Hi need some help,When i turn on the camcorder it has the little red tape icon flashing in the middle of the screen. IT will not play or record, can you help. Cheers Andrew

you are prohibited from recording on thips tape. This is because the red tab on the side of the tape that faces you when you are inserting the tape inside the camera has been put in 'SAVE' position . to be able to record o the tape you need to use your fingernail to slide the red tab to the 'REC' position.

Ive extracted the following article for you from wilkepedia to help you understand this issue:
Tape and recording protection
The write-protect switch (right) prevents accidental erasure. .
To prevent the recording on the tape from being erased, there is a small write-protect tab that can be moved to one of two positions, labeled "REC" and "SAVE". Comparing the sliding tab to a door, the tape is in the "REC" position is when the "door" is open and the "SAVE" position when it is closed. (Not all tape cases have markings for this information!) The tape can only be recorded on (or recorded over) when this tab is in the "REC" position. This is an improved version of the VHS write-protect tab, which prevents erasure after it has been (permanently) broken off.

there should be a little tab on the tape that can be moved (the one on my tape is red) if it is closed it stops the tape from being able to record anything and if it is open you should not see the protection on the screen

Remove the DV tape from the camcorder and check the position of the red tab on top of the tape. Reverse the position and see if it protection goes away.

G'day,

I also have the same problem and after almost buying a replacement I thought I would try one time to get it to go.

What I did was start the cam without a tape in it, let it bring up the little red icon indicating no tape inserted, (it hadn't started flashing "PLEASE RE-OPERATE AFTER PUSHING RESET BUTTON" at this stage) then I inserted my tape. Hey presto, it works although for how long I don't know. I'll immediately start burn my tapes to disc while the going is good.

Hope this helps someone

Check if there is a tape in the camcorder and check the record safe tab on the tape. (The little white or red tab on the bottom right of the tape.)

Clean the heads - search the Net for 'wet' versus 'dry' tapes.

I had the exact same problem; my tape icon was flashing red with a line through it and the recorder would not record, no matter how hard I begged it to. After a full day of frustration, I called the videographer who had used it previously. There is a little trick.

1. Open the exterior tape door with the "Eject" button.
2. Wait, dont touch the tape. The little metal encasement will pop over and open within a few seconds.
3. To properly put the tape in, insert tape, push the little metal door that sais "Push this first".
4. Then push the exterior door closed.

Voila! Thats all there is to it!

You need keep the power plugged in and allow the internal battery to recharge as it may have discharged due to lack of use.
Alternativley the internal battery may need replacing by a qualified engineer. You should know if this is the problem as it usually denoted by a red flashing battery with a line striking through it.

I have a Sony handy cam ccd-trv108 Hi-8 and I can not get it to play or record, everytime I insert the tape and hit play the display screen flashes c:31.22 Please help me?

You may have a problem with the image sensor device (CCD). From October 3, 2005 through October 2, 2007, Sony will repair, free of charge, affected products exhibiting the above-mentioned problem where it is caused by the image sensor device. Sony will also cover the cost of shipping and handling from and to addresses within the United States and US Territories for service to correct this issue. To see if you have this problem: Power On your camcorder (make sure the battery is fully charged). Check the LCD screen and verify that the display icons are turned on. If you cannot see the icons, press the Display button until the icons are visible. Put a tape in the camcorder. With the lens cap off, record some video. NOTE: Be sure to speak during the recording so the video will contain your voice. Rewind this section of the tape (using tape counter to verify start of your recording). Play back the recorded video and use the LCD screen on the camcorder to view it. You should hear the audio you recorded and the Display icons/text will still appear. If your camcorder is affected by this CCD issue, the picture will either be extremely distorted, or there will be no visible picture (just a blank LCD screen with the display icons still visible).