web site. Do a search on the two model numbers you provided.

You will find the DCR-TRV480E is for Europe - likely to be used in conjunction with the PAL TV format used. Here is a link to the Sony UK site:
http://www.sony.co.uk/view/ShowProduct.action?product=DCR-TRV480E&site=odw_en_GB&pageType=Overview&category=SDH+Digital+8

Click on "Technical Specifications", scroll to "Recorder/Player" (near the bottom)... "NTSC playback on PAL TV: No"


The DCR-TRV480 is for NTSC-based countries (like the US).

Using a PAL camcorder in a NTSC environment - or using a NTSC camcorder in a PAL environment can be problematic but not impossible.

Other than this format difference, the camera's appearance and features should be identical.

If you are not planning to connect the camcorder directly to the TV, but will connect to a computer to transfer the video via the iLink (also known as FireWire and IEEE1394) to edit, your video editing application and DVD burner would need to do the conversion between PAL and NTSC so the DVD you burn with your edited final product would work appropriately in a PAL or NTSC DVD player. Check the applications' features - not all video editors will be capable of doing this.