Cant record The playback is good. The volume for recording is good. But when I go to record, there is just a black screen.

Open volume control.
When the box with all the sliders opens up click on OPTIONS (top left)
Click PROERTIES
Tick RECORDING then clck OK
The slider box will swap to the RECORDING slider box
Select the one you want to use as the recording SOURCE and put a tick in the box at the bottom. (in your case MIC)
You can also set the recording level here too. (1/2 way is a good starting point)
Now click OPTIONS once again
Then PROPERTIES
Now tick PLAYBACK and then OK
You should now be back in the normal playback slider box
Whilst you were in the properties for either recordeing or playback you may have noticed a list of devices to show then as sliders tick them as needed

Right click on the speaker in the bottom corner (or go to sound in the control panel) and go to playback devices. Then click speakers, then click properties. Go to the levels tab and mute/lower the volume of the microphones.

if you can playback good old recorded tapes fine. you can record audio but no video ? this is the ccd. samsung is known for this in alot of there products ...did it get dropped or bumped really hard ?

if you have the setting to avi it will not show up, you will get sound but know pic just a black screen, try the dvd setting and the the other dv setting.

If your Sony camera DCR-HC30 doesn't show live view to record and playback previous recordings good then its problem of bad CCD Imager and this part will be replaced.
Sony will repair your camera free of cost and you will pay shipping charges only. Click Sony CCD Support for details.
Thank you.

I'm assuming your speakers work and you're running Windows XP. Please correct me if otherwise.

There are two settings for the microphone in Windows XP. One is for the volume of the mic you hear through the speakers. The other is for the recording volume of the microphone (and the volume others here when you speak to them through Skype or another program).

First check the recording volume:
Volume Manager (double click on speaker icon on your taskbar) -> Options -> Properties -> Recording -> OK -> Make sure the Microphone slider is at least halfway turned up and make sure the Microphone is selected

Next check the playback volume:
Volume Manager -> Options -> Properties -> Playback -> OK -> Make sure the Microphone isn't muted and adjust the volume according to your preferences

Hey Tex

You are on the right track, sounds like a noisy volume control. Can often be repaired with a squirt of cleaner spray into the potentiometer assembly.But I suggest you use crc2-26 contact lubricant spray, not silicone spray which is a great materials lubricant, but not electrical. Worst case, the Vol Potentiometer, may have to be replaced. Go for the CRC first and see how it goes. Good Luck, happy FixYa

regards
Graeme

If it plays back pre recorded tapes then there is nothing wrong with that section of the unit. Does it playback audio and not picture or does it not playback anything.
Also, when trying to playback a recording what is seen of the screen? Snow(black and white dots or wiggly picture?

The unit uses two separate circuits to record and playback tapes. Is any thing else connected to the unit while you are recording? If you are using anything plugged into other ports on the recorder it may not see the camera input causing it to not record anything..

You can see an image in a camcorder viewfinder any time the camera's actually on in record mode, whether or not the camcorder is actually recording. So that's no guarantee.

Assuming the obvious (you have the right kind of tapes, they're not in write-protect mode, you rewind before playing, etc). I recommend that you borrow a tape of the same kind from someone else and check it on playback in your camcorder. This should lead you know understand if you have a playback problem or a recording problem.

i am having microphone problems. the person i am talking to cant hear anything as its volume is too less. when i record anything in sound recorder, the stuff is recorded but the volume is low that i cant hear anything during playback