Sony hi8 TR930 camcorder will only fast forward

Model CCD TR930: I had one that would load and eject cassettes, but only go into FF, no matter which control button was pressed. So bought an identical model on eBay, and it has the identical problem! So I’m wondering if it might be something on my end… or a software issue… or just where to look.

I replaced an old button battery, but suspect that was only for the clock & display. The viewfinder works, camera mode and video outputs ok, just no playback. And playback is what I need.

Any thoughts most welcome. It’s been a long time since I’ve posted, but iFixit has always been a blessing.

JM