I have tapes with videos on them. I want to put them on the computer but I never did in about a year. I finally got around to doing it. I know there is video on the tapes but when I play them they don't show up. It almost looks like the tapes are blank. But they are not. Just blue screen. And the timer that shows tape position is blank. It was working for a bit before but it stops working again and then starts up again. It was playing and everything. But now its back to what it was before. I haven't used the camera in a year. Fully Charged. It takes digital pictures on the SD card perfectly. Its happening to all the tapes. About 7 of them. None of them read.

Some photo stores know how to do it or they know a repair person, good luck.

CONVERT to DVD CONVERT to DVDWe can Help YOU.
FILMS8mm Films + 16mm Films +
VIDEOALL Videos on Tape - Any Tape = (Analog Tape and Digital Tape) + ALL Digital Devices + MiniDVDs + Cell Phones +
AUDIOAudio - Tapes / Cassettes + Audio - "Reel to Reel" +Audio - Vinyl LP Records +Audio - Digital Recording Devices+
PHOTOS & SLIDESPhotos +Slides +
PAPERPaper Documents + Legal Papers + Legal Contracts +Maps +Drawings.(For Storage, Achieving and Fast Retrieval of Information. It works like the Internet on DVD with a WORD SEARCH.)

ALL These recordings are being destroyed by the atmosphere - with time - even if you don't play it. Think of your FUTURE GENERATIONS to come. NOT just your Children and Grandchildren. Think of 500 years time - 1000 years time. Think BIG..You need the BEST QUALITY - for them.
OUR PROCEDURE IS THE BEST PROCEDURE - BEST QUALITY
From your tape, we 1st amplify and boost the signal (to Retain the best final quality),this signal is then digitized,the digitized signal is placed on the time line in the computer.
On the time line we can immediately Create your DVD in the computer and then Burn your DVD copies. orOn the time line we can do Editing and then Create your DVD in the computer and then Burn your DVD copies.orOn the time line we can do Editing and then Create your DVD in the computer with a Landing Page with Scene Selection Buttons (Chapter Markers) and then Burn your DVD copies.
After discussion, you tell us how to proceed.
Video Recording Centre & Photographywww.photoandvideo.co.za+27 11-786-8782 +27 11-885-1392Mervin [email protected]

Use the lead and software which came with the camcorder when new

Well please please do not sling that camera out of your bedroom window when I tell you that Sony have dropped making cameras with the DVD media, all other makers are doing the same, as they fould DVD cameras never ever did work 100% and I hear Hard-Drive cameras are going same way soon, TAPE, yes TAPE is the only way anyone ought to put special times on.

Hello Ron,
Well that is like you say an old camera, mind you 8mm is still far the best and safest way to store your valued films as it has kept the data on those tapes longer than any DVD ever did, remember unlike we thought 10 years ago a DVD only has around 8 to 10 years life span, we are finding CD & DVD productions that are over 8 years old just wont play any longer.
Kodak put a report on the net 7 years ago that they found even some quite costly DVD recorded media had gone blank and refused to play after a very short time in storage.
I think you ought to look around Ebay, find a nice HI8 digital camera, put your loved tapes in that, plug the new Firewire cable into the camera, and your PC and download your treasured items to another media like DVD.
Keep your 8mm tapes in a draw safe though because they will out-live all DVD recordings I can honestly say that.
David

try to use sony discs they are already formatted for sony video cams. less likely to getting errors. try putting it in a cpu and finallize from its burner drive. if not basically you have lost all the footage.

Many HDV cameras and decks are able to play and record DV as well as the higher-resolution HDV format. Additionally, many of these HDV devices will attempt to automatically change their settings to match the format of the tape that it's playing. Here are some tips for using these types of devices with Final Cut Pro / Final Cut Express.
Tip: Make explicit settings on your HDV device. Instead of using an "Auto" setting, make your own settings on your HDV device to keep the communication going between it and Final Cut Pro / Final Cut Express. This also helps Final Cut Pro / Final Cut Express keep things running smoothly with HDV devices that handle both DV-NTSC and DV-PAL.
For example, say you're using an HDV deck to capture footage from a tape that was recorded as DV-NTSC. Before capturing in Final Cut Pro / Final Cut Express, make sure that you set the deck to DV mode specifically—don't rely on Auto mode. With some devices, you may need to disconnect it from FireWire to change the mode.
For a common capture workflow, this sequence of steps can provide the best results:

1. Quit Final Cut Pro / Final Cut Express if it's open.
2. Insert your tape into your HDV deck or camcorder.
3. Use the device's menus to set it to match the format that's recorded on the tape.
4. Connect your HDV device to your computer with a FireWire cable.
5. Open Final Cut Pro / Final Cut Express.
6. Choose an Easy Setup for DV or HDV (whichever matches the format recorded on your tape).
7. Proceed to Log and Capture.

Tip: Quit Final Cut Pro / Final Cut Express before changing modes. It's generally a good idea to quit Final Cut Pro / Final Cut Express before you change the mode on your device from DV to HDV, or from HDV to DV, and then re-open the application again.
Tip: Use an Easy Setup to play back non-default HDV format footage on your HDV device. You can use Final Cut Pro / Final Cut Express to make your HDV device play back footage in its non-default HDV format. For example, maybe you have a 1080i60 HDV device and want to play back footage that was recorded as 1080i50. Or perhaps you have a 1808i50 HDV device and you want to play back footage that was recorded as 1080i60. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Connect your camera to your computer.
2. In Final Cut Pro / Final Cut Express, choose an HDV preset Easy Setup that matches the format of the tape's footage (you don't need to restart Final Cut Pro / Final Cut Express).
3. Your device's LCD display should automatically display a switch to 60 or 50, indicating the type of media that's being played.

Playing back non-default DV format footage on your HDV device You can also use your HDV device to play back footage in its non-default DV format too. For example, maybe you have a 1080i60 HDV device and want to play back footage that was recorded as DV-PAL. Or maybe you have a 1080i50 HDV device and want to play back footage that was recorded as DV-NTSC. If so, follow these steps:

1. Make sure that your device is in DV/DVCAM mode.
2. Put your device into Play/Pause mode, then open the Log and Capture window in Final Cut Pro / Final Cut Express.
3. Make sure that your device's LCD (or other readout screen) displays the same format as your tape or Final Cut Pro / Final Cut Express will misinterpret what type of device you have.

Tip: Avoid recording both HDV and DV formats on the same tape. Use separate tapes whenever you want to record in a different format. If you need to record over existing footage in a different format (for example, you have a tape with DV-PAL on it, but you want to record over it with HDV 1080i50), it's a good idea to black and code the tape, or completely record over the old footage with contiguous recording in the new format. If the tape contains even a second of, say, DV in the middle of an HDV tape (or vice versa), it could cause unexpected results later when you try to capture video from that tape.
For more information, see HD and Broadcast Formats and the Final Cut Pro / Final Cut Express User Manual, available under the Final Cut Pro / Final Cut Express Help menu

The tapes are B/W or one of the playback video heads is not making contact with the tape. The video head may need to be adjusted. You can take it in to get it fixed or buy a new one. The unit today is worth around $25-$30.

My camera is on unit in safeguard mode and it says eject and reinstall tape! What do you suggest??

Hi Luigi, Have you tried playing the tapes on a different camcoder we would want to start by a process of eleimination.