It’s amazing to watch someone who can fearlessly tear into one of these beasts. I’ve done similar repairs to my Sony HandyCams, but they make me incredibly stressed with all the countless tiny screws and delicate flex cables. I dread doing those repairs.
I also recommend and love to use my Sony DCR-TRV460. I believe it was the very last model Sony made that could play all three formats and it has FireWire and S-Video. So I figure it has the most recent caps in it and the latest software features. Great archiving unit as well.
My brother got a 8mm video camera like 20 or so years ago it seems still working good still I think they used it a lot when the kids was small they was trying to digitize the tapes
Is there any way to fix the Firewire not working oh these camcorders? I have DCR TRV125 which is not detected in PC, I replaced the board with the FW port from another working TRV125 and it still doesn't work.
Even if 25yr old, this camera is futuristic compared to my RCA camera with separate VHS recorder. The RCA looks like a TV studio camera, have to rest it on my shoulder or use a tripod to use it. The VHS recorder hangs from the shoulder in a case as well. Both weigh about 10lbs together, ancient stuff but Japanese made....😉
10 lbs? That's nothing try putting a 30lb Sony dxc m3 on one shoulder and carry the vo4800 portable 3/4 deck that weigh another 20lib on the other. And you wonder why eng operators all have bad backs.
Sure will and it will record lp speed in digital 8. It will also play pal digital 8 tapes through the FireWire. No sure about analog pal because i have a pal hi8 camera for that. I guess i could record a pal hi8 and see if it will play.
@@12voltvidsusing the DV output connected into my Mac running a real-time import into Final Cut Pro saved my ass with some PAL tapes. It worked flawlessly, when all other methods failed to give proper color and aspect ratio in the conversion. Sony made some great stuff.
@alphabeets sv is an interface. It's actually 625 50i or 525 60i that is encoded. Pal and ntsc is an analog composite video format. The color sits on different frequencies. 4.43 va 3.579 MHz. In digital it doesn't care it's 4.1.1 color space. Dv, dvcam and digital 8 is identical as far as how the data it laid on the tape. 8mm wider than 6mm for DV and the fact that all 8mm the tape is wrapped 210' vs 180 (this was for the pcm audio available on 8mm) allow 2 dv tracks to be stacked. This allows the head drum to run at half speed 4500 rpm vs 9000 for DV. Basically 1 head would record the same in 1/2 revolution as a full rotation of the smaller dv drum. 1 frame on dv requires 5 full rotations of the drum but only 2.5 on digital 8. It was a wonderful tape format. I have an audio recorder that uses hi8 tape and records 8 tracks. Tascam da88
Back in 1973 in high school we had Panasonic reel to reel video recorders and we used the fingernail trick to carefully clean the heads. Funny to get the helical scan to work the heads were set in level on the recorder but the tape reels were at different heights to allow the tape to be helically scanned. Cute trick. On a different note I have a YASHICA KX-V1 Hi8 camcorder that was purchased in the mid nineties. About a decade ago I dropped the camera but the fall was broken when I caught the camera with my foot before it hit the floor. After that I lost the camera function but it would playback the tapes. I could record off of an exterior source but the camera was dead. What are the possibilities of a connector coming loose rendering the camera inop? Working on rebuilding the power supply charger. Yup capacitors have died. This could have been the issue as to why the camera quit working altogether a few years ago. Do you have any source for the SONY NP-F500 batteries? Don’t know if this was bull or not but the camera shop told me this was a SONY camera sold under the YASHICA name. Not to game to tear into this as soon as I get the power supply repaired but how do you keep track of all those darn little screws???
@ no doubt to that issue. Have a Samsung computer monitor / universal television tuner that is full of surface mounted caps, going to shotgun all of the caps in it to get the power supply working in it, then comes recapping the PS in an IFR1200S that won’t turn on. I have a new name for capacitors, crapacitors.
I feel like I've heard you explain this before but I can't remember what you said. Why not the printer paper/alcohol on 8mm heads? I always used to clean 8mm heads that way... the same way I'd clean a VHS or Beta head and never had any issues... was I damaging the heads though? Also, I second what you said about Sony analog to DV passthrough being among the best methods. Sony didn't skimp in this department. I capture everything analog using a PD170 as a passthrough always with fantastic results.
Alcohol won't dissolve metal particles that basically weld themselves to the heads. It might remove contaminants like smoke and stuff from the air but a totally clogged head nope.
The 350 I've got does support 8 and Hi8 and D8. Though today I ran into a head failing : ( Pulled the cover, looked at it under a microscope and part of a head coil is physically damaged. Unobtainium part too 😭 Recommendations on replacement cams? If I can find a 340/240 that would work too. The 350 was great for capturing over 1394a.
Of course it isn’t the correct way to do it, but I was able to drop in some Deoxit from the outside of the power switch using a dropper, and get my switch working again, (I didn’t SPRAY it in.)
hi!! i got a problem, i have 2 sony cameras of the same line, bot have the same problem, "info lithium battery only", i use a og battery but didn't work, idk if you can help because i didn't find info about that, or if i can send you the cameras and fix bot, im from Chile by the way :)
I remember those Sony Memory sticks, many of 'em failed on me and so back to tape until Sdcards became available. However, I had to Digitize box's of tapes and weren't fun but thankfully got 'em all via firewire, in efficient file size without sacrificing quality thanks to Hevc a.k.a H.265.
@@12voltvidsThat's so true and even resolution 'n' frame rate can be an issue as well. Nowadays, I learned to setup offline media server box and family stream off it which made my life so much easier.
@@12voltvids In the UK, if an imported video camera could record, it was heavily taxed, so they removed the recording functionality. I have one and theres no record button on the top or any input sockets, just outputs.
@Bassquake76 tell me what good is a camera that can not record? I know about tbe stupid tax system for still cameras that can record viseo. If it recirded more than 30 min it was taxed heavily. My dslr records 29.59 and stops. So useless for long form recordings but my viseo cameras will record till they run out of nemory. How about phones? Do they block recird on that too?
@@12voltvids Tell me about it. It was so dumb. Can film normally but not input an s-video/composite/firewire into it, only output. On some models you could hack the firmware to allow it, unfortunately couldnt on mine. (DV-in enabler I think it was called).
It’s amazing to watch someone who can fearlessly tear into one of these beasts. I’ve done similar repairs to my Sony HandyCams, but they make me incredibly stressed with all the countless tiny screws and delicate flex cables. I dread doing those repairs.
My Sony DCR-TRV110E plays all formats too from 2000 and also playback PAL and NTSC tapes
All digital can play anything.
I also recommend and love to use my Sony DCR-TRV460. I believe it was the very last model Sony made that could play all three formats and it has FireWire and S-Video. So I figure it has the most recent caps in it and the latest software features. Great archiving unit as well.
No electrolytics
My brother got a 8mm video camera like 20 or so years ago it seems still working good still I think they used it a lot when the kids was small they was trying to digitize the tapes
Amazing Work 👍❤
Had to fix this exact problem with the exact same camera 2 months ago!
Pretty common failure.
Is there any way to fix the Firewire not working oh these camcorders? I have DCR TRV125 which is not detected in PC, I replaced the board with the FW port from another working TRV125 and it still doesn't work.
Even if 25yr old, this camera is futuristic compared to my RCA camera with separate VHS recorder. The RCA looks like a TV studio camera, have to rest it on my shoulder or use a tripod to use it. The VHS recorder hangs from the shoulder in a case as well. Both weigh about 10lbs together, ancient stuff but Japanese made....😉
10 lbs? That's nothing try putting a 30lb Sony dxc m3 on one shoulder and carry the vo4800 portable 3/4 deck that weigh another 20lib on the other. And you wonder why eng operators all have bad backs.
Will this DCR play back tapes recorded in LP and SP? Thanks for another great video ❤
Sure will and it will record lp speed in digital 8. It will also play pal digital 8 tapes through the FireWire. No sure about analog pal because i have a pal hi8 camera for that. I guess i could record a pal hi8 and see if it will play.
@@12voltvidsusing the DV output connected into my Mac running a real-time import into Final Cut Pro saved my ass with some PAL tapes. It worked flawlessly, when all other methods failed to give proper color and aspect ratio in the conversion. Sony made some great stuff.
@alphabeets sv is an interface. It's actually 625 50i or 525 60i that is encoded. Pal and ntsc is an analog composite video format. The color sits on different frequencies. 4.43 va 3.579 MHz.
In digital it doesn't care it's 4.1.1 color space. Dv, dvcam and digital 8 is identical as far as how the data it laid on the tape. 8mm wider than 6mm for DV and the fact that all 8mm the tape is wrapped 210' vs 180 (this was for the pcm audio available on 8mm) allow 2 dv tracks to be stacked. This allows the head drum to run at half speed 4500 rpm vs 9000 for DV.
Basically 1 head would record the same in 1/2 revolution as a full rotation of the smaller dv drum. 1 frame on dv requires 5 full rotations of the drum but only 2.5 on digital 8. It was a wonderful tape format. I have an audio recorder that uses hi8 tape and records 8 tracks. Tascam da88
Thanks @@12voltvids
Back in 1973 in high school we had Panasonic reel to reel video recorders and we used the fingernail trick to carefully clean the heads. Funny to get the helical scan to work the heads were set in level on the recorder but the tape reels were at different heights to allow the tape to be helically scanned. Cute trick.
On a different note I have a YASHICA KX-V1 Hi8 camcorder that was purchased in the mid nineties. About a decade ago I dropped the camera but the fall was broken when I caught the camera with my foot before it hit the floor. After that I lost the camera function but it would playback the tapes. I could record off of an exterior source but the camera was dead. What are the possibilities of a connector coming loose rendering the camera inop? Working on rebuilding the power supply charger. Yup capacitors have died. This could have been the issue as to why the camera quit working altogether a few years ago. Do you have any source for the SONY NP-F500 batteries? Don’t know if this was bull or not but the camera shop told me this was a SONY camera sold under the YASHICA name. Not to game to tear into this as soon as I get the power supply repaired but how do you keep track of all those darn little screws???
I believe Sony have those and richo as well. It will be full of leaky surface caps.
@ no doubt to that issue. Have a Samsung computer monitor / universal television tuner that is full of surface mounted caps, going to shotgun all of the caps in it to get the power supply working in it, then comes recapping the PS in an IFR1200S that won’t turn on. I have a new name for capacitors, crapacitors.
Old Handycam chimes...It was a long time that I wasn't hearing it.
I feel like I've heard you explain this before but I can't remember what you said. Why not the printer paper/alcohol on 8mm heads? I always used to clean 8mm heads that way... the same way I'd clean a VHS or Beta head and never had any issues... was I damaging the heads though?
Also, I second what you said about Sony analog to DV passthrough being among the best methods. Sony didn't skimp in this department. I capture everything analog using a PD170 as a passthrough always with fantastic results.
Alcohol won't dissolve metal particles that basically weld themselves to the heads. It might remove contaminants like smoke and stuff from the air but a totally clogged head nope.
The 350 I've got does support 8 and Hi8 and D8. Though today I ran into a head failing : ( Pulled the cover, looked at it under a microscope and part of a head coil is physically damaged. Unobtainium part too 😭 Recommendations on replacement cams? If I can find a 340/240 that would work too.
The 350 was great for capturing over 1394a.
I put a drum from a 250 in my 240. Works perfect.
Of course it isn’t the correct way to do it, but I was able to drop in some Deoxit from the outside of the power switch using a dropper, and get my switch working again, (I didn’t SPRAY it in.)
hi!! i got a problem, i have 2 sony cameras of the same line, bot have the same problem, "info lithium battery only", i use a og battery but didn't work, idk if you can help because i didn't find info about that, or if i can send you the cameras and fix bot, im from Chile by the way :)
I remember those Sony Memory sticks, many of 'em failed on me and so back to tape until Sdcards became available. However, I had to Digitize box's of tapes and weren't fun but thankfully got 'em all via firewire, in efficient file size without sacrificing quality thanks to Hevc a.k.a H.265.
.264 looks great and has higher comparability than 2.65.
@@12voltvidsThat's so true and even resolution 'n' frame rate can be an issue as well. Nowadays, I learned to setup offline media server box and family stream off it which made my life so much easier.
i I have a digital 8 trv 130 it only needed to be fixed once i still use it for playback.
My 110 had the flex cable failure from the burr on the cassette holder.
@@12voltvids Mine was repaird in 2006 only one tiime has been great eve since they replaced the button module over the top of the tape door to.
No creo que tenga tarjeta SD tengo una Mini y en su tiempo le busque tarjeta SD pero no tienen tarjeta SD estas camaras
Pain in the arse that the European models didnt record. Dumb tax laws. Would have been far more useful.
What do you mean they won't record. I just did 17 tapes in pal from a European digital 8 camera.
@@12voltvids Only thing that comes to mind is it wont record in VCR mode, so no recording of external inputs to tape
@@12voltvids In the UK, if an imported video camera could record, it was heavily taxed, so they removed the recording functionality. I have one and theres no record button on the top or any input sockets, just outputs.
@Bassquake76 tell me what good is a camera that can not record?
I know about tbe stupid tax system for still cameras that can record viseo. If it recirded more than 30 min it was taxed heavily. My dslr records 29.59 and stops. So useless for long form recordings but my viseo cameras will record till they run out of nemory. How about phones? Do they block recird on that too?
@@12voltvids Tell me about it. It was so dumb. Can film normally but not input an s-video/composite/firewire into it, only output. On some models you could hack the firmware to allow it, unfortunately couldnt on mine. (DV-in enabler I think it was called).