Great Camera for Analog to Computer Users
Written: Mar 23 '06
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Pros: Ease of Use, Inexpensive, Great Optical Zoom
Cons: lack of s-video out for some situations
The Bottom Line: If you have a VCR and want to put your movies on a Videotape - works great! With a TV-Card can also place them on the computer.
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| link-pan's Full Review: Sony CCD-TRV138 Hi-8 Analog Camcorder |
My TRV128 had a recent accident (I dropped it about 4-feet) and so I needed another camera. Thought I would try the miniDV format - but quickly returned it as I just did not like the way some frames would pixelize. I thought about the Digital8 format - but only for a minute when I found the TRV138.
Basically the TRV138 is the TRV128 - without S-video output. My computer is setup for Analog capture using a TV-Card that has both s-video and composite abilities. I thought I might be missing something with the lack of an S-video out on the camcorder, but in side-by-side comparisons (the TRV128 will still playback after the fall - just not record) capturing identical material to the computer in both s-video and composite, I tend to favor composite, though slightly less bright in colors than s-video. The color difference can be compensated on capture by adjusting the amount of saturation for composite.
It is a real requirement if you wish to go Analog to have a TV-Card or other Analog capture device if you wish to edit your movies and then burn them to disk. For those budget minded folks - look for a TV-Card that has a Brooktree Chip also known as a Conexant Chip. This will allow you to use a great freeware program for high-quality capture - VirtualDub. Be sure your TV-Card has a real MPEG2 encoding chip on it (surprisingly inexpensive - about $40-$50) so you can do straight capture to MPEG2 for DVD burning if you do not feel like editing. Most TV-Cards come bundled with some sort of capture program for MPEG2.
The camera is great - and the quality of the movies are superb at close range - say at a party, or at a Zoo watching the animals, etc. Zoom works great - especially in the Optical range. Read the reviews about the TRV128 also, as the TRV138 is the TRV128, just packaged a bit different with a sliver and black look, instead of gray for the TRV128, and minus s-video out.
a definite winner!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 219
Recommended for: Home and Families - Keep Memories of Family Vacations
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Epinions.com ID:
link-pan
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Reviews written: 1
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