Image Stabilization
Sony's SteadyShot picture stabilization smoothes and steadies your images without degrading picture quality. Sony does it with motion sensors--a more accurate system than those used by many other camcorders on the market.

Optics

• 1/6-inch CCD with 460,000 gross pixels
• 20X optical zoom
• 700x digital zoom
• f1.6-f2.4
• Focal distance: 2.5-50mm
• Shutter speed: 1/60 to 1/4,000 (AE mode)

More Features
Now you can capture video even in total darkness. Sony's NightShot system uses infrared light to capture images invisible to the human eye. You can shoot subjects such as a sleeping baby up to 10 feet away in total darkness. With the optional HVL-IRC NightShot light, you can even capture images from up to 100 feet away.

Sony's Stamina power management system and InfoLithium battery give the TRV250 incredible operating time. To keep tabs on battery life, Sony's AccuPower meter displays the number of minutes remaining--right in the viewfinder.

The TRV250 features a 2.5-inch color LCD (123,000 pixels) and a black-and-white viewfinder. The USB streaming feature can turn the TRV250 into a video conferencing tool or a Webcam, with the ability to stream 320 x 240 pixel video at 30 frames per second (compatible only with Windows 98SE, 2000, Me, and XP).

Digital8 Format
Digital8 camcorders deliver high-quality digital video and audio, with up to 520 lines of horizontal resolution and either 12-bit or 16-bit PCM digital stereo audio. The Digital8 format also allows for digital recording on 8mm or Hi8 tapes--the most popular camcorder format in the U.S.

Size and Contents
The TRV250 measures 3.63 by 4.00 by 7.88 inches and weighs 1 pound 12 ounces. This package includes the TRV250 camcorder, power adaptor/in-camera charger (AC-L15), InfoLithium rechargeable battery (NP-FM30), wireless remote (RMT-814), AV cable, lens cap, shoulder strap, USB cable, two AA batteries, and CD-ROM with PIXELA ImageMixer Ver. 1.5 and USB drivers.

The only things I don't like about this camera are:
1. The battery only lasts for about an hour, and getting a 2nd battery with a charger & accessories costs almost as much as the camera itself.
2. The Hi-8 tapes only last one hour so you constantly have to change them. They also take FOREVER to rewind.
3. When you have a tripod screwed into the bottom of the camera, you cannot change the tape without removing the camera from the tripod! If they had moved that over about 1/2 inch it would be fine.
4. The included software is horrible and doesn't work very well at all. It was written in Japanese and most of the English translation makes no sense. I would not recommend even installing it. Instead, get something like Vegas Video or even Ulead Video Studio (which came with the Firewire card I purchased) to get the videos into your computer.

These are just simple little inconveniences that anybody can live with to get such a high quality camera at a great price!

I would recommend installing a Firewire card into the computer if you plan on using that for video editing. If you aren't going to connect the camera to a computer, the included video cable makes it really easy to hook up to a VCR. The remote control is great for controlling the camera when watching your videos. As stupid as it sounds, I never realized how much easier it is with the remote.

All in all, this is a great camera at a great price and I would highly recommend it to anyone. No, it's not professional grade, but it's perfect for the average Joe that wants to capture everyday stuff.

I am very pleased with the results so far and it seems like an excellent camcorder. The low-light is good enough and the daylight is spectacular. I have already shot a clip of our dog, transferred via firewire to our PC, converted it to a smaller size and emailed it. The quality is great. I look forward to getting a DVD writer and archiving our baby videos.

If you like the Sony name and don't want to spend the [$$$] for a Sony miniDV camcorder, this is the one to get.

USB video transfer is best for VCD creation, use Firewire
if you want DVD quality.