Dirty heads show up in play back with spots or noise in the picture. Another sign is that playback is "OK" but noisy on playback of a recording you just made.

Most people when they buy a VCR never consider maintenance. VCR's and camcorders need annual maintenance. Using a head cleaning cassette will NOT clean the mechanism or even properly clean the video heads if the heads are over a year old and professional service has not been performed. They are useful when a "dirty" tape deposits a little oxide on the heads.

Proper Cleaning should include cleaning of the upper drum (video and hi-fi heads), linear audio, control and erase heads. Cleaning of mechanical surfaces in the  tape path  as well as lubrication of the mechanism. An "FM ENVELOPE" test and alignment with a scope should also be performed.

While a head cleaning is usually inexpensive, most service companies charge a higher fee if more than a simple touch-up to the alignment is required.

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