I purchased a Sony Handycam a few years back, along with a two-year extended warranty. The camcorder worked great the first year, but it developed an issue with the cassette holder. When I tried to record or play a cassette, I began to get Sony's version of the "blue screen of death," accompanied by text instructions to "reinsert cassette."
It initially occurred fairly randomly, and I was able to reinsert the cassette and continue, but after a month, even that was no longer possible. I called Sony to report the problem and to see how best to proceed, since it was still under warranty. After explaining the issue to the technical support representative, I asked him if this was a common problem. His response was that it was very strange, and he had not heard of this happening before.
Yet if you enter into any search engine the words "Sony Handycam rei," you will see "Sony Handycam reinsert cassette error" come up as an option. Selecting it will result in multiple Internet entries on this particular error. The favorite solution is as follows:
Trust me on this one... with tape still in unit and battery removed, smack both sides of unit firmly three to four times with the heel of your hand. It works nine out of 10 times on all Sony cameras.
Further research revealed various possible reasons for the error -- one site says a pinch roller worked its way off its post because of a cheap locking nut. Another site says a cable needs to be reseated. Yet another says the cassette holder is out of alignment. There are even YouTube videos of people explaining the correct procedure for smacking your camera. The problem seems to be endemic across model numbers, although the tech rep at Sony was unaware that there was an issue.
I tried the usual troubleshooting techniques, although I must admit I am out of my element with camcorders. I tried cleaning the unit, examining parts that were exposed enough for a visual inspection, powering down the unit and resetting it, trying a different cassette, and yes, I admit it, smacking it (according to the experts on YouTube, who at least knew there was a problem). Since it was inoperable anyway, smacking it made me feel better. Smacking actually worked a couple of times before it finally refused to work at all. Ultimately, I could not get rid of the error, and the camcorder was now completely useless. It was a shame, too. Besides the issue of basic functionality, every other feature on it worked well.
This entry was submitted by Nancy Golden and edited by Rob Spiegel.
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Growing up, we had a TV from about 1970. In the 90's, we bought a VCR and after a few years, the TV required a good smack on top of it every time we used the VCR to alleviate a wavy screen. This worked for a few years until we got a new TV. I do not know what the smack did, but it felt good and it worked.
When I was growing up, we only had one TV as was typical in those days...a knob-tuning black and white 19-inch tube TV. From a very young age, I remember the standard family practice to get a better picture was to slap the top of the TV with an open hand...and it worked! (My Dad was an EE.) That old TV lasted forever though, so I was a teenager by the time we got a new-fangled color TV.
I haven't had to smack TV's since, except for when they broke after a few years. The old TV's seem to last much longer. I hope my new LCD HDTV's last a good few years, but I recently had to replace our first LCD TV at four years old.
The cost to repair electronics these days always seems to equal or exceed the cost of a new unit, so that means disposable consumer electronics.
What can I say - A few months back the power supply for my Dell laptop died. Like any good DIY fixer, I gave it a few small bumps and noticed the little green light flicker. Seeing some hope, I gave it a good forceful smack - and the thing came back to life. Its still going.
Sometime smacking can work for computers also. I know a couple people at work who have used the smacking technique - or perhaps more accurately described as the pick-it-up-and-slam-it-down technique. While this did not actually "fix" the computer, it successfully made it completely inoperable which meant that our computer tech friends had to finally quite fooling with the old PC and bring them a new one.
Nancy, I'm with you on that thought. Some of them get it and see the need for recycling, etc., but I think the whole concept of throwaway products is what they're used to, so it's a fish-in-water thing.
I agree Ann, and it is a shame. A telling point is that our teenage kids do not expect longevity in products - for them, throw-away is the norm and they are the next generation...
Nancy, I think all TVs were like that in the 50s and 60s, and so were stereo systems (but not the record player!). Like you, I've been surprised, and disappointed, to see just how short consumer electronics lifecycles have become. The throwaway society does not encourage good consumer product or machine design, among other things.
Use to call it percussive repair. Got to know where to pound, kick or slap though. Lately it seems that dislocated shoulders are using same technique;-).
gafisher - Smacking the salesperson's desk sounds pretty satisfying too...or the desk of the Sony rep who thought the problem was just an isolated incident...the problem is, these people are unreachable - the product was purchased at a Best Buy or some such store with an extended warranty added at the cash register.
My job at a local aerospace manufacturer included repooling mecury wetted relays. Just had to smack it on the bench in the right direction. Most times it worked. If not then it was time to replace one of the relays. Also repsitioning or resequencing the boards would help to identify just which one was bad. The other thing I did was vacuum the ATE to the tune of $35/ hr. What a job!
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