Fixed this problem on my 3 1/2 year old DCR TRV17 camcorder by purchasing a new battery. Could also be a faulty tape, or a problem with the tape drive mechanism.

i think this is an obsolecence error sony build in for the handycam after 3 / 4 years. who knows what goes wrong in the mind of the machine. frustrating sometimes just taking the battery on & off works.