I’m spring cleaning ! And have found a box with a broken Canon MV 650 camera and a load of mini DV tapes. Is there any way we can play the tapes and see what we’ve got on them? The camera is beyond repair.
Thanks for any advice / suggestions.
You would need another miniDV camcorder (or player), which you could buy fairly cheaply on eBay - but the issue with that could be what condition it’s in, and also potentially with head alignment - tapes tend to play back best on the machines they were recorded on, although digital tapes are less prone to that problem than analog ones.
To get the video off it for the future, you would also need to be able to connect the camcorder to your computer - digital camcorders of that period tended to use the Firewire system which is now obsolete, though it is theoretically possible to connect a Firewire camcorder to a modern PC or Mac’s USB socket via a rather kludgy confection of cables and adapters. And then you need video software…
Option 2 is to give the tapes to a copying service and have them transferred either to DVD or as digital files on a USB memory stick.
Depends what’s likely to be on them… e.g. any (ahem) “personal” home movies… 
If someone locally has a mini DV camcorder you could borrow just to see if the tapes are worth saving that would be the cheapest initial solution, then I would give the “keepers” to a transfer service.
2 Likes
Absolutely. And no, nothing risqué 
We lead a very quiet life.
Thanks for your suggestions.
2 Likes
I’d go with camera - a used but working MV 650i seems to be in the £50-100 bracket depending on condition and accessories on eBay UK. Dedicated players are much more expensive.
I’m looking on eBay (thanks for the suggestion @billybutcher )and have found a Canon MV500i MiniDV Camcorder for quite a good price. Does the camcorder have to be exactly the same model as ours? Or would another Canon model that accepts miniDV cassettes be ok?
Any MiniDV camcorder should work - it doesn’t have to be a Canon, though they are a popular brand so there should be a few to choose from. Sony or Panasonic would be another possibility.
I would avoid more obscure brands though, and make sure it’s 100% working, or there is a returns policy if it turns out not to be as described.
You may find this article useful!
1 Like
Thanks Chris.