busted dv port
Hot tip: Don't leave your DV cable plugged into your camcorder.
Why? My camcorder fell over while it was on the tripod (don't ask), the FireWire cable was still plugged into it, it landed on the side the cable was plugged into (of course), and busted the DV port.
Blah.
Solution: Waste $215 and buy a new camcorder. The one I bought is a JVC GR-D350US (pictured above). Compared to the old Canon ZR-200, this one has a ton more features, plus a cool little "snapshot" button to take pics with.
Honestly speaking, it's amazing what you get for the price these days. This should last a long time as long as I leave the FireWire cable out when not in use. 🙂