I recently used this video as a guide to disassemble my DVR610. For those keeping track, here is a run down of the removal process. I'd recommend placing the screws of each section into small receptacles labeling each as you go, as it will make reassembly much easier. *I'd say pay special attention to removal of the top side of the circuit board, as there are short screws with both tight and coarse threads and long screws with both tight and coarse threads. Top panel - 6 screws Front panel - 4 screws (2 tight thead, 2 coarse thread), 1 ribbon DVD Drive - 4 long screws, 1 short screw (rear HDMI port), 2 ribbons, 1 firewire cable Power Supply - 4 screws, 1 ribbon Circuit Board (top) - 3 short screws (tight thread) along left & rear side of panel, 2 short screws (coarse thread) front button boards, 1 long screw (tight thread) 6:20, 1 short screw (tight thread) 6:25, 1 long screw (coarse thread) w/plastic retainer 6:30 Rear - 3 short screws (along bottom of panel), 6 long screws (inputs), fan cable VCR - 5 long screws (coarse thread) *He comes back to the 5th screw at the 10:00 mark, 2 short screws (tight thread) Circuit board (underside) - 1 short screw on left side (tight thread), 1 short screw under ribbon (coarse thread). TOTAL 45 screws removed. 4 ribbon cables removed. 2 cables removed (firewire and fan cable). Mode Switch access achieved!
Always Great to see how to do these tasks. The alignment of Cams and Gears is especially unnerving to watch, but mode switch looks a lot simpler if you don't have to re-time all the gear alignments.
I have a toshiba vcr/dvd combo player. Has not been able to play vhs tapes as it would shutdown when a tape was inserted. This solution worked brilliantly. Thanks for the video.
thanks for the video I watched It 5 times and was able to fix the toshiba DVR DVD with TV recorder and hard drive now works perfect now alive from totaly dead machine a big Thanks from John 74.
Thank you sir, for this and your other Toshiba videos! This helped fix my DVR620 that had been in storage for at least 4 or 5 years. This was particularly a great guide on the screws (long & short, metal & plastic). After several hours I got the mode switch cleaned and the machine reassembled, but it was still shutting down after playing a tape for a few seconds. After finding another video that pointed me toward cleaning the little clear plastic piece that goes over the LED, that finally fixed my problem. It had only a small amount of dust on it, so I'm thinking it was probably a combination of the two issues. Thanks again!
Thanks for the great video. I followed along, cleaned the switch (did not look that bad) and my DVR620 is working again. My "real time" is not the same as your time however.
I had one of those RCA 1976 VCRs with the large piano keys. Ultra complicated inside, but ran through 2004, finally junked it. Replaced the head drum once.
JAMES AZBELL I bought one in 1978, used for $850 (US). That was the year we finally got cable TV. We ran that thing into the ground with recording (and playback), the greatest gift to the viewing pubic.
Thanks for the video, FFw and Rew a few times apparently fixed the issue where the device shut itself down when pressing Play. Probably a dirty contact on the mode switch that was fixed by giving it a few revs.
Yes they really did compact everything, good for price but if a main chip fails it's dustbin time :-( I like the seperate switchmode a lot, when it fails it's just simple to lift it out. Modular systems are nice to isolate a fault. I have one of those combo units , the dvd recorder failed and because it's firmware was special i had a job to find a compatable drive.
Main chip never fails, but it was that way in the old ones too. A main cpu for example was 100 and a new machine 400. Add 100 labour and nobody in their right mind would have done it back then either.
Awesome. So first my unit was eating tapes then shutting down. But now that I opened it up and cleaned it, the unit immediately powers down without any tape inserted and regardless of mode. So the whole process actually made things worse 😆
i fixed one of these for my dads friend it took me 2hrs to take it apart to clean the mode switch. but at least it worked when i put it back together he gave me $35 for fixing it
Have you looked into getting a soldering mat for your bench? There are ones that are magnetic and have spots for the different screws so you won't lose track of them. They are also heat resistant so it won't get ruined by a soldering iron.
@@12voltvids I was thinking of getting one, but my current bench has really limited space. I just use a magnetic dish since the screws pretty much stay where you put them.
Also the main reason they go bad is from disuse. The action of loading a tape and going through all the modes once a month even if the VCR isn't being used will keep the contacts clean.
I wonder if you could do a. mode switch cleaning to a funai tv/vcr combo one day? I bet it would take longer. I also bet you would want to detatch the chassis from the tv so the tube doesn't break.
That citizen one is VERY rare. From 1997. My grandma mary carol had a 1996 or 1997 Zenith (Funai) TV/VCR She got at a rummage sale with the original remote and it worked for a few years until one of her copies of beauty and the beast 1992 VHS got eaten in it and it didnt eject all the way and got stuck in the vcr:(It was Summer 2009 i think when that happened. Very similar to the one with the broken heads you repaired on 4/30/20.
12voltvids, I found a JVC DR-MV79B Combo recorder and the drawer on DVD that opens then closes before I can even put a disc in.(and unit then shuts off) I can get to the mode switch fairly easily on it . Does it only control the VCR? (I have a Toshiba just like the one you are working on , VCR of course doesn't work, might try what you did after watching your video a few dozen times ;) ) thx
I usually pile the screws in different piles like that too. What happened to that blue cushioned pad with all the nice little compartments someone sent you.
I have a request. Are you planning on making a video on how to accurately adjust the head switching point without a scope? The service manuals say to adjust it so that head switching occurs 6 or 7 horizontal lines before the vertical sync pulse. But is there a way to set it perfectly without special tools and alignment tapes?
Not possible without an analog scope. You can count the lines on a scope. On an underscan monitor with pulse cross display you can also see vertical blanking but these are even rarer than a scope.
@@12voltvids I have an old black and white TV set with adjustable vertical hold and if I misadjust it, I can see the switching point and the vertical blanking interval. Then if I adjust PG A and PG B on the VCR's servo board, I can see the switching point rising and dropping.
That would do my head in, all that screws just to get into the mode switch! now I remember how I hated VCRs. I would have taken me an hour or two to get that VCR/DVD apart. You say to people that things are really not worth fixing and because you can they expect you to do it for a couple bottles of beer or something. Not worth the bother and when you tell them they will be lucky to get any parts they look at you as if you are stupid. They do not believe that when they stop making things these day the parts also stop. There was a certain CB made that had a long and a short screw for this country, if you put the long screw into the wrong side it went straight through a transformer IF tin. Why did they make a screw long and one short, no idea as the short screw fitted the side for the the long screw went into. They would not fix it if this happened and they very quickly ran out if the part. I saw loads of brand new CBs where people had done this very thing. Just because they didn't stop to read the destructions, which in this case did exactly that. You just couldn't get the part there was so many damaged! That is a lot of work just to clean a mode switch!!!
Took 30 minutes. Made no money on this. Got 50 bucks for the repair, but owner is happy as now he can play his old tapes. Now that the unit works he could also sell it for more than he paid for it.
Some are worse than others. I have a nice 25" crt tv with dvd and VCR sitting on the floor in the shop. One of these days soon. I will clear some space on the big table and get that one to work. That's a keeper for my collection. Those ones are quite rare today as most people shy away from the combo tv VCR / DVD as sales people would tell people that they were not a good buy because the tv would last much longer than the VCR and dvd and once they broke the tv was useless. So most bought seperate components. Will be interesting to see how good it looks because from what i understand it has very few hours on it.
@@12voltvids It was the VCR part of the combo that broke, guess what, it was Daewoo (as in cars) and no parts to be got, it was not very old, just over a year! I throw it in the bucket in disgust!
I was able to clean the mode switch, but it didn't fix my problem. The VHS tape loads, runs for 8 seconds then stops and the unit turns off. When powering back up, the tape ejects.
@@12voltvids I am having the same problem. Where is the rotation sensor? I looked in the service manual and it is not identified. It shows that it generates the T-REEL signal, and that goes to pin 3 of the microcomputer, but other than does not show where the switch is. Thanks.
I recently used this video as a guide to disassemble my DVR610.
For those keeping track, here is a run down of the removal process. I'd recommend placing the screws of each section into small receptacles labeling each as you go, as it will make reassembly much easier.
*I'd say pay special attention to removal of the top side of the circuit board, as there are short screws with both tight and coarse threads and long screws with both tight and coarse threads.
Top panel - 6 screws
Front panel - 4 screws (2 tight thead, 2 coarse thread), 1 ribbon
DVD Drive - 4 long screws, 1 short screw (rear HDMI port), 2 ribbons, 1 firewire cable
Power Supply - 4 screws, 1 ribbon
Circuit Board (top) - 3 short screws (tight thread) along left & rear side of panel, 2 short screws (coarse thread) front button boards, 1 long screw (tight thread) 6:20, 1 short screw (tight thread) 6:25, 1 long screw (coarse thread) w/plastic retainer 6:30
Rear - 3 short screws (along bottom of panel), 6 long screws (inputs), fan cable
VCR - 5 long screws (coarse thread) *He comes back to the 5th screw at the 10:00 mark, 2 short screws (tight thread)
Circuit board (underside) - 1 short screw on left side (tight thread), 1 short screw under ribbon (coarse thread).
TOTAL
45 screws removed. 4 ribbon cables removed. 2 cables removed (firewire and fan cable).
Mode Switch access achieved!
Always Great to see how to do these tasks. The alignment of Cams and Gears is especially unnerving to watch, but mode switch looks a lot simpler if you don't have to re-time all the gear alignments.
Gears don't need alignment unless a broken gear is replaced or someone else tinkered with it.
I have a toshiba vcr/dvd combo player. Has not been able to play vhs tapes as it would shutdown when a tape was inserted. This solution worked brilliantly. Thanks for the video.
Mode switch usually the culprit.
I just fixed two 620's based on your video, Thank You so much.
thanks for the video I watched It 5 times and was able to fix the toshiba DVR DVD with TV recorder and hard drive now works perfect now alive from totaly dead machine a big Thanks from John 74.
Thank you sir, for this and your other Toshiba videos! This helped fix my DVR620 that had been in storage for at least 4 or 5 years. This was particularly a great guide on the screws (long & short, metal & plastic).
After several hours I got the mode switch cleaned and the machine reassembled, but it was still shutting down after playing a tape for a few seconds. After finding another video that pointed me toward cleaning the little clear plastic piece that goes over the LED, that finally fixed my problem. It had only a small amount of dust on it, so I'm thinking it was probably a combination of the two issues. Thanks again!
Very beautiful looking picture that video plays a hole lot better just like New .
Another awesome repair, I always enjoy these VCR repair videos, keep it up!!
Thanks to your vids, I'm now watching a VCR that used to 'eat' tapes as a steady diet.... Yes sir, it had the dirtiest mode switch on the planet.....
Thanks for the great video. I followed along, cleaned the switch (did not look that bad) and my DVR620 is working again. My "real time" is not the same as your time however.
Well the first time I did it it took a little bit longer
I had one of those RCA 1976 VCRs with the large piano keys. Ultra complicated inside, but ran through 2004, finally junked it. Replaced the head drum once.
Considering that RCA didn't release the VCR till 1979. I had one, the vbt200 the first one they sold.
JAMES AZBELL I bought one in 1978, used for $850 (US). That was the year we finally got cable TV. We ran that thing into the ground with recording (and playback), the greatest gift to the viewing pubic.
Thanks for the video, FFw and Rew a few times apparently fixed the issue where the device shut itself down when pressing Play. Probably a dirty contact on the mode switch that was fixed by giving it a few revs.
If you can get it to stay in the mode yes changing modes back and forth will clean the switch slightly.
when taking things apart I sometimes go a step further and set the screws out individually to approximately resemble the positions they came from
Yes they really did compact everything, good for price but if a main chip fails it's dustbin time :-(
I like the seperate switchmode a lot, when it fails it's just simple to lift it out.
Modular systems are nice to isolate a fault.
I have one of those combo units , the dvd recorder failed and because it's firmware was special i had a job to find a compatable drive.
Main chip never fails, but it was that way in the old ones too. A main cpu for example was 100 and a new machine 400. Add 100 labour and nobody in their right mind would have done it back then either.
Awesome. So first my unit was eating tapes then shutting down. But now that I opened it up and cleaned it, the unit immediately powers down without any tape inserted and regardless of mode. So the whole process actually made things worse 😆
i fixed one of these for my dads friend it took me 2hrs to take it apart to clean the mode switch. but at least it worked when i put it back together he gave me $35 for fixing it
The first ones always take the longest.
Have you looked into getting a soldering mat for your bench? There are ones that are magnetic and have spots for the different screws so you won't lose track of them. They are also heat resistant so it won't get ruined by a soldering iron.
I have one and have used it in the past.
@@12voltvids I was thinking of getting one, but my current bench has really limited space. I just use a magnetic dish since the screws pretty much stay where you put them.
Thanks for a great video. Would you mind explaining the purpose of the mode switch?
This switch gives the 'computer' in the VCR the information of the mechanical state of the VCR (treaded out or in, no cassette etc.)
@@niero99 So is that rotary switch turning constantly during operation ?
@@CliveTrezona No , only when you press Play FFw Rew, stop etc, is when the mechanism is operating.
@@richarddavey9547 Interesting. Thanks guys.
Also the main reason they go bad is from disuse. The action of loading a tape and going through all the modes once a month even if the VCR isn't being used will keep the contacts clean.
Love these vids and have no problem with that screwing sound. ;-)
Another incredibly useful instructional video! One question: Do you know what size the loading belt is? I need to replace one.
Sorry i don't know off hand.
Why complain about a driver noise they need to get a life great vid again I can remember watching about the lock and the damage it did
I wonder if you could do a. mode switch cleaning to a funai tv/vcr combo one day? I bet it would take longer. I also bet you would want to detatch the chassis from the tv so the tube doesn't break.
I don't have one right now but i believe I did one already and after all that work one of the heads was broken so i gave it away as a game CRT TV.
@@12voltvids or through the AUX Input you can use composite cables to your cable box to watch tv.
That citizen one is VERY rare. From 1997. My grandma mary carol had a 1996 or 1997 Zenith (Funai) TV/VCR She got at a rummage sale with the original remote and it worked for a few years until one of her copies of beauty and the beast 1992 VHS got eaten in it and it didnt eject all the way and got stuck in the vcr:(It was Summer 2009 i think when that happened. Very similar to the one with the broken heads you repaired on 4/30/20.
12voltvids, I found a JVC DR-MV79B Combo recorder and the drawer on DVD that opens then closes before I can even put a disc in.(and unit then shuts off) I can get to the mode switch fairly easily on it . Does it only control the VCR? (I have a Toshiba just like the one you are working on , VCR of course doesn't work, might try what you did after watching your video a few dozen times ;) ) thx
I usually pile the screws in different piles like that too. What happened to that blue cushioned pad with all the nice little compartments someone sent you.
It's hanging on the wall
I did the cleaning of the switch and mine still only plays for about 10 seconds and powers down. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Good
I have a request. Are you planning on making a video on how to accurately adjust the head switching point without a scope? The service manuals say to adjust it so that head switching occurs 6 or 7 horizontal lines before the vertical sync pulse. But is there a way to set it perfectly without special tools and alignment tapes?
Not possible without an analog scope. You can count the lines on a scope. On an underscan monitor with pulse cross display you can also see vertical blanking but these are even rarer than a scope.
@@12voltvids I have an old black and white TV set with adjustable vertical hold and if I misadjust it, I can see the switching point and the vertical blanking interval. Then if I adjust PG A and PG B on the VCR's servo board, I can see the switching point rising and dropping.
@@crashbandicoot4everr correct.
That would do my head in, all that screws just to get into the mode switch! now I remember how I hated VCRs. I would have taken me an hour or two to get that VCR/DVD apart. You say to people that things are really not worth fixing and because you can they expect you to do it for a couple bottles of beer or something. Not worth the bother and when you tell them they will be lucky to get any parts they look at you as if you are stupid. They do not believe that when they stop making things these day the parts also stop. There was a certain CB made that had a long and a short screw for this country, if you put the long screw into the wrong side it went straight through a transformer IF tin. Why did they make a screw long and one short, no idea as the short screw fitted the side for the the long screw went into. They would not fix it if this happened and they very quickly ran out if the part. I saw loads of brand new CBs where people had done this very thing. Just because they didn't stop to read the destructions, which in this case did exactly that. You just couldn't get the part there was so many damaged!
That is a lot of work just to clean a mode switch!!!
Took 30 minutes. Made no money on this. Got 50 bucks for the repair, but owner is happy as now he can play his old tapes. Now that the unit works he could also sell it for more than he paid for it.
Some are worse than others. I have a nice 25" crt tv with dvd and VCR sitting on the floor in the shop. One of these days soon. I will clear some space on the big table and get that one to work. That's a keeper for my collection. Those ones are quite rare today as most people shy away from the combo tv VCR / DVD as sales people would tell people that they were not a good buy because the tv would last much longer than the VCR and dvd and once they broke the tv was useless. So most bought seperate components. Will be interesting to see how good it looks because from what i understand it has very few hours on it.
@@12voltvids It was the VCR part of the combo that broke, guess what, it was Daewoo (as in cars) and no parts to be got, it was not very old, just over a year! I throw it in the bucket in disgust!
@@12voltvids I will look forward to that one. VCR/DVD/TV, power supply problem? Without a breakdown of faults I couldn't guess!
@@12voltvids He could afford to give you a bit more for fixing it.
I was able to clean the mode switch, but it didn't fix my problem. The VHS tape loads, runs for 8 seconds then stops and the unit turns off. When powering back up, the tape ejects.
Check rotation sensor for take up. This is detected off the main led that operates the tape end sensors.
@@12voltvids it's probably good advice if I knew what I was looking at. Sorry. Do you have a pic or video of this by chance?
@@12voltvids I am having the same problem. Where is the rotation sensor? I looked in the service manual and it is not identified. It shows that it generates the T-REEL signal, and that goes to pin 3 of the microcomputer, but other than does not show where the switch is. Thanks.
Your cat, sounds a bit light weight. Has it lost a few Pounds. Or is that a new cat.?
That's a different cat. I have 4 of them. Kids bringing cats home then moving out and leaving cats behind.