JVC HM-DR10000EK playback issue

[Dunc101]

Hi all - im hoping for some assistance. Advance apologies if im asking this in the wrong forum.

I have a JVC HM-DR10000EK which has served me well for a few years now with ad hoc use. Playing back a standard VHS tape earlier today for digitising, as usual, was fine - but for some inexplicable reason, every tape I now insert into the machine incorrectly reads as an S-VHS tape instead of VHS - even tapes played back successfully as VHS over the past week or so are now being seen by the player as SVHS.

Ive turned SVHS off in the menu, but VHS tapes persist as being seen incorrectly as SVHS tapes when playing back, and therefore not playing back correctly.

Please help! Any advice and guidance will be gratefully received.

[Mr. E]

Have you tried unplugging it and wait about 5 mins and plug it back to see if it resets. I know The machine has one known issue which is that when first powered on it won't accept tapes until you follow a specific procedure of attempting to insert a tape during its power-on phase. Once a tape has been accepted this issue is never a problem for the remaining time it remains connected to mains power. Hope this helps

[Dunc101]

Hi Mr E - yes, but it wasn't powered off for as long as 5 mins. Ill try a longer time period and report back.

You're right about the tape insert on power on issue. its become a habit to me to follow that process now. But this SVHS issue has crept up suddenly from nowhere.

[dellsam34]

There is a switch in a shape of a tiny spring loaded pole on the right side towards the front of the mechanism at the bottom, If it is pressed it knows that the tape is VHS, S-VHS tapes have a hole that let the sensor go thru so it will detect the tape as being a S-VHS tape, If that switch is broken or dirty it will default to S-VHS mode all the time.

The sensor should only be needed for recording, During playback the VCR should detect the signal on the tape and switch to the right mode.

[Dunc101]

Hi dellsam34 - indeed, but, as I've just reminded myself having left the unit unplugged overnight to ensure a decent timeframe - its a signal issue rather than a hardware tape type issue.

I recall (now) that when playing back tapes in the past, SVHS would light up intermittently - for a minority of tapes - and the picture and sound would distort / blank momentarily - so an issue with the deck deciding whether the tape has an SVHS or VHS signal recorded, I think?

Having plugged the unit back in this morning and inserted the same tape into the player that was incorrectly recognised as SVHS yesterday (its a VHS tape, and has played as such in the past), SVHS flashed a few times, but then the unit decided it was indeed a VHS recording and is (at this very moment) playing back correctly.

Im not sure if this issue - appearing now to be intermittent - is the sign of a software (codec?) / internal issue that may get worse in future...and if it does, where to take the deck / who to talk to for investigation / resolution of the issue.