I did a lot of research on the net about 3/4 years looking for a
digital camcorder which would both play my old analog video tapes
(recorded on a Samsung camcorder) and also convert them to digital
info to be inputted to my laptop (in my case a Mac Powerbook using
iMovie, tho it could well have been a Windows XP PC using Moviemaker).
My 'research' also included asking my local Sony store (which aren't,
in fact, owned or run by Sony) which Sony digital 8 camcorders would
do that task.

I was told that only the TRGV460E and the TRV480E models (plus a third
model whose number I can't recall) would do what I wanted - they were
billed as being "backwards compatible" - and I bought a TRV460E. It is
fine, although it has recently been playing up.

Because of that I decided to scout around (on eBay and the net
generally) for another PAL (I live in the UK) TRV460E or,
alternatively, a TRV480E. Scouting around also included looking
through various Google groups and I was astonished to find that -
appatently - a whole range of Sony camcorders, including (this from
the rec.video.desktop newsgroup) these models. DCR-TRV240, DCR-TRV340,
DCR-TRV740, DCR-TRV840, DCR-TRV320, DCR-TRV520, DCR-TRV720, DCR-
TRV820, DCR-TRV350, DCR-TRV360.

Apparently they all have a "signal convert function" which does
exactly what I want: play my old analop tapes and input them digitally
into a computer. So the range I might have chosen from is a lot bigger
than I realised.

But have I misunderstood something? Can anyone set me straight? Once
again: all I need is a digital camcorder with Firewire (i.e. iLink)
which will play ANALOG Hi8 tapes and let me input them into iMovie/
Moviemaker for editing. Your views and advice are very welcome as I am
looking to replace my TRV460E but I want to be damn sure I don't get
something I don't want or need. Thanks.