I found an old rental VHS player with case at the local Goodwill, I opened it up to find out the Capstan belt turned into gunk, it was a project alone, cleaning that mess up, well cleaned it and replaced it with another belt i have.. It works now, but i notice when i put in a home recorded tape recorded in SLP mode, it stays running at SP mode. So I'm guessing these old rental VCRS only play tapes in SP mode..

It probably will play a tape recorded in LP mode. Some of the real early model VCR's only recorded in the 2& 4 hour mode.

Do the heads wear out in VHS machines, or do they just get dirty? I'd imagine that deck has a zillion hard hours on it.

-J

I found an old rental VHS player with case at the local Goodwill, I opened it up to find out the Capstan belt turned into gunk, it was a project alone, cleaning that mess up, well cleaned it and replaced it with another belt i have.. It works now, but i notice when i put in a home recorded tape recorded in SLP mode, it stays running at SP mode. So I'm guessing these old rental VCRS only play tapes in SP mode..
I have two of these in my storage. The Funai VP-1500 VCP (video cassette player) was Funai's very first item to sell in the United States, along it being Funai's oldest VHS machine model. It launched in late-1984.

This one only plays in SP mode. It does not play LP or SLP. It was marketed and built this way.

However, it is relatively very simple-designed, reliable, and it qualifies to be the longest-lasting VHS machine ever produced. Typically, a VCP breaks down less than a VCR because it omits a tuner, clock display, wireless remote, and all the unnecessary items to make things more complicated.

Despite all the bashing regarding Funai or "Funaicrap" that many technicians like to write in other threads, they actually rarely and seldom saw old Funai VCRs coming in for service (made before 1991), so they misjudge on Funai as a company itself. These old Funais were actually really reliable and durable by 1,000% difference from the mid-90s and today.

I have two of these in my storage. The Funai VP-1500 VCP (video cassette player) was Funai's very first item to sell in United States, along it being Funai's oldest VHS machine. It launched in late-1984.

This one only plays in SP mode. It does not play LP or SLP. It was marketed and built this way.

However, it is relatively very simple-designed, reliable, and it qualifies to be the longest-lasting VHS machine ever produced. Typically, a VCP breaks down less than a VCR because it omits a tuner, clock display, wireless remote, and all the unnecessary items to make things more complicated.

Despite the bashing on Funai or "Funaicrap" that many technicians like to write in other threads, they actually rarely or never seen old Funai VCRs coming in for service (made before 1991), so they misjudge on Funai as a company itself. The old Funais were actually very reliable and durable by 1,000% difference from the 90s and today.

I had a feeling it only plays in SP mode, I agree there, it's a simple machine and it plays back with excellent quality. I always thought Funai was all junk, but i didn't realize they were around prior to the 90s. But we all know most things starting in the 90s became cheaply made. I just recently started collecting VHS machines. I started collecting Beta machines back in the mid 1990s. I know more about Beta as far as fixing than I do VHS. The only VHS machines i collect are the ones from 1986 and before, and some high end decks from 1987 up to the early 1990s. I love those Panasonic machines especially those top loaders from around 1984 era, or the heavy 1970s models.

I had a top load VCR once with the knob style tuning for the TV tuner. Only thing wrong with it was the belts and the video heads which were shot. at $45 for the heads I decided to trash the VCR. Then I had a Fisher Studio Standard VCR that someone threw away. All I had to do was push the plug back in all the way for the video head motor and it worked until I disassembled it when I got a DVD VCR combo.

someone has a knob type tuner VCR on Ebay right now.. A Panasonic PV1000, they want $699. Who and the hell is going to pay that much?

someone has a knob type tuner VCR on Ebay right now.. A Panasonic PV1000, they want $699. Who and the hell is going to pay that much?
Because it's an antique and rare. The Panasonic PV-1000 was Panasonic's very-first VHS VCR, released in late-1977, along with RCA VBT-200. Last one I saw sold for $25 plus shipping. Wow, you're looking at all the very-first VHS models lately. :)

Despite the bashing on Funai or "Funaicrap" that many technicians like to write in other threads, they actually rarely or never seen old Funai VCRs coming in for service (made before 1991), so they misjudge on Funai as a company itself. The old Funais were actually very reliable and durable by 1,000% difference from the 90s and today.
Have you ever seen one of the Technicolor portable VCRs made by Funai? I think they are even older than this player. Here is a page with a description:

http://www.labguysworld.com/Technicolor_212.htm

Have you ever seen one of the Technicolor portable VCRs made by Funai? I think they are even older than this player. Here is a page with a description:

http://www.labguysworld.com/Technicolor_212.htm
Yes, I saw this about 8 times now that were listed on eBay. It's indeed older than Funai's first VHS player, and even more durable (sigh, the VP-1500 was better) :D. But Funai's very-first own marketed product was the VP-1500.

Hum, I've never seen these before, but it looks like another format attempt that failed. In the early 1980s Beta and VHS were already dominating formats. I know a bunch attempts were made in the 70s like U-matic and Sanyo's Vcord which later changed to Betacord on there Beta machines. I've seen those Vcord machines on Ebay here and there. But I'm sure it's almost to impossible to fix one, and even finding tapes are very hard.