Best places to get JVC/Panasonic S-VHS VCRs repaired?
 

If your S-VHS VCRs start to have issues, or if you've purchased a used unit that does not work, do NOT throw it away! These high-end quality decks can usually be repaired for about $100 to $400, and will work like new. (And no, buying another used one is NOT a good idea, as it will likely have issues as well. Fix the one you have! When new, those VCRs cost $500 to $2k!)

Note: Don't be silly an insist on finding a "local store". In 2015, those don't exist for VCR repair. That's what UPS is for.

There are 5 solid options for repair:


TGrant Photo

Cleveland, OH area
Lodi, Ohio
(330) 391-0880
http://www.tgrantphoto.com


Jots Electronics

Dallas, Texas area
3201 E. Pioneer Pkwy #44, Arlington, Texas 76010
(817) 649-2511, (817) 652-3622
Hours: M-F 9:00 to 6:00, Thursday 9:00 to 8:00, Saturday 9:00 to 1:00
We've been using Jots since the 1980s. In fact, Jots was a customer of our family business in its earliest days. The same people who ran it then are running it now, which means their VCR techs have more than 30 years of experience. They've flawlessly repaired, serviced and cleaned quite a bit of our equipment through the years, and this is one of the very few businesses I trust completely. The rates are fair, they're honest, and you'll not be disappointed in their work. As long as they're in business, they'll be getting our business. And they should get yours, too!
Note: Don't forget to use the $10 coupon that's on the bottom of their homepage. ;)

^ Out of business. (Retired.)


Stanton TV Repair

http://www.stantontvrepair.com


Southern Advantage

SA should be your last resort.



Thread updates:

- sanlyn suggested TGrant Photo in post#26, as did vidz_man01 in post#31.
- VideoTechMan suggested Starlit TV in post#22.
- dyfan suggested Stanton TV Repair, a general fix-it shop, in post#4.
- See post#9 for an option for repairing Panasonic AG-1980P decks, as provided by one of our own forum members.
- Some forum users have sent their units in to Southern Advantage for repair.
- Forum members recommend fellow member Quasipal for PAL decks.

Beware of eBay sellers that claim to fix VCRs! Several of them are scammers!

Based on the information in this thread (found with a Google search), I just contacted Jots to see if they can repair a JVC HR-S7200U S-VHS VCR that refuses to eject tapes. I just got a reply telling me that, as of January 1, 2013, they no longer service VCRs because their technician retired. Bad timing on my part, since this VCR has been down for over a year but I haven't had a need for it until now.

Any additional recommendations on reliable VCR repair in 2013 would be most welcome. I'm in Austin, TX, so Arlington would have been convenient.

you can try Southern Advantage or DoctorSony

Southerns website specifically says they repair the JVC-SR-S365U which has the exact same transport as a HR-S7200U

that sucks about Jots

this will be the problem going forward - the old-school techs are retiring and no one will be able to replace them.

try here:
 

This shop (Elmsford location) can fix anything with a plug.
http://www.stantontvrepair.com/index.html

I have some problem with a AG1980 deck and was looking around to see where I could send my unit for repair. I sent a request to JOTS before reading this thread...meanwhile, they responded that they have serviced many AG1980 and they could probably repair mine. So, has anybody dealed with JOTS recently ? Is the service as good as it used to be ?

what is wrong with your ag-1980?

When playing a VHS tape, the VCR shows sign of herringbone beat interference pattern (with both the BNC and S-Video outputs). If I play the tape long enough, the interference pattern would go away, but usually replaced by a gradually loss of focus of the video, and eventually the video would go dark (with patches of colors where the saturation is higher). I'm thinking it could be bad caps, but I don't know for sure.

I also have another AG1980p unit that works well, with a minor annoyance when the TBC is on : once in a while, it will flash a greenish spot accross the screen (only for a few frames, but long enough so it's noticeable). But with the TBC off, it plays without issue.

I've read about the herringbone beat interference issue multiple times on this forum or others, but never found anything about the TBC issue...

We had 3 VCRs there in November. They work great now.

Forum member rumburaski can repair Panasonic AG-1980P units. In order for the 1980 decks to work again, these almost always need the capacitors replaced, or the ICs replaced. He charges -- at time of this post -- very reasonable rates of $75 (aluminum caps), $95 (the better Nichicon caps), and $55 (ICs).

We'd suggest using the better caps. In fact, those are better caps than the unit even started with. (Meaning it may not break again!)

He mentions this service in the following two posts in an AG 1980 repair thread:
- http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/vcr-...html#post28977
- http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/vcr-...html#post28992

If we need units repaired again, this will probably be our first choice at the moment. All the repair shops like Jots and Southern Advantage are sadly far too overbooked right now with units to repair. This will help spread the load around a bit.

Has anyone worked with Jots lately? Is anything different going on there?

I have had a few VCRs repaired there over the past few years, always done accurately with good turnaround time (a few weeks, including shipping).

However, the reason I ask is because my most recent experience with them was markedly different. Last fall I sent a JVC S9800 deck to them. It had a tape loading issue--fairly minor. They cashed my deposit check within a day of receiving the VCR. After three weeks, I still hadn't heard from them, which is strange (based on previous repairs). So I e-mailed to ask for an update. No one answered me for over a week. I e-mailed a second time to express my concern that they had my expensive VCR and so it was troubling that no one could answer my e-mail in a week's time. They finally answered, and I found out that my deck had been finished and sitting on a shelf for weeks. No one had contacted me to let me know it was done or what my final balance was.

I sent my check for the balance immediately--but 2 1/2 weeks later, it still hadn't been deposited and the machine hadn't been returned. When I e-mailed AGAIN, suddenly my check arrived "just yesterday," the process moved forward, and I got my VCR back. Now I guess I can't be sure the USPS wasn't responsible for the check's delay, but since I sent a number of bill payments out at the same time that WEREN'T delayed, it makes me wonder (especially considering all the other delays that had occurred). In the end, the repair took two months from initial shipment date to return date--which is at least twice the time a Jots repair normally takes.

I e-mailed Jots a few weeks ago to express my concerns to them and to ask if they were especially busy right now, and if that was the reason I had the experience I did. I told them they were a great company and I'd really like to send them more VCRs for repair. No one answered my e-mail. (And yes, in case you were wondering, all of my e-mails were completely cordial and professional--there was no reason for them to not answer me.)

I have many VCRs to get repaired, so this is a real bummer. Jots has always done such a good job in the past that I'd love to continue to send them units. I never had a problem before this past experience. So I was wondering if the site owner (who knows the Jots folks fairly well) or anyone else has had a recent experience with them, and if they've lost staff or had other issues.

Glad to read on this forum about other repair sources, though.

ETA - I did see the note above about repairing AG-1980s. How about other repairs, like for JVC units though? If Jots and Southern Advantage (which is shady and expensive, in my experience) are overbooked, where else can you go?

also you can try Stanton TV in NY
they don't charge to look at it
i sent them 2 W5U's that they where unable to repair due to parts being unavailable
so all i had to pay was return shipping
may be worth a shot with 1980's or common JVC's that still have part available

play it again, sam...
 

Like I already posted above, Stanton can/will fix anything with a plug...

http://www.stantontvrepair.com/index.html

except W-VHS decks :)

And U-Matic decks, I just found out!

i have not used them personally,
but Starlit TV in Michigan says can service most any vcr and are very experienced with the Panasonic AG's
and they also give free estimates
phone is 586-772-1900 ask for Pete.

I may have to give that a try since I live in Michigan. I hate I procrastinated for so long on getting one of my units worked on. I also have an AG-DS850 that works, but needs servicing.

Its going to be alot tougher to get these units repaired now since technology has gone mostly digital and most of the analog has gone the way of the do-do. I also have an 1980 which works fine but should getting it serviced too.

can he fix my SAMSUNG SV-5000W?
it has the infamous spotting problem

The Samsung "worldwide" VCRs are just rebadged Panasonic decks. The SV-5000W is a Panasonic AG-W2. So anybody that can service Panasonic decks should be able to repair these two. In fact, the AG-Wx is just a VHS VCRs -- not a S-VHS VCR. So in some ways, it's easier (and thus cheaper) to repair.

Anybody recommended in this thread should work. :congrats:


FYI: I have one of these too. But I almost never use it, preferring to leave PAL as PAL, with a JVC PAL S-VHS VCR. Then I convert the PAL to NTSC in Avisynth, if it really needs to have format changed.

Hey Lordsmurf good to see you posting again! Hope all is well!!

I had sent my DS-850 deck out to Pete at Starlit TV about a week ago and for my unit he says will be $200 (labor and parts) to repair the deck. Sounds like a really nice guy too. Haven't heard back from him yet but once I do will update the results of the repair work. These decks once serviced should last a long time with proper care.

Thanks! :)

I'm not familiar with a DS-850 deck. What is that?

The ability to add more names top a list of known-good repairmen is the goal. :congrats:

the AG-DS850 is a big broadcast deck
i had a couple of them

OK, wanted to give my update regarding the AG-DS850 repair.

I gotten the call this morning from Starlit TV that my deck was ready to be picked up. I personally drove out to St. Clair Shores, MI where the facility is located (about 2.5 hour drive from where I live), nice decent sized building. Anyway picked up the deck and talked briefly to a nice gentleman named George. Pete unfortunately wasn't there today but found that him and George are brothers. I told him about this site and what brought me to their shop and to quote what George said, "We are old school, and we fix old school things!" He also asked me to spread the word, so I am doing that here!

My cost was $200 for the repair and around 80 caps were replaced on several module boards. Brought it home, powered it up and played a tape and sure enough the picture shows beautifully just as its supposed to.

So wanted to give my recommendation to Starlit TV for VCR repairs, as they have TONS of older gear and test equipment from what I've seen. They do give free estimates and they will let you know whether they can repair it or not. So obviously for any who have the infamous AG1980 with cap issues, we finally have a solid additional option to send it to them for repair. I hope these guys remain in business for a long time, as now's the time to get our units fixed while there are a few repair shops left to fix them!

thank you for the follow-up
im glad they where able to fix your deck
the DS850 is a complicated machine so they definitely must know their stuff
i'll will try them next time i get a broken W-VHS here

This review is so good, that I may give them my unit next time it needs repair...

...which is hopefully NEVER, but that's wishfuil thinking for you! :laugh:

I really appreciate your review. We may have to redo this whole thread, and turn the first post into a list of reviewed (and approved) vendors for repairing various VCRs like the AG-1980P.

Hey everyone, it looks like I may have another person who can work on our pro units. I'm currently corresponding with a guy based out of FL that has 35 years repair experience with the old broadcast and pro level decks, including the 1" VTR machines. He's also very familiar with the AG-1980 and its caps issues as he had many of those units at one time. I talked with him on the phone earlier this evening and he helped me to diagnose an issue with my Sony EVO-9800 deck. By giving him the serial number he was able to tell me that I have one of the really early production decks.

Seems like a really nice guy and he seems to know his stuff on these machines. I'm going to send my deck out there to him to see what he can do with it and if all works out, I will pass along his contact info here so that anyone else that has a unit that needs servicing or repair can do so. This will give us another option on where to send our units for repairs. I did tell him about this site.

I'll update as I can.

Just had a good experience with TGrantPhoto at http://www.tgrantphoto.com/sales/ind...epair-services. I got suckered into one of those high-priced rebuilds off eBay. When I had problems with it I hesitated to deal with them again, so I gave Tom Grant a chance at his repair package price. It turned out that the pricey rebuild had some defects, one of which was a broken video head. TGrant sent back a replacement AG-1980 at no extra cost, and even went thru a quick double-check and re-ship at no extra cost as well, What I should have done in the first place instead of buying a higher-priced defect from eBay was to have bought a TGrant rebuild at 1/3 less than the price for the original.

When TGrant shipped the replacement unit he included a small package of all the y/c board replaced caps. The black cover on the replacement was even cleaner than the original. Shipping was 2 days, intact. TGrant seems like a good bet IMO.

Ok have an update on the repair. David has called me and informed me that the upper cylinder (video drum assembly) on the head was shot along with it being out of alignment. He had a parts unit with a good assembly and replaced that, plus did the alignment of the transport and did all other maintenance on the deck. Later he emailed me a video by my request showing the Hi8 video playback and plays like new. He also demo'ed by doing a recording on the deck as well and everything works great. He did a great job on getting my 9800A back up to full function again for a long time.

I spoke with him on the phone earlier tonight and will be shipping it back to me tomorrow or Monday. He's a really nice guy and loves what he does in working on these old decks. I've no doubt that he can fix the 1980/5710 without issue.

I will surely be sending my units for him to work on should they need servicing.

To be continued!

Ok final update on my 9800A repair.

Deck arrived on Tuesday this week, nicely packed by Dave. Plugged it in and ran through some tapes and the Hi8 playback is great, plays back normally just like its supposed to. Did a great job on the alignment and overall maintenance. So now have a fully functionally serviced EVO-9800A. I'm going to take note on the hours on the deck and place a label on it so that I can keep track of the hours from here on out whenever the deck is used.

Hi All,
I am a infrequent poster, but a long time lurker. :) Really love this site! Looks like DigitalFAQ is getting more AV traffic that VideoHelp now.

I ran across this new ebay listing that is quite intriguing, and I would like some other members to look at it and give me their opinions. This ebay seller posted a "Repair Service" listing at a very attractive price for what he says he is going to do. He publishes the name of his business in the listing with his business address and phone numbers, including a Toll Free number. I Googled his business, found his web site and well, it looks legit! My question to the group here is: Does anyone have any direct experience or knowledge with this business? I mean, he is saying he will replace all the capacitors in an AG5710 (one of the SVHS machines I own), clean and adjust it for a FLAT fee of $199.00 + $20.00 return shipping! Based on what I've read here and on other forums, that seems like a screaming deal - IF the guy is trustworthy and competent to do what he says. I am posting the links here so you guys can see for yourself.

This is the ebay listing:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Repair-Servi...:SS:SS:US:1120
Here is his web site:
http://www.avrepair.com/index.htm

Anxious to hear what you think.

Also, I posted this over at the VideoHelp forum as well.

GDogTech, thanks for the post and inquiries about this repair service. I also noticed this business's post on ebay the other day. I also saw an eBay post by this business for repair of AG-1980 decks for the same flat rate price!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Repair-Servi...3D261640592943

This business's eBay store listings has flat rate repair prices for other types of electronic items, primarily camcorders that use tape!

http://www.ebay.com/sch/electman/m.h...p2047675.l2562

I reviewed the actual website of this business (avrepair.com) and viewed the customer testimonials section. Plenty of good reviews for camera and camcorder repairs. I did a word search in that section for "VCR", "SVHS", VHS", and "Beta", and only found one review for the repair of a "beta". Not a deal breaker, but it would be reassuring to see customer reviews of their VCR repairs. I guess most people with the less expensive VCR just throw them away instead of sending them to Florida (where this business is located) for repair.

This repair shop lists a bunch of businesses and colleges that it's done repair work for.

His labor/repair costs on the ebay listing seems to be less then the costs that he posts on their website, unless all capacitors and other fixes to an AG-5710 and AG-1980 can be completed in 2-3 hours.

Labor Rates:
Professional Decks, Editors, Camera's and Camcorders
$65 - $95 / hr
Labor Rates Exclude Parts.
All Repairs Include Cleaning, Lubrication, and a 6 Month Warranty.
ONE YEAR WARRANTY available if optional repairs are approved - Simply inquire.

I would give him (the person's name is Cameron according to the testimonial section) a phone call and ask him pertinent questions about his repair expertise and thoroughness of his repairs that he states on ebay, before sending him my AG-5710 or AG-1980 for repair.

But it's always good to list a possibly good and reliable source for electronic equipment repairs!

I tried the info here for TGRANT PHOTO which was mentioned here by sanlyn. I first went to the website tgrantsales.com. Saw the info about $95.00 trade in credit of AG-1980 which can be applied to re-furbished AG-1980. The I contact and spoke with Tom Grant ---who was very professional and friendly over the phone. his business is located in Lodi, Ohio ---between Cleveland and Toledo areas of northern Ohio. I did send him an AG-1980 that was having no color and lines issues.
Applied the trade in credit toward refurb AG-1980 ---received today. Item in in excellent shape and re-painted cover --unit looks brand new. Have not tested the unit yet due to cold weather here --awaiting unit to room temperature. But I also purchased an AG-1979 refurb from him as well --unit in near mint new condition etc .. check out this guy's site --he also have refurb JVC SR10U and SR10US models available for purchase.

We're in the midst of updating this page. :)

I had a nice email chat with Tom Grant, owner of TGrant Photo (and Video). :cool2:

Jots is still recommended, but with the retirement of their last VCR tech (and his current part-time role), it's sadly time to find some quality alternatives to take their place -- especially now that the turnaround times are increasing to 2-3 months.

What I find impressive about Tom is that you're told exactly how the unit is tested:

Too many repairmen give too few details on exactly what is being done. Most have to be pressed for details (as was the case with Jots), and some remain vague even when asked. With those others guys, you're never really 100% sure what was done, or if it was really repaired. Even worse, many eBay sellers are just outright liars, and are selling broken "fixed" decks. So it's refreshing to see honesty and openness.

And much of that is same advice we've been doling out on this site for the past 10+ years now. :congrats:

Plainly put, he's one of us. He's a video guy, doing for us what he's do for himself.

So, until further notice, he's getting our #1 suggestion on where to send Panasonic and JVC S-VHS VCRs for repair. Hopefully he's not looking to retire soon.

http://www.tgrantphoto.com

As an FYI, the Panasonic AG-5710 that I bought from Tom Grant In October 2014, is still working very good!!! I've probably played and transferred over 300 tapes on that deck so far. VHS & VHS-C tapes of all recorded speeds, and not a single hiccup or issue yet. I'm really comfortable in referring Tom's business to others!

Starlit TV (http://www.starlittv.com) has been removed from the list.
According to this VHS thread, they are no longer servicing S-VHS VCRs as of today.

Wow, I just discovered your post on this. That's a real bummer about them no longer servicing SVHS decks. Its possible there have been many to send in their 1980's to be fixed and the time it takes to get it repaired.

I'm glad at least I got my AG-DS850 machine repaired by them then, it still works great! This makes it even more important to get these decks repaired and serviced, as the techs able to work on them are continually diminishing on a regular basis and will make it even harder to get them serviced in the times ahead.

Servicing and repairing JVS S-VHS VCRs in the UK
 

These all look great, but the USA is an awfully long way to send such a heavy item for repair or service. I've got an HR-S7722EK that I'd really like overhauling but don't know where to send it and I'm struggling to find anything that doesn't make me think it's going to come back in a worse state than I sent it in. Any suggestions, anyone?

Just adding to the pile of evidence as to Tom Grant’s excellent work. He’s brought to spec two of my 1980p decks with a third on the way soon. His work is excellent on both the record and playback sides. Packing is excellent as is communication, and I must Admit that his refinish of the cover looks pretty nice:)

Tom is not one to provide significant documentation (no signal/scope traces, old parts, photographs etc.) as some other techs do for some of my other elderly equipment e.g. Willy Hermann with Nakamichi decks, but the work still speaks for itself.

No updates to this thread in a while; I wanted to chime in and say Tom’s work is still great as of March 2018.

Willy is one of the few "reliable" Nak techs left in the biz. On the Nak site, Tom from down south is extremely knowledgeable but I hear horror stories about his turnaround and even missing decks. ESL, well.....take out a second mortgage on your house.

As with anything, even the good pros make mistakes. I have a 700ZXL that had to be sent back to Willy a second time for a whining noise on playback. He didn't charge the second time but had the deck almost a yr. Apparently, he fussed with it when he had the time. It's been so long I don't remember the discovery/fix, but it even surprised Willy.

Turnaround is important and so don't let the pro off easy by saying you're in no hurry. They have an entirely different view of time than the rest of us mere mortals. Some of these guys will have decks sit on a shelf for six months before they even look at it.

Kevin

Repair techs
 

To add to and resurrect this old thread.....rumburaski just went through my Panasonic 1970 and did a great job. TBC was dead, he replaced the CB with a used one. Was working other than that when I sent it. Nice to have it cleaned and thoroughly tested though. I think in most cases it's better to work with an individual, rather than a company.

Get a clear understanding of how much the repairs might be, especially if you have something wrong with the unit. Shipping fees are all over the place...sent it for $49 insured, had to pay $68 to have it come back insured....same distance. USPS was usually cheaper than anyone else, but that has changed. Go online with your box measurements and total weight....print out the estimate and take it with you to the carrier.

Sure enjoy watching all these old VHS tapes!

Kevin

I had a JVC S-VHS deck which had the infamous "Loading" issue. After I was unable to repair the unit myself, I sent it in to Bammel TV in Houston, which is a local shop which still works on high-end VCRs. They do charge a diagnostic fee of (in this case) $75, but the fee is applied to the repair once the determination is made. The total cost, including the diagnostic fee, for repair of my JVC was $225. I'm satisfied with the quality of their work.

After the VCR was repaired, I gave them a TBC-1000 which had image issues. They were able to troubleshoot and localize the problem to a specific processor board, but due to the way the board was assembled and the fact that spares were not available they were unable to complete the repair. They reassembled and returned the unit to me, and offered me a discount on my next diagnostic charge as they were unable to repair this unit. I'll be willing to do business with them again.