need some help with HI8 digital camcorder

[cichy1012]

I have a sony dcr-trv250 ntsc (digital handycam), that i borrowed from my mom to watch some old videos of the kids. My tapes are Hi8 MP tapes. Being that that camera was so old, the tape she had in it which was a TDK hi8 MP played fine on screen.
When i put all my tapes in that are Hi8 MP, all i get is a blue screen and nothing on the tv. I used the a/v yellow, red and white cable also, but nevertheless it wont play on the camera itself either.
I dont get it. Her tape works, but none of my 10 tapes do. And if its not compatible, what camera is?

any help would be appreciated.

[creakndale]

Only guessing but is it possible that your tapes were recorded with an Analog Hi8 camcorder?

Don't be fooled by the "MP" tape designation. That just means "Metal Particle" formulation of the tape medium. Has nothing to do with Analog or Digital.

Digital camcorders began being available in 1999. If your tapes were shot between 1989 and 1998 they were most likely shot with an Analog Hi8 camcorder since Digital8 camcorders weren't available yet.

The Sony DCR-TRV250 is one of the models that were not backward compatible with Analog Hi8.
https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/articles/00026519

Examples of Sony Analog Hi8 camcorders are CCD-TRV75 and CCD-TRV608 which are what I owned back in the day.

creakndale

[cichy1012]

ah.. thanks so much. i was going to pull my hair out.