VCR refuses to record but plays VHS tapes perfectly fine.

[golenman123]

My dad recently found his old Panasonic NV-HS1000 in the loft and brought it down to watch his old wedding tapes. At first, the video head just spun frantically (around 10,000 rpm and was extremely loud) but I found out that it was a leaky capacitor in the power supply and when I replaced it, it worked fine. Fast forward to a couple of days ago and I find some recorded on blank tapes which were all for £1. I go home to record onto them. I turn the VCR on, plug in the video cables and audio cables, turn the TV on, press record, and nothing. All it did was erase the tape and record the audio very faintly and quietly. It didn't record any video and all I could see on my screen wasn't white static or a blue screen but rather a red, green, blue static (Don't know if that is the norm for blank VHS tapes or not).

Does anyone know if it is an easy-to-fix problem or do I need to go to a specialist? I don't want it to be where there was a cable inside unplugged or something and him overcharging me.

[DB83]

Something is missing here.


What is your video source for recording on to the tape ?

[golenman123]

A DVD player that I connected it to using composite video. Just wanted to try and see how good the picture and audio quality are.

[DB83]

Stating the obvious, something was recorded on to the tape since any recording over-writes what was previously on the tape (unless the tab is covered)


My only suggestion is that you have the right input source selected - but you would not see the picture from the dvd on your tv if you did not (unless that also has a secondary output connected to the tv)

[dvd3500]

If it is a studio made DVD it will have Macrovision protection making a copy impossible...

[DB83]

DOH !


One tends to forget the obvious. Doing a capture in software typically gives an error message. A straight view to a tv would, typically, have no issue (else there would be no point in the outputs on the player).


The only way one thus be able to test the recording capability would be a 'clean' signal such as a PC output (I could do it if I wanted via my SD sat receiver). Traditional VHS recording is a non-starter now.

[golenman123]

Just recorded some random talking via my phone and tried to record said recording onto the tape but now it's just recording a very loud and annoying buzz.

[DB83]

I would have thought that the audio output from a phone is digital so you will never get that recorded directly on analogue equipment.


If you want to proceed with this, you were on the right track with the dvd player but as explained copy-protection has taken over. What you require is a home-made dvd there is no copy-protection on these. If you do not have the means to create and burn such a disk maybe you have a friend who can do this for you.

[golenman123]

Just tried recording from a home made DVD and it's still just recording that annoying buzz.

[golenman123]

Also tried recording from cassette and the crackling/buzzing is still there but I can faintly in the background hear the music.

[DB83]

I assume you are attempting the record via the front panel (you could connect via the back scart AV2 (lower one))


But for the front - I have now seen the manual - you select AV3 from the remote ^V keys on the remote and select 'Line'. It was possible that video and audio passed directly through these for display on the tv (I assume you did get video and audio on the tv.)


Yes. I know I am repeating myself. But beyond this there is nothing obvious as to why the unit would not record. If there was an issue with the sockets you really would not get a picture or sound.

[golenman123]

OMG, Thank you so much. It works perfectly now. Turns out that I had it recording channel 1 on the internal rf receiver. I genuinely can't thank you enough for this. You saved me a trip to an av repair service only for them to say that it works perfectly fine and charge me like £50 for it.

[DB83]

Glad that it is working for you now.

[dvd3500]

RTFM saves the day again..