Question: I have a Canon ZR200 camcorder that I have enjoyed for several years. The battery no longer holds a charge, and when I look at replacement batteries selling for $50 to $75 apiece, I wonder if perhaps I should just spend $100 more and get a new camcorder. What are your thoughts?

-- TRICIA ETHERIDGE, Ridgeland, S.C.

Answer: I'd say replace the battery and use the camcorder until it dies, but don't pay $50 or more for a battery. Manufacturer's batteries are what you usually find in stores, and they tend to be the highest quality. But unless you are a serious videographer, you can get by with a less expensive option.

Third-party camcorder batteries can be found at extremely low prices on eBay. I recently purchased two batteries for a similar Canon camcorder and paid only $13.85 total, including shipping. That works out to less than $7 per battery. If you do not have an eBay account, similar deals can be found on Amazon.com.

The question likely going through your mind right now is, "That is so cheap, are they as good as the manufacturer's batteries?" The short, direct answer is "no, they are not." They do work fine, however, and cost a small fraction of the manufacturer's batteries.

My experience shows my third-party batteries provide about 85 percent of the life of a manufacturer's equivalent battery, while costing a fraction of the price. If video is a profession or a serious undertaking for you, buying the manufacturer's original battery may be the way to go. For most home users, a few inexpensive third-party batteries should be fine.

Question: With the great digital TV switchover, one sees on television a plethora of announcements about the switchover. There is all manner of hoopla regarding the various antenna types, brands, models available, each claiming to be the absolute last word in such devices, a claim obviously not true. How does one separate "the wheat from the chaff"? There is quite wide variation in antenna prices too.

-- ALAN SCHULTZ, Pittsburgh

Answer: My No. 1 recommendation for a digital television set-top antenna has been and continues to be the $25 Philips Silver Sensor. It's flat out amazing and has never ceased to impress me with its ability to lock in stations, even in difficult locations.

The Silver Sensor is an unamplified antenna, so all you need to do is connect it to your TV or converter box with the included cable and point it in the direction of the towers. It is directional so you may need to point it manually when you change channels.

You can visit www.antennaweb.org to learn more about antennas and get other recommendations. As you have noticed, there is a wide variation in claims and prices to go with them, and my experience with recommendations from antennaweb has not been all that good.

I've tried amplified antennas two classes above the Silver Sensor that do not work nearly as well. I'd recommend trying the Silver Sensor and seeing if it works, and if you need more antenna in your location, move to an old-fashioned roof or attic mount antenna on a rotor. The old ways still work best in this case.