NO Playback with HV30
 

Don't you just hate it when things don't work? Whichever tapes I try and use, new ones or old ones, all I get on the playback facility is the blue screen, both through the eyepiece and on the LCD. The 'play' icon shows there, but there is no footage. The minutes remaining on the tape counter goes down, (exactly as it does in record mode), but the actual hours, minutes, seconds etc facility doesnt count down. Back to Canon, methinks? Anyone else had this?

Were these tapes recorded on that camera? If so then it's gone pear shaped.

If you're not getting timecode, then it's not reading the tape properly.

I had an issue with a single tape--never got it resolved but it hasn't reoccurred. It would play in search but not real time. I suspect the control track head was dirty on record (although I didn't think dv/hdv had one).

Hi Tripp. Yes indeed, they were recorded on the camera, although it was by trying to view footage originally filmed on my XH-A1 that brought the problem to light. The time code shows briefly when I stop or pause the tape, but when I play it disappears. It does countdown the minutes remaining on tape, however, as it does in RECORD mode.

Anyway, the camera has been packed off to the service centre. The warranty had expired on the camera by 5 days!!!, so I shall have to wait and see wht Canon has to say.
Best wishes

I don't know this for certain, but I think the time remaining display information comes from some type of mechanical sensor independent from timecode. This is why you'll get accurate data from that display even on a blank tape without any written timecode.

I think you are correct. It uses a different mechanism for ascertaining the amount of tape remaining. I can only hope that Canon will fix it under warranty, as it has expired by about 5 days.

Had you cleaned the heads?

Hi Andy.
Yes, twice.