Sony handycam doesnt auto switch over from digital 8 to 8mm playback

[Sir_Loin]

Hi all

I have a Sony Handycam DCRTRV340 which has played many old 8mm tapes allowing me to transfer them to a pc. I have not used the camera in over 3 months and when trying to playback tapes that have played before, i am no longer able to view (nor hear them) when playing back in camera (or even straight to firewire or analoge output).

Furthermore, it does not appear that the Digital 8 setting is switching over to the 8mm setting when playing back. The menu setting is set to auto, however manual switching it over still works but im still not able to view the picture.

The tape is playing, the counter is progressing. Fast Forward and Rewind works, but the image is blank on any tape i place into it.

Can anyone suggest a fix please?

Thanks so much.

[KarMa]

I've had similar problems with my own Sony Digital8 camcorder, which I bought second hand at a charity shop. It seems to be fixed when the camcorder is left plugged in to charge the battery for awhile or maybe if you simply remove the battery and just use the AC charger cable as the only power source. You might also look into cleaning the tape head either by hand or with something like a Sony cleaner tape. I use the tape just because of how fiddly these little camcorders are to open without breaking it. A dirty head might be the reason for your problem or might not, but it's good to clean the head every so often with these old tapes as they tend to shed.