This has happened to two cameras. You see I'll put a tape in and then review it, and I guess it's a bad tape because I heard some weird noise when fast forwarding and the next thing I know, the time-code is always at 0:00, and the camera detects absolutely NO footage when there is lots of footage. All I get is a blue screen when I hit play I thought it was the cameras fault, so I got a new one. And that same tape was playing fine, until I was fast forwarding, heard a strange noise and now this camera has the time code at 0:00, and detects no footage when I play it. What the hell is going on here?? Can someone please tell me how to fix it. Furthermore I have VERY IMPORTANT footage on this tape that keeps on screwing up the camera, so how am I suppose to get it off??
In addition to what PFloyd asked, how are your trying to view it? On a computer or plugged into your television? If on a computer, what program are you using to view it?
I am just trying to play the tape on the camera. And the brand doesn't matter, because this happens with any tape I put in the camera. And this problem has happened to two cameras. Basically the tape corrupted the camera to the point where when playing any tape it doesn't detect any footage, the time code is 0:00. When I press play it's just a blue screen. I need to get this footage off. Is there a cheap way to transfer dv's to the computer, when I can't afford to buy another camera to do so???
Very freaky, but it can't be something else than that you had very bad luck by having two camcorders with exactly the same production flaw. What is the brand and type? Did you get some inferior brand or so? I would immediately go back to the store where you bought the camcorder for a full refund and have them play the tapes on another camcorder.
It's not so much the camcorder as it is the bad tape. It all started when I put in a bad tape, in my sony handycam and it mechanically dislodged the tape deck, (there was nothing visibly wrong with the tape, too this day I really have no idea how it happened) and when I tried other tapes, I guess those tapes also became infected, because when I bought a NEW camera and tried DIFFERENT tapes, this same exact thing happened. That is really no excuse though. You can tell by observing the mechanical function of a dv camera closing that it is way to delicate and it seems the most minor thing can dislodge it and ruin it. I have had 2 different tapes ruin 2 different cameras. F'n ridiculous, a camera shouldn't be so cheap.
What brand of tape caused the first problem. I want to be sure that I never get any. I still have a hard time believing that the camcorders weren't defective to begin with. Did you purchase them new?
I am 100 percent positive it was the tape. There's no way 2 cameras had the exact same problem. One was a sony handycam, the other was a panasonic dv cam. And I don't even remember the name of tape. I smashed it with a hammer because I was so frustrated that it was single handedly responsible for ruining 2 different cameras. It was pretty generic though so just stay with the name brands and I think you'll be fine
To recap: Camcorder #1 glitched when you put the 'villain' tape into it. And this tape is so VERY IMPORTANT that you must save the tape contents. Despite this you eventually take a hammer and destroy the tape and its VERY IMPORTANT contents. You initially conclude the problem must be the camcorder. For reasons unknown you did NOT attempt to have the camcorder checked, fixed and/or have a repair shop check out the 'tape' and ask for the tape to be copied (to save the contents). Instead you BUY new camcorder #2. Same thing happens. You have a spanking NEW camcorder that is DYSFUNCTIONAL practically out of the box. You do not return it, do not get a refund, do not have it checked or diagnosed but rather just keep it and complain that you can not afford to buy a new camcorder #3. You believe that one can: tell by observing the mechanical function of a dv camera closing that it is way to delicate and it seems the most minor thing can dislodge it and ruin it... camera shouldn't be so cheap. I've watched camcorder tape closings and openings thousands of times, as have others, and I have never found camcorders so delicate that most any minor thing will kill the machine. I have a neat camcorder repair shop that offers FREE diagnosis and estimates. I suggest you find one....and....retire the hammer.
