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  1. As in title, my camcorder plays D8 fine, but shows blank screen at analog playback, but video is somewhat visible in FF/REW.
    The model is DCR-TRV-828E and it was playing analog fine before. Is the head clogged, destroyed, or are the tapes just shedding?
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  2. Capturing Memories dellsam34's Avatar
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    If the heads are clogged it will affect the D8 playback as well, Try more tapes that known to work perfectly on other camcorders.
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  3. It happens with all analog tapes recentely that I got from family to transfer, or worse clients. And those are tapes that aren't damaged, mouldy, they show video during FF and REW.
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  4. Formerly 'vaporeon800' Brad's Avatar
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    Do you have access to any analog tapes that previously played fine in this camcorder?
    My YouTube channel with little clips: vhs-decode, comparing TBC, etc.
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  5. Not really. I only ever recorded 3 D8 tapes and used it for transfering tapes whoever brought some.
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  6. Capturing Memories dellsam34's Avatar
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    It looks like getting a Hi8 camcorder for analog tapes is the easiest and cheapest way to go, Even if you manage to find someone who fixes it it will cost more that buying another used camcorder.
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  7. Looks like it.
    Then again, I wonder what's wring that it lays D8 fine and loses signal on analog, but can show the typical FF/REW footage on LCD.
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  8. Capturing Memories dellsam34's Avatar
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    It could be anything, bad capacitors, failed analog processor chip … To find out for sure is to get the service manual and an oscilloscope and probe all the analog stage outputs to see where the fault lies.
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  9. Thanks for the info, sounds like so much fun.
    So probably time to get aworking Hi8 cam.
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  10. OK, problem mostly solved, I took the top cover, there was a little sponge next to the drum, I put the tape, pressed the sponge against the head and it must have scrubbed the dirt that was causing the signal loss. I still have one bad and probably unrecoverable client tape, the dreaded Sony...
    Which is peculiar, as I used a cleaning tape and manually cleaned the heads with IPA several times.
    Last edited by SF01; 23rd May 2022 at 04:35.
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  11. Capturing Memories dellsam34's Avatar
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    Remove that sponge roller entirely it must have turned into goo, manually clean the heads. If you leave it there it will clog the heads again, Those sponge rollers are not meant to last few decades.
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  12. Well, the sponge is is in good physical shape and using it made the analog tapes work, but replacing it is probably a good idea.
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  13. Capturing Memories dellsam34's Avatar
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    The camcorder uses that roller on each tape thread, you just don't see it. It may physically look good but trust me it is better without it, It picks up dirt from the head and puts it right back on the head next time it hits it.
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  14. Yeah, after all the dirt just builds up on the sponge.
    Any advice on a good replacement?
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  15. Capturing Memories dellsam34's Avatar
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    There is no replacements for those camcorders, Those things were made in late 90's to early 2000's.
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  16. I can imagine, I was thinking about a sponge type.

    By the way, Sony tapes don't work still, both V8 and Hi8, pure crap, like on the video I saw:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qJJyxwxly8
    There is visible distorted image during REW and FF, but no stable image couns out of it, had few secs on V8 and it turned to blue screen.
    One of Hi8's when managed to show someething it was also heavily distorted then went blank...
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    Originally Posted by SF01 View Post
    I can imagine, I was thinking about a sponge type.

    By the way, Sony tapes don't work still, both V8 and Hi8, pure crap, like on the video I saw:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qJJyxwxly8
    There is visible distorted image during REW and FF, but no stable image couns out of it, had few secs on V8 and it turned to blue screen.
    One of Hi8's when managed to show someething it was also heavily distorted then went blank...
    I have met same issue before. FF/REW can show the video but "play" couldn't with a D8 camera.
    Finally, this issue was identified as video system issue. its a NTSC tape on PAL machine. in a NTSC machine its ok.
    and I have found in analogy system such as V8 Hi8 machine FF/REW can show you some sketch graphics with incompatible tapes.
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  18. Originally Posted by ltfmaz View Post
    Originally Posted by SF01 View Post
    I can imagine, I was thinking about a sponge type.

    By the way, Sony tapes don't work still, both V8 and Hi8, pure crap, like on the video I saw:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qJJyxwxly8
    There is visible distorted image during REW and FF, but no stable image couns out of it, had few secs on V8 and it turned to blue screen.
    One of Hi8's when managed to show someething it was also heavily distorted then went blank...
    I have met same issue before. FF/REW can show the video but "play" couldn't with a D8 camera.
    Finally, this issue was identified as video system issue. its a NTSC tape on PAL machine. in a NTSC machine its ok.
    and I have found in analogy system such as V8 Hi8 machine FF/REW can show you some sketch graphics with incompatible tapes.
    NTSC should play on PAL machine, there are options in the menu, unless you machine does not support playing NTSC tapes at all.
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