Alright, bunch of things to go over here... I'll just number them and go down a list with you:
1. The generic "LOADING" error messages is not a "bug" -- it's a generic error message. It may as well say "BROKEN", "PROBLEM" , "HELP ME" or "DANGER WILL ROBINSON". It doesn't throw out a code like other machines do; for example, Panasonic's "U99".
2. Possible reasons for receiving the LOADING error message have been described in detail at
http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/show...-dvd-2008.html
3. Don't think about the original cost of the unit, think about the value of the unit. Would it be worthwhile to fix a known-excellent item for $260, instead of buying a new known-lesser item for the same amount? I'd say so. You'll find it near impossible to replace the quality of a LSI Logic chipsetted JVC DVD recorder, when working with VHS/S-VHS transfers at home. It does wonders at making clean encodes from these noisy sources, and further removes errors commonly found on ALL tapes, be it chroma or grain. However...
4. If you read the link at item #3, you'll know the most common cause of the LOADING error message is a bad capacitor. A handfull of new capacitors costs about $5, and anybody skilled with component boards and a soldering pen/gun can have this repaired in under an hour. When my Panasonic ES10 "died" on me back in 2007, I took the unit to the local community college, and had one of the broadcast journalism teachers fix it for me for $30. I barely knew the guy, I just emailed him one day and asked if he could repair a video board with a bad cap. It took him about 30 minutes, I think, to replace 2-3 caps. The machine was good as new.
5. You'll notice I mentioned Panasonic, and not JVC, in the last item. Bad caps are a common problem among ALL BRANDS or ALL ELECTRONICS, especially those made in 2003-2005, due to a high number of cheap and crappy Chinese caps that were floating around the electronics assembly plants.
6. Your Philips 3575 is a great recorder for recording SD or HD TV signals directly from broadcast. I have one too, it's awesome. But when it comes to VHS/S-VHS transfer work, it's not ideal. It will retain every iota of noise found in your original tape, and the resulting MPEG recording will be at least as noisy as the tape (maybe moreso). Remember than MPEG encoding chokes on analog noise. It's true of H.264 and FLV, too, just for the record. Digital compression in general doesn't handle analog noise very well. You know what happens when you use an inferior recorder -- you've had to restore several of them later down the line, and it NEVER looked as good as your own JVC work, did it?!
7. Then again, replacing a so-so VCR will probably be needed too. I suggest putting the bulk of your funds, about $200-250, to locating a really good JVC HR-S7600+/9600+ deck, or a Panasonic AG-1980P if you mostly have EP mode tapes, and then trying to get your recorder fixed on the cheap by a skilled person. I think paying JVC $250+ is a bit much, given what will take place to fix it.
8. It could be your disc drive has failed, but you'd be wise to open up the JVC unit and look around for bulged or leaking caps. The various threads in item #3 have some photos. I can re-post my own ES10 photos, if you need to see what a bulged/leaky cap looks like. Just ask.
9. VCRs, of course, will all be used and second-hand, there are no longer many/any new S-VHS VCRs available anymore. You'll want to browse eBay, maybe check out
B&H,
eCost, and
Amazon for what might be available.
10. When all your projects are done, you can always resell your gear. There will be a market for it, I'm sure. Feel free to list your available gear on this site -- it tends to sell quite well, sometimes snatched up by a buyer in mere days. No cost for that, other than being a
Premium Member here at this site.
... don't think I have anything else for you, think I covered it all.
