Sony Digital8® Handycam® DCR-TRV480E Digital-8 Camcorder

Pros: Backward compatibility, plenty of In- and Outputs, DV quality on Hi-8 MP tapes, Nightshot Plus
Cons: Lenscap clip, no windnoise button, original battery too weak, bigger ones too expensive.

I bought the TRV 480E in 2005 while in Germany, because my CCD-TR750 Hi -8 packed up after 10 years. This model is in essence an upgrade of the TRV 460 and delivers excellent features for a budget price. Transfer to DVD is easy, provided you use a DVD ...

Pros: Playback quality, easy to use, affordable
Cons: camera needed to play tapes on television (highly recommend purchasing a DVD burner)

My wife and I have been very happy with our Sony Handycam DCR-TRV480 we purchased from Wal-Mart. Prior to our purchase we tried a couple of Camcorders that were more expensive and were not happy with the playback results. The Handycam is very easy to use and we thought the audio and video during playback was remarkable compared to the more expensive models we tried. We would definitely recommend this camera.