1987 Magnavox (rebadged Panasonic) VCR Malfunction

[Captainclock]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

If it uses a Switch Mode Power Supply instead of a power transformer then it can die without blowing a fuse. Caps, diodes, and transistors can fail in a SWMPS and still look perfectly fine.

BTW if you want a really good preforming VCR look for S-VHS decks those can play VHS tapes with much better picture quality than run of the mill VHS units.

I did have a JVC S-VHS unit for a while that I picked up at a yard sale that was held at the home of a collector of vintage electronics for $10 but it didn't have its original remote so it was practically useless because the only functions that worked without the remote were the play, F. Forward, Rewind and Stop/Eject functions the rest of the functions (tape counter, OSD etc.) had to have the original remote for them to work.
To get a replacement remote at some place like eBay or Parts Express would of been well over $100 and I didn't want to pay that much for the remote.
Plus the S-VHS VCR's are only good with S-VHS tapes which I have nada of, just regular VHS tapes.
Plus for just regular VHS Tapes a 4-Head Hi-Fi Stereo VCR is the best way to go for them without having to go to the extra expense of getting a S-VHS VCR that's not even gonna make a bit of difference in playback quality without having a S-VHS Tape.
If you get a 4-head Hi-Fi Stereo S-VHS unit and don't have any S-VHS tapes then its just going to playback just as if you had a regular 4-head Stereo Hi-Fi VHS unit and you might as well saved the additional $50-$300 and just buy a regular 4-head Hi-Fi unit for $10-$15 @ your local thrift store and be done with it.