On Thu, 08 Apr 1999 02:02:40 GMT, soupcan@my-dejanews.com wrote:

>Sony TRV9 vs. PC1 vs. TRV900...
[...]
>I have yet to see a bad post or review in any magazine about the TRV900 and
>I'm begining to wonder if spending the extra money now will give me a camera
>I'm happier with in the future and also lasts longer.
[...]
>Can anyone comment how they
>perform from a personal-use standpoint? Is the sound on the TRV9 or PC1 (with
>it's funky placement of the mic, on the top) really bothersome? Does the
>quality on the TRV9 or PC1 crap out if you're not outside with plenty of
>light? Should I just stick with a cheaper Digital8 or Hi8 system? Is DV not
>quite ready for prime time when it comes to consumer video cameras? Does the
>TRV900 justify its price with its quality? I guess the big decision really
>comes down to the TRV9 vs. the TRV900.

Well, in various ways, you seem to have realized what
the answer is...;-) The TRV-9 and PC-1 sound is noisy,
the low-light image quality isn't up to that of a good
Hi-8, but the DV format minimizes drop-outs, and provides
for lossless copying/editing. The TRV-900 is quite
different: low-light image quality is excellent, bright-light
image quality is very good (and noticeably
sharper than the other two, and Hi-8), and the sound is
virtually free of camera noise (NOT subtle with the
TRV-9 - it can be heard over all but the loudest
steady external noise!). I'd either get a good used
(inexpensive) Hi-8 (wanna a Canon A-1 Digital Hi-8? ;-),
or go for the TRV-900...