JVC Compact VHS Tapes

[kadini]

I have been digitizing my old home movies off VHS tapes. Thanks to this forum I got assistance on how to improve the quality of my digital files and the task is essentially complete with one caveat.

I had this JVC camera that used compact VHS tapes. Once I recorded something I would transfer it to a normal sized VHS tape. I'd play the compact tape in the camera with the output connected to a VHS VCR.

The camera is long gone. But I still have the adapter that allows for the compact tapes to be played in a VCR. Amazingly the adapter still worked even though the battery in it was at least 25 years old. No corrosion or nothing but after a few plays the battery did give up the ghost and I put in a new one.

And the tapes play in my VCR using the adapter but not getting any video out. Maybe the first few seconds the tapes look like something is going to happen but then it just goes blue screen. The counter timer on the VCR keeps incrementing. Anyway I have maybe 6 of these compact tapes and they all have the same problem. I am sure there is recorded data on all the tapes.

One other note of the many regular size VHS tapes I digitized one, just one, had the same thing happen. Just got a blue screen even though I am sure there was a recording there. I just figured I had a bad tape, one out for 30 isn't terrible.

So maybe the JVC compact tapes used inferior quality tape and they've gone bad? Maybe the adapter is somehow incompatible with my VCR? Unfortunately I don't have another one to try playback on.

Wondering if anybody else had a similar experience and maybe found a solution?

Thanks.

[Sharc]

I used - and still use - 30+ year old compact VHS-C of various brands (JVC, TDK, Panasonic ...) with an original JVC motorized (with battery) adapter in various VCRs and never had any problems.
The fact that one of your regular cassettes didn't play points to marginal VCR player mechanics. Can you spool the tape forward/backward? Dirty capstan not transporting the tape properly? Can you try with a different VCR?
I would remove the hood of the VCR, insert and play a tape and see what happens. Does it move at all? Make such test with a less important tape though.
Adapters are still available. I don't know about the quality though.

[timtape]

Often due to the short recording times VHS-C tapes were recorded at LP (half normal speed) or even SLP ( a third normal speed). These are more challenging to play without problems. Player condition and alignment to the tape played must be excellent. Not all VHS VCR's will play them, especially the very economical SLP tapes.