Puggo - Jar Jar's Yoda said:

Regarding the TRV-900:

The workprinter I have is SD only. Using an HD camera wouldn't work because the system wouldn't be able to keep up, and the software wouldn't be able to build the movie file. There are new models of workprinters that have come out recently (only within the past year) that handle HD, but I can't afford them. The website is www.moviestuff.tv. The cost of such a workprinter would be several thousand dollars, after you factor in the camera, the accelerator, and other PC upgrades. Considering the condition of the films, I can't justify the expense.

The TRV900 doesn't suffer from most of the things you describe when used in this manner, because it never actually records video. Only the camera element is used, and the workprinter assembles the individual frames captured by the software into to a movie. In fact, this particular video camera is very popular for this application, because of its 3 large CCDs, large lens, focus ring, and low-light capability that exceeds most modern camcorders (unless you want to spend several thousand dollars). For this application, newer doesn't always mean better because I'm actually not even using the camera's video capability.

Thanks for clarifying the workflow. If I'm understanding correctly, the software is essentially gathering raw sensor data and assembling a progressive movie file? I'm still curious how much it could benefit from a different camera. The 900's sensor is still limited even in it's raw state. Something like a 1/3" CCD camera would be ideal, like an old DVX100 which could be had for around 500$ these days and be a much better capture device with greater range for those highlights. That said, if you do ever decide to upgrade, it would only be fair that we offer donations for the expenses.