You modify camcorder memory values entirely at your own risk!

Procedure for modifying memory values and updating checksums:
(not for the faint hearted, or those who haven't got a clue what is going on)

Checksum - and what to do if it all goes wrong

It is important to note that the camcorder's memory has a checksum which is always tested on start-up when the power source is reconnected after having been disconnected. If the camcorder has been switched off but a power source is still connected - ie there is a charged battery on the camcorder or the mains unit is connected and switched on - switching on the camcorder will not cause the checksum to be tested. For the checksum to be tested the camcorder must be isolated from all power sources for a minute or two, then a power source reconnected and the camcorder switched on. If an invalid checksum is found, the camcorder will be locked. It is not damaged, and it is possible to rectify the situation. The data must be corrected, but the problem is that in these circumstances the camcorder turns off after approx. 5 - 10 seconds, and the LANC port does not work. It is possible that the camcorder may work well enough to give access via the LANC port to the memory for the old data to be rewritten, but ony by continually opening and closing the cassette door. It is highly impractical for one person to do this while rewriting the data, so it inevitably becomes a 2-person job.

The latest version of DVin lite (version 1.7) has an "emergency" button. If the camcorder is locked, the emergency mode may be invoked so that the data may be easily rewritten. The locked camcorder must be switched off and the power source(s) removed. This means physically removing the battery and unplugging the cable from the mains unit (if connected). The camcorder must then be connected to the PC's parallel port using a suitable interface (adapter) cable, and DVin lite V1.7 started. When the message: "Check cable ..." appears, click on "YES". Connect a power source (either a charged battery or the mains unit) and then press the "Emergency" button. Wait approx 20 seconds untiil the next message appears, and and the camcorder should then be able to accept the correct data.

A few comments on the objectives and procedures

The following codes are for 2nd generation Sony D8 camcorders, .eg. TRV120E, TRV125E, . . .TR8000 only and should not be tried on any other type of camcorder, not even a Sony D8 camcorder of a different generation. To change memory values from the original to the new, bit manipulation is required. When using DVin Lite or an alternative Sony RM95 emulator to access the camcorder's memory, values are returned (and new values must be entered) in hexadecimal. It is therefore necessary to convert the returned value from hex into binary, change the specified bit(s), and then convert back into hex before updating that memory location with the new value. For this a binary/decimal/hex conversion facility would be useful. The Windows calculator included with Windows ME (and possibly also other versions of Windows) is ideal for this, as conversion may be carried out on any entered value at the click of a mouse button.

Note that the bit assigments are:

bit 7 (msb) . . . bit 0 (lsb)

Consequently for a given hex value of FF or less, bits 0 to 3 are represented by the right hand character of the 2 character pair, and bits 4 to 7are represented by the left hand character. All camcorder memory values encountered to date by Video Pages have been of the 2 hex character (8 bit) type, ie FF(h) or less.

It would be prudent to make a note of the original value in case it becomes necessary to revert to it at any time. When all the new data has been entered, it is mandatory to update the checksums, or the camcorder will be locked, ie will fail to start, when the power source is next disconnected and reconnected. See above for the necessary remedial action if this occurs. Unless specified, all changes are to memory values on page 0D(h), 13 (dec), except that "memory write enable" and "checksum update enable" are on page 00(h), and the checksums are updated on page 0F(h) as specified in the procedure panel above. Memory write must first be enabled before changes can be made to any other memory location. It is also essential to disable memory write after all the required changes have been made, so that memory data is not subsequently corrupted.

The new memory values given in the table below and functions thus enabled have been derived from Martin Smola's web site, but with corrections and more details added. Note that they have only been tested by Video Pages on two examples of the TRV320E model, although Mr. Smola reports that the values are applicable to all the second generation Digital-8 models from Sony (ie models made from approx May 2000 to April 2001).

MEMORY
LOCATION

ACTION

DETAILS OF THE FUNCTION
TO BE ENABLED

OD:14

set bit 1 to 1

PLAYER / VTR MODE (RECORD ENABLING)

This enables recording via the DV (Firewire / iLink / IEEE1394) or analogue sockets.

OD:16

set bit 3 to 1

FRAME RECORDING

This will appear as a new item in the CAMERA SET menu (press start/stop to record 12-13 frames)

OD:16

set bit 4 to 1

INTERVAL RECORDING

This will appear as a new item "INT. REC" in the CAMERA SET menu. Sub-menu options are INTERVAL, REC TIME

OD:1A

set bit 7 to 1

SHOW APERTURE (F/STOP) AND GAIN

Aperture (f/stop) and gain are displayed in the viewfinder when in manual exposure mode. Once enabled, this occurs automatically without having to select it in a menu. Note that this information does not appear if the camcorder is being used in automatic exposure mode.

OD:1B

set bit 5 to 1

ZEBRA EFFECT

Useful for both manual and automatic exposure. A zebra stripe warning will appear in any region of over exposure. This appears as a new option in LCD SET menu. If the warning appears when in auto mode, it is probably because the auto system is setting the exposure for the average luminance level of the scene, and only small highlights are bleaching out. To correct this, select manual exposure and reduce the aperture until the warning disappears. If this results in unacceptable loss of detail in the darker areas of the scene, possible solutions to the problem are either to increase the exposure and tolerate the bleaching out of over-bright areas, or to bring additional lighting to bear on the darker areas.

An alternative means of preventing such over-exposure (with the attendant appearance of zebra-pattern warning if selected) is to set the camera to auto exposure mode, then select the "spotlight" Program AE mode. This will apply a gamma correction to the exposure response, and bring down the over-exposure of the highlights to within acceptable exposure limits.

OD:1E

set bit 0 to 1

set bit 7 to 1

COLOUR BARS

This will appear in the OTHERS menu. It is possible to record calibration colour bars to tape. When doing so, microphone sound is also recorded.

OD:23

set bit 1 to 1

WHITE BALANCE - MANUAL OPTION

This works after restarting. A new menu item - WHITE BALANCE - will appear in MANUAL SET. Options are AUTO, HOLD, OUTDOOR, INDOOR. The HOLD function memorises the last value from AUTO (allow for delay in AUTO adjusting to the ambient light).

OD:2C

set bit 0 to 1

DV-in (FIREWIRE INPUT ENABLE)

Camcorder must be set in VTR mode (address 14 bit 1 to 1).
When bit 0 = 0, only the analogue inputs work.

OD:2C

set bit 6 to 1

A/V DVout MODE ENABLE

A/D converter in Player mode. It is INDEPENDENT of status of VTR or DV-in.

The following modifications were tried, with at best only partial success, but more usually with a complete lack of success. Readers of this page are advised to avoid making these modifications.

0D:1E

GAIN SHIFT

Probably will not work.
This enables a new gain shift menu item in CAMERA mode for switching the gain between 0dB and -3dB. We think that it supposed to work only in auto exposure mode, but we could not see any difference between the 2 settings when we tried it on a TRV320E

0D:23

MIC LEVEL

This modification may only work partially, if it actually works at all.
This is supposed to enable manual control of the audio signal level for microphones. Has no effect on some models, and worked only after a fashion on the TRV320E tested. Using the test camcorder, the mic. level was set using the notched selector wheel (for the menu / exposure system), and the sound level received and recorded was shown on a simple one line bar graph at the bottom right of the viewfinder. However, the mic. socket required a far higher level than expected to drive it, more like line level input than mic. level.

OD:2B

DV editing

This did not work either on the TRV320E or the TRV620E tested. It was not tested on a TRV120E, but the same lack of success is to be expected.
This brings up a new menu item "DV editing" in "Others", but the hardware appears not to support the software commands. When the camera was set to replay mode and connected via an IEEE1394 lead to an input-enabled Digital-8 or Mini-DV camera and the function selected, the "ready" indication came up in the viewfinder (& on the LCD), but the function would not proceed beyond this point.

OD:2C

set bit 2 to 1

ESP/ELP MODE ENABLE

This modification probably will not work at all.
Extra long playing time for cassettes. (ESP/ELP mode). Has no effect on some models. Although the options came up in the menu system on the TRV320E tested, the function itself did not work. In the case of the example tested, if ESP was selected the camcorder reported ESP mode in the viewfinder but ran in SP mode, and if ELP was selected, the camcorder reported ELP mode in the viewfinder but ran in LP mode,

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