Video Quality: 4.5 Stars
The video quality is great -- good light or bad. There is a slight delay in the auto-focus if lighting fluctuates or if there are items close and distant from the camera. This is especially noticeable immediately after you turn the camera on. Once the camera has done its initial focus it is pretty quick. Of course, you are welcome to try to use manual focusing but it too would take you that long to switch to manual focus and then adjust the display.

Night Shot: 4.0 Stars
Night shot is better than most cameras. However, it appears as if you are shining a green flashlight into the dark. The "Super Night Shot" feature is worthless to me. The sample rate is slow and the video unfocused 75% of the time. This feature could have been exchanged for something else useful. I will say that the regular night shot is crisp and clear as opposed to snowy / grainy like other digital camcorders.

Zoom: 4.0 Stars
The zoom is steady and crisp.

Sound Pickup / Microphone: 4.0 Stars
The microphone picks up the zoom button if you "flick" it on and off rather than "ease" it. Play with it for a while and practice before you start taking video that has important audio with it. The microphone is otherwise good. It picks up all the sound you want and keeps the unwanted background sound to a minimum. If you think it needs improvement you can purchase the external microphone kit or use your own mic plugged into the external mic port.

In-Camera Video Editing: 3.5 Stars
The in-camera video editing options are nice to have if you blew all your money on the camera and don't have the $$ to spend on the firewire card to do your editing on the computer.

Included Software: 3.0 Stars
The software does the work easily but lacks some features. I recommend trying a few other shareware versions of other products before you settle into the provided software.

Recommended Updates:
Sony Handycam Camcorder Value Kit ($80) -
Includes Sony Carrying Case and an Extra Battery
The case will keep your investment protected. The extra battery allows you to keep filming while your other battery charges.

Ambico Lithium-Ion Battery Charger ($49) -
This kit allows you to plug the battery in the car charger or at home in a standard outlet. If you are going to be filming for an extended period of time, consider purchasing at least one extra battery and the charger. The Sony Kit provides the extra battery.

Sony DV Editing Kit ($89) -
This kit is called EZ Editor. The kit gives you an internal PCI two-port firewire card, a firewire cable, and Pinnacle Studio 7 SE. The software is very easy to use, and very effective. You can upgrade the software to a more professional feel for about $49 online. The installation of the card is easy, the software is simple and has a multitude of features and is 100% compatible with the camera.

Summary:
This camera is great all around. It has every port for input and output that you would want (under current standards). The instructions are GREAT. Thank goodness they finally developed a manual written in English -- and English only! Now you don't have to flip around trying to find the portions that you understand.

I know I have pushed a few accessories here. I'm not a salesman or a Sony representative. My feeling, however, is that accessorizing makes the camera. This camera is nice by itself but is much more convenient once you add the things that make your life easier.

Each person may need different accessories (which is why they aren't included in the camera package) so use the information provided here to help you decide if you need these accessories or not.

I would recommend that you take the time to step through the owners manual and test each feature that they walk you through. It will prevent you from introducing yourself to the feature at a time when you'd rather be filming. If you purchase the carrying case, the manual fits snug into the front pocket. Keep it there and reference it.

Lastly, I recommend buying a warranty with your camera. Cleanings are recommended every 6 months, this is still a new technology and the warranty doesn't cost that much. I purchased my camera at Best Buy with the warranty. I can bring my camera into Best Buy for a free cleaning as often as I like. I have unlimited repair or replacement of my product should it need replaced. I don't usually buy these warranties, but when you spend this much on a camera, consider this insurance!

Great thing to possess (Rating: 5.00)
Review : I bought this camcorder 10 days before.
Earlier I had Panasonic PV DV800. I returned that one because I wasn't happy about video quality.
I liked TRV 730.
Pros :
Day light video quality is superb. Except night time it is not quite good. Mega Pixel digital photo is quite satisfactory.
USB support is very useful. You can just connect to computer and your camcorder will become virtual disk. It is pretty sleek and data transfer is fast.

Cons.
Memory is just 4 MB. I could hardly take 5 photos with high resolution. Separate Battery charger could be better. At night time even there is plenty of light, picture seems little dark.

Final Word:
There are many DV camcorder cheaper than this one. I will still recommend this based on quality. I found this digital 8 better than other DV's. Overall this is best bet.

One of the best I have seen... (Rating: 5.00)
Review : This is the first camcorder I have bought. I did a lot of research and finally decided to go with the Sony DCR-TRV730... and I am glad that I did.

The picture is great!! Very crisp and clear DVD quality.

It is very easy to use. Within 5 minutes, I had it setup and ready to use. The controls are intuitive and well placed. However I would suggest reading through the excellent manual when you have a chance to learn about all the features.

The zoom is clear and the image stabilization works great. The night shot is really neat, but the "Super Night Shot" is only suitable for use with a tripod.

There are many built in special effects, like faders, B&W, Old Time Movie, etc...

The only thing to remember is that you will need IEEE 1394/FireWire ports and cable if you wish to copy/edit the video to your computer. The included USB connection is only for still images and MPEG movies on the memory card.

Overall a great camera, with professional results.