Sony Camcorder- no play back

susieb1967

Hi- hope someone can help me
I have a Sony DCR HC14E. Suddenly cant get a picture on playback, Picture comes on the lcd when recording and everything seems to be functioning ok there but just get the blue screen on playback, tried different tapes and also tried recording something new, but no joy!
Have tried detaching battery and leaving for a minute and have also pressed the reset button, all to no avail!!

Anyone any clues?

Thanks in anticipation!

winalot

hi susie
i think you should try a headcleaner cassette - i used a tdk one from ebay on mine and it fixed it sony hc19 - it didnt' say it needed headcleaing and i didnt think it would work but it did.

GJenkins

Yep almost definately a dirty head! Unlike Analogue heads (such as VHS recorders) digital tapes read the individual pixel information from the tapes. This is why they are called digital and give perfect clarity in much the same way as DVD gives a perfect picture. Unfortunately, this means they are extremely sensitive and even the slightest hint of dirt can cause problems. The coating from tapes usually are the source of this dirt and is quite normal for them to do this.
You will usually experience parallel lines before the picture goes completely blue but this isnt always the case.

Do not try to clean the head using cotton buds, clothes etc as this will PERMANENTLY damage the head! Always use the cleaning tapes specifically designed for the task.

You can get tapes like the TDK one that was mentioned earlier. In fact the TDK ones work great. The coating on the cleaning tapes are specifically designed to disolve the oxide left behind from normal usage.

They can be quite expensive but I have found them on ebay for around a fiver (shipped from china) and are a very good investment!

susieb1967

Thanks for your help guys- It worked:j