as a fellow mvc 500 owner, I may have some advice:
is the screen totally blank or does the imace look all wavy like scarmbled tv?
it seems that sony got a bad batch of ccd chips.
other than the lack of image, does the camera make the clicking noise when you press the shutter?
if so, since i have one i can walk you through finalizing the disk to see if it takes a picture. then you would know if it is the screen or the ccd.
also goto
Sony eSupport - MVC-CD500 - News & Alerts
***the following was cut and pasted from sonys website listed above*****
Posted: 11/27/2006
Thank you for your support and patronage of Sony products.
It has come to our attention that a limited number of products, manufactured before March 2004, and incorporating a certain type of image sensor device (CCD), may exhibit the following:
When the product is used in camera mode, the LCD panel and/or electronic viewfinder exhibits either a distorted image or no image at all.
We have determined that this only occurs in a limited number of devices, but may be accelerated if they are exposed to hot and humid environments.
Until September 30, 2008, Sony will repair, free of charge, affected products exhibiting the above-mentioned symptom where it is caused by the image sensor device. Sony will also cover the cost of shipping and handling from and to addresses within the United States and US Territories for service to correct this issue.
All the terms of your Sony Limited Warranty continue to apply.
Follow the steps below to determine if your product may be affected by this issue and require service.
Step 1 - Perform Troubleshooting:
Perform the troubleshooting steps below to determine if your model is affected by the CCD issue.
Troubleshooting Steps
Camcorders Digital Still Cameras
Power On your camcorder (make sure the battery is fully charged).
Check the LCD screen and verify that the display icons are turned on. If you cannot see the icons, press the Display button until the icons are visible.
Put a tape in the camcorder.
With the lens cap off, record some video. NOTE: Be sure to speak during the recording so the video will contain your voice.
Rewind this section of the tape (using tape counter to verify start of your recording).
Play back the recorded video and use the LCD screen on the camcorder to view it. You should hear the audio you recorded and the Display icons/text will still appear.
If your camcorder is affected by this CCD issue, the picture will either be extremely distorted as illustrated in Figure A below, or there will be no visible picture (just a blank LCD screen with the display icons still visible) as illustrated in Figure B below.
Camcorder Figure A
Camcorder Figure B
Make sure Memory Stick® media is inserted into the camera.
Select Movie mode on the camera.
Turn the power on to the camera.
Check the LCD screen and verify that the display icons are turned on. If you cannot see the icons, press the Display button until the icons are visible.
With the lens cap open or off, record some video. NOTE: Be sure to speak during the recording so the video will contain your voice.
Select Play mode on the camera and play back the recorded movie using the LCD screen on the camera to view it. You should hear the audio you recorded and the Display icons/text will still appear.
If your camera is affected by this CCD issue, the picture will be either extremely distorted as illustrated in Figure A below, or there will be no visible picture (just a blank LCD screen with the display icons still visible) as illustrated in Figure B below.
Camera Figure A
Camera Figure B
Please note:
The CCD is the part of the camcorder or camera that is used to receive the image from the lens, therefore this issue will only affect the unit's ability to record a picture but the unit will still record sound.
Playback of recorded videos after the CCD issue occurred will result in either no picture or smeared colors on the screen (Figure A).
Playback of recorded videos before the CCD issue occurred will playback fine in the camcorder or camera for both picture and sound.
Step 2 - Results:
IMPORTANT NOTE: To be eligible for this no-charge service, your product must be experiencing the distorted or blank image problem on the LCD screen as described above. Sony will not provide this no-charge repair for product that is not exhibiting this issue or that has failed due to the abuse, misuse, or neglect of the product after its original purchase at retail.
After following the above troubleshooting steps, does the image on your camera or camcorder match Figure A or Figure B above?
***
mine had the wavy pictures.yours may exhibit the blank screen
they fixed mine in a week and had it back good as new!!!!
they even paid postage.
hope this helps.
let me know how it turns out.
-STM