Image playback problems
 

While playing a VHS tape (from 1987) on a JVC HR-S7800U, I'm running into playback problems. A nice image will appear and play for ~1 minute, then what *looks* like a tracking issue occurs and I see this for ~5seconds:Attachment 1085

All throughout this, no quality audio is heard. Instead clicks (similar to a helicopter in cadence) are heard.

What is odd is that if I play it back on a standard Toshiba W522 - it plays fine. However, this is not a valid option for me because it displays the "Tracking" overlay and I do not want this in a capture.

What could be causing the bad playback? I don't see this problem with other tapes.

I saw this on a VCR very recently. It ate part of the only copy I had of a rather rare TV show -- maybe 30 seconds worth. Luckily, not much was happening, and I'll just cut the scene. I was using the original VCR that made the tape. I ran two test tapes through the deck, and it shredded both of them. something inside was shot -- the internals were not all moving in unison.

In this case, it looks as if the tape was made on a bad deck.

The Toshiba may simply behave more like the original offending deck than the JVC does.

You may need to seek out yet another VCR, or send it to somebody that has more decks. (We're unfortunately not accepting any new VHS restoration projects at this time -- not until spring of next year.)

Try tracking the tape manually. You can do this by pressing the both the Channel up/down buttons on the front panel at the same time. Tracking can then manually be performed by pressing the channel up and down buttons on the VCR or remote. Auto tracking is re-enabled when you change tapes, or press the channel up/down buttons at the same time on the VCR again.

Details on page 23 of the manual.

Now that's some Grade A accuracy! :)

Well ok, I'll admit. The manual is sitting on the desk next to the keyboard.