[eugenespeed]

Bit of a weird one this.

I've just moved into a flat and until I can afford a bigger TV, I've been watching a 16" Alba HD TV.

My original set up was a seperate VCR and DVD player, and I would just swap the SCART lead round for what I wanted to watch. On the first night in here, I watched two VHS tapes with no problem whatsoever. The following night, I did the same, but this time the picture went off. The sound could still be heard in places, but the picture was similar to watching a scrambled channel on the old analogue Sky.

Tried cleaning the heads, nothing.

So, a friend donated me a Samsung SVDVD440 DVD / VCR combi, so this is now connected, via SCART to my Alba TV.

I can watch DVDs no problem, however, similar to my seperate VCR, I am still getting the same problem watching VHS.

The TV recognises it has a video connected as you can see the blue screen, and even the white "play" triangle when you press the play button, however, as above, it is like trying watch a scambled analogue Sky channel.

It is not my tapes as I have tried more than one, and even tried them on a friends VCR (on which they work), so does anyone have any idea what is going on?

Many thanks.

[Winston_1]

Clutching at straws here. Maybe the video pin is not making on the scart lead. DVDs OK as RGB would be used. Try reversing the scart lead i.e. put the TV end in the VCR and VCR end in the TV. If this works you know you have a dodgy scart lead.

The dodgy part could be the scart socket on the TV of course.
Scart leads are not designed for constant swapping, better to use a scart switch.

[Virgil Tracy]

couldn't you use an RF lead ?

[nvingo]

Originally Posted by Winston_1

Clutching at straws here. Maybe the video pin is not making on the scart lead. DVDs and the OSD OK as RGB would be used..

That does actually make sense.

[eugenespeed]

Originally Posted by Winston_1

Clutching at straws here. Maybe the video pin is not making on the scart lead. DVDs OK as RGB would be used. Try reversing the scart lead i.e. put the TV end in the VCR and VCR end in the TV. If this works you know you have a dodgy scart lead.

The dodgy part could be the scart socket on the TV of course.
Scart leads are not designed for constant swapping, better to use a scart switch.

Hmm. I wonder. However.....

Originally Posted by Virgil Tracy

couldn't you use an RF lead ?

Tried an RF cable, that didn't work either. Same result.

Thanks for the answers so far though.

[jasonjimbob]

Try a head cleaning cassette, could be dirty heads.

[Winston_1]

Originally Posted by eugenespeed

Hmm. I wonder. However.....



Tried an RF cable, that didn't work either. Same result.

Thanks for the answers so far though.

So,it's not the scart lead. Your description of the fault sounds like a PAL tape being played on an NTSC machine or vice versa but I assumed this was not the case so I didn't mention it.

But maybe the model you have is multistandard and there is a switch somewhere that has got put into the NTSC position instead of PAL or AUTO.

[eugenespeed]

Thanks for all your replies so far.

I've tried changing my settings from Auto to PAL, even tried SECAM and NTSC for good measure, still the same result.

Also tried watching an NTSC tape on the VCR, and sadly, still the same result.

Anyone have any other ideas?

[AidanLunn]

I repeat JasonJimBob's suggestion - sounds *very* much like dirty heads. Clean them.

[eugenespeed]

Originally Posted by AidanLunn

I repeat JasonJimBob's suggestion - sounds *very* much like dirty heads. Clean them.

Cleaning the heads was the first thing I tried on the very first video. It sadly didn't work.

Also a bit of a coincidence if more than one model, including a brand new VCR had dirty heads.