We have one of those tv/vcr combos in our bedroom. Tonight i popped a tape in that I recorded (tonights South Park) and found that it recorded the video just fine, but it didn’t record the audio. All I heard was the audio from the previously recorded program (Friends:rolleyes: ). At first I thought the tape was bad and experiemented with a new tape. The VCR is recording video perfectly, but it’s not recording new audio. I ran a head cleaner through it, but it didn’t change.
A unit like this is approximately $169. Anyone know how much it costs to have a problem like this repaired?
Electronics are so “disposable” now days. I hate to just buy a new one. The television picture is perfect. Just the VCR part is screwed.
I have only fixed a few vcrs, so my experience is limited.
Is the audio diminished in volume? Even if the audio head wasn’t writing, the erase head should take out the audio. If not, your whole audio head may be out, which might be a sign that the problem is physical and not electronic.
I would suggest opening it up and looking for any obvious problems (cord came off the solder, or audio head came loose and is not making contact with the tape). It doesn’t seem very likely, but you never know.
Others may also know of easy/cheap solutions to this particular problem. I once had a VCR with power problems. I posted my VCR with brand/model number to a newsgroup and they responded that it was a common problem to that model, and the fix involved replacing a single capacitor in the power supply. I have no idea what its “job” was but I replaced the capacitor and the VCR has worked fine ever since.
The audio is completely unaffected by new recording. It’s kind of wierd watching South Park with Friends audio. I even experimented by recording a show on another vcr, then trying to record over it with the bedroom unit. Video records fine, whatever audio was on the tape remained. No new audio is recorded. This happened all at once, not gradually.
“bedroom unit”. I think I just came up with a new dirty word.
I’ve got one of these, that does this same thing from time to time. The first time, since it was under guarantee, I called a repairman, who didn’t seem to do much, just push some connection in tighter.
Since then, I’ve fixed it myself a few times. I open it up (carefully, and unplugged, obviously, with it face down on the bed), but still can’t figure out what he pushed. I tentatively wiggle a few wires, close it up and it’s fine.
Just please be careful, like Saranga said.
Next time, I think I’ll try lying it on the bed closed and shoogling it. It might work, and I’d be happy not to have to open it again (apart from the danger of electric shock, it’s really dirty)
Open it up, if you dare. But be careful, as the TV portion can have very high voltages present. Look to the right of the cylindrical vido head assembly. You’ll see something that looks like a large tape recorder head. This is the audio head. Check the cable connecting it to the circuit board. If possible, unplug it and plug it back in at both ends, to reseat the connection. Anything else would be too complicated to attempt with no previous electronics repair experience. Once again stay away from the telievision circuitry!
If it was just a VCR I would recommend some careful hand cleaning as given at a repair FAQ site, etc. But there are some problems:
First, it’s a combo. Not only is it extremely dangerous for a novice to be poking around inside a TV, it also makes simple servicing tremendously harder. This is why you should never ever buy such a combo device.
You really haven’t provided nearly enough info for even a wild guess board diagnostic. E.g., the first thing I would check is it the hifi or the linear audio that is bad, things like that.
One of the simplest sound recording problems would be caused, by a bad/dirty erase head. But then the old audio would be mixed with the new, it wouldn’t be not-erasing just the old audio, but the old video too, etc. Then there has to be a reason the new audio isn’t being recorded. So that’s a system-wide problem.
So the bad news is that your equipment is junk. Not repairable economically. The good news is (wait for it…)
You have set a switch somewhere wrong. Look for switches involving sound source, dubbing or the like. Maybe an actual switch. Maybe an onscreen menu setting. Set it back to “tuner” or whatever you had been using. 95% chance that this is all that is wrong.
It may not be a complete loss. Some repair places will charge a small fee, like $25, to clean and inspect your VCR. They want to establish a relationship with you, so will do this for a low price to get you in the door.
Be careful, though, don’t tell them there are any problems other than a little video noise, or they may be tempted to “invent” a problem. Let them find it themselves.
cpgoose has posted pictures of his VCR’s innards [url=“http://www.angelfire.com/nj4/cpgoose/VCR/pix.html”]here**. The audio head is to the right of the big tinted silver cylinder… the only other thing with a ribbon cable attached to it up there on the tape transport stage. Your VCR should look very similar. That’s where you should check connections, and make sure it’s mounted and aligned securely. (It should self-align as long as all the screws are snug.)
And ftg has a good point. Make certain all your settings are correct before concluding there’s a hardware problem.
When troubleshooting, the order of things to check is always:
Power (not applicable here)
Consumables and media (the tape; already verified)
User operating method (are you pressing the buttons in the right order?)
Switches and Settings (same thing, really, but check the ones you usually don’t think about - someone may have jacked with them)
Connections (everything from external jacks to internal jumpers and solder joints)
Obvious signs of corrosion, melting, flames, etc. (Did anything release the “magic smoke?” Is there spilled beer on the heads, or a pop-tart in the tape carriage?)
Only then should you start assuming that a part needs replacing.
I don’t buy the “select audio source” theory. If the VCR was set to record from an alternate audio source, the original audio track should have been overwritten with whatever was coming in through said source; in other words nothing.
Yeah, the second audio source theory is ng in this case.
I ran a brand new head cleaner through it today. Nothing.
What’s so strange is, it plays tapes recorded on one of our other vcrs beautifully. The picture is excellent, the sound is excellent.
The sound recording heads are trashed, that’s all.
I’m not going to screw with it. After Xmas there’s bound to be one just like it on sale somewhere.
thanks for the help/suggestions guys.
Well, I have VCRs that allow me to leave/overdub the linear audio tracks. Which is why the OP is so lacking. Is this is a linear or hifi audio problem? Under no circumstances can you record new video onto a VHS VCR without replacing the the old hifi audio.
If it’s not a setting, the sequence of failure may be: the hifi audio went out (user didn’t notice that he was getting crappy linear audio), some time later the linear audio goes south. So, multiple failures makes repair even less than less-than-economical. It’s a TV now.
