I was getting a message clean heads, so I bought the cleaning mini DV to insert. I pressed the button to open the door where the mini DV tape is and it popped up, but will not pop open to release the tape. What can I do? The camera beeps and flashes a message, remove the tape, but the door will not pop open. Thanks

two ways, buy a mini dv cleaning cassette, two if you do not have one, put the cam in play mode, hit play, than fast forward button for a min, the tape going fast sometimes cleans the head. not just fast forward but play, than ff so the tape is hitting the head, other than that, the cam has to be taken apart and the heads cleaned with the proper cleaning solution and PROPER brush as not to hurt the fragile heads
Dave

Pull the battery out to reset it. Get a DV tape cleaner to clean out the tape deck.

That should solve both.

reset the camcorder. (open the tape deck and you'll see a small hole that says reset on it) press and hold the button inside the hole for 3 secs. then also clean the tape head(the metal thing that reads the tape. with a q tip.

that is a sony thing....you must insert and run the cleaning tape for 10 seconds before any other feature will work...no cleaning tape, no operation of the device. my deck and sony cameras all do the same thing.

Yes, need to clean video head of camcorder.
Put MiniDV head cleaning tape in camera and clean its video head as per instructions on cleaning tape.
Thanks.

Gray horizontal lines across the screen in playback is symptom of dirty / clogged video head and you need to use good quality mini-dv video head cleaning tape to clean video head.

To get rid of the DV IF flashing go to >menu>systems>DV control ...OFF. (page 63 in the instruction manual)

Please try to buy a head cleaning tape and put in your camera and play for three times..Then record a cassette and play,if you are not getting the picture replace the drum assy and check.

I had the exact same problem; my tape icon was flashing red with a line through it and the recorder would not record, no matter how hard I begged it to. After a full day of frustration, I called the videographer who had used it previously. There is a little trick.

1. Open the exterior tape door with the "Eject" button.
2. Wait, dont touch the tape. The little metal encasement will pop over and open within a few seconds.
3. To properly put the tape in, insert tape, push the little metal door that sais "Push this first".
4. Then push the exterior door closed.

Voila! Thats all there is to it!

From my poin of view cyliner (rotary head) have poor conection or this parts will be replace.