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All Digital8 models which support analog video playback have a TBC regardless if it is mentioned or not. Not all Digital8 models support analog Video8/Hi8 playback, but many do -- there's a complete list on Wikipedia.
Being able to play (and record) Digital8 tapes and output any video (analog or digital) via the FireWire port are the two big bonuses for having a Digital8 camcorder instead of Hi8.
Unless it is correctly labeled or you're the one who recorded it, you have no way of knowing whether an 8mm tape contains analog or digital recordings just by looking at it. With a Digital8 camcorder, you can pop in any 8mm tape and it will play (as long as it is the correct color system, NTSC or PAL). But an analog-only Hi8 camcorder would be oblivious to any Digital8 recordings which may exist on the tapes you're playing. (Sony recommended not mixing analog and digital recordings on the same tape, but there was nothing to prevent people from doing so.)
As for the quality of the FireWire DV output for digitizing analog video sources, it's not perfect, but it's close enough for most people. I'd say it gives you 85% of the quality of the best analog video capture setups, with 100% less hassle. There's nothing to worry about -- you just plug it in, and it works... every time. It's as simple as transferring a DV tape, and you can even use your computer to control the camcorder's transport functions (play, stop, rewind, fast-forward).
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