Which Sony Digital8 can I rely on for archiving

[Ahmed]

Hi,

I bought a couple of old sony digital 8 camcorders hoping to use them for playing back my originals for backing up to dvd for everyday use but I quickly found out that the sony DCR TRV-255 has a known reliability issue whereby it suddenly stops recording, but all other functions work OK.

I only came upon a problem when the first second-hand machine failed on delivery, I put it down to damage in transit, but then a second machine, bought from someone I know, also failed within a few months of VERY light use and led me to do a web search for reliability issues...
I want to get yet another Sony digital 8 as I have Digital 8, Hi8 and video 8 tapes of my family growing up and so the footage is extremely precious, as you can appreciate, to me.

What old Sony machines have been trouble free please?

[MarkE19]

If you can play back old recordings ok on the failed D8 cam then the chances are it is suffering from the known 'black screen of death' issue. This is where the CCD's in the cam fail due to a dodgy batch from Sony (also in other makes of camcorders and digital stills cameras). If this is the case then Sony were (and perhaps still are) offering a free repair, even when out of warrenty.

Have a look on the Sony web site for details and to check if your model is one of those effected.

Mark.

[Ahmed]

Thanks, mark, I have duly registered on the Sony website as my machine is one of the large group afflicted, so I wait to hear if they will do the decent thing, but I am not overly hopeful!!
But one good thing, while on the knowledgebase, it did list the full model range with this problem so I can now make a more informed 3rd purchase.