Magnavox Vh-8005 question

[casey88]

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/

[jpdylon]

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.

[casey88]

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.

[jpdylon]

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...

[casey88]

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.

[jpdylon]

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)

[andy]

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.

[colortrakker]

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.

[Dave A]

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

[casey88]

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.

[casey88]

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.

[ChrisW6ATV]

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.

[casey88]

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.

[dr.ido]

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).

[casey88]

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.