Product ReviewsSony Handycam CCD-TRV608 Hi-8 Analog Camcorder

Video camera

I just received my video camera.I tested with the charger.because the battery was dead.so far everything works fine.but dont know yet about the batteries. I put them to charge.lets hope they good.but SO far I am ok with the item.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: failure_family

Sony Camcorder

While the machine was clean, it did not have the necessary chords or battery charger to actually use in a manner that I needed

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: friendlygatorllc

Sony Handycam CCD TRV608 is a good deal

I bought this one from ebay, since the same model broke when my husband accidently dropped the old one. Unfortunately, it didn't survive the fall. So, instead of worrying about losing all the tapes we made or having to transfer them, we got the same model and this way we had a back up battery and other parts. We also go it because it was a great deal considering all it does. It isn't too big or too small. It is easy to use and it takes great video. Hope this helps!Read full review...

USB vs FireWire (1694)

I got this cam because everyone was raving about how it has a digital output, and it does. It has a mini-USB jack that can plug into a USB port in your computer. However, it does not have FireWire which is the standard for importing a/v media on Macs. Be advised! *If you have a Mac, the USB port is useless. The Sony software used to capture from this camera to your computer (which you can download from the web) is only for PCs!
Additionally, for folks who are not clear on the difference, USB transfers data in multiple packets, so getting the video onto your computer is like copying files from one drive to the next. However, Firewire transfers data in real-time streaming, so it is similar to hitting play on your deck and hitting record or capture in your computer.
Picture and quality-wise, the camera is just as sweet as good 'ol Hi-8 ever was. Functionally, be aware that the Date and Time buttons on the panel adjacent to the LCD will burn into your video. It is not just a display! I hit the date button without knowing it while shooting and got an unwanted date burn-in.
Hope this helps and have fun shooting.Read full review...

Very Satisfied Purchase.

Very please with this Video Camera, and it was an excellent
buy at $100.00.
This Camera replaces an exact model that I have used for
over 100,000 hours since I purchased it in the year 2000,<br>and was in need of repairs that would cost more than the
second hand video camera I purchased on Ebay.
I have owned a number of Sony video cameras for the last
20 years, and this TRV608 Camcorder is the best in picture
and sound quality. This Camera is very easy to use, and
operate. Maintenance is minor.
Overall, I am very happy, and satisfied with this Sony
Handycam CCD-TRV608 Camcorder.Read full review...

Great camera but additional equipment required for digital archiving.

Overall, I am very happy with this camera. However, my only gripe is that it looks like it may prove very difficult to transfer footage from the Hi8 tapes to my computer via the cameras USB port. The required software doesn't seem to be available any longer and it doesn't seem to run on anything more recent than Windows XP. Additionally, even if you manage to track the software down and install it, the USB port is USB 1.0, which doesn't provide the kind of transfer rates you need for smooth, seemless playback of the footage.Read full review...

Great old school camera!

This in an excellent old school sony camcorder and suits all basic needs. It is just the right size, comfortable to work with, the nigh shot is a great addition and the batter life is great. When mine got stolen, I had to replace it. Of course newer models do newer things, but this is all I need.
If you can find one in good working order, you will not be dissapointed, and the price is right nowadays for them.
The record time, clarity, ease of use, comfort, night shot, light, easy menu system, many different record types - sepia-B & W et. This is a great camera.Read full review...

Great camcorder for the money!

This camcorder has excellent features for this type of model. A great zoom, at 20x optical and 560x digital - I zoomed all the way across a lake to look a boat up close once! I also really like the NightShot night vision mode. No, I didn't use it to make a Paris Hilton video but it certainly came in useful outside at night. Plus its just a lot of fun to shoot at night.

Please note that one of the reviewers here was reviewing HIS specific camera and not the camera as a whole. He/She clearly didn't get the concept of product reviews as opposed to feedback. That reviewer/item was not related to this auction in any way.Read full review...

Picture Died, Sony wanted to charge me for the repair

The USB streaming feature is spotty at best and results in very poor image quality. The bundled software can't handle recordings longer than 20 minutes and crashes once you get past that magic number.

At one point, the video died on me. I could still PLAY tapes, but I could no longer record video. The eyepiece, the LCD and the tape all display black static when I try to do so. I contacted Sony, having noticed that a large number of their camcorders are being repaired for free because of defective CCDs that cause exactly these problems.

Unfortunately, even though the TRV608 is among those impacted, Sony's class action settlement doesn't cover that model, so they wanted me to pay $211 USD to have them repair it. It took 40 minutes on the phone for them to tell me what it would cost for the repair.

I've decided to replace the camcorder with one that records to DVD, so the next time one dies on me, I can still watch everything I've recorded without special hardware.

My experience with Sony's support has been so negative, that I'm simply not buying any more of their products. They don't stand behind defective hardware unless you sue them.Read full review...

Oldie but a goody

I purchased the ccd-trv608 to transfer old home videos to digital using another camcorder I own...perfect. I also like the night shot feature and light that still works on this camcorder.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: brvsfan71

Sony Handycam CCD TRV608

Camera is first class for a HI8 camcorder.
The Sony manual leaves much to be desired in clarity and accuracy.
The Pixella Image Mixer software that Sony includes with the camera: Sony's ads stating what it will do, and won't do, is very poor, especially when it comes to what the software will do with a PC or a MAC. Once you get into the software's manual, you finally find out the truth, but by then, it is too late. You already own the camera. Sony's advertising about the software is not accurate and could cause you some major headaches. VERY MISLEADING.
Again, do I like the camera? Very much.
It is a shame that a good piece of photographic equipment has to be tied to a poor manual and misleading info on the included software.
Sony is the problem.......not the camera.
I bought the camera because of the statements that Sony made about the software. After buying the camera I realized that I had just purchased a product that could not do what I needed and/or expected.
So because of this, I would never buy another TRV608, and, will never buy another Sony component. Sony's literature and manuals are terrible. "Misleading" is the kindest word I can use to describe them.
Again, the camera itself, is very good, but because of my problems with Sony, the manual, and the Pixella Image Mixer software, I give the camcorder a POOR rating.Read full review...