EP to LP problem on VHS tape playback

This is most because the control head may be dirty, this haed picks up the pulses from the tape to regulate the speed & tracking if this is off it can produce both the faults you describe. Also it is possible the pinch roller (black roller on the right hand side of the deck mechanism, sits just in front of the control head), this may be worn especially as the machine is five years old, this will cause the tape to guided off alignment.

Try cleaning the heads, but it seems like the heads may be faulty, you might need to replace the vcr, they don't cost much these days, the repair might cost more than a new vcr these days.

heres a cheap headcleaner, look for one at local shops, wallmart bestbuy and so on
http://www.pcconnection.com/IPA/Shop/Product/Detail.htm?sku=7632166&oext=1038A&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=7632166

Hi,

First thing i would say is go for the HI-FI audio would go in and out and pop etc. Adjusting the tracking would bring in the audio, but sometimes the video would get fuzzy. Get the picture right and the audio goes out. Switch to Linear (mono on some VCRs) and the audio should be fine.

Finally if this doesn't solve your problem then i would suggest you to give it to repair and they will fix it.

Goodluck..

Hi,

Initially, I am inclined to think that nothing is wrong. It is just most likely that that particular tape was recorded in a different speed other than what your VCR is capable of playing. This is a form of compression wherein a longer recording/playing time is squeezed into the same type/kind of tape. The various settings are SP, LP, EP or even an XP. Pls click here to give you an idea of the recording time/speed at different settings.

Hope this be of initial help/idea. Pls post back how things turned up or should you need additional information. Good luck and kind regards. Thank you for using FixYa.

there are three creases in the head , have you made sure those are cleard?

Do you have a tracking control on the
vcr if you do it should be centered during
record It can be adjusted during playback
to clear up the picture adjust it for the best
picture

If you dont have a tracking control on the
vcr then it may require a mechanical adjustment
of the backtension or guidepost which requires
special tools to perform

Dont use xp mode. Here are the definitions:
SP is short for Standard Play. Standard play allows you to record information onto the tape the way it was intended, with no quality loss. By default, VCRs and camcorders will record your footage as standard play. On a standard VHS tape, recording footage in SP mode will yield 2 hours of video.
LP is short for Long Play. Long play allows you to record much more information at the expense of quality. It accomplishes this by reducing the speed the tape is run through the VCR. As the tape speed decreases, the quality will also decrease. You’ll notice this effect when comparing a tape recorded at LP versus one recorded at SP, especially after years of storage. The LP tape will appear more blurred, have more tracking and color issues than tapes recorded at SP. A VHS tape recorded at LP can hold roughly 4 hours of video.
EP/SLP is short for extended play. Extended play is similar to LP, but actually provides you even more recording time. EP was primarily used to document long, continuous events without the need to change video tapes every 2 hours. Due to the fact that the video is not of optimal quality, many times this setting was not used in order to preserve the quality of your footage. Tapes recorded at EP usually are the most problematic after years of storage, displaying a wide variety of tape damage symptoms including color loss, audio loss, frame skipping, and tracking issues.

A couple of possibilities: 1. One of the machines had a audio & tracking head alignment problem. If memory serves, tracking pulses are recorded on the bottom edge of the tape, and if one machine's head is slightly off, then these pulses aren't being picked up.

2. Do both machines have 3 play/record speeds? Many machines had SP, EP, & LP. Some didn't have EP, and if your older tapes were recorded in EP, perhaps this would cause your problem.

Both of these possibilities might be way out in left field.

Perhaps you could have a friend try your old tapes in their machine- in short, narrow down the defect. Is it the older VCR and it's recordings, or is it some goofy problem on the new one.

Lastly, you might check the audio/tracking head- see if it needs cleaning. This head is just to the right of the rotating video drum assembly.

It sounds like the taped program was recorded on a different speed. The other VCR that you are playing the taped program may not have the speed needed to play it correctly.
Next time when you record a program try to make sure you use a speed that will be compatible on both VCRs.
For example a tape that last 120 minutes, using the different speeds will give the following recording times.
SP means "Standard Play" >>>> 2 hours
LP means " Long Play" >>>>> 4 hours
ELP means " Extra Long Play" 8 hours

Older VCRs have all the 3 speeds but newer ones only have SP and ELP.
Hope this helps.

It sounds like the tracking information is being lost for brief periods of time. Tracking is recorded at the lower edge of the tape, and if the tape is wrinkled or otherwise damaged in this area, playback will go out to lunch. A visual check of the tape would be in order. Have the heads been cleaned in these machines? This would be another area to check.... Also, there could be small differences in the tape path alignments, perhaps the control/audio head alignment is slightly different between the 2 machines.