Hi. I bought a VX7000 back in April to hook up to my MX4002. It was working fine the few times I used it after moving house in July, but I've been away from my house for the last 7 weeks during which time the VX was switched off at the mains, and when I returned this week and put in a video to make sure it was working, I couldn't get any picture. I get perfect sound from the videos and it rewinds/fast-forwards fine, but all that comes up on the screen are coloured dots. I've tried different videos, changed the scart lead, and tried plugging it in to both of the scart inputs on the MX, but always with the same result. It's not the MX as that works fine with DVDs and for TV.

Any ideas what this might be?

Head cleaning necessary?

Quite normal after this time... defect electrolyth caps. Change the caps on the upper mainboard around the black substrate chip. Will help some weeks.

Or better: replace all of them... there are just around 150 of them in a VX7000. They all need replacement...

Have done dozens of these VX models, it's always the same defect. Caps

Sorry for my very untechnical response compared to the above. When I had a VX (and previous VCRs), when faced with picture problems, my first option was always to stick in a trusty head cleaning tape!

But really, replacing 150 components. I suppose it depends on how much you love the VX, but is it really economical  to maintain and continue using the tape format?

You may have a point, I do rarely use it or the VCR in my lounge now. But then I do still have a lot of video tapes that I will want to watch sometimes, plus most importantly IMO the VX looks really good underneath the MX so it would be a shame not to have it there! If there is a  big problem with it they're so cheap now I'll probably just buy another one rather than fixing it, and hope the next one lasts a bit longer!

Do these problems often just appear over night? Like I said it was working excellently one day, then the next time I use it, no picture at all (but perfect sound), i.e. no gradual deterioration in quality. I had hoped it may have just been something like the settings needing to be adjusted after it had been sitting for a while, or is that not possible? 

What looks like a dirty video head is 99% a defect cap in the video line. Beleave it, i had just enough of these VX for repair. Especially the VX7000 simulates a dirty video head. After the cleaning attack of the user, you can be sure that he will need a new video head ...100%, they will not survive.

Last year i took a brand new and sealed VX5000 out of the box. It played around 4 hours, then it was defect. Some caps were exploded during this procedure... 20 years brand new, gone in 4 hours.

Caps have a time problem. They dont last forever. 10-15 years is the lifetime, then they start to leak and make shortcuts or they become simply dead.

If you want it repaired... look here.

http://forum.beoworld.org/forums/p/24191/182188.aspx#182188

rgs218:

You may have a point, I do rarely use it or the VCR in my lounge now. But then I do still have a lot of video tapes that I will want to watch sometimes, plus most importantly IMO the VX looks really good underneath the MX so it would be a shame not to have it there! If there is a  big problem with it they're so cheap now I'll probably just buy another one rather than fixing it, and hope the next one lasts a bit longer!

Do these problems often just appear over night? Like I said it was working excellently one day, then the next time I use it, no picture at all (but perfect sound), i.e. no gradual deterioration in quality. I had hoped it may have just been something like the settings needing to be adjusted after it had been sitting for a while, or is that not possible? 

Copy all your tapes to DVD (in my case, as my VX had broken, I had to borrow one). They're probably, in the long term, much safer preserved in this format than on tape. Having said that though, I was surprised how few, if any, times I actually wanted to watch these DVDs when I copied about 40 tapes to DVD!

If you like the look of the VX in your setup, then keep it there for the time being, purely for cosmetic reasons.

Get a PVR.

kokomo:

If you like the look of the VX in your setup, then keep it there for the time being, purely for cosmetic reasons.

That's what I have done - my white MX6000 on the motor stand just would not look complete without the white VX5000 under it. Actually it works - however, it is clumsy to use with the later MX one-way software, eats a lot of power even on standby, and I can't remember the last time I really watched a single tape, so it sits there unconnected.

Actually, I do remember - it was right after I managed to fix the VX (thanks again, Die_Bogener ). I watched the great concert film The Last Waltz I had recorded on the single time it aired in Finnish TV, on the new year's eve of 1983 I think. The quality was still surprisingly good, so tapes can last a long time as well if you don't mishandle them in storage. Or get a bad blank tape to begin with, that can happen...

I think I have a VX7000 surplus to requirements if you want one. It worked last time I looked but if you are interested, I will test it. It will need collecting!

Thanks Peter, another generous offer and I will be pleased to take it if it works . I have sent you a PM.

Thanks to everyone for the replies.