HDR-HC1 video camera won't close after you put the tape in. Hmm

hi,
i have a HVR-A1E that uses the same mechanism and it is a real s...t, i used this cam only a few times and had same problem...
i found out on blogs that is a default on those cams... i had to buy another cam to be able to read the recordings i made !
i went to this solution, i bought a FW recorder that records in real time with included battery and hard disk, because the only really sure repair is to change all mechanism (more money than buying another cam !) and must be done by a professional because the mechanism is extremely sensible to mount and adjust !
i tryied many things: let the door open for a long time and then reboot, try to move a little gear that is the responsible of the problem, putting a bit of mechanic oil, and nothing worked !
the problem comes from a little gear that have troubles to move correctly, and this gear is also activating a sensor that says to the main board, that the door is well closed or not...
cheers,
mich

Tape mechanism problems can be quite complicated but they can usually be repaired fairly inexpensively (much less than the $800 Sony will charge). However, it's not a user serviceable problem and will need to be repaired by a qualified service technician.

My name is Rick and I'm a professional repair technician with over 20 years in the business and have repaired many of these. I'm semi retired and work from home with little overhead so I can keep repair costs low. If you decide to have the camera repaired, please click HERE for a directory listing that suits your needs.

If this response has been of any help to you, please be sure and give a positive vote for me on FixYa.com .

http://www.eserviceinfo.com/download.php?fileid=42561
You will need to download all 6 parts and then extract the files.

touchscreen problem on the HDR-HC1 is usually caused by a broken flex cable. service manual is a must-have; it illustrates the correct disassembly and replacement procedures for the cables.

Make sure your camera is set to Play/Edit mode.

What if there's no tape inside of the camera, does it still same?

With camera powered on try depressing the "Reset" button with a pencil/ball point pen. Then try again it may help.

I had this exact problem, and the cycling would stop after about 30 sec. and then function properly. I believe a circuit was confused, mainly because I used an older battery and let it run out till the batt was dead - accidently - and when I put in a fresh batt, it no longer cycled and works perfectly to this day.

Now if I can get my computer to recognize the camera via firewire, I'd be golden.