VCR Puzzle

[gzl5000]

Hi, brand new user and apologies if this is too similar to previous topics or not in the right place.

I'm puzzled by a VCR issue I'm having. We inherited an Emerson combo VCR/DVD player from my late mother-in-law. I tried playing an old home movie VHS and got audio but no video (the screen had text saying "No signal" though I could hear audio). I was using an older plug-in composite to HDMI adapter and thought that might be the issue so I got a new adapter from Best Buy. Same issue.

I then thought the VCR/DVD player itself might be the issue, so I got an afforbale VHS-only player off Ebay, a Sanyo. The player came with a commercial tape, which worked perfectly once I played it. However upon trying to play the same home movie VHS I tried in the previous player, I got the same "no signal" message and could hear audio without video playing. The commercial tape that previously worked in the Sanyo now also gives the same message, "no signal" and I've also lost audio when trying to play that tape.

I'm really baffled and worried that I've broken something given these home movies are a source of precious few video recordings of my wife's late mother, and really want to recover the ability to view video and sound if at all possible. If anyone has ideas for what the problem may be, or how to solve it I would really appreciate it. Thank you!

[jagabo]

Component output may be only for the DVD player, not the VHS player. Try playing a DVD and see if you get a picture.

[dellsam34]

This sounds like the tape you're trying to playback before you got the second VCR is shedding and contaminating the VCR heads, If you you're not comfortable with opening the VCR and do a manual cleaning of the tape path get a cleaning cassette and avoid using that faulty tape again.

[gzl5000]

Component output may be only for the DVD player, not the VHS player. Try playing a DVD and see if you get a picture.

Thank you for the idea, I'll try that. It still puzzles me why the Sanyo VCR-only player did what it did though.

[gzl5000]

This sounds like the tape you're trying to playback before you got the second VCR is shedding and contaminating the VCR heads, If you you're not comfortable with opening the VCR and do a manual cleaning of the tape path get a cleaning cassette and avoid using that faulty tape again.

Okay, that's very helpful, thank you! I'll look for instructions to see if I can do a manual cleaning. That would make sense why both VCRs had the same issue after that tape.

If not it's okay, are you aware of any way to prevent it in future? If the tape is shedding and contaminating the heads it sounds like this tape would continue to cause the issue...should I fast forward or play it all the way through to get all of whatever it's shedding out, and then clean? I have no idea if that's a reasonable idea or not.

Thanks regardless!

[VWestlife]

If you have an older TV, try that. Or if your TV has an option to disable the blue screen, try that. Some modern TVs blank out and display the "No Signal" error with anything less than a perfectly stable video signal fed into them. This makes it difficult to distinguish between a source that is outputting an imperfect video signal and one that is not outputting any video signal at all (a true "No Signal" condition).

[cholla]

What type output jacks do you have on these VCRs ?
If you have composite. THe oldest & simplest.
Just a yellow video & red & white Audio.
If you do. Do you have a TV you can connect these to ?
A lot fewer have component input & as jagabo posted that may only be for the DVD side.

I'm not sure VHS cleaner tapes are still available.
There used to be two types wet or dry.
If you can buy one of those you might give it a try.
Or better if you open the unit & manually clean the head.

Last if these tapes are worth it to you.
You can try a professional restorer.
They should be able to determine if these tapes work at all or are beyond repair.
I have no idea what this might cost.

Also good advice from VWestlife on disabling blue screen.
Or locating an old CRT TV

[jagabo]

From an Emerson DVD/VCR combo manual:

FOR TVs WITH COMPONENT VIDEO IN JACKS
Use a component video cable (commercially available) in place of the yellow video cable to enjoy higher quality pic-
tures. The component video connection only supplies video (picture) in the DVD mode of the DVD/VCR COMBINATION
UNITS

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/46963/Emerson-Ewd2203.html?page=14#manual

[gzl5000]

If you have an older TV, try that. Or if your TV has an option to disable the blue screen, try that. Some modern TVs blank out and display the "No Signal" error with anything less than a perfectly stable video signal fed into them. This makes it difficult to distinguish between a source that is outputting an imperfect video signal and one that is not outputting any video signal at all (a true "No Signal" condition).

What type output jacks do you have on these VCRs ?
If you have composite. THe oldest & simplest.
Just a yellow video & red & white Audio.
If you do. Do you have a TV you can connect these to ?
A lot fewer have component input & as jagabo posted that may only be for the DVD side.

I'm not sure VHS cleaner tapes are still available.
There used to be two types wet or dry.
If you can buy one of those you might give it a try.
Or better if you open the unit & manually clean the head.

Last if these tapes are worth it to you.
You can try a professional restorer.
They should be able to determine if these tapes work at all or are beyond repair.
I have no idea what this might cost.

Also good advice from VWestlife on disabling blue screen.
Or locating an old CRT TV

Thank you both! I don't believe I have an older TV unfortunately, but it's a good option to have in mind if I can't resolve this otherwise. Similarly, a professional restorer is a good idea to have in mind if the tapes can't play on any equipment I have.

VWestlife, thanks also for the specific idea in terms of turning off the blue screen. I'll look to see if I can find how to do that.

[gzl5000]

From an Emerson DVD/VCR combo manual:

FOR TVs WITH COMPONENT VIDEO IN JACKS
Use a component video cable (commercially available) in place of the yellow video cable to enjoy higher quality pic-
tures. The component video connection only supplies video (picture) in the DVD mode of the DVD/VCR COMBINATION
UNITS

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/46963/Emerson-Ewd2203.html?page=14#manual

Ahh, thank you for this - that actually made me realize I made a mistake, it is not component cables, they are composite cables (the yellow, red, and white) I was using with both the combo DVD/VCR and VCR only. So I wasn't using component, I just gave bad info.

My error, sorry about that! I will fix the original post.

[cholla]

@ gzl5000,
You probably won't have to go to an old CRT.
I have an about 8 year old Sceptre flat screen in my "computer room.".
I normally have it connected HDMI.
I decided I would try composite from my DVD/DVR to this TV.
It worked fine.
As long as a TV has the RCA composite jacks for input.
Those should work for your VCR combo unit.
You did not say if the combo unit has a digital tuner.
If it does you should be able to recieve OTA TV channels with an antenna.,
Just to test to make sure the combo is outputting a signal that a TV can use.

[gzl5000]

@ gzl5000,
You probably won't have to go to an old CRT.
I have an about 8 year old Sceptre flat screen in my "computer room.".
I normally have it connected HDMI.
I decided I would try composite from my DVD/DVR to this TV.
It worked fine.
As long as a TV has the RCA composite jacks for input.
Those should work for your VCR combo unit.
You did not say if the combo unit has a digital tuner.
If it does you should be able to recieve OTA TV channels with an antenna.,
Just to test to make sure the combo is outputting a signal that a TV can use.

Thanks, I don’t think it has a digital tuner. I’ll see if I can connect the composite from the player to the tv.

[VWestlife]

It is very rare for DVD/VCR combo units to have a digital TV tuner. When the DTV requirement went into effect in 2007, the vast majority of them simply removed the built-in TV tuner.

[cholla]

I have two Magnavox ZV450MW8 DVD/VCR combo units that have digital TV tuners.
One is ready to go if I need to play a VHS tape.
These are the last VCRs I have.
I might have another old VCR mothballed somewhere but I would have to look for it.

If gzl5000 has one of the digital converter boxes that many of us bought when the first of the change over started.
It will work for testing . I still have a couple they are not currently in use.

@ VWestlife,
I have never removed the analog TV tuner from a VCR.
Did people actually do that ?
Did you do that?

[VWestlife]

I have never removed the analog TV tuner from a VCR.
Did people actually do that ?
Did you do that?

I meant the manufacturers did that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLjQVGDDpnw -> 15:52

[cholla]

@ VWestlife,
I watched the YouTube.
The Magnavox ZV450MW8 DVD/VCR combo units i have were manufactured in 2008.
They have a lot more features including ATSC & NTSC tuners.
They are Funai. They were in daily use for a while but mostly for DVD & they tuners.

This is what the manual for the ZV450MW8 has about the VHS audio:
"When you playback a cassette tape recorded in Hi-Fi
stereo:
Press [AUDIO] on the remote control to select Hi-Fi or
MONO for playback sound mode.
• If you have connected a stereo TV to this unit, select “HIFI”.
• If you have connected a monaural TV to this unit, select
“MONO”. "

[Attachment 93862 - Click to enlarge]