VCR Basics - Video Head Configurations
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- čas přidán 4. 08. 2024
- This video doesn't talk about what you should buy, it just talks about what there is.
0:00 Introduction
1:29 2 Video Heads
4:17 4 Video Heads
5:56 3 Video Heads
7:33 5 Video Heads
8:41 4DA Video Heads (Dual Azimuth)
10:17 Hi-Fi Heads
12:11 6 Video Heads
13:42 Flying Erase Head
17:16 How to remove an auto head-cleaner
17:26 Credits - Věda a technologie
Those auto head cleaning sponges does more damage than good to the heads over the course of time. I always remove them, whenever I still see one in a vcr. 👍🏾
I replaced the sponge on the Roller with paper...works wonders but need periodical change though
I was NOT aware of this, and now I get to go home and investigate 3 VCRs, to see wussup. Thanks for the heads up!
So that's why my vcr head head keeps getting dirty whenever I load and eject the tape the Spong was full of dirt..
@@jacenthegreat9536 Yup, that is probably causing the problem. That old sponge is recontaminating the heads every time you insert and eject a tape.
@@rwj777 yea there was a black line on the sponge
Wow! This is the most comprehensive explanation on video heads so far. I've known it all for a long time now, but those were just bits of information from different sources which often contradicted themselves with no real visual instances. Thank You!
👍👍👍
This comment is mostly for the viewer engagement, but thanks for taking the time to produce this video! I am getting back into VHS after a 20-year hiatus, and I have been learning a lot! For instance, good luck trying to find a timing band for a Sony SLV-940HF [all the sad-face in the world for this revelation]
Thanks for sharing!
Great video!
A few remarks:
1 The audio erase head is not only for trimming the video tracks in order to prepare the audio track for recording audio, but mainly to erase any previous audio that was recorded.
When this head fails (changes resistance, circuit failures), the symptom will be that a portion of the previous recording will be heard with the new recording until the full erased tape reaches the audio head.
2 The flying erase head was mainly intended to be used for the Insert function (recording video segment without messing up the linear audio).
3 outside of USA 4 head decks with Hi-Fi were marketed as 6 head deck, some sellers couldn't tell what the two extra heads does...
I have always wanted to learn about all the different types of heads. This was such a throughly explained video.
Excellent presentation :) I never knew about that odd 6 head unit with two sets of EP heads.
And I am currently working on a video on a rare VCR from 1986 with the rare 2 head HiFi configuration, video to come soon.
Ooh that's exciting. Those are incredibly hard to find, I look forward to seeing it.
Thanks a lot for all those precious information for me! I knew some but now, I know a lot more!
Best video on CZcams on the subject. Thanks!
Thank you for your excellent presentation. If you'd played the THX audio intro I think I would have stood and clapped at the screen! I'm a VCR nerd, but you showed me lot of stuff I didn't see before!! I had 3 Beta m/c's ( 1 portable Sanyo/Sears & 2 SONY hifi's ) before my first VHS m/c (1987 ) which was a Fisher HiFi 6-Head ( 4DA +2 ), with DMSS ( Digital Memory Sound Scan ) which sampled the linear audio track and played it back in 8 second segments at normal speed, when running in Fwd. OR Rev. Search, at any of the 3 playback speeds! I have subbed and am looking forward to looking at your other videos. Thanks again.
JVC did that, It must be JVC design.
This was a very nice explanation, thank you!
Excellent, And Well Explained, Well Done. Thank You For This.
Video esemplare,eccellente spiegazione sulla tipologia e spiegazione tecnica dei tamburi testine VHS,ottimo.
Just stumbled on your video and think it very informative even though i have been fixing this stuff for years.
Amazing. Thanks for the information!
There were also the pro/industrial decks that used DA4+HiFi configuration with the 2 extra heads purely for trick play functions and were SP only. (E.g Panasonic AG8600, JVC BR-S522 etc)
VHS Camcoders are another can of worms with a smaller drum and different wrap.
I've never had the opportunity to try one of those industrial models, but I imagine they have amazing quality.
This stuff is amazing.
I could never find a VCR with a flying erase head, and I too remember the time when they were bragging about the 19u heads lol.
This was super interesting! I learned stuff :)
Some newer VHS VCR's from JVC and Beta from Sony used digital pause, That means when you press pause the last played frame is displayed as a still picture, VCR's with TBC and digital memory buffer were the only ones capable of this feature.
Yes, I've used a few of those. In the late 80s most of the manufacturers (Hitachi, Panasonic, Sony and others) starting putting in a digital buffer and offered a bunch of digital special effects. Most were gimmicky and died off, but digital pause was still offered for years later.
You are the best
Nice video sir
So sad YT wasn't available back then when VCRs were widely used uptill mid 2000...
Totally agree
I feel like the best option (theoretically) is a 3head VCR with only SP capability. So, all of the 3 heads would be wide.
A 3head capable of LP would have the 2 main thin heads optimised for LP (and the trick head wide or thin ???).
The 4head DA, would use (on SP) on pause/slow motion one wide head and one borrowed thin head, having of course both the same azimuth.
So, i think that, from best to worst vcr, using SP as preferred mode, we have:
3head only SP> 4 head DA> 3head SP/LP> 2head only SP> 2head SP/LP.
Practically though, 3head only SP= 4 head DA= 3head SP/LP, because who would notice any difference either on play or trick modes???
Awesome
Any good links for a 4 head hifi video head replacement?? I'm currently trying to find a really high quality 4 head hifi head replacement for my vcr so I hopefully won't have to replace it ever again. Thought you might have some ideas?
Just some questions. So there are 2 different ways a vcr can play or record the audio. It could use a stationary audio head or spinning audio heads in the head drum. Right? And as far as i know, if there are no audio heads in the spinning head drum then it isn't hi-fi audio right? So is it safe to assume that a vcr that has hi-fi stereo written on it, has 2 audio heads in the spinning head drum for hi-fi audio or could this just be a marketing trick and it could still be a vcr with only the stationary audio head?
Your first assumption is correct - any VHS VCR that has "Hi-Fi" audio will have 2 audio heads on the spinning head drum.
There are stereo VCRs with only a stationary head that uses a stereo linear track, but Hi-Fi is always heads on the spinning head drum.
We are noticing than audio linear track are twin with 2 differents audio channel for double language or stereo linear recording mono compatible( DECCA System on prerecorded audio compact cassettes )
What about the 7 Heads, the LG Ec-971b will be a good souece to recover some videos ?
The Head gap is Important in Cassette decks too. With a Small Head cap you have objectively better sound.
This is why usually 3 head decks will play better than 2 head decks, as the recording head has the gap optimized for recording and the play head has narrower gap for optimized playback.
@@moshezaharia4666Usually doesn’t mean always. From my Experience, a lot of 2 Headers sound as good as a 3 header.
@@domi7007 It is also depends on the circuit design, but on a 2 head deck the gap on the record/ play head is still a compromise.
@@moshezaharia4666 I agree.
I was surprised to learn the record head gap was wider than a play back head, baffles me that the record head being a wider gap is optimal for recording and the play back is narrower and the more narrow it seems to be superior in bringing out the treble. I can only imagine the time and effort that went into making that discovery. I imagine that also applies to video signals as well, that is definitely a significant challenge as there is only so much room on a video drum not to mention the placement of all the heads as well as the rotary transformer in the lower head drum dealing with cross talk.
I guess the reason six head was used in marketing in PAL areas was that the older six head models made no sense here as we never had SLP, only SP and LP, so the confusion wasn't there.
What's up! Great video, mate. I would like to ask you two more questions: 1 - I remember seeying some 7-head VCR for sale at that time, what was that extra head? how was it used? 2 - What was that white plastic thing that you pulled off ? =]
The 7 head model must have been 5 video heads + 2 Hi-Fi heads. I've never heard of 7 heads dedicated to video. That white plastic thing was the auto head cleaner. It's a little foam roller that gets momentarily pushed against the spinning heads as the guides loader the tape. Very common in 90s/2000s machines, but should probably be removed nowadays as the foam can degrade - clogging or damaging the heads. I've personally only seen this happen on Toshiba models - if you have a Toshiba VCR make sure it gets removed ASAP!
Hi! Nice explanation!
All these your are describing, apply on both ntsc and pal vcr versions?
So, is it preferable to record in the lower speeds (PAL lp, NTSC ep) with a 2 head vcr?? And if so, why the prerecorded tapes where in sp, while most of people used to have a two head vcr??
Thanks a lot ☺️
This video was written around NTSC, but the basics probably still apply for PAL.
Even with a 2-head VCR, SP was a more reliable speed. The picture quality improvements weren't as good as a 4-head VCR, but things like tracking consistency and picture stability were still better with SP. If the tape was worn out, stretched, or even chewed up, an SP recording had more chance or playing correctly. Also if you didn't have a Hi-Fi VCR (which many people never had throughout the 90s and 2000s) the audio on an LP/EP recording was much worse. So SP was still the best choice for pre-recorded tapes.
@@probnotstech
Thanks a lot for the response!😉
@@probnotstech Just let me add that the faster a tape moves, the better the recording quality is, this is why SP is the default speed for prerecorded tapes (and the fact that most people around the world had a basic vcr).
Sir having J22 Panasonic VCR, cassette not accepting, how can resolved
How volt head work
In pause (still picture), one head or two heads scanning in one track?
It will always be 2 heads scanning at any given time (in order to fill both interlaced fields). If the VCR has dual azimuth heads, then both heads used in pause will scan the same track/field. This means both interlaced fields on the TV will show the same recorded field. This avoids jitter if the two fields are slightly different from a fast motion scene.
@@probnotstech Sorry, I mean that just in two head machine (not dual azimuth). In pause time, one track are scanned by one head or two head.
@@cor_qk9sf Ahh, it still uses both heads, one scanning each track.
@@probnotstech, but the tape is stopped, one track has been scanned
If the VCR only used one head in pause, then only one field of video would be available, and the other would be just noise. The rotation of the head drum creates a full frame of video (2 fields). So the TV would constantly be flickering between noise and an image. The relative angle that the head hits the tape changes with tape speed, which allows the heads to read more than one track of video.
Mr. Betamax has a great write-up on this (same principles apply between VHS and Beta): mrbetamax.com/DAHeads.htm
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Had incredible Sony super VHS deck but it died because all the gears were nylon and they shrank and cracked due to the heat inside the machine.... I had recorded all the Star Trek next generation episodes using this deck
As far as I know those are not 6 video heads on the Toshiba M751, 4 double azimut video heads, one flying erase head and one dummy head to balance the flying erase head, the top rotary contactor is for the erase head wires, Plus the 2 extra heads for HiFi audio obviously, so 8 in total, but 7 functioning heads, This is the highest total number of heads that I'm aware of that ever existed in VHS format.
No, I have one and it actually has 6 video heads, 8 if you include the hi-fi audio. It offered 2 different sized "EP" heads - one set for the 19u width heads that JVC originally spec'd, and one set for the wider heads that Panasonic used to support SLP and LP. The idea was that 19u offered better quality EP recordings, but the wider heads supported the EP recordings made on the machines with the wider heads.
@@probnotstech So where is the flying erase head? The rotary connector on the top of drum suggests that a flying erase head is on the drum. Do you have a copy of the service manual?
That's actually what Toshiba called "Pro Drum V3 Technology" as the label on the door indicates. They moved the pre-amp for the video heads onto the head drum itself ("flying" preamp), similar to some professional grade equipment. The idea is that you want an amplifier as close to the source as possible so you're not also amplifying noise picked up on a longer path.
@@probnotstech So that's what that rotary connector is for? Carry the already switched and pre-amplified head RF signal? Pretty interesting, Is it for all heads in all modes (SP, LP, EP) and HiFi audio or for just LP heads?
I want HTR of national vcr
I got a to super vcr Toshiba 6head vcr
That was a LOT of technical info ...
As they always said, erase a pre-recorded tape before taping new video on to it.
I have three hi-fi stereo 7 heads VCR's
I'm guessing RCA or Hitachi brand? They sold a lot of 5+2 configurations in the late 80s (5 video heads + 2 hi-fi heads)
I think I see now why JVC and Panasonic decks never played well together. - I think Panasonic used different widths compared to JVC specs - to optimize easier tracking. JVC went for quality in SP. I think Panasonic used wider for EP- JVC used 19 microns for EP almost always
That's what I've come to understand as well. JVC decks to me always had better SP quality than Panasonic and I think it's partially due to the wider SP heads.
Just as JVC decks were horrible at LP playback, and I believe it's because of the narrower EP heads. Or maybe they used the SP heads for LP playback.
Please help.
I have a problem with my Sony SLV-SE720 VHS player.
Lower part of picture have distortion line and one tenth of picture is not showing. I tried to adjust supply and take-up adjustable guide rollers, but they just introduce additional streaks and not affect the lower distorted part.
I tried to clean head and all parts, but nothing.
Earlier there wasn't this issue and it came after player sitting for several years.
Sample video in the link:
czcams.com/video/JsZ5XvLB_aE/video.html
Another sample video!
Don't mind the overal streaks, it is old old tape.
That bottom distorted line is on any of my 30+ VHS tapes, prerecorded and home made ones!
czcams.com/video/gynIxh9mKfQ/video.html
I'd take a look at the main guides.
The white plastic rollers that they have, can cause problems if they get stuck and will produce distortion at the top and/or bottom of the picture.
You forgot beta
Beta is much simpler. 2 heads that handle video and (at least NTSC) HiFi. 2DA+1 on some models for specials effects (I think those are similar to VHS 3 head models), and 4DA head on the high end decks.
What I'm not sure about is if Betamax VCRs use different heads for BII/BIII playback on a DA4 model, or if they're just used for even better special effects. According to Mr. Betamax they only use different heads for BIs.
They should've went farther by making 8 head VCRs.
8 would have been so absurd and gimmicky. I like it.
@@probnotstechScrew that, put heads on the entire circumference of the video drum. Gotta be about 20 heads, maybe even more.
Forgofej.