Sony mp 8 mm & sony hi8 same camcoder tape or not

SOURCE: Camcorder won't playback most Hi8 tapes

may be your camera not design to play the analog tape...there are some model that can playback a analog tape...i think your camera is for digital playback only.... check your user manual

SOURCE: imovie imports Hi8 tape but not plain 8 tapes

What it is, is the standard 8mm tapes are not digital, and therefore won't import into imovie, unless you have the 8mm to Hi8 option enabled in playback mode, by setting it in the menu, under playback settings.

SOURCE: Sony Hi8 Eject Tape Issue

Cournane1, you're genius; at first I thought you're just teasing; I got the same problem and spent many hours trying, and finally took your advice - it works !!!! SUPER !!!

SOURCE: Hi8 mp tape in sony hi8 camera

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/news-item.pl?mdl=CCDTRV128&news_id=161

SOURCE: How can I view hi8 video tapes on my VCR My HI 8

VHS units are not capable of reading Hi8 video. You could have a shop transfer your recordings for a nominal service charge but if you have many tapes you may want to have your own unit repaired. You could purchase another unit second hand but be wary of doing so as the tracking could be slightly different to your own one and you would need a service centre to adjust it anyway. Best of luck!