I'm Having Multple Issues With Multiple VCRs When Capturing

[Jer3784]

I am having a ton of VCR issues randomly in the capturing process. I was hoping you knowledgeable people can help me troubleshoot.

VCR 1 : GO VIDEO DV2130
I picked this one up at a thrift store. It worked perfectly fine until a few tapes in. I out of nowhere lost audio. All I get is a heavy crackle like it is playing the audio but can only pull up 1% of it. I opened it up and cleaned the audio sensor. I did the fast forward and rewind trick. After doing so I now have the 1% of audio and a blue screen. This suddenly is happening to all tapes.

VCR 2 : SAMSUNG VHS DVD VR330
Sometimes the counter doesn't work (out of nowhere). Sometimes I will get very low audio and just heavy tracking issues. Sometimes I get what you will see in the screenshot below with somewhat decent audio. This machine I have had lightly used for about 10 years. I randomly started having issues a few months back. I have cleaned the audio and video areas.


[Attachment 67011 - Click to enlarge]

VCR 3 : SONY VHS DVD SLV-D380P

This unit has only been used a handful of times. It now goes back and fourth between the same tracking issue is seen in the VCR 2 picture (a decent amount better though) to blue screen. Sound is perfectly fine. But when I put in a Maxell cleaning tape, the tape has perfect audio and I can track it to get 95% of the picture right. Some tapes I can get a back and fourth 75% good picture with tracking issues to blue screen.

This is the best I get with the Maxell tape.


[Attachment 67012 - Click to enlarge]

Any ideas?

There are no VCR repair shops near me.

Thanks!

[davexnet]

Possibly you have a tape that is shedding oxide or worse and it's fouling the fixed and rotating heads

[jagabo]

Poor (or poor condition) VCRs? A poor capture device? And lack of time base correction.

One thing that might help: fast forward the tapes to the end then back to the beginning. That may loosen up the windings letting the tape move more smoothly. Try capturing again to see if it gets any better.

[Jer3784]

Poor (or poor condition) VCRs? A poor capture device? And lack of time base correction.

One thing that might help: fast forward the tapes to the end then back to the beginning. That may loosen up the windings letting the tape move more smoothly. Try capturing again to see if it gets any better.

I tried that with VCR 1 and it made the situation worse.

The capture device seems to be fine.

I don't know what you mean by the third.

[Alwyn]

The capture device seems to be fine.

That is the only common denominator at the moment if these problems occur with multiple tapes.

In turn, connect each VCR to a TV and play your tapes. If the picture on the TV is good, it's a dodgy capture device.

What actually is your capture device?

[oln]

Weak audio + tracking issues sounds like problems with the audio/control head. Seems unlikely that it's excessively worn in a late vcr like this so maybe as noted some tapes are shedding. Might help to clean it with a cotton bud with some isopropyl alcohol on it (don't use the cotton bud on the spinning video head drum though tho). The A/C head are It's the stationary heads to the right of the video drum if you look from the front.

The Sony DVD/VCR combos are made by samsung, so at least vcr 2 and 3 are gonna be very similar. The govideo might be too but I don't know for sure, many of their combos were made by LG but some of their vcrs were samsungs.

[dellsam34]

This is a combination of dirty VCR's and bad tapes, Learn how to properly clean the VCR tape transport without damaging it, Isolate the bad tapes and leave them for last.

[Jer3784]

In turn, connect each VCR to a TV and play your tapes. If the picture on the TV is good, it's a dodgy capture device.

What actually is your capture device?

I just tried on the Sony. I don't get the on and off blue screen, but I get the same exact tracking issues as I do with the capture device. Oddly enough.. nowhere near as good of sound through the TV as through the capture device.

It is a Roxio converter.

Weak audio + tracking issues sounds like problems with the audio/control head. Seems unlikely that it's excessively worn in a late vcr like this so maybe as noted some tapes are shedding. Might help to clean it with a cotton bud with some isopropyl alcohol on it (don't use the cotton bud on the spinning video head drum though tho). The A/C head are It's the stationary heads to the right of the video drum if you look from the front.

I've done a Q-Tip on the audio and a piece of paper with the video wheel. It does nothing more.

[Jer3784]

VCR 1 is now giving me perfectly fine video and zero audio.

VCR two is now giving me a blue screen with one converter and a black screen with a different converter. Both with deminished audio.

[themaster1]

Have a look here for your problem : https://youtu.be/fazLIPQqKLk
But 10 years old grease/ oil is not gonna help either.

[Jer3784]

I gave it a try...

The VCR with perfect picture and no sound did nothing. The others gave me even worse of a picture and switching back between no audio and diminished audio.

[lordsmurf]

Poor (or poor condition) VCRs? A poor capture device? And lack of time base correction.

That's it.

The capture device seems to be fine.

Based on what?

It is a Roxio converter.

You have a rebadged Easycap (Easycrap) card. Roxio sold it for about $100, but it's literally a $2 Chinese card. In 2020, you could buy it for $5 shipped from China. It's a POS. You were a sucker to Roxio.

I've done a Q-Tip on the audio and a piece of paper with the video wheel. It does nothing more.

That was a mistake.

Essentially, you're using low-end crap, and what you're experiencing is expected with such gear. Sony/Samsung VCRs are iffy, best of the worst, but the card is garbage, tape condition unknown, and cleaning methods (both yours, and before you) are causing more damage.

[Jer3784]

Poor (or poor condition) VCRs? A poor capture device? And lack of time base correction.

That's it.

The capture device seems to be fine.

Based on what?

It is a Roxio converter.

You have a rebadged Easycap (Easycrap) card. Roxio sold it for about $100, but it's literally a $2 Chinese card. In 2020, you could buy it for $5 shipped from China. It's a POS. You were a sucker to Roxio.

I've done a Q-Tip on the audio and a piece of paper with the video wheel. It does nothing more.

That was a mistake.

Essentially, you're using low-end crap, and what you're experiencing is expected with such gear. Sony/Samsung VCRs are iffy, best of the worst, but the card is garbage, tape condition unknown, and cleaning methods (both yours, and before you) are causing more damage.

I went out and got another converter. It was something simple off Amazon. Instead of on and off blue screen video, I just get a black screen with this converter. So... It isn't the converter. I've used three different sets of AV cables as well.

I know.. Roxio sucks.. I didn't know that 6 years ago when I bought the converter for like 50 bucks.

The tapes are old but in solid condition. The inconsistency is with the VCRs. One is over ten years old and the other who knows, but the Sony was very rarely even used.

No disrespect, but how about giving a bit of guidance on how an average Joe should be cleaning the units? That is a lot more helpful than randomly getting aggressive. I'm just going off of what I see in Youtube videos. You all are the knowledgeable ones.