Need help with VHS to DVD on Panasonic machine

[CocoXO]

So I've been using this recorder thing now for about 2 weeks now. I guess I've been using it pretty heavily, it's brand new, but about 7 years old. I've been using it to record old VHS tapes to DVD because we don't want the tapes to rot in storage, they are owned by the company I work for, so there is no infringement violations or anything like that going on.

The problem I'm now running into is that after I review the tape in a completely different VCR to make sure it's okay, the sound works, and it's worth copying, once I put it back into the Panasonic recorder the video play back becomes distorted and that translates to the DVD. I don't know what's wrong with it or why it suddenly started to do this. I've been searching the web for some answers now and I don't know what to do anymore.

Any kinda help would be appreciated!

Thanks!
Coco

[PuzZLeR]

Happens to me too. I have a VCR I use just for review, rewind, forward, cue, etc., my abuse unit. (Then again, I abuse all electronics equally - no discrimination here. )

Sometimes a tape tends to throw off my review VCR, or afterwards in the capture VCRs. It may be the tape itself that has issues, or the VCR(s), or anything. It's very likely just dirt, or dirt transfered, either from the tape, or from a VCR itself. Best thing to do in this case is to clean the VCR(s). Problem is always solved for me this way.

Best ways to clean a VCR in my opinion is by running a tape through it -either a tape you don't love, or, for best results, a brand new tape - for like 30-60 mins. Or, you can open the VCR(s) up and manually clean it with pure (99%) alcohol and a swab. Plenty of tutorials on YouTube for this.

(How can a VCR have been used "pretty heavily" in only 2 weeks, or be brand new after 7 years? Never mind. May have misunderstood something here. )

[theewizard]

NOS.. New old stock, still brand new in box, never been used
Last month I bought a 30 yr old, under shelf coffee maker, that was brand new in the box,
For my RV
Anyway to the OP
Might be the drive belts have stretched a little, or the tape might be rewound a little tight
Play it all the way on one machine and then try a soft rewind, aka by hand or by playing it in reverse until it is fully rewound
Then try it in the panny again

[CocoXO]

Happens to me too. I have a VCR I use just for review, rewind, forward, cue, etc., my abuse unit. (Then again, I abuse all electronics equally - no discrimination here. )

Sometimes a tape tends to throw off my review VCR, or afterwards in the capture VCRs. It may be the tape itself that has issues, or the VCR(s), or anything. It's very likely just dirt, or dirt transfered, either from the tape, or from a VCR itself. Best thing to do in this case is to clean the VCR(s). Problem is always solved for me this way.

Best ways to clean a VCR in my opinion is by running a tape through it -either a tape you don't love, or, for best results, a brand new tape - for like 30-60 mins. Or, you can open the VCR(s) up and manually clean it with pure (99%) alcohol and a swab. Plenty of tutorials on YouTube for this.

(How can a VCR have been used "pretty heavily" in only 2 weeks, or be brand new after 7 years? Never mind. May have misunderstood something here. )

We're going to try to manually clean it! Luckily there is someone in the department that knows how to do it. Otherwise I'd just figure it out myself. Saves time having the other person do it though.

[orsetto]

CocoXL, it might help if you posted exactly what model Panasonic you are having trouble with. We still have a couple of hardcore Panasonic specialists browsing the forums who may have specific advice for your unit. For example, the final EZ-47 and -48 are widely considered more buggy than earlier models. If you've been running one of those around the clock for two weeks, you might have knocked something out of whack. And "New Old Stock" isn't as nice an idea with DVD/VHS recorders as it is with other items: these combo recorders can silently "decay" if they sit in their sealed box unused for several years (while a twenty year old dedicated VCR might work perfectly). You never know with this stuff.

Previous replies re cleaning the Panasonic might help. Also, consider the history of your "company tapes" - if they've been sitting in storage for more than a couple years, and weren't top-quality blanks to begin with, they might have become twitchy with age. It is not uncommon for such tapes to play well the first time they're pulled out of storage, then awful the next day (or vice-versa, as PuZLeR and theewizard mentioned). Could also be your backup VCR is more compatible with them: note if necessary, you can plug this other VCR into your Panasonic and record to the Panasonic DVD section from this external VCR. It just won't be one-button-automated: you'll need to hit play on the external VCR and then record on the Panasonic DVD.

Worst case scenario, a handful of brand-new DVD/VHS units are still available on Amazon from Magnavox, Toshiba, Funai and Sanyo (all are more-or-less identical save a couple of minor feature differences that won't matter for your project).

[PuzZLeR]

NOS.. New old stock, still brand new in box, never been used
Last month I bought a 30 yr old, under shelf coffee maker, that was brand new in the box,
For my RV

Yes. In re-reading, it makes more sense.

I did intentionally say I may have misunderstood something in absorbing any blame.

And "New Old Stock" isn't as nice an idea with DVD/VHS recorders as it is with other items: these combo recorders can silently "decay" if they sit in their sealed box unused for several years (while a twenty year old dedicated VCR might work perfectly). You never know with this stuff.

Oh, so true. I've been through this in another thread buying a "new VCR" that was sitting in a warehouse for over a decade. Never been used, still new out of the box, but something seemed like it clogged in there by the time I got it.

Did manage to clean it out, but it took a while with many plays of a tape and some manual gutting with alcohol and a swab. It's "OK" now, but it's still awkard at times and still has behavior similar to the O/P's unit here - especially with a tape it doesn't like. (The VCR ironically was a Panasonic.)

And I know it could be worse.

Also, consider the history of your "company tapes" - if they've been sitting in storage for more than a couple years, and weren't top-quality blanks to begin with, they might have become twitchy with age. It is not uncommon for such tapes to play well the first time they're pulled out of storage, then awful the next day (or vice-versa, as PuZLeR and theewizard mentioned).

Just for the record, before I capture any tape, I run a complete rewind/forward just before. Goodness knows what may have happened to it sitting there for, likely, many years of non-play, such as dust, crud, dirt, fungus, stickiness, worms, nuclear waste, etc.

Worst case scenario, a handful of brand-new DVD/VHS units are still available on Amazon from Magnavox, Toshiba, Funai and Sanyo (all are more-or-less identical save a couple of minor feature differences that won't matter for your project).

Yes, worst case scenario. Hopefully all the O/P's Pannie needs is a just a cleaning, and still gets to finish the project before it may be problematic again, or even die.

But, if shopping for another, and there's still many tapes to go, B&H is a good start if seeking a new unit, good prices, brand new.

[themaster1]

Have you tried to change the picture control settings (set it to "Norm" first then play the tape a few seconds then pick "edit") before inserting the tape in this panasonic combo vhs/dvd recorder ? Same goes with the sound try to pick "norm" first. Please note i don't know this model

[lordsmurf]

Most Panasonic recorders will make a DVD that looks worse than the original tape. The goal should be to improve the VHS before committing it to digital archives.

Quite a few DVD recorders were made as DVR competitors (off-air recording), not to convert tapes. They do that function poorly.