Panasonic AG-5710p no video/tape ejecting issue.

[rya]

Hey guys

Title says it all. I have a 5710 that gives me no video, and when I insert a tape it plays it for a couple seconds then spits it out. I haven't tried listening for audio.
Browsing around here I noticed that this could be a capacitor related problem which I'm more than capable of fixing, but I struggle to disassemble it. The main board seems locked in place and I'm concerned about breaking something.

So I ask, is this capacitor related, and if it is how do I go about taking it apart?

Thanks in advance.

[orsetto]

Two separate issues.

Loading issues are usually mechanical, sometimes compounded by an electrical glitch or dirt on a sensor. Could be anything from belt wear to idler wear to the dreaded "cracked nylon worm gear hidden inside the main motor worm gear". Most repairs to the 1980/5710 require tedious near-complete disassembly to gain full access to the transport or electronic boards. The transport itself then requires major disassembly to address almost any issue: everything thats prone to fail is buried six layers deep in the damned thing, and if you do manage to fix it chances are you'll screw up the delicate timing balance and have to do it again. And again.

The "no video" issue usually stems from the notorious 1980/5710 "video boards from hell". This is not a repair typical owners can DIY: more often than not it requires multiple surface mount caps be replaced in the video, TBC and PSU sections plus careful recalibration by a tech who really understands these arcane VCRs. The 5710 is further complicated by being a rarer wacky modification of the far more common AG1980: while they are identical in many ways, seemingly identical parts are not exchangeable between them due to hidden circuit differences and different connections on the front/rear panels. I've never seen a service manual specific to the 5710, only the 1980: the mechanics, PSU and most electronics discussed in the 1980 SM would apply to the 5710, but you could still hit a brick wall where the 5710 is at variance (i.e. the displays look identical but aren't, ditto the front drop down control panels, video connection daughtercards, and control/remote/logic systems).

Consider having your 5710 serviced by one of the few known-expert techs who handle them: T Grant or Deter. Both mentioned many times in related repair threads. Be prepared for a staggering service charge: these VCRs require a tremendous amount of time and precision work to restore. Just getting the transport and boards out of the chassis can take a couple hours and shred the skin off your hands. The boards and transport are connected by a dozen or so finger-breaking infuriating plastic clips that are a nightmare to detach, before you can do that the whole exterior must be torn apart in a specific sequence (top cover, bottom cover, front panel in two parts, drop down door, display panel). The exterior plastic panels are often degraded by age and fragile: one false move and all the retaining clips break off.

I recently scavenged nine busted AG1980s and AG5710s I'd accumulated over a decade to cobble together three fully functional VCRs and one semi-functional unit. Not fun, and I will never open one of these accursed boxes again. If I had to actually replace any caps or dig into the transport, that piece went into the discard/resell pile (not worth the effort). Trust me when I say: pay a pro to fix it, or choose a less insane TBC/DNR option like a JVC DigiPure SVHS or Mitsubishi 2000 DVHS. AG1980 and 5710 definitely have certain exclusive advantages, but the maintenance costs can kill you.