What do you know about vcr's?

[01010111]

I want to mod a vcr so that it can play tapes backwards with the flip of a switch, and install a knob so I can slow down the play speed. Does anybody know how to do this? Conceptually I think I could install a switch that reverses the flow of electricity through the motor, and put in a potentiometer that reduces the flow of electricity to the motor. But I don't know if that would be so easy on a vcr or if I might damage something doing this. Any thoughts?

[veteransdaypoppy]

[stanimal]

AMAZING>... are you building a time machine??? i'm old enough to admit i grew up with vcr's (actually remember the first one my family had, it was silver with faux wood paneling and i took it apart and put it back together with extra parts lying around and it STILL latest for 12 years!!!) and to be honest mechanically it sounds like it would be a lot more complicated to attempt to do it your way.....

have you tried simply using the rewind button on the device while its playing a vid...? or is your dream more complicated than that?

[eti]

Are you old enough to remember editing VCRs with jog/shuttle wheels?

I'd bet you could find one on ebay. Unfortunately the quality and experience varies greatly from unit to unit.

[eti]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGx-3t8CJ-k[/youtube]

[01010111]

I'm planning on using this as a visual thing that I can have projected onto the band while we're playing. And I thought it would be cool be able to play the tapes backwards and, if needed, use the audio as a random noise generator of sorts. So I don't think holding the rewind button would quite do it, I want to be able to set it and leave it while I go back to guitar/keyboard.

That editing vcr idea sounds way easier than what I'm trying to do, but more expensive. And I had no idea that my old vcrs were hiding such wonderful goodies inside

I already bought a vcr for this purpose, so I'll try it and let you guys know. And I'll probably get one of those editing vcrs because I doubt what I'm trying will work; but I have some switches and a soldering iron so I'll try it anyway.

[mutmoo]

I'm planning on using this as a visual thing that I can have projected onto the band while we're playing. And I thought it would be cool be able to play the tapes backwards and, if needed, use the audio as a random noise generator of sorts. So I don't think holding the rewind button would quite do it, I want to be able to set it and leave it while I go back to guitar/keyboard.

I had the same exact idea

I wanted to do it so bad but I'm a technology nub.

[Scruffie]

My thoughts... it'd be way easier to buy a cheap laptop and do it with software...

But, where's the fun in that eh, I don't think you'll do much harm doing it and... if you do... it was a couple at dollars at most for a VCR? No big loss...

You should be able to reverse the motor but i'm not quite sure how it will cope with the playback... Tape is pretty delicate when it comes to it and I question if you'll just end up chewing them up. Depending on how many leads the motor has though it should be fairly simple to wire it to switch them at a switch.

As for a knob to slow it down, once again I question about it being chewed up but a simple potentiometer wired up as a variable resistor limiting the motor speed should do it... playback might get kinda weird when doing this though as I don't know how well the playback will track.

Still, sounds like a fun idea, let us know what happens when you get inside there.

[01010111]

Turns out the vcr I bought is a bit too complicated to try this out on. I can find the motor. I took off all the panels, and the inside of the vcr was still boxed in by all the circuit boards that were inside. It's so packed there's no way I could fit even a spdt switch without blocking something, so I'm out one dollar. I'm heading back to good will to find the biggest vcr with the fewest features possible.

The digital option could work, but I have all these tapes from back in the day when my family didn't have anything to watch, and we'd go over to other peoples' houses and record television; commercials, channel surfing, and the great programming of the early 90's. So in order to use these tapes I'd have to transfer these tapes to dvd, transfer those dvds to my computer, and then convert them to a format that's proper for whatever program I'm using. Not to mention that most of these videos are three hours long. But yeah, I'm worried that this modification might just turn the vcr into a video eating monster.

[Scruffie]

VCRs aren't simple, I'm not sure if you'll find any that aren't particularly packed and if they're not, they'll use SMD which will make soldering hard, it's a tricky one.

See if you can find a 70s unit, I think you'll find they're actually simpler, and while you're in there... check out the chips in the Audio portion of the circuit, the delay chips used to sync the video to audio can be the famed Panasonic BBDs which will fetch some good money... rare in the video units though i've learned, apparently they use delay crystals alot instead but worth a peak anyway to make some cash back (shotgun any you find )

If you want also though, you can combine digital and analog and feed the VHS into water while it plays I bet... the set up starts to get more complex then though.

And a video eating monster? you'd be surprised at what funky sound/images you might get out with some tape chewing... I saw the Ring once after it had been chewed up, that film didn't scare me when it was normal but christ when it had been chewed