I have an error saying C:31:20 and beeping when i go to record or playback. the place where the cassette goes will not pop up either!

Hi
If you have a dual cassette deck, then one deck will only play cassettes,whilst the other will have a record facility as well.
Basically you need to place the original cassette in the play only deck and the target cassette in the record/play deck.
Start the playback in the play only deck and immediately press the record and play buttons together on the record deck. Some decks have high speed dubbing but this varies so much that you will need to consult your manual for this.
Cheers

Turn the main power button "on" first, it is located on the skinny side of the recorder opposite of the function knob. Press eject to open the cassette door and install a microcassette tape, with the tape facing the function knob side. close the cassette door and that should load the tape and allow the tape head and pinch roller to move into place for recording or playback. pull the function knob down or push it up to record. If you go into record a red light should come "on" the top, to indicate good batteries and the record function is initiated. After recording pull the function knob all the way down to rewind the recording,when you release the button the unit goes into the play mode automatically. Make sure that the button that reads (off--- vor/fplay) is in the off position.
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Sounds like and error message to me.
Best to take it to a technician for diagnosis.

Al

toshiba 420 error message when using -rw

The loading deck is out of sequence Check to see that the loader is in the correct position. reset & it should work properly

You may try the following troubleshooting steps:
Remove the battery of the Camcorder for one minute and re-insert the battery to check whether it works.
You may try resetting the Camcorder by pressing the RESET button located on it.
You may also check whether the issue occurs for all the tapes.
If the issue occurs with all the Tapes then it seems that internal parts of the Camcorder are malfunctioning.
Hence, the Camcorder requires service.

Hello. First, try placing the cassette into another known-good camcorder to verify that you actually recorded something on the tape! Next, use a good quality head cleaner--the type that uses a small amount of liquid. There is a small chance that the heads in the rotating drum are very dirty and preventing video information transfer.There are 2 video information sources in a camcorder. The CCD, in record mode, sends video information to a rotating drum which transfers it to the tape that is wound around it. This image is visible in the viewfinder and on the lcd screen. In playback mode, the rotating drum simply picks up the information off the magnetic tape. It is entirely possible that damaged circuitry is blocking video info to the drum and preventing it from being transferred to the tape. Additionally, when trying to play back a pre-recorded tape, the information might be blocked by the same damaged circuitry so you don't see anything--yet you know it's there. You'll see everything live in the viewfinder and on the lcd screen because that comes directly off the CCD chip. If the tape HAS your video on it, then there is a playback circuit problem only. I'm surprised you didn't see any error codes in the display. In either case, you will HAVE to send the unit in for repair. Send it to a repair facility directly--a retail store will add considerable cost to your bill needlessly.--- Hope I helped you.---Rick

P.S. I have the DCR-TRV530 and love it! They are good units and Sony has an excellent repair history.

when mechanism pops out to eject, wait until it completly comes out, deattache battery immediately, and Pull lever as per below mentioned picture. Cassette door will be open and place cassette. Close it and attache the battery. Camera is ready to Record or Playback.

Take the battery out and turn selection switch to camera and then turn it off. Put the battery back in and its working again.
if that doesn't work try
Try smacking the side of the camera relatively hard with the palm of your hand. Eject the tape and reinsert. You may need to do this a couple of times.

I had the same problem. I would suggest going to the service with it. The "head" needs changing.