I have a Sony TRV-250 digital8 camcorder I bought last August for about $210. It was a demo model from Last Chance Deals on ebay. It worked fine when I got it and thereafter, but I got it to play my old D8 tapes after my TRV-730 got stolen, so I don't use much. It's been sitting in a cabinet for the last few months since I used it with no problems.

But now when I turn it on, I get sound but no picture! Just black, on the LCD and the viewfinder. It plays tapes fine with picture and everything and I have checked all the settings for display and everything looks right.

The playback is fine, it will play video and show up when in the VCR mode, but when it is in record mode there is no picture. The video output is set to LCD also. The problem is obviously not the LCD but must be something gone wrong with the video capture mechanism somewhere (CCD maybe?) or something equally hard to get to and expensive to replace, sigh...

What could possibly have gone wrong while it was just sitting there? Now that the year warranty has expired two months ago, what options do I have?'

Thanks.

JohnnyRay,
2 basic things come to mind:
First I assume you removed the lens cap.
Second, did you leave the aperture menu in "manual" at the minimum setting?
Then the iris would be closed and no picture would be showing even after a restart, except that the menus would appear on the LCD... Do they?

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- Pete

It still works for the purpose that you bought it for so I guess all is not lost? Other than what Pete said, I can only think of trying to exercise the mode switch back and forth a few times to see if you might clear some corrosion that might keep it from going into "camera" mode? You are selecting camera mode aren't you? You are getting the menu and all the displays associated with Data Code and Display modes on your LCD?

Look at it this way....you really only had a 90 day warranty to start with (you pay the labor after 90 days which eats you alive immediately). So you are 8 months past your 90 day warranty.

It might be "back to ebay time". Since you didn't buy it to take more D8 video, maybe you already have a MiniDV camcorder so it is no big deal. Just hurry up and convert your old D8 tapes to MiniDV while that part still works.

Dave

Yes, I took the lens cap off, lol (actually, this camera came with everything EXCEPT a lens cap and I JUST got one to put on it, ironically enough) first thing I tried.

And, yes, the menus all show up fine and I have tried changing every setting including the Program AE, Auto Shutter, etc. I tried recording but got black video and sound, that is all.

I do have a Sony TRV18 DV camcorder, so yes, this was mainly to play the D8 tapes onto my Mac for making iMovies and DVDs, but still, I had hoped to get much more used out of it than this short of a time (especially after having the first one stolen before I even had it a year!).

Thanks for the tips. Any other ideas about possible causes or cures will be most welcome.

JR

I have the same problem; camera functions normally, bbut everything is black. I haven't used the camera in months, but the video I took then was fine and played back in LCD great. Camera was purchased in March 2004 for $249 at chain electronics store. I've used maybe three hours total.

Did you have any luck getting yours fixed? I called Sony - $231 to fix. Called local places - at least $50 at one place. I hate to put any more money into it if it malfunctions after 7 very rarely used months. My parts warranty expires in 4 months.

My parents and sister have old models of the same camera - no problems. I hate to think Sony knows about this problem and didn't recall or offer a solution. I won't make this mistake with Sony again.

Let me know if you chose to fix the camera and what the results were. Thank you!!

That is odd that you have the same problem (and after having it sit for a long period of inactivity too, just as mine did). I'm afraid that after seeking answers in a couple of places and finding no quick solution I gave up trying to find one. I have another Sony DV camcorder that I use as my main recorder so it was easy to put this one off. I know that I certainly don't want to pay $200+ to get it repaired by Sony when I only paid that much for it to begin with! I did not have this problem with my Sony TRV-730 (before it was stolen) nor have i had the problem with my other Sony (TRV-18). Is your model the TRV-250 as well? If so, it may be some problem particular to that model.

I wish I could give you some solution or option (I know I had to reset the date and time on mine as if some internal battery had died while it was sitting, maybe that has something to do with the problem, but pressing the reset button so far has not helped bring the video in record mode back). If you do find an answer somewhere please also let me know either here or by e-mail (johneray at excite.com). Thanks and good luck.

Did you mention that you can use neither the LCD nor the viewfinder?

I am having exaclty the same problem with the same model DCR TRV-250. Bought 1 year back in Oct 2003. Last used in July, 2004. Since then it was not used. Took out the camcorder 2 days back and found it cannot record video. There is no picture in the viewfinder/LCD. But can record audio. There is no problem in playing back old recordings. Tried with all the settings, of no use.

Sony should do something as it seems to be a known issue now.

That is a shame. It does seem like Sony used a part in the 250 that fails while just setting on the shelf? If they were good, thoughtful, responsible company, they should do something to help those unfortunate enough to have bought one of these units. But we all know that isn't going to happen.

If it were me I would probably power it up using AC power and let it set "powered up in camera mode" for several days, just to see if having power applied over an extended period would revive the failed component? Since everybody is sure they have the lens cap off and they don't have manual exposure selected and at the same time have it turned all the way down? Probably the CCD or a closely associate component has failed and it probably won't repair itself?

At least the VCR section still works so you can dub your existing tapes over to MiniDV if you decided to switch to that format.

Dave

I don't believe in a CCD going bad because it sits on a shelf for months, nor any other electronic part for that matter.
So what's the difference between sitting on a shelf in the store and at your place ? The battery. New cams don't have the battery installed.

I don't know if that model has an easy accessible button battery or if it's inside the cam. If you can reach it, take it out, take the power battery off also and leave it sit 24 hours. If you can't remove the button cell, take the power battery off, press the reset for at least 3 seconds, install the battery (do not power on) and let it charge the power battery. Once full, power on, set date and time (if correct already, change it a day or so) and try recording.

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Have a nice day

I just wanted to chime in that I have the same problem with my TRV-250. The only difference is that the viewfinder/recording isn't totally black all the time. It is mainly black with some vertical noise and sometimes you can see a ghost image through the haze but otherwise it seems to be the same problem. The playback still works fine etc.. so it is some component in the record path that is failing. I will check for a button battery but I don't hold out much hope that it would effect anything other than the settings such as date, time and settings that you enter yourself.

Addendum to original post:

I just tried it again and now it is completely black. I guess the failure is progressive.

I have the same problem with my TRV 250. Bought it in Jan 2004 from BH Photo & Video. It worked fine until Nov 2004 when the picture did not show on either the LCD or viewfinder. I was able to go through the menus, but that was it. Although the camera was still under its 1 year warrantee, Sony South Africa ( I currently live in SA) did not want to fix the camera because I did not bough it in South Africa !! I logged a complaint with Sony the mother company about two months ago and have still not heard from them.

Learning from this forum that this is a common problem with this model I am outraged about the poor service we receive from Sony. How can I get hold of someone at Sony who is able to assist in clearing up this problem?

If this is how Sony does business I will try me best to steer clear from their products in the future.

Sony is very careful to limit the publics access to them when it comes to problems with their equipment. They really don't want to hear about any problems. Their warranty is only for 90 days on labor so in reality you only have a 90 day warranty. Their labor charges are so outrageous after the 90 days that they could give you free parts for 100 years and still make a huge profit. I think they consider your 250 a disposable item?

There should have been a Limited Warranty in the documentation package that was packed with your 250? If your 250 was made to be sold in the USA market, here is the address and phone number that was packed with my TRV720 D8 camcorder. The 720 is 3 years older than your 250 but they probably haven't changed addresses or telephone numbers in that time?

Sony Direct Response Center
12451 Gateway Blvd.
Fort Myers, FL 33913
1-(800)-222-7669

Good Luck.

Dave

Just put new post on myself regarding my Sony 140e, exact same problem.

Same problem with Sony DCR-TRV250:
> No picture in Record Mode in both LCD and viewfinder (black screen)
> Menus appear in LCD and viewfinder though
> Audio works
> LCD and viewfinder work fine in VCR mode

I've checked all the settings, tried the reset button, recharged the internal battery - all with no effect.

I bought it Jan. 2004, last used is at Christmas 2004, then only one month later I have no picture. Total recording time was less than 4 hours.

I did a test recording with no picture, and the aperture setting was F1.6 - which means wide open, I think, not closed.

Since it's not an LCD problem, I didn't try the other suggestions having to do with the LCD panel, LCD brightness, etc.

Has anyone solved this problem?

Has anyone had their camcorder repaired? What was the problem and how much did it cost to fix?

JohnK