Are my video heads damaged?

[shpadoinkle]

I cleaned my VCRs heads because the video was very noisy and black and white. I used printer paper and vodka, since I don't have any IPA right now.
Furthermore, I may have accidentally slipped and moved my finger up or down. I did get some sort of color image, but not much later, I got no signal whatsoever.
The video heads don't look too bad to me, but I'm not an expert.
Thanks for any help, and getting my VCR working, hopefully.
JVC HR-D910EG
Photos from the heads: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/c9o4bo7qirorhwmk49zp0/ALmVr0Yn1CjCAQGxMAOJptE?rlkey=sle...=2fyy0q1w&dl=0

[shpadoinkle]

https://files.videohelp.com/u/311370/IMG_20240825_000331.jpg
https://files.videohelp.com/u/311370/IMG_20240825_000340.jpg
https://files.videohelp.com/u/311370/IMG_20240825_000349.jpg
https://files.videohelp.com/u/311370/IMG_20240825_000354.jpg

[thecoalman]

Vodka and printer paper is not my go to. I usually use peach schnapps and 180 grit sand paper.

[johns0]

The heads are shredded,not worth replacing.

[shpadoinkle]

The heads are shredded,not worth replacing.

Just the fourth one or more?

[shpadoinkle]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe3FZpDE56E
That's still better than when I first got this VCR.
Update after playing a tape for over an hour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS2AHgOCaqc
It's only working in rewind, fast forward, and pause.

[i4004]

nick verb [T] (CUT)
to make a small cut in a surface or an edge: Paintwork on the corner of a stairway tends to get nicked and scratched. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Cutting and stabbing. abrasion.

you probably nicked one head.
that's why "trick" plb is ok and normal playback look exactly as if only one head is working.

and heads are more sensitive to up/down than side movements, ie they're built to slide over tape laterally, not in vertical direction....

[dellsam34]

What each picture represents? if each picture is for a different head set that means this will be a 6 head VCR, 2 SP, 2 LP and 2 HiFi. Now you need to playback one SP tape, one LP tape and one HiFi stereo tape to confirm the functionality of the heads, Or post better pictures with more light and better close ups.

[i4004]

What each picture represents? if each picture is for a different head set that means this will be a 6 head VCR, 2 SP, 2 LP and 2 HiFi. Now you need to playback one SP tape, one LP tape and one HiFi stereo tape to confirm the functionality of the heads, Or post better pictures with more light and better close ups.

no.

look at first yt clip he posted.
that's all you need.
and his hand slipping down whilecleaning.

i doubt most of his tapes are lp, and lp head was non damaged.
heh...
statistically less likely

[dellsam34]

No to what? The pictures are not clear to make a judgement that the heads are damaged, I've had VCRs in worse conditions and managed to get them working only with deep cleaning (not for the average user), Paper cleaning is just for loose particles not for sticky gunk from bad tapes.

The video clip does not necessarily indicate bad heads.

[dellsam34]

The 1st and 3rd pictures are single head setup which I believe for HiFi audio, the 2nd and 4th are dual azimut twin heads for SP/LP, Only the first picture I'm suspicious about which shows like a piece of paper is stuck at the side of the head assembly but it only affects HiFi audio, I hope you got dirty video heads. But taking clear pictures or test with different tapes is the best way to find out for sure.

[shpadoinkle]

I hope you got dirty video heads.

When I play a tape for some time and try cleaning with paper again, they seem to be kind of dirty.
What's deep cleaning and how do I perform it?
I also don't own any LP or HiFi tapes currently, might find a film on VHS somewhere.
From the service manual:

[Attachment 81791 - Click to enlarge]

[i4004]

No to what? The pictures are not clear to make a judgement that the heads are damaged, I've had VCRs in worse conditions and managed to get them working only with deep cleaning (not for the average user), Paper cleaning is just for loose particles not for sticky gunk from bad tapes.

The video clip does not necessarily indicate bad heads.

no to everything:
a) you can't gouge head condition from photos, you need microscope and be there
b) yeah, not bad heads in the clip, but bad head.

esp. if he's repeatedly cleaning heads and gaining nothing, although he said it's now better than when he got it, so him damaging it now hangs in the air.

but this should be removed anyway.

shpadoinkle, remove debris, gently clean again, test.
no luck=head damage, get another vcr.

oh yeah, try other tapes, small chance that tape was recorded on faulty vcr.

[shpadoinkle]

small chance that tape was recorded on faulty vcr.

Both tapes I have played fine on a different VCR.

[dellsam34]

There is no such procedure for a more involved cleaning and I wouldn't advise anyway, Too much responsibility. The video heads don't look bad from the poor pictures, One of the HiFi heads looks iffy, Was this VCR working fine before?

[shpadoinkle]

Was this VCR working fine before?

When I got it, it was eating tapes, and it still does, but the picture was very noisy and black and white.

The video heads don't look bad from the poor pictures

I don't know how to take better pictures when the entire VCR is in the way.

[i4004]

take some sort of magnifying glass and remove small white particle. with some plastic, or wooden toothpic(s).
and don't tremble...heh....

if you were to inspect that video in avisynth, with "separatefields()" you would probably see one field is purely noise.
which means one head is not working.
in that case you don't have many options.

your only chance is that piece of debris is either on video head, or it's on audio head but it's lifting the tape slightly so the following video head can't read the video track properly.
so after you remove debris, clean it again, let it dry a bit longer than if you were using iso alcohol (as you're using vodka), try once more.

but chances are it's a toast, esp. because it chews tapes on top of everything.

[shpadoinkle]

if you were to inspect that video in avisynth, with "separatefields()" you would probably see one field is purely noise.

So I just digitize the footage and inspect it in avisynth?
I just tried recording LP from that VCR and the video is a bit better than SP, and also, if I record from an audio source or audio dub, it seems to be recorded in HiFi, but when I rewind and play that back, it's definitely linear.
edit: I just figured out that you need the remote to switch audio tracks. I don't have the remote, and my universal remote barely works with it.

[i4004]

avisynth inspection is just to prove it's one head, no point digitizing whole tape in such (non)quality....

good thing you tried LP rec, that (too) suggests head damage.


try recording sp, then playing back on working vcr.
if it's simillar error, then definitely damaged head!

again, you should remove debris from first picture.

[shpadoinkle]

try recording sp, then playing back on working vcr.

I don't have a working VCR. I'll try remove any debris tomorrow.

[dellsam34]

When I got it, it was eating tapes, and it still does, but the picture was very noisy and black and white.

This changes everything and should be stated in the first post, If you bought a VCR in this condition you should no just clean the heads but address the mechanical issues as well, Eating tapes comes in different symptoms, Is it eating tapes when pressing play after a fast forward or a rewind? if so the brake pads are worn, If eating tapes whenever playing a tape that means either the take up spindle is weak (usually a belt) or the pinch roller is lifting the tape and this can cause the picture to go out of alignment causing noise and split screen as shown in your video.

To be able to help you, you need to post more videos and pictures, one video for the interns of the VCR playing a tape for sure. This is a complicated technical repair, it cannot be accomplished by forum posts, if you want help you will have to be more involved.

[shpadoinkle]

Eating tapes comes in different symptoms, Is it eating tapes when pressing play after a fast forward or a rewind?

I have to manually move the idler, since it needs regreasing. I just wanna have a good picture before I buy grease.