@Glenn McCreedy

It could be that you have a tape with the "sticky shed syndrome". The tape becomes slightly sticky and will stick to mechanical parts. The VCR will then do an emergency STOP and will not accept any other command until you power cycle it. It could be any brand of tape, but Ampex ones are the most prone to have this disease.

If it really is a sticky tape DON'T INSIST IN TRYING TO READ IT: YOU CAN DAMAGE BOTH THE TAPE AND THE VCR, ESPECIALLY VIDEO HEADS.

And in this case, you also must eject it (probably manually) and carefully clean every mechanical part in tape path, especially drum and video heads that are probably clogged with sticky particles.

@Stefan Carlberg, @Glenn McCreedy, but also @everybody thinking that having a VCR is enough to digitize tapes correctly:

To ensure the best transfer possible and preserve your VCR, you MUST first inspect and clean tapes, preferably with a specialized device like RTI Tapechek VT-3100.

And sticky tapes MUST go through a BACKING PROCEDURE before ANY READ ATTEMPT.

And of course, the use of a TBC is mandatory, preferably using DUB Input and DOC (Drop Out Compensation). This imply to use VCR with DUB Out + Sync In + RF (Off Tape) Out (and corresponding In/Out on TBC side).

Trying to self digitize old tapes of any kind (U-Matic/BVU, Betacam...) is NOT a straight forward and easy process, and trying anyway will, most of the time, lead to deceiving results, and ruined tapes and possibly VCR. That's why i would recommand to instead send your precious tapes to a REPUTABLE professional (beware of the ones that will declare themselves "professionnal" just because they have a VCR and a digitizing device, but will not know better than you, and don't have suitable equipments).

If you try anyway: good luck!

Hello I have a Paramount Pictures U magic cassette God Father 1987 clips I am trying to find out what I might be able to get out of selling the tape I imagine anything with the godfather and being original would fetch a shiny penny or two any one with any info please get to me by smstext

[email protected]

Good evening, I recently purchased a Sony VO-2610 deck, and it is in very good looking condition, aside it will not record a video signal. If I connect the line inputs, it will record the audio, but when playing back the tape, only the audio plays and I get no video output. I am wondering if anyone has experience in this kind of error condition and if there is a part known to fail. I've tried removing the RF board. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi

Got a nice Sony BVU 800P. Working fine but counter stays all zero.

Any suggestions?

Hi! I have a umatic vo-5020 tape deck and need to buy a Video out cord or connector. Can anyone help me figure out what this is? I've tried searching. It's all foreign to me! Thank you!

Where can I find an AC power cord for a Sony U-matic Videocassette Recorder Model VO-1800?

Hi, I have umatic sony vp-7020. I have a problem, I put the tape and it doesn't play, it keeps rewinding to the end of the tape and then it stops. I can't play it, and it does this with all tapes. what can be

Hi,

Hope I can get urgent support. VO-5850P had playback in colour but no audio, now has audio but lost colour. Any advice please?

Dear Steve, the problem is in the DM board or slight dirty heads try cleaning with IPA and a chamois leather gently and see also just heat with soldering iron all the connecting wires on top of the Umatic head. Best regards

Dear Rodrigo, the problem could be with the tape sensors just check it out the red led I presume to be in proper alignment check that the tape is completely blocking the light from red led to the sensor, try covering the sensors take end and take beginning sensors with a black PVC tape if your problem is solved then to need to physically align it and if not check the circuits if the sensor to servo board. Best regards

Dear Roger, you can get the power cord from any electronics spare part shop you need a female 3 pin with a 3 pin outlet plug (molded)purchase a good quality one, best regards

Dear Trish Ferrari, you need a 75ohms BNC to BNC cable analog type (if your monitor end is BNC and BNC to RCA if your monitor input is female RCA, however all professional monitors (analog / HD SDI) are BNC type ... best Regards

Dear chris murdock, does the VTR playback video and audio is fine? If yes then demodulator section is fine.. Under EE mode are you able to see the video and hear audio properly (EE mode while standby or recording mode) if yes then your encoder and decoder section is fine your problem is with either RF current in RF board or it's circuitry or weak heads..best regards

Dear TIMECODE PRODUCTIONS, sorry for belated messages 2017 to now! As regards your problem remove the cassette compartment and it's attached connectors on the top right power on the unit will be in standby mode with half threading press rew mode and at the motor located between the take-up and supply reeks check voltage on its terminal to be 10V DC if yes your motor is fine check the belt underneath it's unit(you need to remove the bottom cover) replace it if it's oval shaped if motor and belt is fine the problem is with the take-up reel check by finger rubbing whether you can feel the roughness(due to fine lines on it a new reel table will have fine lines) if yes replace rubber tire of the idler which is between the two reels. Else you need to check tape tension guides referring to service manual... Best regards

Argentina: Analog used PAL Nc, which broadcast 625 line/25fps/interlaced with a 3.582 MHz color subcarrier.

What 3/4" Umatic decks were used to record baseband analog video in Argentina?

What differences existed between a 'standard' PAL deck using 4.433618 MHz color subcarrier and decks used in Argentina?

Thanks!

Ted

Hi All,

I am currently looking to buy a couple of Sony VO5800 and Sony VO5850 U-matic VTR's.

Please let me know if you have any available for sale.

My direct email address is [email protected]

Many thanks

Chris

I have multiple umatic tapes with solar races on them shoot me an offer

I am trying to digitize some U-Matic tapes and was wondering if anyone here has a machine I could rent or services for offer to digitize the tapes?

Thanks

Hello all

I'm a relatively experienced Umatic user, so I know all about sticky tapes and the squealing noise they make. However, I've come across a 9600 deck which makes the same squealing noise even with known good tapes. If you try to play, it starts screeching and comes to a stop very quickly. Going into variable speed mode, everything is fine. The tape plays quite happily at double speed, and indeed at pretty much any speed faster than normal playback speed. However, at normal playback speed or slower, it very quickly starts squeaking and comes to a stop.

Perhaps more interestingly, after you've done some picture search forward and back, it then doesn't mind going into full REW and FF mode and works reasonably well. However if you try to REW or FF as soon as you insert a cassette (from a standing start so to speak), it immediately stops.

I've taken the cassette reel spindles out and oilde them, so it isn't that. The screeching seems to come from the head drum area. And as I say the tapes are definitely not sticky ones.

Any ideas?

Replying to my own message of 90 minutes ago, in case others have the same problem. The machine now works. Basically I played an entire tape on double speed, and then played it backwards on double speed. That seems to have loosened everything up a bit, and normal speed playback, FF & REW seem to be ok.