Toshiba SD-V280 Snowy Picture

cjduckk · Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Posts: 9

Hi there! I had one of these Tohisba SD-V280 DVD/VCR combos cross my bench today, and I'm looking for some tips. It has a very snowy picture while playing back video tapes, but the picture is fine through the DVD player and the tuner. I cleaned the video heads, capstan rollers and guide pins several times and still the same snowy picture. I recorded a video with the unit and played it back in another VCR, the picture was still snowy.

Any ideas?

Also, if anyone has a service manual for this machine, that would help me out. Thanks!

regards,
-c.

vtech · Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 1264 Location: USA

Sounds like a RF modulator/tuner problem. In the old days, you could repair or replace the part.

If i am not mistaking, pretty much all of their dvd/vcr units are cheap non-field serviceable units.

Cheap crap not worth to be messed with.---cross the boared with most if not all brands.

cjduckk · Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Posts: 9

How could it be an RF modulator issue if the picture from the tuner is crystal clear?

vtech · Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 1264 Location: USA

Misread your question. If VCR playback is snowy thru V/out, could be anything from a grnd/connection issue in the head amp or the V head itself.

minnie · Joined: 18 Aug 2005 Posts: 2877 Location: Hell

http://www.astimag.com/asti_home.htm

Try replacing the head. It's probably going to cost more than the unit is worth.

carl french · Joined: 27 Oct 2007 Posts: 7

try earth bar on top of head lift clean

essam · Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 8

you tried , record and played on another vcr it means the head it self was broken , replase it .

cjduckk · Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Posts: 9

Here's something odd I missed the first time I looked at this unit... When I rewind, cue or pause the playback, it looks very good. Nowhere near as distorted. Makes me think it's not the heads, but a fault elsewhere. Now, the question is, what might cause this kind of thing? The best way I could describe the picture while it is playing is there's a band of snow across the bottom, and above that the picture is warped, and very dark. Thoughts, folks?

torbjorn · Joined: 07 Jun 2007 Posts: 370 Location: Sweden

Check if there is any tape transport problem that causes wrinkling of the lower edge of the tape at the drum. It can sometimes happen that the adjustable tape guides are improperly locked and become maladjusted.
Another possibility is if the capstan bearing is worn so that the capstan slopes away from the pressure roller.

Also, if the VCR has more than two heads on the drum, it might be possible that it uses one pair of heads for rewind and cue and another pair for normal playback. If then there is a problem with one of the playback heads, that could give this symptom.

Try checking the RF signal after the head preamp while playing back a tape and se if this can give any further clues. If the VCR has a manual tracking control, see if the snow band always is in the same position or if it moves when adjusting the tracking.