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  #1  
11-19-2012, 08:35 PM
Bracket26 Bracket26 is offline
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Hello everyone,

After reading reams of posts, many of them more than once, I have come to the conclusion that I've found yet another rabbit hole in which to get lost. Said hole has quite the cover charge, and lots of gotchas. Well done to the site founders, moderators and contributors! What an immense repository of knowledge you have all amassed here. Thank you!

Onto the history: I've already purchased a Panasonic AG-1970P on eBay (the 1980s all looked beat up). Other than some squeaking/squealing while ejecting/inserting tapes, it seems to be a clean and solid unit. The picture slider has an effect, and the TBC switch seems to do something. Most shifts colors. I have yet to try it on a really bad tape.

I recently re-acquired a DVD recorder that I gave my dad for his birthday several years ago. It happens to be a Panasonic ES15. He was to use it for digitizing all these camcorder tapes. Never happened, so I'm taking it upon myself. I know not to use it as a DVD recorder, based on all the bad reviews of its capabilities in this respect.

I've also as yet been unable to capture without going through the ES15 due to the Blackmagic's sensitivity to timing errors. En route is a Leitch DPS-235, another eBay purchase. I realize it's a monster of a rack-based TBC and mileage varies, but I thought it was worth a chance at less than $50 shipped. Looked pretty clean, seller has great reviews. Hopefully I won't wish I had put that toward a TBC-1000 or AVT-8710. Time will tell. Not passing through the ES15 might yield better results.

I also realize I won't necessarily know how to quantify the differences this hardware makes (aside from the obvious jitter), as this is my first attempt at VHS restoration and my first experience with most of this kind of hardware. I just want to ensure that I'm making the best reasonably affordable effort to capture these tapes at good-to-great quality. All told I have under $200 into it at this point.

Questions:

1). Should I be concerned about the AG-1970's squeak/squeal? Based on what I've read, it's likely a belt. Leave it alone? Also, I plan on cleaning the heads with a non-cotton swab and 90% alcohol.

2). Any guesses on me having any luck with the DPS-235? I know, dumb question. I ask because it has a proc, which leads me to...

3). Should I rely on a hardware detailer and/or proc or do it in post? The DPS-235 has some color controls, not sure about detail enhancement. I have a line on a BVP-4+. Is the resolution bump a gimmick or worth it? Color correction in post won't hit the processing that hard, but I think sharpening will add some rendering time. I have an unsharp mask in FCPX, how might that compare to what a BVP-4 and other detailers do?

My rig is an early 2011 MacBook Pro, Blackmagic Design Intensity Shuttle Thunderbolt, Blackmagic Media Media Express for capture, and I plan to capture in ProRes LT and edit in Final Cut Pro X (FCPX).

The expanded plan: Capture all of dad's camcorder tapes, output to DVD, output to YouTube as separate clips and tag by date/event/person/etc. I don't want to have to do this again, like I had to re-rip all my CDs because I was told 128 kbps was adequate.

If the hardware is good and I develop a decent workflow, I may try to charge for the service to local interested parties. Assuming, of course, I get good results.

Whoa. I wrote more than I planned! Wanted to include as many details as possible, though, to eliminate as much of the back-and-forth-hashing-out-specifics as I can.

Again, thanks for the knowledge that got me to this point. I appreciate any comments and advice you may have for me.
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  #2  
11-19-2012, 09:25 PM
NJRoadfan NJRoadfan is offline
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I have a DPS-235 here... well actually I have 3 of them. I haven't tested their ability to correct VHS jitter, but they should keep a capture card happy as they were used in professional applications to prep signals for broadcast use. The proc. amp is basic. The range of adjustment is limited, but not as much as the dinky one thats found in the popular AVT-8710. I would lean towards a dedicated box if you need a wide range of adjustment. Also the other problem I found with the DPS-235 is that it tends to not be "transparent" (neither is the ES-15, but I have no experience with it).

Depending on the unit, the TBC can alter video levels and hue. The newer the model (usually labelled "Leitch" and not "DPS"), the better performance. Unfortunately adjusting the unit to be transparent requires either a good eye, or the proper waveform monitor/vectorscope along with a test signal generator. For that purpose, the built in proc amp is pretty good.
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  #3  
11-20-2012, 08:00 AM
Bracket26 Bracket26 is offline
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Hey NJRoadfan, I remember reading your posts in my research. Sounds like the DPS-235 will do what I need, which is to get a useable signal into my capture device. I gather it's not going to be dead simple as far as transparency goes. So now I'm reading up again and finding that the best unit as far as transparency goes is the AVT-8710. Getting down to the wire if I want to deliver anything by Christmas. Maybe I'll just bite the bullet, cut my losses and grab an 8710 from B&H. I want to do this right, the first time. But of course on the cheap.
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  #4  
11-20-2012, 08:22 AM
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Originally Posted by Bracket26 View Post
Hello everyone
Welcome to the site.

Quote:
After reading reams of posts, many of them more than once
Kudos for reading.

Quote:
Well done to the site founders, moderators and contributors! What an immense repository of knowledge you have all amassed here. Thank you!
Thanks.

Quote:
Other than some squeaking/squealing while ejecting/inserting tapes
1). Should I be concerned about the AG-1970's squeak/squeal? Based on what I've read, it's likely a belt. Leave it alone? Also, I plan on cleaning the heads with a non-cotton swab and 90% alcohol.
This is usually the tape. Consider inserting a tape, FF it to the end, and then full REW it back to the beginning. Just be careful with old tapes that may have oxide shedding. It will strip all of the "black" off the tape, and leave your VCR almost completely full of junk that is difficult to clean. Therefore use a cheap VCR that is good for slowly rewinding and FF'ing tapes. Avoid the high-speed units -- some of which can actually make the VCR vibrate around a shelf.

Quote:
The picture slider has an effect, and the TBC switch seems to do something. Most shifts colors.
Hmmm... this may not be good. Color changes when engaging the TBC is generally a sign that one of the imaging boards has bad caps. I've seen this on the AG-1980P units.

Quote:
Panasonic ES15
Blackmagic
Leitch DPS-235, another eBay purchase
2). Any guesses on me having any luck with the DPS-235? I know, dumb question. I ask because it has a proc, which leads me to...
All good stuff.

Quote:
Not passing through the ES15 might yield better results.
Possibly. Depends on the errors and corrections required.

Quote:
I also realize I won't necessarily know how to quantify the differences this hardware makes (aside from the obvious jitter), as this is my first attempt at VHS restoration and my first experience with most of this kind of hardware.
Post samples on the forum. We'll let you know.

Quote:
3). Should I rely on a hardware detailer and/or proc or do it in post? The DPS-235 has some color controls, not sure about detail enhancement. I have a line on a BVP-4+. Is the resolution bump a gimmick or worth it? Color correction in post won't hit the processing that hard, but I think sharpening will add some rendering time. I have an unsharp mask in FCPX, how might that compare to what a BVP-4 and other detailers do?
Do as much in hardware as possible. Whatever can't be done in hardware is then done in software, if possible. If you have a BVP-4, use it as primary. If you see benefit to double-processing by having two proc amps in line, do it. If you find the TBC proc amp does what is needed on some tapes, remove the BVP-4 from the chain for those tapes. Always remove unneeded gear. Only add/use when required.

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My rig is an early 2011 MacBook Pro, Blackmagic Design Intensity Shuttle Thunderbolt, Blackmagic Media Media Express for capture, and I plan to capture in ProRes LT and edit in Final Cut Pro X (FCPX).
Should be fine.

Quote:
The expanded plan: Capture all of dad's camcorder tapes, output to DVD, output to YouTube as separate clips and tag by date/event/person/etc. I don't want to have to do this again, like I had to re-rip all my CDs because I was told 128 kbps was adequate.
Consider adding another output: 15Mbps 720x480 MPEG-2 for Blu-ray. It's like have 320kbps MP3, vs DVD being like 128kbps MP3.

Quote:
If the hardware is good and I develop a decent workflow, I may try to charge for the service to local interested parties. Assuming, of course, I get good results.
Be wary of this. Your own tapes are one thing. To handle tapes from others requires a stack of hardware, and in redundancy. It's easy to get lost in the idea of making a service from this. It's sort of like learning your first HTML to make a kitty cat blog, and then wanting to open a web design firm; it's very premature. At this stage, you don't yet know what you don't know. It's a very difficult field if you actually want to do a good job. Video is chaotic, and has many variables.

Read through this: Video Hobby vs. Video Profession

Quote:
Whoa. I wrote more than I planned! Wanted to include as many details as possible, though, to eliminate as much of the back-and-forth-hashing-out-specifics as I can.
It was a good post. Not too much, not too little.

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  #5  
11-20-2012, 10:01 AM
Bracket26 Bracket26 is offline
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Welcome to the site.
Thanks!

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Originally Posted by lordsmurf View Post
Consider inserting a tape, FF it to the end, and then full REW it back to the beginning. Just be careful with old tapes that may have oxide shedding. It will strip all of the "black" off the tape, and leave your VCR almost completely full of junk that is difficult to clean.
Do you mean FF while in play mode, and also REW in play mode? Stripping the oxide won't affect the recording? Will I probably be alright if I skip this step?

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Originally Posted by lordsmurf View Post
Hmmm... this may not be good. Color changes when engaging the TBC is generally a sign that one of the imaging boards has bad caps. I've seen this on the AG-1980P units.
Oh boy. I should post some samples. If it's a case of bad caps, will leaving the TBC off be adequate, or am I looking at buying another deck? What a crap shoot, getting these off eBay, but there's really nowhere else to find them. There's no guarantee that the $500 units will function any better than the $100 decks, is there?

I can't tell you how many eBay tabs I had open, pasting in models from the VCR buying guide, trying to find a deck that didn't look beat up, before settling on the 1970. I may be repeating this process soon.

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Originally Posted by lordsmurf View Post
Do as much in hardware as possible. Whatever can't be done in hardware is then done in software, if possible. If you have a BVP-4, use it as primary.
I'll keep this in mind, see how the DPS-235 looks first.

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Originally Posted by lordsmurf View Post
Consider adding another output: 15Mbps 720x480 MPEG-2 for Blu-ray. It's like have 320kbps MP3, vs DVD being like 128kbps MP3.
Great idea, I will definitely do this.

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Originally Posted by lordsmurf View Post
Be wary of this. Your own tapes are one thing. To handle tapes from others requires a stack of hardware, and in redundancy.
Read through this: Video Hobby vs. Video Profession
Great editorial. I didn't have to read very far to realize this won't go beyond a hobby for me.

I'm going to hold off on further purchases until I can evaluate the hardware I have. The big question for me is still the S-VHS deck. Never thought I'd be dropping fat cash on VCRs here at the end of 2012.

Last edited by Bracket26; 11-20-2012 at 10:02 AM. Reason: error
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  #6  
11-20-2012, 05:11 PM
NJRoadfan NJRoadfan is offline
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Be wary of this. Your own tapes are one thing. To handle tapes from others requires a stack of hardware, and in redundancy.
That stack can get pretty big.


Eventually I'll get around to testing the DPS-235 units. Sandy sidetracked things around here for a bit, plus I had no power for 10 days. I ripped apart the basement and the bedroom to move stuff to safe areas just in case of wind damage or flood problems. I just moved all that equipment back upstairs last week and now I have people who want VHS transfers for the holidays. I still need to pick up another hard drive... ugh.


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11-20-2012, 09:08 PM
Bracket26 Bracket26 is offline
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Dang, 10 days with no juice? I can't even imagine it. Thanks for posting a pic of your setup, I'll do the same once I have my stack. Which, by the way, grew today. It has become painfully obvious that trying to do this "on the cheap" is just not going to be possible.

So today I bought a JVC SR-V10U, perfect condition with very little use, $325 shipped. Also scored a BVP-4 Plus for $128 shipped, also in near-new condition. I'm going to do this right. If the DPS-235 doesn't cut it, I'll grab an AVT-8710 as well. I'm in too deep, there's no turning back now! Bill me later is dangerous.

My stack, once everything arrives, will consist of a Panasonic AG-1970, JVC SR-V10U, Panasonic DMR-ES15, Leitch DPS-235, and a BVP-4 Plus. Assuming the DPS-235 does the trick, I should be good to go.
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  #8  
11-21-2012, 05:38 PM
robjv1 robjv1 is offline
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^^ That's a pretty good haul there! Especially on the BVP-4.

I should also post my setup as well, it is a comparable chain of equipment. I'm trying to get a friend to build me a custom video stand so I can move my stuff of the desk I have it on now and into something more appropriate given the size/weight of each component as well as the space requirements for airflow.

Just FYI if your SR-V10U doesn't work out, as soon as LS approves it, I'll have a pristine 7800U for sale on the marketplace for less than you paid shipped for the SR-V10U.
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  #9  
11-21-2012, 05:42 PM
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Just FYI if your SR-V10U doesn't work out, as soon as LS approves it, I'll have a pristine 7800U for sale on the marketplace for less than you paid shipped for the SR-V10U.
Done. .... http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/mark...vc-s7800u.html ($200 + shipping is a very fair price)

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Originally Posted by Bracket26 View Post
If it's a case of bad caps, will leaving the TBC off be adequate, or am I looking at buying another deck? What a crap shoot, getting these off eBay, but there's really nowhere else to find them. There's no guarantee that the $500 units will function any better than the $100 decks, is there?
Get it professionally repaired (refreshed/refurbished) by Jots: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/vcr-...place-jvc.html. That's the best option. Total repair bill for an AG-1980 is often in the $200-300 range, but it makes the unit like new again. I would imagine the 1970 isn't too much different in terms of repair costs, since the units are similar in many ways.

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I can't tell you how many eBay tabs I had open, pasting in models from the VCR buying guide, trying to find a deck that didn't look beat up, before settling on the 1970. I may be repeating this process soon.
If and when somebody needs a new VCR, you can start a new thread, and then list your budget and quickly go over your tape needs (SP only, SLP, etc). Somebody here can probably swing by eBay and suggest some listings. Sometimes there's good units in our own marketplace forum. (We don't charge members fees to buy/sell/trade their gear. It's a nice alternative to eBay, both for buyer and seller.)

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  #10  
11-21-2012, 10:29 PM
Bracket26 Bracket26 is offline
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So the DPS-235 arrived today (yay!) and it does seem to be working. I now have a stable signal that my Blackmagic Intensity will accept. Great! I am now mostly concerned about the AG-1970. Please take a look at a couple of grabs to see what the TBC is doing to the video. Note: the behavior is the same with and without the DPS-235 in the chain.

With the AG-1970 TBC Off:



With AG-1970 TBC On:



Lordsmurf suggested such a color shift would indicate bad caps. Do you think this is what is going on here? The eBay seller does accept returns.

I'm having another issue with the deck. When ejecting a tape, if you don't grab it right away, it re-ingests the tape and the unit becomes unresponsive. The only button that does anything is the power button. Then you have to unplug/replug to get everything working again.

I'm thinking about just sending it back rather than dumping $200-300 on getting it repaired, especially with a "perfect condition" JVC on the way and most of my tapes being SP. I'd appreciate any thoughts on the matter.

Too bad I didn't come here first. I'd be much farther ahead at this point just buying robjv1's JVC. Oh well, let this be a lesson to those who come after, right?


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  #11  
11-22-2012, 12:30 AM
robjv1 robjv1 is offline
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Yeah, that is quite a color shift, I don't think it bodes well for the deck, although I don't have personal experience with that model. Some of the the JVC decks have slight hue/saturation/contrast shifts when the TBC is engaged, but not like that if they are in good working condition. Otherwise though, not a bad looking image at all save for some over sharpening/ringing effects. It definitely sounds like a bit of a wonky deck though, although it might be worth keeping as a backup down the line, you can always have it repaired should you need it. How long do you have to return it? You should check out the other deck first if you can swing it and make sure you are pleased with the picture.

I guess I just like the idea personally of flexibility -- it's never a bad idea to have a stash of JVC and Panasonic SVHS decks, along with a solid plain VHS model for tapes that will just not play right in your main deck. Without the HR-7800U, I have five decks setup and ready to go -- two JVC SR-W5Us as my main decks and another JVC SVHS deck and couple of Panasonics for other situations. I doubt you need that kind of flexibility if you have mostly SP tapes, but it's not a bad idea to keep a Panasonic around as an alternate for your new JVC VCR.

And welcome to the forum btw!
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  #12  
11-25-2012, 10:07 PM
Bracket26 Bracket26 is offline
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Originally Posted by robjv1 View Post
Yeah, that is quite a color shift, I don't think it bodes well for the deck, although I don't have personal experience with that model. Some of the the JVC decks have slight hue/saturation/contrast shifts when the TBC is engaged, but not like that if they are in good working condition. Otherwise though, not a bad looking image at all save for some over sharpening/ringing effects.
What causes the sharpening/ringing effect? Any way to avoid it?

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It definitely sounds like a bit of a wonky deck though, although it might be worth keeping as a backup down the line, you can always have it repaired should you need it. How long do you have to return it?
The seller will accept a return, sound like he really knows his decks and is a stand-up guy. I think I'm going to return it. If I repair any deck, it's going to be a 1980, not a 1970.

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I guess I just like the idea personally of flexibility
One thing I've definitely learned is that having a high quality JVC along with a high quality Panasonic is pretty much requisite. At the point of having this kind of stack, a stack with $600 worth of VCRs, it's worth re-visiting the idea of doing it professionally. Just to recoup the costs would be worth it. Pick and choose my projects/clients. No moldy tapes, in other words.

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And welcome to the forum btw!
Thank you, and thanks for being here!
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11-25-2012, 10:50 PM
Bracket26 Bracket26 is offline
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So the BVP-4 arrived, and it does function properly as far as I can tell. All the dials make noticeable changes to the image. The split screen verifies this. By the way, adjusting the right-side-bar problem was a cinch thanks to this forum. That alone justifies the $20 I invested in a Premium membership.

Back to the BVP-4. It arrived damaged. It only traveled 70 miles, yet the switch for the Black Restore got busted off. It wasn't packaged well. Loose bubble wrap.



Any idea how much it would cost to replace? Should I ask for some money back? I'll never see a BVP-4 Plus in this condition for $128 again. I live in a small town in northern Wisconsin so finding electronic repair services isn't easy, so I'd be sending it off.

Is this what VHS restoration is like in general, or am I having bad luck?


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  #14  
11-26-2012, 02:24 PM
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By the way, adjusting the right-side-bar problem was a cinch thanks to this forum. That alone justifies the $20 I invested in a Premium membership.
Thanks very much.

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It wasn't packaged well. Loose bubble wrap.
If it only had bubbles for packing material, then it was a terrible packing job. A delicate panel like that should have a firm cardboard triangle going the length of the unit, to protect it. Then wrap that in bubbles. If the bubbles were wrapped too tight, all it did was pass any external force into the box, as opposed to deflecting or absorbing it. Basic physics, which sadly is not understood by the common package-mailing goober.

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Any idea how much it would cost to replace? Should I ask for some money back? I'll never see a BVP-4 Plus in this condition for $128 again. I live in a small town in northern Wisconsin so finding electronic repair services isn't easy, so I'd be sending it off.
I'm not near a unit right now. Open this one, and take some photos. This is a less-than-$1 toggle switch that may be easy to replace. I forget how it seats into the unit. But in all honesty, the black restore is mostly useless, as it just crushes values (technical term: "coring"). Most "black correction" needs to be done by adjusting the luminance and IRE anyhow, making this feature redundant and 99.9% useless. I have used this maybe twice, ever, in the past 8 or so years since I've owned one. Just be sure it's turned off (use a paper clip if needed), and leave it that way. This control isn't why you need/want the BVP4.

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Is this what VHS restoration is like in general, or am I having bad luck?
Equipment failing, going out of spec (alignment, capacitors), or simply being stubborn is very common, yes.

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  #15  
11-26-2012, 09:04 PM
Bracket26 Bracket26 is offline
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Just be sure it's turned off (use a paper clip if needed), and leave it that way. This control isn't why you need/want the BVP4.
Thanks for the good news. If something was going to break, I'm glad it was this! It broke in the off position, so I'm all set.

What were your thoughts about the AG-1970? I picked it up after reading that the 1980's DNR was perhaps too strong and there was no way to turn it off. But after continued reading it seems that the 1980 is THE unit to have in the Panny line.
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11-29-2012, 11:32 AM
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I contacted the seller of the AG-1970. He actually has a couple more of those decks on hand and was able to confirm that they both produce a color shift with the TBC enabled. He never noticed it because he always left TBC on. Perhaps this effect was fixed on the 1980? He also said that he always followed the maintenance suggestions for all his decks (used for VHS duplication) and that he cleaned and lubricated mine before sending it out. I feel much better about this now. If nothing else it's a solid backup. That said, I feel even better about my JVC, which should arrive today.

As for the BVP-4, the seller refunded $10 for the damage, so I ended up with a darn near perfect condition BVP-4 for $118. I was able to dink around with it for a few minutes and was impressed with its capabilities. With all this hardware I should be set for most anything.

I'm really looking forward to finally getting started on this project. Thanks all for your help and advice. I'll post a photo of my stack once I have it, um, stacked.
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  #17  
11-29-2012, 08:34 PM
Bracket26 Bracket26 is offline
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Received my JVC SR-V10U today. Yay! Opened the box ... came from a smoker.

Lordsmurf, anyone else ... should I keep it? It is otherwise very clean.
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11-29-2012, 08:50 PM
volksjager volksjager is offline
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how bad is it?
smoke tar can really f-up the mechanicals
i saved a HR-S9800U that was HORRIBLE with smoke damage.
but it required considerable effort to disassemble and clean everything

i may be able to help you on that particular unit.
i have 2 SR-V10U's with no main boards, but the cases and transports are good and smoke free.
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  #19  
11-29-2012, 08:56 PM
Bracket26 Bracket26 is offline
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I don't know how much you can tell by looking inside, but everything looks really clean. It just stinks. I can't stand that smell. Not sure I feel like disassembling a VCR, I just want a clean one that works and doesn't reek like a bar. Not too much to ask for $300. I'm getting extremely frustrated at this point.
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11-29-2012, 09:08 PM
volksjager volksjager is offline
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take off the top cover and examine the mech for tar.

if it isnt too bad and doesn't have tar on the mech:
wipe down all the outside surfaces with rubbing alcohol.
then put the unit in a large cardboard box with some baking soda and close the box for a few days.


if it has tar on the mech it will need to be cleaned or replaced.

$300 is a little stiff for an SR-V10U especially a smoky one.
i have a non-smoky one on ebay for $225
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