Sony CCDTRV88 Hi8 Camcorder

Rating:
Summary: copy
Review: i have sony handycam ccd-trv88 i want to know that it has s-video that can conntect to compter to burn dvd that i can watch dvd q

Rating:
Summary: good one
Review: just like other SONY camcorders, TRV88 meets my expectation with the price and quality. the only thing I am only 90% satisfied is the size. I also ordered the leather bag from SONY. Quality is superb! I love SONY!

Rating:
Summary: good one
Review: just like other SONY camcorders, TRV88 meets my expectation with the price and quality. the only thing I am only 90% satisfied is the size. I also ordered the leather bag from SONY. Quality is superb! I love SONY!

Rating:
Summary: A good buy, with a few shortcomings
Review: Once again, Sony has produced a superb Hi8 camcorder miles above competition in features and image quality. The CCDTRV88 is a fantastic addition to the handy cam line. While I'm not dissapointed with my ...... purchase (... price), I was a little chagrined when my friend showed me his 2000 (last year's) model Sony Hi8 Handycam that he bought at ... for .... Perhaps to encourage users to switch to digital, Sony has begun to streamline their Hi8 line of camcorders. While optics are just as good as last year's models, a few useful features for advanced users (who will most likely be buying the CCDTRV88/98 models) have been mysteriously omitted from the new 2001 models. The first glaring fault is the absence of stereo sound. Come on, Sony. ALL sony Hi8 camcorders have had stereo sound since their coming into being five years or so ago. While, admittedly, in general use you don't really need it, it was a nice touch. My next gripe is closely related, and that is the lack of an external mic input. This is a serious flaw, and as a user who was looking forward to taking advantage of the near cd sound quality capabilities of Hi8 tape, I found it put a damper on my plans to tape record local jazz groups, as the built in mic, while decent, just cannot deliver the clarity and response that a good external microphone can. Fortunatly, the S-Video output is still present (whew!) but the full size A/V analog out has been replaced with a special 1/8" "mini a/v" output, which I believe yields slightly poorer output quality for those who do not have the ability to utilize S-video. I've also found the pause and fastforward/rewind images when viewing on a television are full of noise. This is a crying shame, Sony. The 2000 model's pause image (and even fastforward/rewind!) were completely free of video noise. Smaller perks that were not as crucial as the above but still were nice included the LED screen located on the outside of the LCD viewscreen that displayed time remaining, battery life, and how time was left for the battery to charge; Sony has also removed the LANC interface which would make the product more useful when using it with an editing controller or even more importantly a Sony analog to firewire converter or a Dazzle Hollywood DV Bridge analog to firewire converter, as it lets the computer take control of the hardware and makes life easier for the editor. You must now also pay a premium for the use of a remote, only avaliable on the highest level models.

Don't get me wrong - I've done a lot of complaining here but the CCDTRV88 is still a really good product. If I were you, I'd save about 50 dollars and buy the CCDTRV68 as it is ABSOLUTELY IDENTICAL save for the smaller LCD screen. But if you can live with a smaller screen, it will save you 90 minutes or more on your battery life. Better still, if you can still find them, buy one of last year's models. I found the image quality to be virtually identical (although the CCD's resolution might have been upped a bit on this year's models), and they were more feature rich, with features present on them that are now only avaliable on the digital models. Plus, they're cheaper!

In conclusion, the CCDTRV88 is a great product, but I just wish Sony hadn't streamlined it so much, as it has hampered avid camcorder users like me who are on a very tight budget.

Rating:
Summary: Beginner or expert!!
Review: This camcorder is great for any level and a bargain for the features and quality you get. The camcorder is very compact and very manageable under any conditions. A teacher told me once the picture quality of these hi8 camcorders is broadcast quality and he wasn't kidding!! The zero-lux feature enables a picture in total darkness. Great!! The zoom feature is nice and crisp, the digital zoom realm gets a little questionable for my taste. The menu provides lots of options and effects to play with. My family has a blast with this and I truely believe that Sony makes the best for the dollar in this camcorder catagory!! You won't be disappointed with this one!

Rating:
Summary: Beginner or expert!!
Review: This camcorder is great for any level and a bargain for the features and quality you get. The camcorder is very compact and very manageable under any conditions. A teacher told me once the picture quality of these hi8 camcorders is broadcast quality and he wasn't kidding!! The zero-lux feature enables a picture in total darkness. Great!! The zoom feature is nice and crisp, the digital zoom realm gets a little questionable for my taste. The menu provides lots of options and effects to play with. My family has a blast with this and I truely believe that Sony makes the best for the dollar in this camcorder catagory!! You won't be disappointed with this one!