JVC Compact VHS Tapes

[kadini]

I have been digitizing my old home movies off VHS tapes. Thanks to this forum I got assistance on how to improve the quality of my digital files and the task is essentially complete with one caveat.

I had this JVC camera that used compact VHS tapes. Once I recorded something I would transfer it to a normal sized VHS tape. I'd play the compact tape in the camera with the output connected to a VHS VCR.

The camera is long gone. But I still have the adapter that allows for the compact tapes to be played in a VCR. Amazingly the adapter still worked even though the battery in it was at least 25 years old. No corrosion or nothing but after a few plays the battery did give up the ghost and I put in a new one.

And the tapes play in my VCR using the adapter but not getting any video out. Maybe the first few seconds the tapes look like something is going to happen but then it just goes blue screen. The counter timer on the VCR keeps incrementing. Anyway I have maybe 6 of these compact tapes and they all have the same problem. I am sure there is recorded data on all the tapes.

One other note of the many regular size VHS tapes I digitized one, just one, had the same thing happen. Just got a blue screen even though I am sure there was a recording there. I just figured I had a bad tape, one out for 30 isn't terrible.

So maybe the JVC compact tapes used inferior quality tape and they've gone bad? Maybe the adapter is somehow incompatible with my VCR? Unfortunately I don't have another one to try playback on.

Wondering if anybody else had a similar experience and maybe found a solution?

Thanks.

[Sharc]

I used - and still use - 30+ year old compact VHS-C of various brands (JVC, TDK, Panasonic ...) with an original JVC motorized (with battery) adapter in various VCRs and never had any problems.
The fact that one of your regular cassettes didn't play points to marginal VCR player mechanics. Can you spool the tape forward/backward? Dirty capstan not transporting the tape properly? Can you try with a different VCR?
I would remove the hood of the VCR, insert and play a tape and see what happens. Does it move at all? Make such test with a less important tape though.
Adapters are still available. I don't know about the quality though.

[timtape]

Often due to the short recording times VHS-C tapes were recorded at LP (half normal speed) or even SLP ( a third normal speed). These are more challenging to play without problems. Player condition and alignment to the tape played must be excellent. Not all VHS VCR's will play them, especially the very economical SLP tapes.

[kadini]

I am looking for a used VHS-C camcorder. There are plenty on Ebay in working order for cheap. I found a JVC model that has external S-Video and an audio ports. I should be able to play the tapes on the camera and plug the camera into my DVD recorder (with TBC) and pass the signal thru to my PC. Any reason why this shouldn't work? Thanks!

[ozymango]

I am looking for a used VHS-C camcorder. There are plenty on Ebay in working order for cheap. I found a JVC model that has external S-Video and an audio ports. I should be able to play the tapes on the camera and plug the camera into my DVD recorder (with TBC) and pass the signal thru to my PC. Any reason why this shouldn't work? Thanks!

Well it might not work for any number of reasons, but I'd definitely go along with getting a used VHS-C camcorder, if you have *any* VHS-C tapes to play back and you're having issues with the full-sized adapter. At the very least if you're getting no playback video using the camcorder *and* the adapter, then it's more likely to be an issue with the tape itself than both devices (well, usually). And I'd suspect that just the mechanical architecture of using an actual VHS-C camcorder and tape path, will give better results than an adapter. Maybe. In any case, the more tools we have to test these issues with, the better the chances of getting something to work! That's what I tell my wife, anyway, when I buy a new video toy.

[aramkolt]

Hmm. I haven't heard of VHS-C tapes not playing on regular VCRs honestly. The main issue I've heard is that if the transport isn't "rigid" enough, it can lead to unstable playback or they might just not play very well due to the nature of adapters taking the tape through extra bends.

You could just wind the tape into full size tape hubs and put them into a regular size VHS case and then you won't need the adapters. Suppose it depends how many tapes you have that need converting.