How to fix VCR output interference?

[bobpants75]

Hi All,

New to this, so please excuse any stupid questions :-). Just bought off ebay a VCD / DVD-R player / recorder DMR-EZ45V to digitize my old VCR's to DVD the 'easy' way (or so I thought).

I ran through a first VHS and all good, but then moved onto second tape and the output (which is via HDMI) to my TV has just turned into complete interference, although I can hear the sound fine. I went back to my first VHS again, but now anything I try to play has the same problem.

I opened up and cleaned the heads with swabs (not q-tips!) and isoproponol but it has made zero difference.

Anyone got any ideas please of where to go next with it (apart from to a repair shop :-)).

Thanks in advance
Nick

[latreche34]

It looks like dirty heads to me, Sometimes even cleaning the heads requires some technical skills if they are beyond the usual average person cleaning, So if you don't feel comfortable cleaning all that gunk out (assuming you didn't damage the heads already) you will still need a skilled person to do it for you.

[themaster1]

99 % iso ? Try to clean it some more, make sure all ribbons cables are well seated (drum and AC head).
Make sure when you play a tape to put back the top cover.
Bad grounding can easily snow in the picture, i've seen it before (chassis's back screw on Philips etc..)

[aramkolt]

Try the composite output as well and see if you get the same result. Sound doesn't me a whole lot here, that's probably the mono sound as opposed to HiFi stereo sound since HiFi is more picky about tracking and clean heads than video is most of the time, though I suppose it's possible only the video heads are dirty and not the hifi ones. Also, whatever type of tape you were playing, try one recorded at a different speed - so EP vs SP since they use different heads.