How to Playback a Recording on a Camcorder

There are only a few simple steps to reviewing your footage on a camcorder. The process differs, of course, from camcorder to camcorder, but this eHow article will help you identify some of the basic guidelines to playback your recording on a camcorder.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Owner's manual
• Camcorder

1. Locate the LCD screen on your camcorder. This typically detaches and swings out of the side of your camera, and it is shaped like a rectangle. Near the LCD screen, or sometimes near the viewfinder, is a switch that turns your camcorder on.

2. Push your main-control button (the button that turns your camcorder on and switches it between modes) to the playback feature. This mode is usually portrayed with a play-button decal above it or beside it.

3. Pull the LCD screen away from the camera, either leaving it adjacent to the side of the camcorder, or rotating it around and placing it back against the side of it.

4. The screen should be colored blue at this point and, in many cameras, a time feature appears in the upper right hand corner. This tells you how far along in the footage you are from the beginning.

5. Press the rewind button above your screen. On some camcorders, the LCD will act as a touch screen, but in most models there will be external buttons. You may have to hold the button down to keep it rewinding.

6. Wait for the film to stop rewinding and press play. If you are looking for a place in the middle of your footage, stop where you think your desired location is.

7. Now that the footage is playing, you can use the fast-forward and rewind button while viewing the footage at the same time.

Tips & Warnings

• Most cameras are capable of playing footage in slow motion. To do this, press the pause button first, and then play. In some cameras, you may have to press pause, and then fast forward.
• In most cases, it is best to place the LCD screen back against the side of your camera. When it is adjacent to the camera, it is sometimes more difficult to see the footage.
• If you are not completely satisfied after viewing the footage, a few simple steps can be followed to hook up your camera to a television.
• Don’t forget that the image you’re viewing on the LCD screen is a constrained image, and it may appear of a lesser quality than it actually is.