This is a Sony CCD-TRV138 Hi8 camcorder from Sony. Came out in 2005 and at the time the MSRP was $240. Which in today’s money in 2025, 20 years later, would be about $400 bucks. So this was a budget camcorder.
Digital8 had been out since 1999 at this point. And a Digital8 camera, the next one up in this series, was about $400 versus $240. So this would play back your Hi8 tapes and your Video8 tapes but would not play Digital8 tapes.
Now this is a flip out screen. Power switch is here. Push it down once and that takes you into camera mode. Push it down against again put you in playback mode. To load a tape. This is a bottom loading camcorder. The older Sony cameras all loaded from the top. The newer ones, load from the bottom. Put a tape in. Close the hatch. Do not touch it as it goes back in. Close it.
Now the tape’s loaded. And you can either record or play back. Got a battery on the back. Power connector down here. Your video output cable goes in here to your capture device or your TV. And that’s pretty much it.
It’s a Sony Hi8 camcorder 2005. $240 back then. Not too bad. So, tell us in the comments what kind of camcorder you had. Was it a Sony, JVC, Canon? And if you have any tapes that you need to digitize, bring them by the store. We’re here in Wilmington, Delaware on the Concord Pike, DDVF.com.