Fixing bad tracking

[J C]

Does anyone here have any suggestions with fixing bad tracking.

The tracking from some of my tapes from 1999 are bad. The sound still plays good and the video looks great, but the tracking keeps on jumping. It slowly moves up and then slowly moves down. And at some places, I can't get my JVC HR-9600 stop from jumping.

Does anyone know of any way that putting these tapes onto DVD from being so time consuming. Right now, whenever it starts to jump I just rewind it and reset the tracking. Then I join all of the scenes together that don't jump. That can take up to 1 hour and 30 minutes for an hour show (and that is with the comercials cut out!).

[NightFire]

I don't know if this will make things easier but you can manually track by pressing both channel up & down arrows together for a few seconds. After this you can manually track the tape using the channel buttons. I had a tape that just wouldn't track perfectly and manually tracking worked well for me. Nothings perfect though as I had sit and watch it to make sure I did't have to change tracking again (which had to be tweaked many times).

[edDV]

Tracking only works for a tape recorded on a machine with proper mechanical alignment.

If the recording machine was not serviced, it was making non-standard tapes. Only way to play them properly is to misalign a machine the same way (or find the old VCR).

A proper alignment results in linear tracks. A worn machine produces arc shaped tracks.

Just found this cool site on VCR
http://repairfaq.cis.upenn.edu/sam/icets/vcr.htm

more cool stuff.
http://macbase.cg.nu/vcr.htm
http://www.fixer.com/
http://zeus.eed.usv.ro/misc/mirrors/cc/vcr.htm

[sweetfreek]

This has been a source of much trouble and grief for me too.

Manual adjustment or playback in a different machine are the only real options. The latter is probably a good idead, not just because it may be in better condition, but also because different models have different tolerances and biases. I'll assume using the original machine it was recorded with is out of the question, but you could try this option if you do still have it.

Another possibility is that it may not be a tracking issue. A good cleaning will also fix these kind of problems, but be aware that the dirt may be on the tape (of course it will usually come off of the tape fairly quickly).

[SatStorm]

Manual tracking is the only solution regarding this.

[davideck]

Have you tried turning off the TBC/DNR?
Have you tried turning on the Video Stabilizer?

Perhaps this is one of those few situations where the TBC does more harm than good.
It sounds as if the V Sync insertion position is moving with respect to the video off tape.

How far does it move up and down?

[lordsmurf]

No one VCR can play all tapes. You may have to try any number of units. Not long ago I had to actually borrow a cheap mono unit from somebody to track a tape.

[davideck]

If the recording machine was not serviced, it was making non-standard tapes. Only way to play them properly is to misalign a machine the same way (or find the old VCR).

edDV -
Won't the Dynamic Drum System on the 9600 adjust to non-standard tapes automatically?
If it can adjust from -7X to 7X without any noise bars, I figure it can track just about anything at normal play speed.

A proper alignment results in linear tracks. A worn machine produces arc shaped tracks.

Could you please describe how an arc shaped track is produced?

[edDV]

A proper alignment results in linear tracks. A worn machine produces arc shaped tracks.

Could you please describe how an arc shaped track is produced?

From mechanical misaligned guides.

This is in french but shows the issue.


also see http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/vcr2.htm

[davideck]

Yes, I understand how misaligned guides can distort the RF envelope.
So the "arc" you referred to was the shape of the RF envelope and not the geometry of the tracks on tape?

[edDV]

See this chapter
http://zeus.eed.usv.ro/misc/mirrors/cc/vcr.htm#VCRFAQ_175

[RonaldSnoeck]

Tracking only works for a tape recorded on a machine with proper mechanical alignment.

If the recording machine was not serviced, it was making non-standard tapes. Only way to play them properly is to misalign a machine the same way (or find the old VCR).

A proper alignment results in linear tracks. A worn machine produces arc shaped tracks.

Just found this cool site on VCR
http://repairfaq.cis.upenn.edu/sam/icets/vcr.htm

more cool stuff.
http://macbase.cg.nu/vcr.htm
http://www.fixer.com/
http://zeus.eed.usv.ro/misc/mirrors/cc/vcr.htm

The url: http://macbase.cg.nu/vcr.htm is dead
Please use the new location: http://www.ronaldsnoeck.com/vcr.htm