Recommend a 8mm/Hi8 camcorder for project.

[Steve(MS)]

This is what I've got.
My sister-in-law has a bunch of 8mm tapes and some hi8 tapes of her kids when they were growing up.
She wanted me to see if I could transfer these to dvd for her.
She doesn't have the original camera so I had her to text my wife what sort of tapes she had.
So after knowing what she had, I bought a Sony hi8 camera off ebay....thinking that the one I bought would be able to transfer to dvd.
The camera model I got is Sony trv138...which is a hi8 camera.
Yet all I see is noise when putting in the tapes in the camcorder.
Now here is the strange thing, it will record and playback whatever I record...on one of her tapes.
I have read in the manual it can use the 8mm, hi8 or digital8 tapes.

What I don't know is why this camera will not play what has been already recorded.
So I don't know if the camcorder..something is wrong with it or whether her original camcorder was
a hi8 or a 8mm or a digital8.

How do I go about figuring this out?
How could I tell if something is wrong with this camcorder?
List me some models that will play everything...that looks like what I need at this point.

[kpmedia]

My initial thought is the camera is bad. It is out of alignment, not the tapes.

[Steve(MS)]

I'll take a closer look at the head drum.
Do the heads look similar to the heads in a vcr?
That is, there is slots at the bottom of the drum.
It is hard for my older eyes to see that far.
The heads don't protrude and I see what appears to be copper wiring on top of them.
You are probably right...the heads.

I don't know if I can send it back though as it has been some time since I got it.
Didn't have the tapes and then the flu epidemic broke out bad here...I wouldn't go anywhere.
Then I lost my most recent bookmarks when I had to reinstall windows on my laptop.
Anyway..I'll see how many days the seller will allow for return.
Seller claimed it was in excellent condition...LOL
The problem is..ebay is a crapshoot...especially on delicate items such as this, vcrs, dvd recorders, etc.

[NJRoadfan]

Well the camera DOES work, the seller was correct. It just doesn't play back your tapes. There is a slight possibility they are Digital-8 recordings, but if the tapes are older then 1999 (the year D8 debuted) they are definitely analog. I've had decent luck with camcorders on ebay. They are much easier to ship then VCRs, so less chance of damage.

[volksjager]

i have a CCD-TRV65 that does the same thing
it plays its own tapes perfect but no others - it is out of alignment.

as NJ said - make sure you dont have tape made on a D8 cam
if you are sure your tapes are Video8 or Hi8 then i would try to send it back for a refund.

i think all the Digital8 cams with model number DCR-TRV320 and higher play everything.
also the D8 Walkmans will too.

[Steve(MS)]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJRoadfan

Well the camera DOES work, the seller was correct. It just doesn't play back your tapes. There is a slight possibility they are Digital-8 recordings, but if the tapes are older then 1999 (the year D8 debuted) they are definitely analog. I've had decent luck with camcorders on ebay. They are much easier to ship then VCRs, so less chance of damage.

That is the thing stalling me too, is the fact that it will record and then playback its own recording.
The tapes are likely no older than 1998...yet she doesn't know what the camera was and I certainly
don't know.
I have even thought about the tapes may have been either accidentally or on purpose demagnetized.
She went through an ugly divorce years back.

Reading the manual, I came across a statement to the effect of if the tape is recorded on a different
camcorder in LP, even if it is the exact model number, playback may not be reliable.

"If you record in the LP mode, a mosaic-like noise may appear or sound may be interrupted when you playback the tape on other camcorders or VCRs."

Quote:

Originally Posted by volksjager

i have a CCD-TRV65 that does the same thing
it plays its own tapes perfect but no others - it is out of alignment.

as NJ said - make sure you dont have tape made on a D8 cam
if you are sure your tapes are Video8 or Hi8 then i would try to send it back for a refund.

At the present time, I can't rule out the possibility that the recordings are Digital 8...

[NJRoadfan]

Just in case it wasn't clear, Digital 8 recordings can be made on standard or Hi-8 tapes. Sony discouraged using the standard tapes but didn't stop someone from using them. The only limitation is that the camcorder will not record in LP mode to standard 8mm tapes.

[Steve(MS)]

If some of you would, send me a PM with recommendation of the better models...if there is a difference.
I wouldn't want to bid against others here perhaps wanting the same model.
Or if there is a list somewhere....

Does anyone here know how to do an align for specific tapes?
I'll do some search engines and see what I can find...

[volksjager]

i posted a list of the better Hi8 cams somewhere on here - if you can confirm they are in fact Hi8.
if they are Digital 8 any DCR-TRV D8 cam will work.
getting are DCR-TRV320 or higher will cover all the bases.
(just make sure you get a D8 and not a mini-DV model)

[kpmedia]

This was a good list.

Quote:

Originally Posted by volksjager

these model I know to be S-video out, stereo out and have TBC:
CCD-TRV62
CCD-TRV65
CCD-TRV66
CCD-TRV70
CCD-TRV72
CCD-TRV82
CCD-TRV85
CCD-TRV87
CCD-TRV99
CCD-TRV101
CCD-TRV615