Hi all,

My workhorse VCR seems to have developed an issue recently. All of a sudden I'm just getting complete dropouts while playing tapes. Seems to happen on both SP and EP tapes. The whole signal just completes drops out and comes back repeatedly.

I've attached a video of what is happening. Is the VCR pooched? Bad caps maybe?

TBC going bad, or bad cap in powersupply?

I'm not really sure what that is.

- It's not TBC.
- It's very likely not caps, as JVC VCRs don't have caps issues. That's extremely rare and unlikely. Panasonic has the caps issues. JVC has caps issues on DVD recorders, but recorders aren't VCRs.

Refer to services manuals for JVC D-VHS units, see if that's a listed known issue.

See: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/vcr-...r-manuals.html

Damaged heads is possible, but complete signal loss isn't something I've ever come across. (And you're not playing digital D-VHS tapes, correct?)

Nope these are just regular VHS tapes.

So like I said in the other thread it also does a similar drop out after it's been unplugged for a while and you plug it back in and turn it on. It will flicker for a couple minutes and then come to a stable grey splash screen.

A new anomaly
Then I'll go to play a tape and it will play back without dropping out, however now I've lost sound (both linear and Hi-Fi). The video also has a rasterized look and almost looks like it's playing back at 30 progressive frames per second. Almost as if you had deinterlaced the video. Very odd.

Then I'll unplug and plug the machine back in and it'll go back to flickering when playing a tape.

Head damage may be likely. You didn't clean it or anything, right?

You may also have some issues with the transport. Stuck gear, broken gear, loose band, etc. The image in.out may be something slipping.

Have you opened the deck and looked at while operating?

Head issue even without a tape in the deck?

Haven't cleaned it in a while, tapes where always playing back fine, usually only clean when there is an issue.

Tapes look completely normal when playing back. Nothing seems to be slipping against the head from what I can tell.

You never said the signal drops without playing a tape.
But then how are you getting a picture? Do you have this connected to something else?

Bad wires are also a common culprit.

It has a grey splash screen when no tape is playing. Most VCRs have a blue screen, this JVC goes to a grey screen. So when you first turn it on after being unplugged for a while, with no tape in, it will do that same thing where the signal drops out, before it eventually goes to the splash screen.(not sure what it's actually called).

I've tried several cables, doesn't make a difference.

JVC does have grey screens, usually for VHS/DVD combos and D-VHS.
So are you sure it's supposed to be blue?

The more I read, then more the possible problem shifts and adds. Now bad caps are back on that table.

No no, this VCRs splash screen is supposed to be grey. See attached picture.

I'm just saying after being unplugged for a while, and then being turned back on, It will flicker for a couple minute until it finally settles and goes to the grey screen. That's what making me think its a cap issue.

Open it up, and looked for bulged or leaking caps.
Bad caps are not always visibly bad, but with JVC I find that usually the case.

Unfortunately, flickering boot is not necessarily a problem, just the complex JVC digital machines being quirky and ornery. I get the same nuisances on other devices, be it ATI, WDTV, etc.

Doesn't look like a head problem. This VCR uses a relatively complicated TBC circuit that is always enabled on the output, even when using the line inputs. I would look at that board first. Quick glance at the service manual indicates its the "digital board assembly". I also wouldn't rule out power supply problems.

Service Manual Here: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/vcr-...anual-jvc.html