dkozin's Full Review: Sony Handycam® DCR-TRV460 Digital-8 Camcorder
If you want a digital camcorder that can play your old 8mm or Hi8 tapes as well as record in digital format and cost less than many MiniDV camcorders, the Sony DCR-TRV460 is the ticket.
The TRV460 uses Digital8 format - it records on a Hi8 tape using DV (digital video) compression - the same compression that is used in MiniDV camcorders and that provides much higher bit rates than MPEG-2 in DVD or MPEG-4 in newer portable camcorders.
Optics
The camcorder features 20x optical zoom with 2.5-50 mm f/1.6 zoom lens (which translates to 42-840 mm in 35-mm equivalent). This impressive zoom is possible due, in part, to the small size of the imaging sensor of the camcorder (CCD) - just 1/6-inch. The zoom range is impressive and more than you will ever need, but I wish it was more biased to wider angle. 28-560mm (35-mm equivalent) would have been much better.
The use of small CCD provides for wide depth of field (DOF) - a feature that camcorders had for a long time. What it means is that it is pretty easy for the camcorder to focus as it can have objects in the foreground and background in focus at the same time, especially at wide angle shots.
This helps you avoid using the camcorder's manual focus, which is cumbersome to use and begs to be avoided at all costs.
CCD
The camcorder's imaging sensor is 1/6-inch CCD with 460,000 pixels, out of which only 290,000 are effective and are used to capture the image. The rest is used by the, very effective, digital image stabilization, which effectively reduces vibration and unintended shake in the footage.
The 290K effective pixels are enough for video and can theoretically provide 604x480 resolution, which, combined with Digital8's capabilities, lets you get a bit more than 500 lines of horizontal resolution (and 480 lines of vertical resolution).
Although 290K-pixel resolution is enough for video, it is definitely not enough for decent digital still pictures or video with use of digital zoom.
Digital Zoom
The front of the camcorder proudly states that it has 990x digital zoom. This is ridiculous. It means 20x optical zoom combined with 49.5x digital zoom. The resolution drops as the square of the digital zoom and by the time digital zoom gets to 49.5x, resolution drops from 290,000 pixels to 118 pixels. Not 118,000, but 118 (about 11x9 pixels).
Not only will you not be able to see anything at anything close to the supposed maximum digital zoom, but the shake (even if you mount the camcorder on the tripod) will make matters even worse. And, of course, it is very unlikely you will even need digital zoom, since optical zoom lets you get to 840mm (35-mm equivalent), which is very impressive.
Digital Still Pictures
The camcorder lets you take digital still pictures at 640x480 resolution (0.3-megapixel) and save them on the memory card (Memory Stick). They are OK for emailing to friends, but don't think you can print them - the resolution is insufficient. If you want to take digital still pictures that can be printed in 4x6-inch format or larger, get a dedicated digital still camera (e.g. Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3, Olympus D-575 Zoom).
LCD
The camcorder has a 2.5-inch touch-panel LCD screen, which houses menus, controllable by touch. It is pretty easy to use. The LCD is bright and reasonably fluid. You can also turn the LCD off and use the viewfinder, if the sunlight is too bright or if you want to conserve the battery power.
Performance
The camcorder is pretty easy to use and is convenient to hold. The digital still pictures are of low resolution and are only suitable for emailing or web posting. The video and, to lesser extent, sound are very good. The images are vivid, sharp and have high contrast. I would even say a bit too much contrast for my taste. But most people like high contrast video.
Due to the small CCD used, there is video noise in low light conditions, which can be reduced by using the built-in video light (for subjects that are close) and by reducing exposure (use appropriate auto exposure mode).
The tape rewinding is slow, but it is expected. You get 60 minutes of recording time from the 120-minute Hi8 tape in SP mode or 90 minutes in LP mode. LP mode produces image quality indistinguishable from SP, but it is recommended that you used the same camera to play LP-recorded tapes and you also will not be able to use audio dubbing.
Neither of these consideration matters to me. I say - go ahead and use LP mode if you have to. But if you intend to record important events or keep video on tape without moving it to DVD, SP may be a more prudent choice.
Connectivity
The camcorder has an A/V input and out (with S-Video). It also has bi-directional digital i.Link (FireWire) connection, which you can use to transfer your footage to a DVD recorder or a computer for editing and recording with no loss in quality. It is also possible to convert your 8mm/Hi8 video and even video from any analog external source (e.g. VCR or TV) to digital format and stream it through the i.Link in real time. It is a useful feature if you want to convert old footage to DVD.
You also get a USB connector for downloading digital still images to your computer. The USB driver is supplied.
Battery
The camcorder comes with an InfoLithium NP-FM30 battery, which charges in 145 minutes and lasts 40-100 minutes, depending on temperature, usage and LCD usage. Batteries of larger capacity are available as well. With InfoLithium batteries, you can see approximate remaining time in minutes on the LCD screen or viewfinder.
Supplied
The camcorder comes with the aforementioned battery, AC/DC power supply, remote control and battery, A/V cable, USB cable, lens cap, shoulder strap, cleaning cloth, manuals and CD-ROM with drivers and software.
Warranty
The warranty is 1 year for parts and 90 days for labor. Keep in mind that labor is pretty expensive. You may have longer warranty through your credit card issuing bank if you buy the camcorder using a credit card.
Bottom Line
Inexpensive and capable, the Sony DCR-TRV460 is a good choice for somebody who wants a camcorder that can play 8mm/Hi8 tapes, wants to convert analog footage into digital format or simply wants a good inexpensive camcorder. Just don't expect to use it for taking printable digital still pictures.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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