DCR-TRV80 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder

One of the beautiful things about digital technology is that you can transfer a digital file innumerable times without ever suffering a degradation of video or sound. One of the most frustrating things about digital technology can be the rate of speed at which photos and videos are transferred between devices.

IEEE1394 (eg, "FireWire," "i.Link," or "DV In/Out")
The new IEEE1394 technology has solved the problem of lengthy transfer times. Fortunately, almost all digital camcorders come with IEEE1394 connections now. Unfortunately, not many computers have the connector yet-necessitating the purchase of a special adapter that fits into your serial port and allows connection to the IEEE1394 port on your camcorder.

Connectivity is important not only for editing options, but also for e-mailing your videos and photos or for uploading them to a backup file or Web site.

Another nice connectivity feature (when you can find it) is an analog input jack. If you have this jack on your camcorder, you can copy from VHS and Hi8 to save them in digital format.