Video8 tape has no sound or color

[haga5]

Hi!

I'd like to capture Video8 tapes using an old camcorder that I recently bought and is in good condition. The tapes were recorded with two cameras. The tapes from one of them is played just fine, however the tapes from the other camera don't have sound or color.

Any clue on what could cause this and how to fix this issue?

I use a USB capture card with VirtualDub, and record in PAL-D standard. I have tried all other PAL-SECAM-NTSC options with no luck. I hooked up the camera to a CRT display and the signal coming out of it is already muted and lacks color.

I have also tried an NTSC camera, but that didn't work out either. I then tried a Digital8 camera, but that didn't play them at all. I put the signal through a TBC, which only helped with the stability of the image.

[DB83]

This is but an educated guess. But do confirm that you have a Video8 camcorder and not a Hi8 camcorder.


My 'guess' is that the 2nd camera tapes are in fact Hi8 tapes. Most Video8 camcorders can not play these tapes.

[dellsam34]

I believe if it's Hi8 tape played in V8 camcorder he could still get color with white strakes in bright spots, Not too sure since I have not tried such scenario, What I said applies mostly to S-VHS in VHS.

[haga5]

I managed to get them working with sound+color, but after capturing 2 of them, the same problem comes up.

I have a feeling that it depends on where I start the tape from and where I end it, for example if it reached the end of the tape without me stopping it, it won't play the next. I had a MiniDV camcorder with this issue a few years ago, where it would jam if you didn't stop recording in time and reached the end of the tape.

Edit: Identified the camera with the problematic tapes as Sony CCD-TR415. I'm using a Canon UC5000 for digitising.

[DB83]

Ok. Some more thoughts.


The tape is loose on the spools. Try a fast forward/rewind before playback/transfer.


The tapes were recorded 'long play' and many formats give inconsistent results with a camera that was not the original.

[haga5]

The tapes were in fact recorded in LP, as the recordings on the tapes are 2-2,5 hrs long. What can I do to make them play correctly?

[DB83]

Very little I am afraid. Unless you can obtain the camcorder that they were recorded with. The exact camcorder not just the same model.


More luck than judgement here.

[haga5]

To anyone with the same problem looking for an answer here: I managed to solve it by fast-forwarding to the empty segment at the end of the tape and recording for 5 seconds, then rewinding to the start. I don't fully understand why, but with this method the tapes have color and sound again.

[dellsam34]

It sounds like you may have a bad head drum ribbon cable or coming loose, If hitting the camcorder or shaking it makes a difference that's a good sign of the problem.

[nicholasserra]

Also something i've noticed on these aging camcorders is the svideo port getting loose. Give that a wiggle too.