How can I fix this VCR? Getting a bad picture

[JDarvall]

Ta Ian.

Black, I think you might be right. Might have to buy a combo machine.

I got some of that alcohol and clean it out thoroughly. I was careful with the drum......but still no improvement on the bad picture. So, it must be something else I'm guessing...... So axe here I come.

[black1]

after a lot of plays the actual tape start to bugger up. so it might not be ya vcr but ya actual tape that you are watching.
but still get a combo ya wont be sorry with the quality of th picture. just treat the dvd disc better then ya do a cd and they will last forever.
next on the list to get is a wide screen tv. i get mine in july (thanks chrisco). cant wait.

[JDarvall]

yeh, I was thinking that about it being the tapes and not the VCR's. But it happens with every tape. So,,(shrug)

Sounds like your spoiling yourself with a wide screen TV. One of those flat ones I suppose....

[rrich]

I don't know how your VCRs play back. Ours offer video out (yellow plug), stereo audio (Red and white plugs) and modulated output (Using channel 3 or 4).

Your picture looks like your TV set is tuned ot channel 3 and the VCR is broadcasting on Channel 4.

[Iain]

Modulated outputs run across the entire RF sprectrum now, but that is a valid point, also if using modulated output check the flylead as these can cause some grief and are notorious for intermittent faults.

[black1]

Sounds like your spoiling yourself with a wide screen TV. One of those flat ones I suppose....

yup a 76cm sony wega flat screen.( the war office wouldnt go for a plasma) (bugger)

[JDarvall]

I don't know how your VCRs play back. Ours offer video out (yellow plug), stereo audio (Red and white plugs) and modulated output (Using channel 3 or 4).

Your picture looks like your TV set is tuned ot channel 3 and the VCR is broadcasting on Channel 4.

Thanks Rich..... I might be missing something important.

My VCR has the yellow, red, and white plugs.....and an output line that I'm guessing sends the video image to the TV ( is that the modulated output your talking about ?)

And I still can't get past the question as to why, till recently, its been working just fine. Do they sometimes put themselves out of tune ? I can't see how the kids would have accidently changed it.

I did try manually re-tuning the picture on channel 4 to see if I could clear it up. But it was already at the best picture possible already.

I'll try it on channel 3 and see what happens. But, like Ian says if they run over all the channels why could it be different? I'll give it a go anyway. Thanks though.

[rrich]

"My VCR has the yellow, red, and white plugs.....and an output line that I'm guessing sends the video image to the TV ( is that the modulated output your talking about ?)" Yes

The TV signal comes into the VCR and is recorded and/or passed through. During this use, the tuner in the TV set can select from any of the channels available on the cable. The VCR can also select any of these channels also. In these uses, both the TV and VCR are passive devices in that they only READ the cable signal.

When you are playing a recorded tape, the VCR becomes an active device. The VCR is generating the signal that is being fed to the TV. The VCR can send the signal to the TV two ways, modulated to look like a TV channel or as a direct video and audio signal. If you have a video input on your TV set, the best quality picture from the VCR will be using the video Input. Some of the newer TV sets have 2 video inputs. The cables don't cost very much and greatly improve the picture. It's just a pain to have to tune the TV to the video input. These cables use the yellow, red and white out connectors. The cables can be purchased for less than $10 here.

If you are using the coax cable (Round cable, usually black and about 7 or 8mm in diameter.) from the VCR to the TV for watching, then the VCR is modulating the signal to the TV. (The VCR is acting as a TV broadcaster and uses channel 3 or 4. Those are the channel numbers that we use in the US, yours may be different.) Usually when the VCR is 'Broadcasting' during playback, the other channels on the cable are blocked from going through the VCR to the TV. When the VCR is in playback mode, the TV must be tuned to the channel that corresponds with the VCR's broadcasting channel.

Usually, in the VCR setup process, there is a place where the channel is defined. Some VCRs use a small slide switch to assign the channel for playback.

There is one other thing that I thought of. Most VCRs (here) have a VCR/TV button on the remote. The control indicators on the VCR usually indicate when the VCR is in VCR/TV mode. This mode forces the VCR into the broadcaster mode. USUALLY, when the VCR is in playback the VCR automatically enters this mode. If this is in the wrong position, the picture could be as you have shown us.

(This is difficult because I am unfamiliar with your TV standards. Although the picture symptom is very familiar.)

There is a possibility that the modulation chip in the VCR has failed. Although if failure was the cause I don't think that you would be seeing a picture as good as you are.

The causes could be something as simple as loss of power and therefore loss of configuration settings. Has the VCR been moved for dusting? Maybe the channel selection switch was bumped and changed. Has theTV tuner lost its configuration? (Also loss of power)

"And I still can't get past the question as to why, till recently, its been working just fine. Do they sometimes put themselves out of tune ? I can't see how the kids would have accidently changed it. "

If your kids are like mine, given a steel ball and a rubber mallet, the steel ball would be the loser every time.

Or maybe the kids trying to use a neighbors video game???

"I'll try it on channel 3 and see what happens. But, like Ian says if they run over all the channels why could it be different?"

Back when TV was in its infantcy, broadcasters could not use adjacent channels due to interference with each other. The VHF Channels 2,3,4 are in adjacent slots, as are 5 & 6, 7 through 13. I don't remember about the UHF channels 14 through 82. When cable came along,they started putting cable channels between 4 & 5 and 6 & 7. The cable has much better electronics and is capable of broadcasting in adjacent channels. Different channel numbers were assigned to the gaps in the regular TV band, but it doesn't matter because your TV set assigns the channel number to the broadcast frequency. On cable there are even channels 0 and 1. Thsi long winded explanation is why there is a channel 3/4 switch on the VCR. If you have a broadcast channel 4 (The norm here in the US) then the VCR uses channel 3 to prevent the local channel from interfering with the VCR. Of course the advance in VCR technology to shut off the signal coming in has reduced the need for the switch, but in most VCRs it is stillthere. (Something about the monkeys and fire hose joke or "We've always done it that way.")

[JDarvall]

Thanks very much Rich for finding the time to write out all that info for me. And clearly too. You've cleared up a lot of questions. Sounds like there might be some hope left for it after all if that chip hasn't failed. I'll have another go at it tomorrow and post my findings.

Thanks. Really good stuff.

[black1]

why dont ya try it an av slot. think mine is in av1, foxtel av2, dvd av3.

[JDarvall]

Ok rich, I gave it another go........thanks for this

, I'm not entirely up with the lingo, so I chuck up a couple of photos. Thats the only way I feel I can clearify what I'm saying.... Tell me what you think.

I put a tape in and just played it, and tryed to clear the picture.

picture 1 - is the image I'm getting when the red, yellow, and white lines are connected to the AV1 of the TV, and with the coax lines pulled. With AV1 selected on the TV.......picture 2 shows the cords.

picture 3 - is the image I'm getting when the coax lines are connected and the red, yellow, and white lines are pulled, just going to the normal channel 4........picture 4 shows the cords

The amount of disturbance in the images of both these tests look identical. Which sort of tells me that the problem lies in the reading of the tape to begin with,,,,and nothing at all to do with wrong terminals etc...Which hints to me that its not an easy fix and therefore not worth fixing.....,,does that sort of make sense ? I'm bound to have missing something though. There'd be something that I don't know about inner workings of the machine.

I've tried re-tuning the TV to the image, with that bar line that appears on the screen.

I've tried different AV terminals on the TV. Same kind of picture.
I've cleaned it out twice. ????? UMMM....Could be fun belting it with an axe.

[journeyman Mick]

Jake,
try this (as shown me by a technician), has always worked to clean off the copious amounts of mould tapes up here collect. Open up machine and identify the head and the rest of the tape path. Take a business card (preferably without printing near the edges) and wet one edge with metho. Scrape/wipe this around the head. Wet the other edge and repeat wiping procedure. Wet another edge of the card and use to clean rollers and guides etc.

Mick

[JDarvall]

Jake,
try this (as shown me by a technician), has always worked to clean off the copious amounts of mould tapes up here collect. Open up machine and identify the head and the rest of the tape path. Take a business card (preferably without printing near the edges) and wet one edge with metho. Scrape/wipe this around the head. Wet the other edge and repeat wiping procedure. Wet another edge of the card and use to clean rollers and guides etc.

Mick

Thanks Mick. Sounds like a good tip. I'll remember that. Would have been easier than buying that Alcohol stuff and swabs.

But, I've already taken to the drum and all the little guides and posts with the Alcohol twice.....Its all shining like a mirror now. And I'm guessing it all wasn't particularily dirty to begin with, cause there wasn't even the slightest improvement in picture after cleaning it all up....but thats just a guess.

So, I'm thinking the problems someplace else. Like a part within the VCR thats failed and needs to be replaced......and thats just too much effort now days when you can buy a completely new player so cheap.

I'm trying to sift through Richs points.
- settings out (configurations)...but I've checked all that. Also I'm sure its not the TV cause I can put a clear picture straight on the TV using the same AV terminals with my cam corder.

???? In anycase, I've learn't a bit about VCR's....

[Eddie Jones]

Having had a look at the latest pictures you posted, that now definately looks to me like a tuning problem. It looks kinda like you get when the TV is tuned mid way between 2 channels. Are you sure nobody has played with the TV tuning?

Also, most VCR players have a "tune" or similarly named switch on the back. Usually produces 2 or more vertical blck & white bars as a test signal to tune the TV. If yours does, try it on. If you don't get a good, well defined pattern on the screen, it's probably your TV tuning, as the VCR tuning is - usually - not adjustable.

If your TV has a manual fine tuning, also try adjusting it while playing a tape.

[Iain]

Eddie, if he's using the AV input theres no need for the coax or tuning, except for recording functions, most TV's now have at least 3 AV inputs (I have seen up to 7) and our Panasonic has 4 plus games which is a front access AV connection.
A lot of later model VCR's utilise UHF connection which is channel 24 (give or take a couple) up to 80 (above 70 is reserved for MATV but OK for this application).
Looking at the pics it appears that Mr A T is using AV input and an RF loop for recording and I would suggest that the problem lies within the VCR and has nothing to do with tuning.