(OT) SVHS 1/2 speed tracking

statas wrote on 4/27/2004, 1:49 AM

i have a high quality JVC SVHS VCR that i use with a projector for videos that i make with vegas (in case there was any doubt about my off-topic-ness). this thing cost around $500 and i have no complaints with anything but the slow shuttle. when i play VHS tapes at 1/2 or 1/3 speed, after about 5 minutes the machine loses tracking, the tape stops playing and the screen goes blue. this is not good when i'm projecting at live events. any ideas about why this is happening or how to fix it? too late to return the machine and i need 1/2 speed to get that spooky slowmo effect.

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 4/27/2004, 5:21 AM

Why aren't you doing the slow motion effects in Vegas?

statas wrote on 4/27/2004, 12:09 PM

my video art is rather abstract. i use slow motion in vegas only when the piece requires it. live projections are adjusted according to mood.

Chienworks wrote on 4/27/2004, 12:45 PM

Did this used to work before? When did you last clean the heads?

You could try recording at SLP (EP) instead of SP. This effectively overlaps the tracks and eliminates blank spaces between them and guarantees that the heads will just about always be picking up readable signal. Most VCR effects (slow-mo, still, fast scan, reverse, etc.) work better in SLP than in SP. Unfortunately you also take a pretty severe quality hit.

Caruso wrote on 4/27/2004, 3:55 PM

I have one of those JVC machines and know what you mean regarding the auto-calibration feature - really nice if you want to watch a movie - I can imagine that it would play havoc with what you are trying to do.

Might be worth checking (either the manual or with JVC) to see if there is a way to turn off that auto-calibrate feature.

Caruso

statas wrote on 4/27/2004, 10:04 PM

i haven't cleaned the heads in a while, so i'll try that. i think it has always done this, i just didn't realize what the problem was. thanks for the tips.

statas wrote on 4/27/2004, 10:08 PM

do you mean "image stablization"? i think it loses tracking whether that is on or off. my only solution right now is to constantly change the speed. something tells me i'll need to try another VCR.