The LCD monitor of my HDR-HC1 is dead. It started out as the infamous flexible ribbon cable problem where the picture was gone unless I folded it flat against the camcorder body. Instead of paying $400 to have it fixed, I tried the DIY approach to replace the cable and of course it didn't work :-). Furthermore, the LCD is now dead even when folded back against the body, so I'm left with no means of changing the camera settings since the touch screen is the only interface. I was wondering if anyone knows if the camera settings can be changed using a computer over firewire/usb. The video capture software only has basic tape controls. I guess it would have to be a Sony app if there's one. I want to set the mic levels to "manual" since I bought this nice AT875R shotgun mic and a Juicedlink RM222 preamp, but the user manual says the the mic levels setting automatically gets reset to "auto" if the camera is turned off for more than 24 hours. So even if there were a software solution, it may not be practical. I guess it's time to upgrade. The Sony NEX-7 is looking like a nice and big upgrade...
