It lacks the TBC, which is why S-VHS VCRs are well regarded. It has basic picture mode filters, and a flying erase head (FEH). The FEH is what separates the 3800 from the 4800, and I owned several 3800's for recording in the late 90s and early 2000s.
Is it worth $10? Sure, if it has no issues (misalignment, bad heads).
Is it useful for transfer? Ehh, depends on the workflow. If you have a subsequent devices in the chain, to sync timing and remove chroma (Panasonic ES10), then maybe.
I have several 59xx and 38xx, so I'd not get it.
I purposely misalign one of my 3800, for really rotten tapes. These decks are simple to align or misalign, unlike most others.
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