Sony Camcorder Playback Showing LP

[SteveTMVCA]

Working with old tapes recorded only on a Sony Video8 FX-630 camcorder to digitize. The instruction manual for the camcorder says the camcorder can only record in SP mode. Some tapes, however, when viewing playback in the viewfinder, show An “LP” Icon in the viewfinder and a blank screen. Frustrating, because there is no way these tapes were made in LP since the camcorder ONLY records in SP mode. Does not seem to be a way for force the playback in SP mode, so looking for ideas???? Tapes that do not indicate LP play fine, and I recorded a new blank tape and it played back fine. Thoughts? Thanks.

[babygdav]

Clean heads.
Tape aging.
Something out of alignment like tape tensioner.

....or bad memory and some tapes were actually recorded in lp mode on some different camcorder.

[october262]

see here - https://www.manualslib.com/manual/525601/Sony-Handycam-Ccd-Fx430.html#product-Handycam%20CCD-FX630
shows on page 47 it plays back in LP mode
page 36 playback mode is selected automatically
were the tapes recorded on a different camera ??

[SteveTMVCA]

Thanks. All the tapes recorded on this camcorder that does not record in LP. Other tapes play fine. Recorded a full tape worth and played back without a problem on an unopened tape, so head seems to be OK. I am considering sending the LP tapes to an outside source to run on their equipment to digitize. You are right, it may be my camcorder. All the tapes stored together, about half are fine and half (maybe 20) have this issue.

[johns0]

Did you ever check the tapes that are showing a black screen previously to see if they recorded properly?Also could be a batch of faulty tapes that went bad or got stored improperly.

[babygdav]

Anyways, if you ever get access to another camcorder, play an old tape and a newly recorded one in the other. If the heads are out of alignment, it'll likely show up.

And a reminder decades old tapes and equipment are obsolete, won't last forever, so hurry up and get all those tapes migrated.

[betwixt]

Recorded a full tape worth and played back without a problem on an unopened tape, so head seems to be OK.

That only confirms the head is functional but it can still be out of alignment. Within reason, a track recorded 'out of alignment' will still play back perfectly through the same head or one with equal misalignment.

My guess is the FX-630 shows LP when it has successfully loaded a tape but it can't read any video from it. In other words the mechanism isn't reporting a problem but the head can't read any video signal.

Brian.

[babygdav]

Try this.
Stick in tape that triggers lp mode, but no image.
Play.
While playing, press the ff button. Does an image appear?
If so, video is on the tape, head is out of alignment , Etc.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FuP4hTfZ36s

[babygdav]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vAJhKsLIKOw
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Li0PPZmVK1I
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4aVCaeRpPMo
Fyi Beyond that, you'd have to diagnose ..
Could be something else...

[dellsam34]

If the camcorder plays some of its previous recordings and doesn't play the rest, the camera is fine no repairs needed, Your tapes are gone, try another camcorder or send one of the tapes to someone else who can try it on his end to know for sure if the tapes are a loss.