I just got one of these laserdisc players. Whenever i put a disc in, put the lid down and turn it on it sounds like it's playing, but I can't get a picture or sound from it. I think I hooked it up to the t.v. right because I used the rca audio/video plugs on the back, but there is also this other adapter that came with it there is another plug on the back of the machine. Is there something I need to hook up differently or is there a problem with the machine? It's a very old machine and these players don't have a very good reputation so I kind of figured it was the player but I was wondering if you guys knew anything/

I would think that the A/V output to your TV should work fine. When you press play, does the time advance, and does the disc seem to play?

If not, then the pickup could be on its way out or their could be a transport problem.

if the time is advancing like its playing, and you still have no A/V check your cables and make syour your TV is on the correct input. Try the cable with another device like a VCR. At worse the unit has a faulty audio video output.

On this player, it starts playing automatically, and it seems to be playing, I tried all the video channels on my tv, and I still can't get any picture. But, it does sound like it's playing though.

if it has any other outputs other than the standard RCA, you might try them. I'm not sure if this would have a DVI or RGB output...

you can view pictures of the back of the player at www.ccartwright.photosite.com
I can't figure out what kind off cable would work with the other video output, it appears to be for an older style cable. I tried playing it through a vcr, but all I got was horizontal streaks on the blue vcr screen.

oh....
try connecting the magnavision adapter to the TV cable input, set the TV channel to whatever channel its switched to on the player, then turn on the laserdisc and see if you get a picture. its supposed to pipe the A/V signal from that jack labled "TV signal output" to the magnavision adapter, then to your TV

If you wanted to connect true audio video cables, you would need a BNC to female RCA adapter to use the video signal (auxiliary video output jack)

The "TV signal output" jack is probably RF on channle 3, or 4. It looks like it's missing the F connector. Try connecting it to the antenna input on your TV.

You need a BNC to RCA adapter to use the aux video output which should be standard composite video. This connector is common in professional video equipmment and some computer monitors.

It's possible you'll have to hook it up videogame-style and use the adapter. My guess is that the RCA labeled TV SIGNAL OUT feeds the entire signal - audio AND video - and you need the adapter (which I assume has an RCA at the end) so the TV can sort things out. Not sure when that player was made, but it was probably before most sets had RCA inputs for things.

That other video output, by the way, is a BNC connector that's used on pro gear.

The "TV Signal Output" is a RF output using a RCA connector instead of the usual "F" connector and is switched by the RF channel selector. An RCA to F connector adaptor should get the signal to the set via the selected channel. The "Aux" outputs are pure video and audio to be connected to the set via the "video/audio" input connectors. RCA for the audio and BNC for the video. BNC to RCA adaptor needed for most modern sets.

I'm not sure if the antenna and player connectors in pix #2 are the same input and output like a VHS setup. Do you have a pix of the adaptor? That would help to guess on how this is connected.

The problem with the early...including this Maganavox...is the laser tube. This unit is a helium-neon laser tube which was prone to failure.

From Wikipedia;

"The earliest players used Helium-neon laser tubes to read the media with red-orange light, later players used infrared semiconductor laser diodes. You are unlikely to run into one of the tube players now, in part because of the limited operating lifetime of laser tubes, but mostly because they represent only a small fraction of the total players made. Optical hobbyists have also been known to cannibalize the laser tube machines, further depleting their ranks."

It could be electronically designed that if the video information (and it's associated sync signal) is missing, the unit would not output anything on the RF port. The same as a VHS with a clogged head that just gives you a blue screen.

Your best bet is to look at the Aux Video out. This would be before the RF output. If nothing is there, you probably need a laser tube.

Good luck! LaserDiscs are my new vice just after battery radios and televisions. And that is a very stylish looking unit compared to the later boxy units.

This could also be an interesting new category for old video recording mediums on AK. So many out there like the Akai 1/4" R/R (both B&W and color) and the CartriVision systems.

Dave A

You can view the adapter at ccartwright.photosite.com, it's the second picture in the album. It is a great looking player, I also have a pioneer vp-1000, that still works great 26 years later.

I went to look for those kind of adapters at the store today, but I couldn't find anything that seems like it would work. I'll have to order something. It's kind of confusing because the magnavision has two coax adapters but there aren't any coax plugs on the back of the player.

Casey-

I worked at a store that sold the earlier version of your player (the VH8000) when they were first being released nationwide. A couple of ways to test if it is playing at all, is to listen to its mechanical sounds when you operate its controls after inserting a disc. You should use a CAV/Standard Play disc for your testing, rather than the much-more-common CLV/Extended Play discs, because these old players handle them easier. After you close the cover, the player motor should start and increase in speed, then stabilize within maybe 15-20 seconds, similar to how your VP-1000 works. Does it "stabilize", or speed up/slow down several times? Next, if it stabilizes, do you get (if I remember right) two lit LEDs on the "Audio 1/2" buttons? If you do, can you toggle the lights off by hitting the buttons (particularly important if you could not toggle them before the disc was playing)? Also, if it stabilizes, try using the fast scan forward button for a bit, then the reverse-do you hear a "chirping/clicking" sound from inside the player when you use those buttons?

All of those tests are "blind" ways to attempt to learn if the player is indeed reading a disc without actually getting sound/video from its output jacks. As others have said, the "TV signal output" is an RF modulated signal; you would need an RCA-to-F adapter (Radio Shack #278-263) from that jack, then an ordinary RF antenna cable to connect to a TV set to channel 3/4. The "auxiliary video output" would use a BNC-to-RCA adapter (Radio Shack #278-254) to allow you to use an ordinary audio/video cable (video from the new adapter, audio from the L/R outputs nearby).

I have a non-working VH8000 (mine would not read discs) and a VP-1000 (I don't remember if it still works) as well. Good luck on your tests.

When I tried those tests, the audio lights came on, but I couldn't toggle them. The player sounds like it speeds up and then stabilizes, but I can't really tell if it's doing anything when I push forward or reverse.

I have the remains of an old Philips LD player somewhere including the HeNe laser tube. If your tube is bad it may be a suitable replacement. I haven't tried it recently, but it was still good when I last used it as a laser pointer.

The player itself was heavily modified for some specialist application so I gutted it rather than attempt to get it running again (the entire front panel was missing).

I might be interested in it. Does it make a difference for lasers if it's from a country that uses a different video system though? I'll have to see what other advice I get on the forum first though.

shouldn't make a difference. Its not the laser that determines the video output, but the processing circuitry that encoded the disc and decodes it in the player. The laser is only used to read the digital information on the disc.

No, the country of origin/video system would not matter for the laser tube. One repair I did on a VP-1000 I had in the late 80's was to replace the power transformer for the laser's power supply; that part could be specific to a 120v player versus a 220v player. There is probably a way to see if your laser is working-you would have to remove the top part of the player's case but keep/reinstall the disc cover and then try to start a disc spinning. If the laser was working, you should be able to see its light visible from the side, I expect. There may be other ways to test the laser and its power supply, like "fooling" the player into thinking a disc was in place and the cover was closed.

Dr. ido, I may be interested in your laser tube if Casey does not end up needing it.

Googling around it looks like the tube I have is probably from either a Philips VP831 or VP835. These are industrial players, so it may be a longer life tube than those used in the consumer players. At least I've heard that Pioneer's industrial players has better lasers than the consumer players (either way I'm keeping my LDV8000).
http://www.laserdiscarchive.co.uk/laserdisc_archive/philips/philips_vp-835/philips_vp835.htm

Here's a picture I took when I removed the bottom cover of the player. I'm not sure how you take the top cover off or what I should do next though.

The picture you posted is too small, dark and compressed to make out anything. In the Philips players that I have seen the top cover/disc tray have to be removed to get at the laser tube.

These lasers use visible red light, you should be able to see if your laser is working by watching the unit run with the lid open (you'll have to defeat the door switch), just don't look directly into the beam (even though it's only 2mW).

To remove the top of the case, you will probably have to first remove the disc cover (and then reinstall it after the case top is removed). As dr. ido said, if you can fool the "door closed" switch/sensor, as well as the mechanism that tells it a disc is in place, it would turn the laser on (and attempt to spin a disc).

I've found parts I have left from the VP835 I gutted. I have the laser tube, the HV block and the transformer. A picture is attached, let me know if you need these parts.

http://65c02.org/images/ak/lasertube.jpg

Yes, I'd be interested in them still. I'm still trying to get the latch for the lid so the laser will come on with the cover up, but I can't figure it out. I try and post some more pictures later to see if there's anything else I can do.

If you post some big clear pictures of the unit with the top of I may be able to identify the switch that needs to be defeated if it is similar enough to any of the units I've played with.

I added some pictures of the player to http://www.ccartwright.photosite.com/Album1/. I'm having a hard time posting pictures on this forum, but if those pictures aren't clear enough I can try to take some more.

I've had two of these critters over the years. My current one was a never-used example stored in a cabinet with the virgin transport screw still installed -- was a prize in a contest according to the estate and they never had any discs to play in it. It will sort of play, roughly, but barely. I get a VERY noisy picture probably due to dried out caps in the power supply (get a slight 120hz hum in the audio) and the tracking never seems to "lock". I'm not sure if the power supply is affecting the tracking circuits' ability to function or not. Getting the disc up to speed and "tracking" seems to take somewhere around 30 seconds, as previously stated by another poster.

What I leared with the first player is that these have VERY delicate optical sections that will go out of alignment if you look at them crosseyed. Any bumps and bruises will surely misalign everything I've been told. I've been trying to score a service manual for these things for over 5 years and have yet to succeed. There is a sam's book for them, VDP-1 I think is the reference number, but I've not run across any copies in the libraries. I recall seeing some articles on servicing them in Radio-Electronics magazine years ago. I do remember that the tracking system is belt-driven, so you'll surely need to replace those belts first.

It's good you have the original switchbox for the TV end of things -- the output from the player has a voltage superimposed to switch things automatically, just like a Nintendo 8-bit.

From what I can see from new pictures it appears that it has at least some parts in common with the VP835. The disc motor/spindle appears to be the same.

It does not appear to have an optical sensor to detect if a disc is present. If you hold the door switch down the motor should spin up and the laser should light when the motor gets up to speed (at least for long enough for it to attempt to focus).

If you can remove the top cover you should be able to see if the laser tube is the same as the one I have. I don't remember if it is possible to remove the laser tube without affecting the alignment of the other parts.

If the disk spins up I would bet the laser is working. Every laser disk and CD player I've seen won't spin the disc for more than a few seconds if it can't read the disk. He-Ne lasers are pretty reliable.

Not all laserdisc players only spin when a disc is present. The VP835 I removed the laser pictured above from would spin and turn on the laser without a disc present for as long as the door switch was closed.

I used to run the player with the lid off and the laser removed from the mechanism before I totally gutted it. I had intended to build a stand alone power supply for the Laser, but I lost interest and it's sat around here ever since.

I've been trying to defeat the door switch so the machine will spin without the lid up, but I still can't get it, but there's a screw on the latch that's on the lid, if I unscrewed it, would it get the player to power up?

No. The switch you need to close is not on the lid, it is inside the player. If you remove the lid/top cover you should be able to see a small microswitch in there. Hold it down with something or clip a jumper across it.

I am in the process of acquiring a Magnavox 800x, currently in shipping.

Casey, was this issue resolved? Did you get this player to finally work?

I'll have to get myself one of those RCA to F connectors... We don't have Rad Shacks in Canada anymore but they should still have one of these doo dads.