NV-FS100F shadows due to bad caps or video head?
 

Hi guys,

I am a new member and this is my first post, so please bare with me.

Got my hands on two second hand Panasonic NV-FS100 VCRs. One of them is apparently made for the french market (exact model number is NV-FS100F) and it looks a bit different from the other one (NV-FS100 only, which is broken and I got for spare parts). Pictures are attached to the post.

My setup is:
NV-FS100 -> S-Video Out -> ES10 with frame TBC(ish) setting -> S-Video Out -> AverTV Hybrid Volar HX USB Stick -> Windows XP -> VirtualDub

Better capture devices are hopefully on the way, but for the rest I have to stick to what I have for the time being.

When I play a tape I can see something which I can best describe as shadows coming out of darker objects and visible on lighter background. I have also attached a sample AVI, hopefully done correctly. You can see it coming out of the building in the background.

I also have a NV-FS200 with some audio issues, which will be subject to another post. The important thing is that I can do comparisons and the issue with the shadows is not from the VHS tape, unlike the chroma shift I think I managed to identify.

Finally my question - does this look like something usually caused by bad caps or is it more like to be something with the video head?

Best regards,
FP

You have 720x480 (NTSC) @ 25fps (PAL). The interlace is a mess because of it.

I see chroma offset, creating color bleed.

Between the offset/bleed, and the interlace, I don't really see any shadows. If anything like that exists, it's been masked from all the bad capture noise.

Appologies ... please have a look at these. I have marked the area of interest in the screenshot.

Regards,
FP

Here are two more samples - FS200 and FS100F directly to the capture card. Same tape, same Techlink S-Video cable, same capture card, same PC. I have cleaned the video head of the FS100F but doesn't seem to help.

All samples look the same to me, The luma edge imperfection is inherit to VHS, JVC VCR's has a feature for it called 3R that sharpens the edges but it is not recommended for capturing, Unless you post two pictures one with the artifact and without it circling the artifact in one I have no idea what you're talking about.

Edit: Oh I see, the top corner of the building is repeated on the right side of itself, That's luma interference, I'm not sure what causes it but a noisy power supply due bad capacitors could cause that, If the power supplies are the same on both decks swap them and see if the problem moves to the other VCR.

If you look at the right of the big block in the background you can see some smearing. I would suspect it's a bad cap in the video circuitry judging by this list.

The specific error is listed for the FS90, but the FS100 (and other related panasonics like the slightly newer FS88/FS200 and some AG pro decks) use essentially the same 1H CCD delay board. It has metal shielding around it which maybe makes the components extra subjected to degradation from heat.

It is worth checking power supply caps while you are at it though.

Damaged heads tends to result in more sharp streaks and dropouts, maybe a little akin to the video in this thread (even though that's for a different reason.

Thanks for the pointers to the caps - it looks to be the lesser of the two evils.

I am not sure I have the courage to mess with these VCRs by myself though. I considering to give it to an electronic repair shop, but I wanted to give them sum hints on where to look at.

I never thought a VCR can be that packed and not even have a fan inside. I fixed two ES10s myself by replacing caps and I thought I can do it all. Then I placed on of them on top of my FS200 and a couple of tapes later I lost the left audio channel. Then I noticed how hot both of them get. I think I baked some of the caps in the FS200 by not alowing it to ventilate properly. Only then I opened it and saw how crammed with electronics it is inside ...

To say that I am now humbled would be an understatement.

Regards,
FP