Sony DCR-TRV130

The Sony DCR-TRV130 is a Digital8 camcorder made by Sony in 2001. It was made with the same chassis as the analog CCD-TRVx8 series.

Overview
The DCR-TRV130 has the "camera-in-palm" design, which was common in its era. It has a 2.5" diagonal (6.2cm) LCD and a black-and-white CRT viewfinder that tilts but does not telescope. It is slightly larger and heavier than the MiniDV Handycams of its time.

The DCR-TRV130 only plays Digital8 tapes - it cannot play back any analog 8mm.

Common Features

 * 20x Optical Zoom and 560x Digital Zoom
 * Automatic focus only
 * S-Video and A/V outputs, and an IEEE-1394 jack that can be used as an input or output
 * NightShot with Super NightShot and Super Laser Link
 * Fader, Picture Effects (Negative Art, Sepia, Black & White, Solarize, Slim, Stretch, Pastel, Mosaic), Digital Effects (Still, Flash, Lumikey, Trail, Slow Shutter, Old Movie)
 * Can record in 16:9 or 4:3
 * SteadyShot video stabilizer that only works when recording in 4:3
 * Built-in Halogen Spotlight, no Intelligent Accessory Shoe
 * Tape is inserted from top
 * 2.5" LCD
 * Black and white viewfinder, tilts

Distinctive Features
All of these features are distinctive to this unit and the CCD-TRVx8 series of which it is a member.
 * There is no full auxiliary LCD like there is with other 8mm handycams. Instead, there is a small auxiliary LCD in front of the main color LCD (not on it) that is similar to that of a MiniDV Handycam. It only displays the tape time code - there is a separate LED near the viewfinder to indicate whether the battery is charging or charging is complete. The auxiliary LCD has a blue backlight.
 * The button panel on top flips open to reveal the eject button and tape compartment. See also the DCR-TRV140, TRVx20 series, CCD-TRVx08 series, and CCD-TRVx8 series.
 * The power switch is a knob that rotates around the record/pause button, with a green button to lock it in place.
 * There is blue trim on the LCD itself where the auxiliary LCD would be. On this model, it is a solid dark blue. On its analog relatives, it is dark blue with a light blue gradient (see the page on the CCD-TRVx8 series for more information).

Unknown Features

 * CC Pass-Through: Most Sony DV units have the ability to pass Line 21 closed captioning data (EIA-608-A) from DV to A/V. This feature has not been tested on this unit, but given its simplicity, and the fact that even Sony's oldest units have it, this unit almost certainly has it as well.
 * PAL Compatibility: The NTSC-based DCR-TRV130 has the ability to play back PAL Digital8 tapes. It will output a PAL DV signal through FireWire, but the A/V output will be NTSC-50 (so it would play on a PAL TV in black-and-white without proper conversion). The image in the viewfinder will jump, however, due to the different frame rate. The DCR-TRV130 can also record in PAL from a FireWire stream. To record from a computer, the streaming software must recognize the unit as a PAL camcorder, or the stream will either be converted to NTSC or will not display (or record) correctly. Similarly, the PAL model (DCR-TRV130E) can play (and presumably record) NTSC tapes.

Series/Family
The DCR-TRV130 has its own owner's manual, but shares its chassis with the CCD-TRVx8 series. It does not share its chassis with any other Digital8 camcorder. Interestingly, even though it was the highest-end member of the CCD-TRVx8 series, the DCR-TRV130 had a 2.5" LCD, while the analog CCD-TRV88 had a 3" LCD and the CCD-TRV98 had a 3.5" LCD. (See also the DCR-TRV140)

The models included in the CCD-TRVx8 series are: For more info, see the page on the CCD-TRVx8 series.
 * CCD-TRV49 (breaks name rule)
 * CCD-TRV58
 * CCD-TRV68
 * CCD-TRV78
 * CCD-TRV88
 * CCD-TRV98
 * DCR-TRV130 (breaks name rule)

Battery/Power
The DCR-TRV130 uses Infolithium L series batteries. The standard battery is the NP-F330, which is a 7.2V battery with 5Wh of energy. The standard charger is the AC-L10A, which will work in almost any Handycam from 1999 to approximately 2006 (some newer cameras also use it). Unlike some earlier Handycams, the charge port is right on the camera body, so the battery is charged on the camera. The camera can be operated as normal with both a battery and a charger.