JVC SR-VS30U VCR

Many Features, Many Problems

By J  Jan 2, 2003 | 11 out of 11 found this JVC SR-VS30U review helpful

I recommend staying away from this deck. The deck is unusable as a playback device for an editing system (something that even very cheap consumer camcorders and decks are easily cable of). It is not usable as a duplicating device for previously recor...ded tapes; nor is it usable as a viewing/logging device for previously recorded tapes. Heres the run-down of my purchase of the JVC-VS30U (which is only a little newer than the SR-VS10U) in November 2002: INITIAL DIAGNOSIS: When playing a mini-DV tape in the new JVC deck the first time out-of-the box, the image was stuttering and broken-up until finally the screen turned blue with the message “Use Cleaning Cassette.” I tried different brand tapes recorded with different equipment and most exhibited the same problem. ATTEMPTED SOLUTION: The tech guy where I bought it claimed that it was likely some manufacturing lubricant on the deck’s heads, a known JVC problem, and that I should try using a cleaning cassette instead of returning the deck right away. I agreed to try it, as I would rather have a working deck in my hands, then have gone through all this time and trouble for nothing. At his suggestion, I did not use the deck until the cleaning cassette finally arrived. After one pass with the cleaner, the problem remained. After a second pass, the problem remained. FURTHER DIAGOSIS: None of the tapes I have recorded on my mint-condition Sony VX-2000 camera would play back in the deck without this problem. It did not matter what type of tape I used (Sony, Maxell, Panasonic, TDK, Radio Shack, etc.) – they all were unplayable. Even tapes that were recorded on other people’s equipment (decks or cameras) were likely to exhibit the same problem. After looking the www.2-pop.com message boards, I found many of the same complaints about this JVC deck (and its previous models too). They pointed out that the problem occurs when the firewire cable is attached. So, I experimented with this. Sure enough, a tape may play fine in the DV deck without any firewire cable attached, but as soon as the firewire is plugged in, the image deteriorates and the “Use Cleaning Cassette” message come on. I tried this experiment using different tapes, firewire cables, and connected devices (e.g., my Sony VX-2000 or my G4 with Final Cut Pro). It did not matter what was plugged into the deck’s firewire port, the problem was consistent. Unplug the cable, the tape plays fine, plug it back in, the problem returns. CONCLUSION: This deck has a defect that prevents playback of most DV material that was not recorded by the deck itself. This problem becomes nearly 100% true when a firewire cable is connected to it. This is NOT a dirty head problem. The deck is unusable as a playback device for an editing system (something that even very cheap consumer camcorders and decks are easily cable of). Read more Less