Check out the videos on my channel, I've got some of these old Panasonics uploaded from my collection, I also did a few demo videos on how to replace the electrolytics.. I've got the 1988 version of this VCR, even more compact than this model. in 1988, they put new chassis in most of there vcrs
from what i know, 3head is basically meaningless. just a marketing kinda thing .. means 2 video heads plus 1 audio head (mono).
4head can also be confusing, as i've seen some VCRs boasting about "4head", but only having 2 video heads.
marketing again.. what "they" meant was 2 video heads + 2 audio heads (stereo) = 4 heads total.. which isn't even technically correct as the audio head is just stereo, not 2 mono heads as one would think..
I had this exact same vcr back in 1987, bought new. It lasted for only 2 years, then stopped playing completely, and was just not worth fixing. Those 3-head Sylvania recorders were really the same, video performance-wise, as their 2-headed decks. But I always really liked the cosmetic appearance of Sylvania vcr's from the 1980's. I think they made the most attractive vcrs, way back then. But this is a very interesting video. Thanks for posting.
First off, at 2:27, on your VCR shelf, I noticed what looked like a JVC model # HR-7100U. I have that same one, and it is great! No problems!
Secondly, to be honest , those 3 headers are CRAP, seriously. I had a 1988 Panasonic 3 head that worked OK for a while. Then, like yours, had no color. Tried like hell to fix it, cleaning the heads, interal stuff, etc. After getting frustrated with it, I junked it. Makes me want to dig out my 1985 Panasonic out of the attic.
I am fixing a GE VG-7910 VCR for a neighbor of mine. It makes a horrible screeching noise when a tape is being played. It doesn't make that noise when loading, ejecting, or any other function. I paused a tape and it wasn't the head motor. It seems to be the tape motor. Should I lubricate the motor and replace the belts, or replace the motor itself, or just tell my neighbor it's screwed?
You should replace the motor. If it is the bearing making noise, lubricating it would only be a temporary fix. It will eventually have to be replaced.
I found something that I think stops the reels when you hit stop is pressed up hard against the right reels in play. That would explain why it isn't heard during rewind, load, pause, etc. So I might just have to fix the brake thing.
@spatsbear2@spatsbear2 That's a problem with the electrolytic caps in the power supply.. All those 80s Panasonics need to have them replaced.. Those caps cause problems in video playback and sometimes the front panel display, sometimes you'll hear buzzing and hissing coming from the power supply.. There should be around 13 electrolytic caps in the Power Supply housing.. Replace them and you're all good to go..
The 1999ish JVC I mentioned in my previous comment has a problem that boggles the mind. When I record Super Nintendo footage on the vcr, it displays on the TV in color, yet it records a black and white, yet someimes it does record in color. but if I record footage from another game console, it records in full color, and when I record off air tv. What is the problem with it SpatsBear2?
Any inputs that it would usually recieve off something like a games console would use the "direct" inputs such as RCA inputs. Recording off-air from the TV would use the aerial socket and would therefore go through the tuner, rather than directly to the video and audio processing circuit and thus to the heads.
When I record from the SNES, I use either the RCA input or the RF input on back. It's completely random, maybe the planets have to line up just right for it to work. If I record from any other source like off air ,cable, a camera, etc., it records and plays back in full color. But if I record the footage of that console on another VCR, it records in color. Got any answers, anyone?
They don't make vcr's like they used to. Yours has great picture quality for such an old VCR. Even my mom's 10 year old low end 4head JVC VCR has amazing picture quality for an old low end. Right now, I'm using a 2008 memorex 6 head VHS hifi DVD combo, and it has terrible picture and louder than a drunk man snoring XD
It is a 2 head unit, they are counting the audio head. Somtimes they marketed 4 head machines as "6 head" thats right they counted 4 flying heads, erase, and audio.
The one side that has one head has three holes drilled on it. Two are for positioning the head and the middle one adjusts the head's height.
The other side has four holes drilled. Two are for positioning while the two in the middle are for adjusting height for each head on that side. This side uses one assembly that has two head elements.
Man! I had that top loader JVC with the multi colored buttons for a very short time. I only got it to play once the whole 3 months I had it. It had bad idler wheels and or belts along with blown fuses!!!
I wonder if you might have bad electrolytic capacitors somewhere? Was this the time where bad caps started appearing in Panasonics?
I really like that gear drive idler, the FF/Rew functions really seem strong. Anywhere rubber parts can be eliminated seems to be good for reliability.
electrolytic parts such as faulty caps it may be a short in the cord to but you may already have look at that so i do think it's that
setting can be also causeing the problem too but i do think retrochad is right'and most of the time when v.c.r do that it mainly the electrolytics getting ready to go on it
Problems with electrolytics in these Matsushita VCRs are very common and have been for the longest time throughout the 80s and 90s. The problem isn't bad parts but just the way the power supply is designed.
They run hot and are sensitive to surges, so capacitor problems and even failed zeners and regulators in these power supplies do develop.
The wavy B&W video may be due to a faulty RF modulator. If it has a composite video output, you can try that to see if it has a good color image. If yes, then the problem is narrowed down to the RF channel 3/4 output section.
If recordings made on it play back in another VCR in colour, then the colour crystal probably needs replacing. Blanket replacement of all capacitors in the PSU is a good idea as well.
Check out the videos on my channel, I've got some of these old Panasonics uploaded from my collection, I also did a few demo videos on how to replace the electrolytics.. I've got the 1988 version of this VCR, even more compact than this model. in 1988, they put new chassis in most of there vcrs
thevintagelectronics 11 months ago
i'm still using a 1987 philips matchline vcr... works perfectly after 24 years =)
93axele 1 year ago
nie sylvania 2 head mono vcr from late 80's once again my favorite mono vcrs are magnavox panasonic zenith and sylvania.
cameron20101000 1 year ago
from what i know, 3head is basically meaningless. just a marketing kinda thing .. means 2 video heads plus 1 audio head (mono).
4head can also be confusing, as i've seen some VCRs boasting about "4head", but only having 2 video heads.
marketing again.. what "they" meant was 2 video heads + 2 audio heads (stereo) = 4 heads total.. which isn't even technically correct as the audio head is just stereo, not 2 mono heads as one would think..
marketing bullshit in all it's "glory".. ;)
Knaeckebrotsaege 1 year ago
That's a cool VCR. The oldest VCR I have says "Manufactured October 12, 1993" on the back of it I think.
Rnastershake 1 year ago
Change from SLP..Probably on the remote.
azshaw123 1 year ago
have you tried a different tape cuz i tried to record video games and it only recorded in b&w
danwoodward23 1 year ago
@danwoodward23 It does it with all tapes. It appears to be a capacitor problem and will need recapped.
spatsbear2 1 year ago
where can i buy one of these 3-head vcrs??
SWO4LIFE 2 years ago
i got this vcr about a year ago for $1 at a garage sale. theres nothing wrong with it. i love it
simplicityford 2 years ago
I had this exact same vcr back in 1987, bought new. It lasted for only 2 years, then stopped playing completely, and was just not worth fixing. Those 3-head Sylvania recorders were really the same, video performance-wise, as their 2-headed decks. But I always really liked the cosmetic appearance of Sylvania vcr's from the 1980's. I think they made the most attractive vcrs, way back then. But this is a very interesting video. Thanks for posting.
RUSH2LIMBAUGH 2 years ago
First off, at 2:27, on your VCR shelf, I noticed what looked like a JVC model # HR-7100U. I have that same one, and it is great! No problems!
Secondly, to be honest , those 3 headers are CRAP, seriously. I had a 1988 Panasonic 3 head that worked OK for a while. Then, like yours, had no color. Tried like hell to fix it, cleaning the heads, interal stuff, etc. After getting frustrated with it, I junked it. Makes me want to dig out my 1985 Panasonic out of the attic.
eskiewolf76 2 years ago
I am fixing a GE VG-7910 VCR for a neighbor of mine. It makes a horrible screeching noise when a tape is being played. It doesn't make that noise when loading, ejecting, or any other function. I paused a tape and it wasn't the head motor. It seems to be the tape motor. Should I lubricate the motor and replace the belts, or replace the motor itself, or just tell my neighbor it's screwed?
MRLOL785 2 years ago
You should replace the motor. If it is the bearing making noise, lubricating it would only be a temporary fix. It will eventually have to be replaced.
spatsbear2 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Know where I can find a motor?
MRLOL785 2 years ago
I found something that I think stops the reels when you hit stop is pressed up hard against the right reels in play. That would explain why it isn't heard during rewind, load, pause, etc. So I might just have to fix the brake thing.
MRLOL785 2 years ago
Is there a difference between VHS HQ and VHS plain? I never noticed the difference, but I have never used a VHS plain machine, just HQ ones.
MRLOL785 2 years ago
HQ has extra circuitry to clean up noise and sharpen the picture, as well as some other enhancements.
spatsbear2 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Oh. OK thnx!
MRLOL785 2 years ago
@spatsbear2 @spatsbear2 That's a problem with the electrolytic caps in the power supply.. All those 80s Panasonics need to have them replaced.. Those caps cause problems in video playback and sometimes the front panel display, sometimes you'll hear buzzing and hissing coming from the power supply.. There should be around 13 electrolytic caps in the Power Supply housing.. Replace them and you're all good to go..
thevintagelectronics 11 months ago
YOu have a nice collection.. By the way. I need a new VCR, LOL.
liddlepeep 2 years ago
in response to the video description, I wonder why they didn't call it a 4-Head machine as they didn't count the control track head?
AidanLunn 2 years ago
I have no idea... this is just an oddball VHS deck...
I have an identical JCPenney clone of this VCR (manufactured just several days apart from this one, by Panasonic) that boasts 2-head on it :p
spatsbear2 2 years ago
The 1999ish JVC I mentioned in my previous comment has a problem that boggles the mind. When I record Super Nintendo footage on the vcr, it displays on the TV in color, yet it records a black and white, yet someimes it does record in color. but if I record footage from another game console, it records in full color, and when I record off air tv. What is the problem with it SpatsBear2?
MRLOL785 2 years ago
that seems to be a problem with the tuner.
Any inputs that it would usually recieve off something like a games console would use the "direct" inputs such as RCA inputs. Recording off-air from the TV would use the aerial socket and would therefore go through the tuner, rather than directly to the video and audio processing circuit and thus to the heads.
AidanLunn 2 years ago
When I record from the SNES, I use either the RCA input or the RF input on back. It's completely random, maybe the planets have to line up just right for it to work. If I record from any other source like off air ,cable, a camera, etc., it records and plays back in full color. But if I record the footage of that console on another VCR, it records in color. Got any answers, anyone?
MRLOL785 2 years ago
They don't make vcr's like they used to. Yours has great picture quality for such an old VCR. Even my mom's 10 year old low end 4head JVC VCR has amazing picture quality for an old low end. Right now, I'm using a 2008 memorex 6 head VHS hifi DVD combo, and it has terrible picture and louder than a drunk man snoring XD
MRLOL785 2 years ago 2
lo diddy kong racing, love that game :D
aosthfan98 2 years ago 3
holy shit i never heard of a 3 head vcr...i have a 6 head!!
SWO4LIFE 2 years ago 2
is that bubble wrap you put around the vcrs?
cutebikerwannabe 3 years ago
Yes.
spatsbear2 3 years ago
Ok...
cutebikerwannabe 3 years ago
So theres other guys who also have loads of old VCRs and TRS80s laying around. Maybe Im not weird after all!
HueyHoggsbrother 3 years ago
Great stuff, man. I wish I was like you. By the way, nice kitty.
videos4everybody 3 years ago 3
they have played the name games for a long time
retrochad has a hopital or prison tv with a lock on it. It is also a sylvania but was made by panasonic
force311999 3 years ago
It is a 2 head unit, they are counting the audio head. Somtimes they marketed 4 head machines as "6 head" thats right they counted 4 flying heads, erase, and audio.
jedw 3 years ago
No, this machine really has three heads.
Look at the helical drum more closely.
The one side that has one head has three holes drilled on it. Two are for positioning the head and the middle one adjusts the head's height.
The other side has four holes drilled. Two are for positioning while the two in the middle are for adjusting height for each head on that side. This side uses one assembly that has two head elements.
Watcher3223 3 years ago
The idea behind 3 heads is improved freeze frame and slo-mo for the SP speed.
The EP speed isn't as critical about this as you can still manage a relatively noise-free freeze frame even on 2 head VCRs.
But, a 3 head isn't dual azimuth like a 4 head. A 4 head has 2 dedicated heads for SP and another two for EP instead of one set doing duty for both.
And, 6 head VCRs really do have 6 video heads: the A/C headstack, erase heads (both fixed and flying), and the hi-fi heads are never tallied.
Watcher3223 3 years ago
Man! I had that top loader JVC with the multi colored buttons for a very short time. I only got it to play once the whole 3 months I had it. It had bad idler wheels and or belts along with blown fuses!!!
Man you have such nice kitties!!
Trance88 3 years ago
i got this that v.c.r only got to use for a year lighting struck it one morning
and fried the transformer or some auther major electrolyic part it will not run
at all now
hdyudu 3 years ago
I wonder if you might have bad electrolytic capacitors somewhere? Was this the time where bad caps started appearing in Panasonics?
I really like that gear drive idler, the FF/Rew functions really seem strong. Anywhere rubber parts can be eliminated seems to be good for reliability.
retrochad 3 years ago
I haven't done any troubleshooting on it just yet, but electrolytics could very likely be a problem too.
spatsbear2 3 years ago
that what i was thinking to defective
electrolytic parts such as faulty caps it may be a short in the cord to but you may already have look at that so i do think it's that
setting can be also causeing the problem too but i do think retrochad is right'and most of the time when v.c.r do that it mainly the electrolytics getting ready to go on it
hdyudu 3 years ago
Problems with electrolytics in these Matsushita VCRs are very common and have been for the longest time throughout the 80s and 90s. The problem isn't bad parts but just the way the power supply is designed.
They run hot and are sensitive to surges, so capacitor problems and even failed zeners and regulators in these power supplies do develop.
Watcher3223 3 years ago
The wavy B&W video may be due to a faulty RF modulator. If it has a composite video output, you can try that to see if it has a good color image. If yes, then the problem is narrowed down to the RF channel 3/4 output section.
vwestlife 3 years ago
Nope. When I got it, I first used line level video out, and it still does it.
It also does this on record as well.
spatsbear2 3 years ago
If recordings made on it play back in another VCR in colour, then the colour crystal probably needs replacing. Blanket replacement of all capacitors in the PSU is a good idea as well.
oldgamingfart 3 years ago
It obviously does have bad PSU caps as the VFD acts up that is consistent.
It does briefly let color out at times. This is on a list of a long list of restore projects for myself. It will be a while before I get to it.
spatsbear2 3 years ago
that look like a Samsung we used to own a long time ago
Silverwolfstarz 3 years ago
Wow, that is almost the exact same thing, in a slightly larger case with different buttons.
LOL 3 head? They must be counting the linear audio head. I only see 2 video heads there.
Interesting problem with the playback... I hope the video heads aren't too worn.
Maybe you can swap parts with the JC Penny and find out what's bad. It should have the same heads.
Maxxarcade 3 years ago