JVC DVD-VHS Combo HR-XVC33U VHS side Sound only no Picture

[ChrisCoaster]

Have had 6 years of great service from http://www.pricescan.com/ItemImages/ImagesL/517615.jpg
..

Until yesterday, it played VHS tapes fine. Today, it decided to play
only sound from the VHS side. VHS heads have been cleaned monthly.

Sound is clear and Hi-Fi stereo, but picture is flickery snow. Unit
outputs via RCA yellow/red/white cables to input on my TV. TV IS set
to correct input because we can see and hear DVDs when playing from
that function.

Periodically, counter window displays strange "U:01" code. Is this an
error code associated with loss of picture?? Is play head video
finally shot??

Please help!

 

[Nigel Feltham]

ChrisCoaster wrote:

Have had 6 years of great service from
http://www.pricescan.com/ItemImages/ImagesL/517615.jpg .

Until yesterday, it played VHS tapes fine. Today, it decided to play
only sound from the VHS side. VHS heads have been cleaned monthly.

What did you use to clean the heads - the reason I ask is that if using one
of the cassette based cleaners then these can are often abrasive and cause
premature head wear, cleaning monthly is also too often unless the machine
gets a lot of usage. Cleaning tapes also normally have a limited life (can
be as little as 10 or 20 cleans) before they're worn out and start putting
more dirt back on than they take off so if you've been using the same tape
to clean the machine every month for the last 6 years that could be it.

My VHS machines only get cleaned when the picture noticeably degrades and
then manually with either a chamois cleaning stick or cotton bud dipped in
head cleaning fluid and my oldest machine is over 20 years old now and
plays like when it was new (only replaced to get hifi sound - still used as
source machine for copying my older home-recorded tapes to DVD at times).

Sound is clear and Hi-Fi stereo, but picture is flickery snow. Unit
outputs via RCA yellow/red/white cables to input on my TV. TV IS set
to correct input because we can see and hear DVDs when playing from
that function.

It's possible it's not head wear but dirt on the heads - some machines have
auto head cleaner built-in (usually a wheel covered in short lengths of
cleaning tape that gets wiped across the heads whenever machine senses low
playback signal level) to avoid the need for user to do their own cleaning,
however the cleaner can get dirty with age and wipe dirt back onto the
heads after user has cleaned them.

Periodically, counter window displays strange "U:01" code. Is this an
error code associated with loss of picture?? Is play head video
finally shot??

I cannot find any repair info for your machine but service manuals available
online for a couple of other JVC machines I looked at would indicate that
the U:01 error means the heads are dirty / clogged so need better cleaning.

 

[none]

Nigel Feltham wrote:

ChrisCoaster wrote:

Have had 6 years of great service from
http://www.pricescan.com/ItemImages/ImagesL/517615.jpg .

Until yesterday, it played VHS tapes fine. Today, it decided to play
only sound from the VHS side. VHS heads have been cleaned monthly.

What did you use to clean the heads - the reason I ask is that if using one
of the cassette based cleaners then these can are often abrasive and cause
premature head wear, cleaning monthly is also too often unless the machine
gets a lot of usage. Cleaning tapes also normally have a limited life (can
be as little as 10 or 20 cleans) before they're worn out and start putting
more dirt back on than they take off so if you've been using the same tape
to clean the machine every month for the last 6 years that could be it.

My VHS machines only get cleaned when the picture noticeably degrades and
then manually with either a chamois cleaning stick or cotton bud dipped in
head cleaning fluid and my oldest machine is over 20 years old now and
plays like when it was new (only replaced to get hifi sound - still used as
source machine for copying my older home-recorded tapes to DVD at times).

Sound is clear and Hi-Fi stereo, but picture is flickery snow. Unit
outputs via RCA yellow/red/white cables to input on my TV. TV IS set
to correct input because we can see and hear DVDs when playing from
that function.

It's possible it's not head wear but dirt on the heads - some machines have
auto head cleaner built-in (usually a wheel covered in short lengths of
cleaning tape that gets wiped across the heads whenever machine senses low
playback signal level) to avoid the need for user to do their own cleaning,
however the cleaner can get dirty with age and wipe dirt back onto the
heads after user has cleaned them.

Periodically, counter window displays strange "U:01" code. Is this an
error code associated with loss of picture?? Is play head video
finally shot??

I cannot find any repair info for your machine but service manuals available
online for a couple of other JVC machines I looked at would indicate that
the U:01 error means the heads are dirty / clogged so need better cleaning.


If you can't get head cleaning fluid, alcohol will do. Let it dry

thoroughly before playing a tape, or blow it dry with compressed air.
Take care to clean the guide "ridge" under the helical-scan headwheel as
well. The bottom edge of the videotape rides on that guide, and any dirt
collecting there will cause the tape to ride above its proper position.
You probably know all that already...

 

[Jeroni Paul]

Until yesterday, it played VHS tapes fine. Today, it decided to play
only sound from the VHS side. VHS heads have been cleaned monthly.

You should clean the heads only when needed, not monthly. If you use a
cleaning tape it will eat your heads really fast if used so
frequently.
I have been using VHS machines for years without any need for
cleaning, usually problems arise only when you try to play a rented or
old tape that sat unused for years.

Sound is clear and Hi-Fi stereo, but picture is flickery snow.

Before thinking tired heads you could consider some dirt in the heads.
You can let it play a long tape for some hours and see if it improves,
quality tapes have good cleaning habilities. As a last resort try a
good (wet) cleaning tape.