My VCR plays sound but image is noise

[Foneet1]

Yesterday I got some tapes to test out my VCR, so I plugged it into my TV. The picture had no colour, which is probably because my modern TV thinks it's an S-Video source. Then the picture started getting noisier, until it became pure noise. I tried paper and alcohol, it picked up some dirt, but no effect. I also read that playing the tape for an hour or so, or rewinding and fastforwarding can help but it didn't. What do I do? I have a european Philips VR-170.

[Welsh Anorak]

Keep trying!

Using a lint-free cloth or chamois pad soaked in alcohol and held against the head disc while you gently rotate it can dislodge dirt. Whatever you do, don't clean in a vertical motion, just side to side. Turning the head drum against the cloth is the best way of achieveing this.

Unless the head's been damaged (very unlikely) I doubt there's another fault.

If the machine has one of those cleaning rollers, remove it and dispose of it - they can cause problems. Also be very critical of your tapes - have they any white mould (visible through the window) on them?

[Foneet1]

I cleaned it a few times with paper, and with a cotton disk, so that my dad would shut up about using cotton disks. Picture came back for a moment, and when I ejected and put tape back in, it came back to noise and tried eating the tape. So idk, cleaning seems to help.

[Foneet1]

Results are visible, but inconsistent

[Andrew2]

Sounds like dirty tapes are repeatedly clogging the heads. Also make sure the head drum is fully dry after cleaning before playing a tape or you'll end up in a mess.

[Christoffrad]

Eating the tape also suggests that the video heads clogged because the tape was not passing over them properly in the first place, due to tape transport problems.

[Christoffrad]

I recall that my V2000 machine had problems with some old Philips tapes but when the heads clogged in the way you described, a good picture would always be restored by playing a BASF tape for a minute or so.

[davyrocket2]

I would make sure you clean all the tape entry and exit guides and very carefully clean the pinch roller as already mentioned hold the cloth or swab onto the head drum and rotate the head disc against the cloth or swab my technique is a medi swab and I use each corner once if its still dirty repeat until its clean and make absolutely dry before trying a tape also have you examined the tape have you tried the tape in another machine ? and try a visual examination of the tape you are using its not worth using a damaged tape to ruin a decent machine which can happen very easily .

[ben]

VCRs of this vintage usually had a 'auto head cleaner', a small roller on a plastic arm usually located between the drum exit guide and the A/C head. These were a bad idea to start with, and deteriorate with age and smear dirt every time the machine is used. Only yesterday I had to remove one from a Philips TV-VCR combo unit that repeatedly clogged the heads because of this roller.

A thorough clean of the entire tape path is needed if an old or damaged tape is used, work through from the backtension lever - erase head, impedance roller, drum entry guide, drum lower and upper, drum exit guide, A/C head, half load arm if fitted), capstan, pinch roller.

Any tape that has been tangled will have grease on it from the deck and this will smear all over the tape path if reinserted.

The other problem Philips turbo mech-based VCRs have is that the pinch roller goes hard and drags the tape unevenly, leading to snowy pictures dropouts and cyclic noise. Look and see if your roller is on a metal bracket on a white plastic bracket that lowers into position when playing - if so, it is likely bad.

[davyrocket2]

Hello and in response to bens reply to start with the foam roller intended for removing the dirt from video heads was a good idea but after a long period of time can end up putting the dirt back onto the heads instead of taking it off ,I use Medi Swabs which contain Iso Propol alcohol 2 of these swabs using each corner usually results in removing the dirt another swab to clean the entry rollers and guides and pinch roller then allow five minutes to make sure all surfaces are dry .

[lightning]

l recall that some VCR's had a small electrolytic capacitor on the video head PCB that could fail, and cause exactly this fault.

[Michael Maurice]

It might be helpful if we had the make and model number of the VCR.

Also after cleaning, make sure the heads and tape path are thoroughly dry. If there’s any trace of head cleaning fluid it will cause exactly this fault.

[Cathovisor]

Originally Posted by Michael Maurice

It might be helpful if we had the make and model number of the VCR.

First post: " I have a european Philips VR-170"