorded on 
Hi8 or 8mm camcorders, so they are a good upgrade path if you have a 
lot of those laying around. But as I mentioned above, Sony dropped that 
feature from the 140 along with the analog-in (via cable from a VCR or 
other device) feature. In fact, it looks like they've dropped the 140 - 
only the TRV250 and TRV350 D8 models are now listed at 
<http://www.sonystyle.com>. The 350 ($500US) has the analog capability, 
the 250 ($400US) does not.

Mark