20 Most Recent Sony Handycam CCD-TR517 Camcorder Questions & Answers

Your camcorder is sending out an analog rf signal - current tv tuners are designed to work with digital signals. You can still feed your set with conventional video and audio outputs. If you want to go the rf route you can use one of those converters that you had to get years ago when the broadcasting system changed over to digital. Feed camcorder rf into it and out put it to your new set on channel three or four.

Assuming that you want to do your video work later (editing,DVD burning)in your PC.


1.Your PC must have video capture device(either built-in or add-on).
2.Properly set your video editing software to able to capture video form your device.
3.Connect your camera to your PC in regular manner,like when you connect it to your TV.
4.Have your camera in PLAYBACK mode.wind the tape to the beginning of the footage you want to capture.
5.Open your editing software.turn on capture mode.
6.Start capture.At the same time,start playing back the footage on the cam.
7.When all footage were captured,click stop capture.
8.Start your editing work.
9.when complete,save it to some uncompressed video format like *.avi for later burning to DVD or converting to other format.



For beginners,I recommend Windows Movie Maker video editing software that should come bundled in almost every computer.It's fast,simple but effective enough for home-movie work.Once your project is completed,save your movie in original .avi format for later burning to DVD,etc.



BTW forget the old-school Linear Editing (on the tape) thing.It's slow,complicate and much less flexible than Non-Linear method.

This is usually caused by a failed component in the moisture detection circuitry within the camera and can usually be repaired fairly inexpensively. However, it's not a user serviceable problem and will need to be repaired qualified service technician.

My name is Rick and I'm a professional repair technician with over 20 years in the business and have repaired many of these. I'm semi retired and work from home with little overhead so I can keep repair costs low. If you decide to have the camera repaired, please click HERE for a directory listing that suits your needs.

If this response has been of any help to you, please be sure and give a positive vote for me on FixYa.com .

sometimes there can be something stucked inside the levers and gears...even small objects can do so...becuz everything inside is very sensitive...or it's having an internal circuit problem

I understand that you wish to transfer recordings from the Camcorder to the a computer. Since the CCD TR517 is an analog Camcorder, driver and software from the manufacturer is not required to transfer videos. You can connect the A/V output of the Camcorder to the A/V input on the Computer and use the Windows Movie Maker software available with the Windows Operating System to capture the videos. Please let me know if you require more details about doing that.

Thanks for understanding.

Sony have made Digital-8 cameras in the past so aquiring a second hand unit is the most likely option.
You can use an A/D (analogueto digital) Converter to get the video into a PC.
Many mini DV cameras can also act as an A/D Converter if the camera has analogue inputs.

This is a capstan code you are getting. It just means the capstan motor which pulls the tape via a toothes belt and reel table ,has stoped when it shouldn't. Lots of things can cause this. I start by cleaning and dring the tape path then check reel torque and see if anything is binding the capstan. I have also seen a flex cable open up on these ls chassis that bring up this code.

The Dew sensor is located deep within the cameras tape mechanism and will require major disassembly to repair.

Failure of the sensor is usually due to degradation of the carbon film used in its construction.

This can be repaired fairly inexpensively. However, it's not a user serviceable problem and will need to be repaired by a qualified service technician.

My name is Rick and I'm a professional repair technician with over 20 years in the business and have repaired many of these. I'm semi retired and work from home with little overhead so I can keep repair costs low. If you decide to have the camera repaired, please click HERE for a directory listing that suits your needs.

If this response has been of any help to you, please be sure and give a positive vote for me on FixYa.com.

You may be better buying another broken one - to use for parts. It should be a lot cheaper.

I have the same unit and the problem your describing comes and goes from the power switch on mine. (wiggle it)

hope this helps (if it don't... get it fixed this is a cam that cant be replaced even broke they bring in 200 on ebay or did a few years ago )