[How To] Best Way To Clean Tape Heads On Any Camcorder

[@thedadtris]

I think it's worth noting that heads have a life span and just go bad after time. When this happens no amount of cleaning is going to fix this. That's why the PD100/PDX10/PD150/PD170 have an hours meter. It allowed the owner to visually see when it might be time to send the camcorder back in to Sony for servicing and or repair. The TRV900/950/VX1000/2000/2100 did not have an hours meter in the menu. The only way of checking the hours on those models was with a certain version of the RM-95 (the model that has the NORADJ sticker on the top left).

[@thatdatvision]

it literally works! man like u deserves a crown!

[@brandoncameracollection]

Glad you got it to work 😊

[@jvmpthegun8188]

Wow!!! Life saver :) this worked for my sonyhi8 camera (so far so good, don’t want to jinx it). I was able to use the Q tip and brushes without removing the door to the cassette door and had to do two deep cleanings (lots of black gunk came off the first round of Q tip cleaning on the rubber roller) but I noticed a huge difference after the first clean. I did a second clean as there was still some minor glitching. Thank you so much for sharing this!!

[@fly1063]

Thank you for your video. I bought pure isopropyl from the pharmacy as well as some solid looking qtips and the quality of the video is just amazing now. My advice for people is to get good quality qtips that dont spread hairs everywhere and the most pure isoprop alcohol to avoid any moisture. Good luck you all, from Switzerland.

[@brandoncameracollection]

Yes I agree I actually really need to get some better q-tips myself. But glad you found my video all the way in Switzerland and I’m glad it helped you 😊

[@shelliecarlson7015]

I watched, years ago, a guy clean VCR heads with an old flannel shirt and a sacrificial VHS tape. He removed the tape in the cassette and used it to fool the VCR into running. Then he dipped the flannel in isopropyl and cleaned the parts while they spun. These days, getting a sacrificial tape is tougher.

[@brandoncameracollection]

That sounds a bit complicated but idk if I would trust that

[@Laquer_Head]

I had my doubts but i tried it anyways and my camera works perfectly now.

[@Supernumerary]

Thank You! I have a Canon XL1, bought 03/98 and a Sony TRV900, bought 02/99. Both work as new, but definitely need this level of cleaning. I will use a small vacuum cleaner to suck up the iron oxide powder that’s in there, instead of attempt to blow it out. I can see a thin layer of iron oxide powder nearby the TRV900’s tape drum. There are small battery powered vacuum cleaners available, which are typically used to clean out a PC enclosure or keyboard.

[@ravichandramohan214]

Thank you My Sony TRV 240 didn’t show picture or sound many years ago. Today after watching your video tho it why not I try. I did every thing you showed . Thanks it worked and I am able to watch my videos.

[@brandoncameracollection]

Awesome I’m glad you got it fixed 😊 it takes a while and is really boring but if you have the patience it will fix a lot of issues

[@sergeantcrow]

I seem to magically gain extra screws when I re assemble my camcorders !

[@brandoncameracollection]

Uh oh 😟 looks like you missed some spots haha should be fine as long as nothing is rattling around

[@sergeantcrow]

@@brandoncameracollection Ha ha... Hi Brandon.. Yes that's it.. :). Three HVR z1u bodies bought cheap, only one deck working.. When I go and open to put deck in best body I think I'll video every step... Good luck with all you are doing..

[@VideoArchive5124]

Bruh lose them

[@Nostalgiainthefuture]

Same thing happened to me last week when I disassembled I Fuji digicam. 😢

[@jamesjr2550]

Back track

[@speakeasyarchives8764]

Chamoi tips swabs are much better than using a brush or paper to clean your head and drum. Nice tutorial.

[@anewbeginningquinn]

Thanks a lot for this video, while putting tapes into my computer with the camcorder, i mixed the various brand and now my camcorder can't read anything. it's most likely because of what you mentionned. i will try to clean the heads and hope for the best

[@adamrourke1586]

I've watched professional repair techs use chamois marketed for helical scan heads. I imagine the flat surfaces of them to be more effective than paint brushes.

[@shabbirdossaji1233]

Very well explained I will now try this but first have to go to Dollar Tree for new paint brush 😂

[@fattlip1958]

Insanely convenient time to upload this🙏

[@brandoncameracollection]

That’s what I’m here for 😎

[@fattlip1958]

@@brandoncameracollection god bless🙏🙏

[@NathanFitzsimmons-ko7yb]

I just Subbed to you! and most of all the camera i had was a Canon Mini DV ZR900 and after following your tutorial i got my childhood camera back up and running, thank you so much for your help! 😁😁

[@brandoncameracollection]

Awesome I’m glad I could help 😊

[@dylanqueen2759]

Dude, my head cleaner cassette stopped working, and I followed along this video. You're a lifesaver!!! Now I can finish editing my home movies in time for Friendsmas! THANK YOU!!! Just out of curiosity, have you ever used one of those portable Walkman style mini DV recorders with the flip-up screen? I was tempted to find one, or even a VCR with a mini DV player. (To record from separately and reduce on my main camcorder)

[@brandoncameracollection]

No I’ve seen some of them but I’ve never checked one out though. I’m glad this video helped you though 😊

[@neilrobinson5115]

Ok thanks,I’ll have a look when it comes.I’m getting it for a knock down price,so I can expect a few faults here and there,but cosmetically it looks good,I’ve just won a Sony RMT-811 remote on eBay to go with it,as it hadn’t got one,some people sell the accessories separately to supposedly get more for the camera,I was the only bidder on remote,so got it for 99p 😂

[@canslawcaddy6662]

I want to thank you so much for this video I now have my sony hdr- fx7 running like new!

[@brandoncameracollection]

Hey that’s awesome glad I could help. Cleaning cameras using this method is time consuming but it’s the best way to get them clean as possible.

[@dianaayllon6784]

Hi Brandon, I recently pulled out my Sony Handicap DCR-TRV530 to see about converting all those analog tapes to digital. It hasn't been used for at least 10 years. It powers up with the power cord, viewfinder works, but when I put in a tape (yes, the tapes have been rewound to the beginning), all I get in the fold-out color display is a blue screen (or in the viewfinder for that matter). Same result no matter which tape I put in (they're definitely not blank tapes but ones that should have video footage on them). Do you think cleaning the video heads is what's required?

[@brandoncameracollection]

Yes I would say you’re tape heads are dirty. Generally with Sony cameras if your screen is blue while trying to watch playback that usually means your tape heads are dirty. Since it can’t read the tapes it won’t display anything. So you can either try my method to clean them or try out a cleaning tape. Although I find that cleaning tapes don’t work very well

[@dianaayllon6784]

@@brandoncameracollection Thanks Brandon! I'll try your method to clean the tape heads first, with the isopropyl alcohol and q-tips. I checked into the head-cleaning tapes but what I suppose is a good one from Sony runs more than $100. Thanks for responding to my question!

[@norlha04]

were u able to fix it?@@dianaayllon6784

[@SuperWhiteLightning8]

Any luck? I'm having the same issue and just ordered a cleaning tape @@dianaayllon6784

[@ivan69drums97]

thank you very much. your video is very clear and i can see how is inside this piece that is like the pisa tower that seems is wrong or broken.

[@Mikebart]

Got a Sony vx2000 with bad heads recently. Gonna attempt this sometime this week, hopefully it works!

[@brandoncameracollection]

Yeah definitely give it a go just be patient and persists. If you get tired of doing it just take a break and come back to it later. It is very time consuming

[@status_data]

That model of cam used to have this problems, try with a av capturer so uou don't need tapes anymore

[@Mikebart]

@@status_data upgraded to a vx1000 that is still able to read tapes. Mini dv forever!

[@brandoncameracollection]

I’d love to get a vx1000 some day

[@limeylimelime]

​@Brandon Alldredge I have a vm-2000a hitachi recorder and I'm trying to figure out why it isn't recording/rewinding/playing tapes. I suspect the video drum because that's the (probable) source of the horrible noise it started making, after I fixed the also common issue of the belt being broken, making the ejection option impossible. It all works great now, just not recording or really functioning at all on the VTR side

[@grandtheftauto1233]

Thanks for the video I have a handy cam 8 I think it was minimal use but it plays back video barely and it’s all garbled like the sync is bad. The tape is from the 90s I don’t have other tapes. Is the garbled playback a symptom of dirty head? Any other causes I could be looking for

[@brandoncameracollection]

If the tape is that old as well it could be deteriorating. If you get a new tape it should help. If not you might have dirty tape heads

[@DanialRezaee-y2g]

Thank you for your valuable video. Can I use glass cleaner instead of alcohol?

[@brandoncameracollection]

Yes but I recommend only using glass cleaner on there rubber roller since rubbing alcohol will dry the rubber out. Everything else that is metal I recommend using rubbing alcohol

[@jefjaeger]

@@brandoncameracollection It should be the 99% alcohol. Cotton swabs can snag the heads (wreck alignment) or leave fibers caught on the heads.

[@olehansen_Norway]

I love your video and with your calming, nice presentation. I have a Sony Dsrpd 100ap and it has troubles with playing back footage. The video is ok, but the audio goes on and off, so the capture program captures in short segments of 1-10 seconds even if there are no change of scene or pauses between within a take. I tried to clean with a Sony cleaning tape. It seemed to improve somewhat. So now I can capture some scenes with audio intact for longer durations. But the DV tapes which I have used another Canon camcorder which is Mini DV and probably 44.1 KHZ audio seems difficult to capture. Here the sound goes on and off constantly. Any Advice? Are these symptoms of dirty video drum head?

[@brandoncameracollection]

Yeah I believe that is dirty tape heads. Try this method in this video and if you you use the q tips you’ll be able to see how dirty everything is

[@tyc2348]

@@brandoncameracollection Hi,my mini dv says condensation operated paused (can’t play tape or record,but it works when it is fully charged)please help 🙏

[@nicolespatella9018]

great tutorial it worked for me ^.^ feeling proud of myself lol

[@brandoncameracollection]

Awesome glad it worked for you😊

[@charlesfick729]

Use denature alcohol only, isopropyl leaves a slight residue, especially on the heads.

[@jvtv99]

awesome tutorial. Does this do the same thing as a head cleaner cassette or are those too old to do the job anymore?

[@brandoncameracollection]

You can still use cleaning cassettes but they don’t clean as good

[@neilrobinson5115]

Great informative video thanks,I’ve got a Sony TRV 950 on the way from eBay,seller said there’s a clicking sound coming from one of the rollers that causes glitches on playback,would the cleaning you have shown us maybe fix this issue?,many thanks.

[@brandoncameracollection]

That I’m not sure on. When you get the camera check the reel gears. They are the gears that drive the tape forward and backwards. If they are plastic gears then one of them could be cracked and broken. I had that issue with my canon xha1. It made that clicking noise and would throw a code. Turns out that gear was completely broken in half. They are relatively easy to replace.

[@WeAreShowboat]

Note, if your old camcorder is playing back movies poorly, see if it is just overheating. I thought my heads were dirty, but I just needed to let the camcorder sit and cool for an hour after about 30 minutes of playback. Then it plays fine for another 30 minutes.

[@Ezequiel_AE]

Hey just curious would you have any idea on how to fix it if the tape ejection doesn't work? Mine is a Sony DCR-HC52 , and any time I try to close the tape mechanism it doesn't close and it just springs back up, neither will it roll back down. Any ideas on how I could fix that?

[@brandoncameracollection]

To get your tape out you pretty much have to take the camera apart to get the tape out. It’s definitely not a fun process haha

[@kaks5229]

Hey Brandon, really imformative video. I just wanted to ask I have been running into playback issues with my panasonic dvx100b. Even if its on vcr mode my screen is just blue cant seem to find my footages but when i check the rec-check option i could view my previous clips. Could this be a tape head issue? Thank you!

[@brandoncameracollection]

I think your tape heads might just be dirty. Usually if you can record but you can’t see any footage in playback or the screen is just blue that’s usually the issue

[@alfredawn7939]

would you make a tutorial on how to fix sony handycam trouble? like the c:32:11, or where the tape wont open/closed?

[@brandoncameracollection]

The error code might be from a loose capstan roller. The rubber roller inside. It has a plastic piece that holds it on. Over time that will crack and break off so you can usually use a piece of the ink tube from one of those cheap bic pens to replace the plastic piece. As for the tape deck not opening I’m not sure why or how that happens

[@alfredawn7939]

@@brandoncameracollection could you make a tutorial on it? maybe one day? im pretty sure dozens of people has this problem!

[@brandoncameracollection]

Yeah I’ll have to do it on a camera that has that problem thank you for the video suggestion 😊

[@alfredawn7939]

@@brandoncameracollection thanks a lot mate!

[@ChrisDonahueIsAMan]

Hey there! Great video. Gave cleaning a shot today but still having issues with playback. Are you knowledgeable on the Canon ZR100? Would love to pick your brain. It almost sounds like it's trying to rev up during playback and then it slows down but showing now video. Love the channel! Thanks.

[@brandoncameracollection]

I’ve used a zr60 and zr45 I assume they’re very similar. Is the screen blue when you try to watch playback?

[@ChrisDonahueIsAMan]

@@brandoncameracollection it is! it was working pretty well and then i stupidly blew into the tape deck. That's why I did the clean up yesterday but it's still doing the revving sound when I try to playback.

[@brandoncameracollection]

@ChrisDonahueIsAMan I would think if there was an issue it would show an error code. I would try cleaning it again and make sure not to blow into the tape deck. And then use a brand new tape to try recording and see if it will preform playback

[@ChrisDonahueIsAMan]

@@brandoncameracollection thanks, I'll give it another cleaning. Have you come across that revving sound I'm talking about? It's definitely still moving the tape forward but just showing a blue screen, maybe a second of video but rarely.

[@brandoncameracollection]

@ChrisDonahueIsAMan well I’m not sure if it’s the same sound you are talking about but my canon gl1 and other ones I have had have extremely loud tape decks. So loud that you can hear it in the audio. And what I have heard is there is a little like sponge roller that rolls against the video drum to keep it clean. Well over time the little sponge gets so gunked up that its starts to make a high pitch sound. I’ve heard you hand just break that little roller off if it has it and it should help. But I’m not sure if the zr100 has that or not. It’s usually under the video drum

[@OrdinarySimonTheJoe]

How do you go about fixing tape decks that ate your tape?

[@brandoncameracollection]

That I’m not sure. I’m still learning how to work on cameras but I would think there might be something wrong with the tape guides. You might take your camera slightly apart to see how if the rollers move properly

[@lizardtwin]

would this method work on a Sony TRV-740?

[@brandoncameracollection]

Yes

[@lizardtwin]

@@brandoncameracollectioni just did it and i’m letting it dry at the moment, but i think i messed up big time

[@lizardtwin]

okay so turns out i didn’t mess it up BUT, the playback is still messed up but it shows like two seconds of the recording which gives me hope. could i send you a email of a video of the footage and give me some recommendations?

[@brandoncameracollection]

@lizardtwin definitely make sure you are using a new tape to record to after you clean the camcorder

[@lizardtwin]

@@brandoncameracollection okay so i figured out how to use the playback feature and it plays the whole recording but it glitches and also, when i stop recording and add another recording, it says cleaning cassette or something

[@bowlofbleach]

I want to try this, but I noticed there is a ribbon cable on the side of the tape deck. Should I try it to take it apart or not? Really anxious about it, tbh. 🤔

[@brandoncameracollection]

Well where that ribbon cable is you would most likely have to take the camera pretty far apart to have to mess with it. A lot of Sony cameras you’ll have to pull one side of the camera apart to easily get to the tape heads. What camera are you using?

[@bowlofbleach]

@@brandoncameracollection Sony DCR-PC109E. I keep getting the error warnings everytime I put my tape in.

[@adefitra6803]

Hi Brandon How about using minidv head cleaner. Do you recommend To use it?

[@brandoncameracollection]

You can but I wouldn’t use it a lot since it’s kind of this cloth material and it is not good for the tape heads. It can make them wear out faster.

[@adefitra6803]

@@brandoncameracollection thanks Brandon

[@charlesfick729]

The manufacturers recommend a head cleaning tape. You can knock the heads ect out of wack plus. They recommend this because heads are very susceptible to fine scratches using Q tips.

[@radio-future]

I have a gl2 thts out of commission. It’s got the tape eject error problem and I can’t find anyone who can fix it around here. Do you do repairs?

[@brandoncameracollection]

I’ve dabbled with working on cameras but I’m not very experienced

[@CHAD-RYAN]

I have an old 1998 sony tr917 i picked up at a thrift store. It works, but i dont have a hi8 tape. The forward, rewind, and play button dont spin the cassette wheels inside. Is that because there is no tape inside or would it still spin without the tape.

[@brandoncameracollection]

I don’t believe they spin if there is no tape inside

[@CHAD-RYAN]

@@brandoncameracollection ok, so they may be good. Thanks

[@cantkeepmedown-6876]

Sick, keeping the legendary trv900 camcorder working in 2022. Cool video man.

[@brandoncameracollection]

Thanks 😊 I’ll have a review out on it next week

[@hiddenheat5108]

hey I just cleaned my sony ccd trv66 with the steps you said and now my cassette holder won’t close it keep opening back up. I use 91% isopropyl alcohol so i’m not sure what the problem is

[@brandoncameracollection]

That’s really odd🤔 I’ve never had a camera do that before. If your camera has a reset button try that or take the battery off while it is on. Close the tape door and wait about a minute. Then reattach the battery with the camera still in record mode and see if that does anything. I’m also wondering if the camera is rejecting the tape because it might still be wet from the alcohol

[@hiddenheat5108]

@@brandoncameracollection shoot still didn’t work not sure what could’ve went wrong

[@hiddenheat5108]

@@brandoncameracollection never mind just got it to close with the cover off. still have a problem with the screen showing blue when i’m trying to play back a tape

[@gamerarabe9578]

I have sony trv 285e i want to open the door manually is there any way the cassette stuck in

[@brandoncameracollection]

If the tape is stuck in the camera you will most likely have to take the camera apart

[@ninagilbert4682]

do you recommend this instead of using a cleaning tape?

[@brandoncameracollection]

Well if you need to have a quick clean then you can use a cleaning tape but I don’t think they do a very good job. If you do use a cleaning tape just make sure to use a brand new tape after or else your camera will get dirty again really fast

[@jennitalbot6785]

How do you feel about the aerosol electronics cleaner? The kind with alcohol, not just compressed air?

[@brandoncameracollection]

You could use it on the pinch rollers but w wouldn’t on the video head just because you don’t want to get it soaking wet on the inside.

[@clerkdkhd]

does the percentage of the alcohol matter and is it ok to use something like nail polish remover as a replacement?

[@brandoncameracollection]

I recommend the highest percent alcohol you can get. And I wouldn’t recommend nail polish but you can use windex if you don’t have alcohol

[@clerkdkhd]

@@brandoncameracollection i looked up the percentage of alcohol in nail polish remover and its 70% do you think its high enough or shoul i use that windex lol.

[@clerkdkhd]

@@brandoncameracollection also thx man not alot of ppl get back that fast much love brotha

[@brandoncameracollection]

Make sure you only use the windex on the rubber roller. Other than that you can only use isopropyl alcohol

[@terencemcculloch3294]

Most nail polished remover is acetone not alcohol.

[@LockerDog]

Is the music public domain?

[@peterdweber]

If my playback is fine through the viewfinder, but there's bad distortion on the s-video and composite output does that sound like a head issue or something else?

[@brandoncameracollection]

I’m wondering if the connection is bad some how or you might have a capacitor leaking inside the camera. But I’m not exactly sure

[@peterdweber]

@@brandoncameracollection Appreciate the reply. Tried fiddling with the connections, but never got anything real great. Was also thinking capacitor, but had no idea where to start going down that road lol.

[@brandoncameracollection]

Yeah to replace capacitors you have to pull the whole camera apart along with knowing how to solder.

[@peterdweber]

@@brandoncameracollection yeah that's not a problem I'll see if I can find a schematic to see what I'm getting myself into before I pull the whole thing apart lol

[@hellloegg8873]

Can I use nail polish remover instead of rubbing alcohol?

[@brandoncameracollection]

No definitely don’t use nail polish remover. Just try to use as close to 100% isopropyl alcohol as possible. I’ve been using 91% and it’s worked ok. You can also use windex but only on the rubber roller. Rubbing alcohol can make that rubber roller dry out and crack. I haven’t had it happen but I’ve heard it does.

[@tyc2348]

Hi,my mini dv says condensation operated paused (can’t play tape or record,but it works when it is fully charged)please help 🙏

[@brandoncameracollection]

That’s very odd. What is the model you have?

[@yitzledee]

Hey, I was hoping you could help me, I have my parents old JVC GR-AXM225, I was rewinding a tape and a piece fell out from the tape cage. I tried to put it back in with tweezers but couldn't. The camera still works but now the time on the tape is wrong, which isn't so bad but I don't know what to do. and I think the tweezers may have scratched the video head how bad is that? would that affect the old tapes or just new ones? Thanks

[@brandoncameracollection]

As long as the camera will still play/record to a tape you should be ok. There is a small battery in the camera that keeps the clock running. You should try replacing that and see if that helps

[@yitzledee]

@@brandoncameracollection Thank you, do you think it's bad if tweezers scratched the video head and if its noticeable?

[@brandoncameracollection]

Yeah it’s definitely not good if you scratched it

[@yitzledee]

@@brandoncameracollection Thanks, how would I know if I did?

[@iritkw]

Hi Brandon! I have a camera that does not recognize the tape, could it be useful to clean the heads? Or is it something more serious? I bought a cleaning tape but it won't let me use it because it doesn't detect it. I would appreciate your opinion. thank you

[@brandoncameracollection]

Yeah you can try it the way I do it in this video.

[@SG-ev8we]

Hey man! So I got an old camcorder (JVC GR-D50E) and while it seems fine, there is a problem with video playback. It gives me an error (E03: Unit in Safeguard Mode - Eject and Reinsert Tape). I tried this with multiple tapes and I always encountered the same issue. The video would play for some seconds until it eventually froze. I tried some of the quick fixes but I can't seem to understand what's wrong. Would it be easy for you if I sent you a photo of the tape heads so that you could tell me what's going on? Thanks for your time!

[@brandoncameracollection]

I feel like jvc mini dv camcorder always have some kind of safeguard mode error. Have you tried cleaning the tape heads? Also make sure the rubber roller doesn’t slide back and forth on the pin. There is a little plastic piece that holds the whole roller on. If that is cracked or completely broken off that rubber roller can fall off or move around causing the camera to throw a code. Happens a lot with any brand of mini dv cameras

[@TamaraInWonderland]

Hi Brandon! I have a TRV-20 I just got in the mail today so I can go back and watch some old recordings I have. It’s saying “No Tape” though, would that be a head problem?

[@brandoncameracollection]

Hmmm if it’s mini dv usually your footage will be really glitch when watching play back. But I have had some where it will tell me to eject the tape as well. So yours very well could be dirty. Try cleaning your heads and se if it helps if it doesn’t work then there could be an issue with your camera recognizing there is a tape. You might be able to look around on KZbin and the internet to see what the issue really is.

[@DoubleMonoLR]

That seems very unlikely, as the message indicates(& the manual explains, always helps to check there first..) it means just that - the camera is reporting that there's no tape inserted. It seems most likely it's just not detecting that a tape is inserted - eg: due to a stuck/faulty sensor.

[@adambentley2448]

he so I have a error code on Sony trv280 it’s c31:23 could that have anything to do with the heads I still have the black rubber piece on there so it’s not that but yeah idk what it could be

[@brandoncameracollection]

You should be able to google what that code is for the trv280. But it could be dirty tape heads. You could also try a brand new tape that hasn’t been recorded to yet and see if it will throw the code. If it does definitely try cleaning the tape heads. A lot of times that can fix weird issues but I’m not guaranteeing anything.

[@RajeevNegi]

I have Sony CCD TRV438E . When i put cassette in it record for 3 seconds and says to re insert the cassette. I am facing problem of dirty cassette head . Please help me how to fix . Is my cassette case damaged?

[@brandoncameracollection]

Best way to know is put it in playback mode and watch the footage back. If the footage is glitchy or you just have a blue screen then the tape heads are dirty

[@RajeevNegi]

@@brandoncameracollection How to clean that tape head and where it is ?

[@brandoncameracollection]

It looks similar to the one in this video just a little bigger and clean all the silver prongs

[@RajeevNegi]

@@brandoncameracollection Thanks buddy 🤘🏼

[@Play-to-earnn]

Hi man I have drop video in my minidv .. any solution ?

[@brandoncameracollection]

Well what is it doing? Is it just a blue screen when you try to preform playback?

[@rsalas921]

By any chance, do you know what “16bit” means? I have it displaying on my screen. I also have the format icon on screen. I never had that displaying. Thank you

[@brandoncameracollection]

So you can chose between 12 and 16 bit audio. 16 but sounds better and I think 12 bit is for like outsourcing the audio. And does your camera take an sd card? It might be asking you to format the card? I’m not quite sure I have seen that before

[@rsalas921]

@@brandoncameracollection it does take sd card. Im actually thinking if I put too much alcohol while cleaning 😑

[@brandoncameracollection]

We’ll let it sit for about 20-30 minutes after cleaning it to let all the alcohol evaporate

[@rsalas921]

@@brandoncameracollection it’s been a whole day and it still glitches. 🫤

[@armidodacco1451]

My TRV900 don't output signal from A/V or S-Video, tips?

[@elcarlocoivxx9045]

I started buying "old" camcorders but the batteries always run out in 5 minutes or never charge ,are there new batteries ?they are all batteries from the 90s? Can I buy new model battery pack that fits old camcorders? I have 2 panasonic PV-L678D/550D And a Sony CCD-TR40 the Sony battery pack is NP-77H the panasonic battery pack is PV-BP18(P-V611)

[@brandoncameracollection]

Ahh well lucky you, you can use the same battery for both of these cameras amzn.to/3BTrLDe

[@OldSchoolDudeGaming]

The batteries should have a model number.

[@Hey_Buzz]

How to fix JVC handycam in mode safeguard

[@brandoncameracollection]

I’ve had the same problem with a jvc I’m pretty sure the tape head was cracked on it.

[@sleestak284]

My canon Xl1s has been eating tapes, do you know any fix to this'?

[@rsalas921]

I used qtips on my drum and headers. Is my camcorder no good no more??

[@rsalas921]

Will it still work? Lol

[@brandoncameracollection]

Well I would put a tape in and try it to see if it works. As long as you know you didn’t snag any of the video heads you should be ok

[@rsalas921]

@@brandoncameracollection I don’t think I did. Thx

[@krishnadevanshu7193]

Hey I am from India. I have a hitachi vme358e camcorder. Actually i found in dad's wardrobe and it was kept for about 15 years untouched. Initially when i played some video tapes, it worked perfectly with crystal clear video. But after playing a few tapes , there was a bit fuzziness in the video and eventually its all fuzzy. When i switch to record mode, it flashes "TAPE". I cleaned all the rollers and head but still the problem persists. Pls tell me what could possibly be the problem with my camcorder.

[@brandoncameracollection]

Well you can always try cleaning it again but from the sounds of that since it has sat unpowered for so long it could have capacitors on the inside that have started to leak which might be why the footage slowly went fuzzy.

[@DoubleMonoLR]

The manual would tell you what the 'tape' message means for your model(though I think 'tape' generally just means the camera as detected some general problem in the tape compartment), & potentially how to fix the problem. I found this from another Hitachi model, and is likely to be much the same: If "TAPE', flashes in the Viewfinder or LCD monitor, remove the cassette and Check that the tape is not damaged, is not slack or no dust adheres to it etc. After making sure that there is no abnormality reinsert the cassette, if 'TAPE' reappears see Troubleshooting: Have you moved the camcorder or cassette from a cold place to a warm place so that its temperature changed abruptly? If the temperature has changed, remove the cassette and set the CAM/OFF/VIDEO switch to OFF, then wait for about one hour. Remove the cassette and then try to reinsert & remove it several times. If the indication is still shown in the viewfinder, use a cleaning tape to clean the heads and replace the cassette. - The fuzziness does seem like the tape heads are dirty, it could also be that your tapes are deteriorating, so clog the heads quickly. It can sometimes take a long time to clean the heads.

[@wondrousphysick9613]

i’ve been having a problem with trying to convert my hi8 tapes to digital but for some reason it looks fine when playing it through my camcorder but whenever i try to digitalize it it looks really glitchy and the audio is horrible. any ideas what it might be? i have examples of it on my channel

[@brandoncameracollection]

What are you using to convert your footage?

[@wondrousphysick9613]

@@brandoncameracollection i am using vidbox with some gold RCA AV cables. the program i’m using is obs studio. no clue what’s up with it. i’m guessing it’s on the camcorders part

[@brandoncameracollection]

I know recorders can have some timing issues I’ve been using the clearclick video to digital 3.0 and it has a timing issue with my Panasonic pv-420. Maybe try a different way to digitize the footage and see if that helps with it. Other than that the tape heads could be dirty.

[@wondrousphysick9613]

@@brandoncameracollection yeah i’ll try out the vidbox software idk why i haven’t done that yet. always heard obs was good but i’ll let you know how it works out

[@DoubleMonoLR]

DVD recorders are the easiest way to transfer footage(especially if DVDs are a suitable end product for you), and give good quality, here at least they can be found cheaply. It's basically what they were made for, so they work very well, and can often even fix some of the flaws caused by rough tapes. Also a lot more convenient than having to have it hooked up for your computer for as long as each tape runs. DVDs also match the interlaced output from a camcorder, this interlacing can be a nuisance when capturing to a pc. If the image looks fine when connected to a tv, it's very unlikely to be the camera causing a problem. Even just showing fine on the camcorders viewfinder/lcd, it's unlikely to be bad on the video output.

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

Hi, a while ago I suggested an adjustment to your title so that it would say "...On Any TAPE Camcorder," since it doesn't apply to just _any_ camcorder as your title currently falsely suggests, and since a given video camera doesn't have to use tape in order to be a camcorder. And you clicked "love" on that, so thank you. Then I replied with the question that if you loved my suggestion, when you would act accordingly on the title. But apparently the site never notified you of my reply. So here's your notification. Since you loved my suggestion, when will you be making the adjustment accordingly?

[@kazekagesama92]

tq so much..now my tapes have no problem..image r clear now

[@peterbc4x4x4x4]

I cleaned my tape heads and now the when I put a tape in and close the door, it keeps ejecting the tape. I can't get the door to stay closed. I still can't push play, ff, or rw and get it to do anything. And I can't record.

[@brandoncameracollection]

What did you use to clean it?

[@masterturk971]

Why did you contaminate the whole alcohol bottle?

[@Orangeflava]

do you know why some tapes play and rewind great and others say head cleaning required and are glitchy? Using the same JVC MINIDV player on all tapes and some play perfectly, some say "head cleaning required, some say "take up reel failure" and some cant even rewind without mangling the tape up.

[@brandoncameracollection]

Well some tapes could be older and more used than others. If the tapes have been used with a lot of other cameras the tape it’s self might be dirty from using it with so many other cameras. But the take up reel failure seems to be a issue on its own. Sound like the pinch rollers aren’t grabbing the tape properly and that’s what is making it eat tapes.

[@victoriamleitner274]

Hi, I followed this tutorial and i cleaned it a few times, but i keep on getting glitchy footage and some tapes are not even recognized by the camera, i cannot record on them, I see STBY -:--:-- all the time at the top right corner. Any advice? I dont know what should i do, im worst than i was when i started

[@brandoncameracollection]

Usually you gotta clean them really good and it takes a while. As for your camera not recording now, did you let it air out before putting a tape in? You need to wait at least 20-30 minutes before you put a tape in to let everything evaporate. And make sure you don’t blow inside the camera. Your breath has condensation and will coat all the components inside the camera. It will make the camera not be able to read the tape.

[@thedadtris]

Your heads might just be bad at this point, in addition to a portion of the tape compartment being faulty.

[@victoriamleitner274]

@@brandoncameracollection I stored it away for almost an hour. I'll try getting a cleaning tape, see if that fixes it. If not, then i guess the heads are indeed worn out ...

[@brandoncameracollection]

Yeah there could be a difference issue going on sorry I couldn’t be of help

[@victoriamleitner274]

@@brandoncameracollection no worries, thanks for all the information you're providing with this video, even tho I'm still having issues I learned a lot about the camera itself, cheers!

[@rsalas921]

This worked but after couple months. It starts glitching again. Help….

[@brandoncameracollection]

It probably needs cleaned again. And make sure you use the same brand of tape every time. Different companies used different kinds of lubricants on the tapes and when you use a bunch of different brand of tapes all those lubricants mix together on the heads and makes the them get dirty faster. Also when you clean it make sure you use a new tape after cleaning it.

[@rsalas921]

@@brandoncameracollection oh ok I see. Well the thing is, is that I’m looking back at old tapes and i have maxell and Sony brand.

[@rsalas921]

@@brandoncameracollection that really makes sense tho. Thank you

[@brandoncameracollection]

Yeah if I was you I would stick with maxell. Seems every camera I get that has a Sony tape in it always has dirty tapeheads.

[@rsalas921]

@@brandoncameracollection I guess I have no other choice but to keep cleaning the heads once I see glitching 🫤 thank you

[@indyracer88]

Mine won't eject. Just makes noise. How can I remove the tape?

[@Nyxius0]

I used qtips and rubbing alcohol no screw drivers needed rubbed it on the spiny rubber parts and the drum thingy and then shoved a tape and pressed rewind and boom it works. 😂

[@brandoncameracollection]

Careful if you use a q-tip to clean the video head you can damage it beyond repair if your rip out the little copper pieces

[@psocik74]

Unfortunately, after cleaning, the camera stopped reading and recording cassettes, although previously it read back with considerable interference. Maybe Ill try cleaning it again

[@CrowdPleeza]

Why don't normal head cleaners clean the heads better?

[@brandoncameracollection]

They don’t seem to pick up as much dirt and stuff. When you clean it with this method you are pulling everything off of the rollers and head drum. And cleaning tapes don’t get down into the holes where the video heads are

[@dovid729]

TRV900 😋

[@Orangeflava]

you had it right with "cotton swabs" then went incorrectly with the name brand of q-tips. I wonder why? every qtip is a cotton swab but not every cotton swab is a qtip.

[@ethreemedia]

Never use alcohol to clean a rubber piece like a capstan! It will dry it out and make it hard. Use Rubber Renew instead.

[@indyracer88]

Mine wont eject anymore

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

Title adjustment: "On Any *Tape* Camcorder."

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

Thanks for your comment love, Brandon! So... since you agree with me, when will you be making this quick and easy adjustment?

[@shauncase5294]

“Tape heads” implies that

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

@@shauncase5294: Haha, no it doesn't. The complete statement is like incorrectly saying "all camcorders use tape."

[@shauncase5294]

@@HelloKittyFanMan look up the definition of imply.

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

@@shauncase5294: I already know the definition of it, duh. Look up the definition of _"any."_ Why do _you_ even care what I told _him,_ ANYway?

[@tcspersonal7889]

There are SO many reasons why I say you don't know what you're talking about. 1. You're calling everything by the wrong name. There's the capstan, a metal cylinder rotated by a motor or it IS the shaft of the motor. (You have this right.) But the rubber cylinder is NOT called the capstan roller. It is the PINCH roller! It is rubber and it's the ONLY thing rubber, unless there are rubber belts below the chassis. The metal guides, some with rollers are NOT pinch rollers as they do not do the pinching of the capstan. If you don't know the correct terms, I'd never trust you to touch MY machines. 2. NEVER put rubbing alcohol on pinch rollers. It dries out the rubber. 3. Lots of black on your swab from the pinch roller? Duhhh. You're almost always going to get black off that, especially if you keep using alcohol. 4. You're saying get aggressive on what you incorrectly call "pinch rollers". (I've already explained that they don't pinch anything.) NO, don't be aggressive anywhere near a VCR; they are delicate machines! NO ONE has ever said use paint brushes! Further proof you're winging it with no real knowledge. You're a danger to all VCRs! 5. You wrongly say don't use Q-Tips on the rollers. NO, there should be nothing to cause the cotton fibers to snag on the rollers; ONLY on the video head. Q-Tips are fine on everything EXCEPT the video heads. 6. Brushing the upper cylinder vertically is DEFINITELY a no no! Are you trying to trick everyone into destroying their machines?? The one good thing you did was wear gloves to prevent grease contamination. Small consolation if you've ruined the machine.

[@Markikarik]

while you sound like a huge asshole, you also do make a couple good points. perhaps try to come off as if you’re trying to help, if you ever want people to listen to your advice.

[@Adidasfighter2006]

Cleaning the Head Drum with White Paper. That is better. The others with Isopropanol is ok...

[@alexey.kondakov]

Music level is too low.

[@brandoncameracollection]

Better than too high I guess 🤷‍♂️

[@clarkhey3286]

omg, he using q-tips

[@brandoncameracollection]

Only on the capstan roller 👀

[@tcspersonal7889]

@@brandoncameracollection But I'm shocked that you (and many others) use isopropyl alcohol on the pinch roller! Don't you realize that will dry it out? That's a no-no!

[@brandoncameracollection]

Yeah you can definitely use like windex on the rubber roller

[@jefjaeger]

@@brandoncameracollection Not Windex either. No alcohol on rubber parts. At all. Ever.

[@tapehouse]

got error 31 : 40 be careful everyone

[@prebaned]

How ironic cleaning a recording device and the video showing how is choppy,fluctuations in lighting, audio is a mess, focus and F stop issues are endless and now I'm dizzy.