On Oct 2, 11:23 pm, "les" wrote:
Hi...
I have an 8 YO Sony DV Camcorder that has been having fits lately.
Error codes C:31:42 mostly. I have a service manual, but this being
a computer based system, there's specialized service equipment and
jigs needed to test and align, as I see in the manual. I'm ready to throw
in the towel and ship out for service.
I called Sony here, and they don't repair camcorders. They refered to
a local service dealer. It turns out he doesn't do it either. I looked at
the
Sony website, my model doesn't even raise a blip, except they made this
cam at one time. An online search also was fruitless............
Does anyone have sources for Sony repairs, outside of my attempts?
Thanks for any suggestions! (model DCR-TRV103)
(this raises the next dilemna of how anyone can store family videos in a
constantly evolving format. How do networks archive their footage?
How do they know if their media will be retrievable in 20 years?)

Les

1) Whenever you describe your camcorder, make sure you specify it is
Digital8 format. Just saying DV confuses with miniDV tapes, which are
smaller.

2) Digital8 is still very much viable. Most don't know this, but the
code on the tape is exactly the same (given same resolution and color
quality) as miniDV, only the size of the tapes is different. Each
format has many cameras of different resolutions, but codec is same.

3) I'm sure you can find someplace to service it, but you might also
consider purchasing a used Digital8 from eBay or such. I've had 4 D8
cameras, starting with the TRV103. That is about the lowest level,
storing only about 290K pixels per frame. Better quality record 570K
per frame, and some even 790K, like the TRV740, which I consider the
best D8 available. (I may be off by 20K on the numbers, but they're
in the ballpark.) All Sony Digital8 camcorders will play your
archive tapes. I have over 200 tapes and keep 2 camcorders around for
archive purposes. It's not worth the effort to copy to another
format.

4) for example, my 740 was giving me some problems, so I bought a
TRV280 on eBay for under $100. It didn't have a battery, or AC
charger, or remote, but my 740 batteries are the same, etc. The 280
works great, and now my 740 has started working again. Since I've
moved on to HD, these are only to read my archives and whittle down
the long list of editing projects.

Jim McGauhey
Washington State