Rating: 
Summary: Excellent camera, Excellent Seller
Review: I am very pleased with this Camcorder. Besides it's fair pricetag it takes excellent pictures. Many, many features for the price! I just plug it into my Mac and all video is downloaded with no effort whatsoever. After some editing with iMovie my video is burned to a DVD and then I start over. It is very easy to find accessories for this camera anywhere.
I also am very pleased and happy with Amazon.com. The level of customer service they provide is the best that I have ever encountered. They truly are a role model for all internet business.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Value for Money
Review: I bought it after a couple of weeks of deliberation and after almost deciding to by the canon zr-45. The main thing in favor of the zr was its compact size. The trv140 on the other hand had great nightshot capabilites. I valued that more than size, so I bought the sony. I got a good deal at circuit city. Since then, I've played with it some and am enjoying it tremendously. The following is not a comparison with any other camcorder, they are just observations about the 140. Things going for this camcorder : 1. Good picture quality overall. 2. Great nighshot capabilities. It also has a light if you want full color images in the dark. 3. Really simple to use. 4. Setting up USB was no problem on my Win2K machine. Pixela worked on the first go, thought it did crash sometimes. But you won't find yourself using it that much. Firewire connectivity was equally simple and the picture quality was great. The USB connectivity is good for using it as a webcam. 5. Hooking it to the tv was also straightforward and the image quality was excellent. 6. Good audio capture. The worst of this camcorder: The motor noise, loud and clear ! Most camcorders seems to have this problem, but it is unmistakable on this one ! I believe software filters can take it out to some extent. Yet to try that. Minor irritants:
1. The focussing is a tad slow.
2. Bulky compared to mini dvs.
3. The USB cable provided is too small.
4. No firewire cable. I didn't really care for still images since even the high end camcorders have only a megapixel resolution which is no good for stills.
I didn't care for backward compatibility with hi8 tapes. I just wanted to be able to use my cam anytime, anywhere and this one fits my needs and budget just right. I would have given it 5 stars if it weren't for the motor noise. That really seems like clumsy design on Sony's part. Also sony could have done better than to provide an amateurish software like Pixela Shoot away,
amit
Rating:
Summary: Poor IEEE-1394 support
Review: I bought my camera over a year ago and I'm very please with all the options. Great zoom, great night shoot, take great quality movies and all. The only drawback I've found so far is the IEEE-1394 support. There's no way to sincronize it when capturing video using the firewire option. The sound is garbled when using with Vegas Foundry 4.0 and the capture run too fast out of sinc on windows movie maker 2. I tried everything including using my other computer which has a different type of IEEE-1394 card and the problem is the same. I tried getting some help from the people at Sony but all they say is they are not responsible with compatibility issues with third party firewire cards. It doesn't matter how many times you write them, that is the only answer you get. So, with that and all, is not a bad camera at all, just don't plan on using firewire for your movie capture, just be please with the usb or you can use the s-video option if you have a vide capture card.
Rating:
Summary: An extra 3 feet of USB Cable would have been great...
Review: I bought this camera about a year and a half ago and am still very pleased with it. The camera is very easy to use and the buttons are (in my opinion) easy to use and reach from the recording position. I have taken several hours worth of video and haven't run into any sort of mechanical or electrical problems yet. The biggest problems I have with my purchase don't even involve the camera. The USB Cable is extremely short at maybe two feet in length. Sony claims the camera can capture and broadcast live video and audio, but with the USB cable being so short, it really limits the possibilities. I have to move my CPU from under the desk in order to get the cable to reach the desk surface, and barely reaches then. The PIXELA software that comes with the camera is horrid. It's "user friendly" interface is such a pain to deal with and doesn't offer the customization that I would expect. When capturing stills from the video, each still is saved as a .BMP which makes them INCREADIBLY large. To save it as a .JPG you have to export it to another folder and the program limits your exporting to one image at a time. When you have hundreds of images, the process can be very tideous. I'd rather have a function where I can capture them as .JPG and not even have to deal with the .BMP that are on average 225kb a piece. For the file size being that large, I would expect better clarity in the 320x240 pixel images, but I am extremely disappointed. There is no option in the PIXELA program to change either the resolution or image size. Overall I am very pleased with the camera, but very unsatisfied with the PIXELA program and the short USB cable.
Rating: 
Summary: Good features are not worth the drawbacks.
Review: I bought this camera specifically for a trip to Disneyland. This camera had all the nice features I wanted for my price range, and I did get some good videos on my trip. However, the frustrations afterwards were so severe that I almost wish I hadn't gotten it. PIXELA: The included Pixela software for viewing images on a PC is horrible. All images I've seen and captured so far with that software have been horrible quality, full of large pixels, often so dark that they're indiscernable, the still shots are the size and quality of webcam pictures (i.e., horrible), the video stammers, and the number and size of downloads is surprisingly limited. When I called back to the store twice to complain, they kept asking "Doesn't your model have a memory post?" No. Apparently this is the...model that doesn't. When I called into Sony to ask why my darker stills were viewable on TV but completely black when viewed through Pixela, they couldn't even answer my question. When I asked why I was getting BMP formatted images instead of JPG images, they said, "Oh, your model doesn't have a memory post." Because of this, I have to run an additional piece of software I got elsewhere to convert the format of every captured image. I was highly tempted to return the camera, except that it took so long to be able to figure out how to install and use the software that I passed the return deadline. Pixela will not install correctly if you don't have an audio driver loaded or if you connect the USB cable too early. When running Pixela, if you get the order of the operations wrong (USB connect, camera on, run Pixela), Pixela will lock up so completely that there is no alternative other than to reboot your computer. The manual describes only Pixela and never hints that other software will work better with this camera; it was only by accident while reading customer reviews I learned that supposedly Microsoft Moviemaker will also work, and work better... Except that I can't find where to purchase it, and it's likely to be a heavy extra expense just to try to circumvent Sony's existing weaknesses. The only alternative for me was to do direct DV-to-VHS transfers, except that a rainbow noise problem occurs on video whenever there are overlapped recordings. I finally learned that this noise problem is due to lack of a flying erase head on my VCR, but when I attempted to purchase a new VCR to circumvent this problem, I learned that VCRs with flying erase heads are no longer made, since manufacturers are pushing DVD technology instead. Bottom line: If you don't also buy Firewire and additional video software, forget about making decent compilations of your footage. AUTOFOCUS: My footage of dark rides was full of alternating blurs since (like most digital cameras) autofocus has trouble on dark scenes, and there were several spans of at least 15 seconds where the autofocus could not focus at all. ERGONOMICS: The ergonomics is poorly done. While filming one show I had to fumble around in the dark to try to find the Nightshot switch, and as I did, I accidentally hit the color slow shutter button next to it (that I never even heard of), and the camera started freaking out and I couldn't get it to recover for several seconds, thereby ruining my live footage. Similarly, the on-off lock button is right next to the record button, and several times when attempting to rock the button to "off," I unknowingly hit the record button, as I discovered only afterwards when I saw all the error footage of the pavement between my intended scenes. Also, the lens cap continually falls off the side clip that is supposed to hold it out of the way. MANUAL: The manual is badly organized, unnumbered, incomplete, and impossible to understand in parts, unless accompanied by brute force experimentation. For example, I got a warning announcement to turn off the light on my camera on one ride, even though I had no lights on: what the manual didn't say is that the Nightshot option turns on an invisible but strong infrared light on the camera, which the infrared monitor cameras at Disneyland detected. Similarly, I found no mention whatsoever of "Firewire" in the manual, so I assumed the camera was incapable of Firewire connection. It wasn't until my 2nd complaint visit to the store that they pointed out an unmarked Firewire port, and told me for another [money] I could install a Firewire card on my PC... Except that I'd probably also want to upgrade my already large RAM and hard drive. It wasn't until I called into Sony that they told me that the i.Link cable mentioned in the manual is Sony's version of Firewire. The title creator is also poorly described. The manual never described how to use their editor in the section where I needed to create a customized title: I had to go through an elaborate example in an earlier, unrelated section. No general diagram or algorithm. SUMMARY: I've been filing complaints about this camera ever since I bought it 8 months ago, and now it's broken down and in the shop (a tape label seems to have partly come off and interfered with something). Daytime videos from this camera work very well if you watch them only on a TV, but anything dealing with a PC or still shots with this camera is so incredibly bad that I would recommend against anyone buying it. I ended up having to buy a second digital camera at twice the price just to get quality still shots. I recommend buying some other camcorder with a memory post and Firewire capability with non-Pixela software instead of this thing.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT sound and video quality
Review: I have had this camcorder for about a month and have really been empressed.Though you cannot transfer this to your computer well, connecting it to your TV is chrystal! It does not have the static sound to it. It is a great cam for those who are just wanting the best for their money.
Rating:
Summary: Sony DCR TRV140e Digital Camcorder
Review: I have the 140e not so sure what the "e" stands for. I have had the camera for a few weeks now and am very happy with it. There are a few things I could add to my wish list though.
1. AV in and out (camera only has "out" so you cannot record vhs video)
2. Mic socket
Apart from that it shoots excellent quality video and it is a good buy.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Value and Top Quality
Review: I purchased this camera for work as a replacement for another Sony. I am very impressed with each feature that has been improved since our last purchase. The zoom is excellent and stays in focus quite well. The nightvision works better than advertised and the microphone is awsome. The connection to view on a regular monitor are really easy using the input feature. When you consider the price, there is no downside to this one.
Rating:
Summary: DIGITAL8
Review: I recently purchased this camcorder. I found that the USB Streaming thing is ok. It isnt as good as a firewire. But still USB Streaming isn't a main feature. The picture quality under a little low light is horrible. But just normal like is fine. There is no video input for this 140. Also I noticed on all Digital8 models at the side view on a straight line kinda turn in a fisheye lens veiw. (only on side of screen). I would buy this is u just plan to edit Digital video and not a big person on excellent Picture quality.
PICTURE QUALITY : 8 (out of 10)
SOUND: 9 out of 10
FEATURES: 7 out of 10
LEARNING TIME: About 20-30minutes
Rating:
Summary: Perhaps the best choice in digital camcorders.
Review: I think the first question when buying a Sony digital camcorder is, Mini DV or Digital 8. Both Mini DV casettes and cameras are smaller but more expensive. The price is about 1.5 fold for about the same specifications. As they use the same recording system there isn't a real difference in picture quality and data transfer. Digital8 camcorder's recording pattern allows digital recording on 8mm or Hi8 tapes but only TRV 140 can't playback ! In fact the most important difference between them the size and the weight of the camera because of the size of the casette. TRV 140 is the cheapest D8 camera. Its most important spesification is x20 optical zoom. 560 digital zoom is useless as the quality destroys completely after x40 digital zoom. LCD monitor is perfect. TRV 140 has the USB connection but you can't transfer quality videos to your PC with it. I think you need to use the i.LINK DV Interface (IEEE1394) on TRV 140 if you want to transfer quality videos to your PC. Of course you have the A/V out which can be used by a TV card but the quality differs. USB connection brings the ability to use your camera as a webcam and transfer still images to your PC but nothing else. Built-in light is effective only 2 meters so you need extra light in larger places. Built-in infrared light system lets you capture video from a up to 3meters away, even in total darkness but the sceene is black and white and qualility is poor for moving objects. You can see the others on the LCD even when you can't see your own hand because of the darkness(!). It is posible to use an external infrared light system. TRV 140 records high-quality 12-bit or 16-bit digital stereo audio but it is a bit more noisy at 16 bit. When you watch your video on TV picture quality is realy wonderful. You can connect your camcorder to a TV by A/V out, scart connector or S video cable. S video connection doesn't transfer audio and it doesn't bring an extra quality. The cable isn't included in the package and no need to pay an extra in my opinion. TRV 140 has a DV out connector but not a A/V in. Some digital camcorders can capture MPEG digital video and store it directly to the memory stick but TRV 140 can not. Movie length ranges allowed by the capacity of the memory stick and it is only some seconds. MPEG movie function can be usefull to share via the internet and you can get performance by using USB connection but nothing else. You have to pay minimum 150- 200 $ more to have a camcorder which can produce MPEG movies. There is also the photo function in TRV 140 but the quality is not like a digital camera. Photos are like paused images in good quality. In fact camcorders can not take quality photos as a megapixel digital camera. Transfering the photos to a PC is also not practical as a digital camera too. Battery life is realy satisfactory. You can record a 60 minute casette even the LCD monitor and sometimes the built-in light is on. The remaining battery and casette is always displayed. Steady shot picture stabilization of Sony with motion sensors works very well. As a result TRV 140 is the cheapest digital camcorder and there is not any reason for not to buy it. All digital8 camcorders are bigger and heavier than Mini DV camcorder but there is not a big difference in picture quality. Don't even think of buying a Hi8 camcorder instead of TRV 140. You will see that digital videos and sounds are very different than analogs. Perhaps TRV 140 is the best choice if you don't want to spend too much on a digital camcorder. Be sure that it is not poor of some technology as it is cheap !!
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