Is the electronics guy actually fixing my VCR, or just saying so and charging me for it?
I have two older VCRs. In one (Zenith), the tape gets caught inside and won’t eject; in the other (JVC), the picture rolls when playing. I took both to a “VCR clinic” and was charged over $100 for repairs. However after just a few uses the same problem occurred again in them. I’m really miffed. Is this guy probably just doing head cleaning and not diagnosing whet the real problem is? What else can I do to get my VCR repaired? (Please don’t lecture me on converting to DVD – I like the VCR technology and all my tapes are VHS).
No one can truly give you an exact answer without attempting to work on the VCRs. But:
The tape snagging is a common problem as both tape and machine age.
It is usually an adjustment issue inside the VCR. (Perhaps why it worked for a while before reverting to its bad behaviour).
Picture roll is a greater headache. Usually not the fault of the machine per se but rather of the medium. The older VCRs had a wheel one could use to adjust this and reduce the problem. Younger ones dispensed with it and the adjustment is automatic with unsatisfactory results.
In my experience, roll is most evident when the tapes are recorded in ‘Extended Play’ or whatever name is assigned to get the max recorded time from one tape.
If the chap only cleaned the heads that would not stop the tape-snag – even for a brief time.
Won’t lecture you on conversion because I enjoy the old technology*also. But I will warn you. If you place value on what you have on the tapes, please put them on archival DVDs. The tapes wil perish over time. Very short time if you are young. Regardless of the alleged quality. This is a fact.
Also get a supply of the highest quality new blanks you can get and copy your material from the present tapes to those. Use standard record time. You may have to borrow another machine which resolves the ‘roll’ issue.
(*ever had to deal with a DVD disc that freezes? At least you can fast-forward pass a kink in a tape)
God Bless!
Tags: electronics, electronics zenith, hardware, hdtv, lg electronics zenith, radio, vintage, zenith electronics careers, zenith electronics history, zenith electronics llc