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Hello. I am posting to note that I have been using a Magnavox mwr20v6 since summer 2007 and it has worked without any problems. My main use of the unit is to dub old family VHS videotapes to DVD (as others are doing) and have done several. I take the resulting DVD and transfer the .vob files to my computer hard drive for editing and compilation, and reburning to a final DVD. This gets my family memories onto a more permanent media and makes nice Christmas presents for my family. When I do my dubbing, I use only the HQ setting to retain the most quality (the original tapes are 20-30 years old). I am appreciative of the good advice given in this forum, so thanks.

Cheers,

Hi, I have a MAGNAVOX MWR20V6 DVD Recorder with VCR. We have had it for about a year and half, using it all the time. About 2 weeks ago, I tried to record a show onto dvd (which I do all the time...) and it said "Recording Error Cannot Record To Disc" so I tried 3 different dvds, including one I had previously recorded an hour long show on. No luck. Then about a week ago, I tried to play a regular dvd movie (one that I have previously watched before) and after getting to the menu, the dvd player just shut off! When I tried to turn it back on, it was in VCR "mode". I am not sure what to do, I spoke with the FUNAI people and he told me to turn it off, unplug it for 15 minutes, then plug it in and try it. I did that and it got me about 10 minutes into the dvd before shutting off again. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

:(

Heather-- in Kokomo, Indiana

have you tried using a lens cleaning kit? that may help, otherwise see what you can get from Funai, see if you can get anytype of warrenty(sp) coverage...

What is that, where do I get one, and how much do they cost? lol

uh... i'm not really too sure on that, we had one years ago... it was from radioshack and played like a cd... and on the underside it had little brushes... so look there if you can, if not try looking around online, but i wouldn;t spend too much on something that isn't a sure fix. you know?

Okay...excuse me if I am repeating myself. I need help. My vcr/dvd combo is not working properly. Dvd side is fine. Vcr side will not play tapes. It stops after 10secs and turns off. I started a new thread under mwr...etc.. this is new to me so I apologize for writing twice...thanks.

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Originally posted by MikeAdams:

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SheWonder. Welcome to this section of the AfterDawn forum specifically dedicated to Magnavox MWR20V combo recorder owners!

Having difficulty while attempting to Play or Recording VHS tapes

Does the unit stop playing every tape you've ever tried or only certain ones? How about one you purchased very recently? If that won't play you can be virtually certain the VCR portion of the unit has a problem necessitating repair.

Did any tapes get jammed or otherwise stuck in the unit either recently or a while back? If this occurred and was subsequently removed using the standard "brute force method" doing so may very likely have caused damage to the delicate VCR transport mechanism or one of its many critical sensors, rendering the unit non-operational.

Keep in mind, if you're attempting to play any VHS tapes you (or someone else) recorded in the past, those are very likely to cause trouble. Any which were COPIED from store bought or rental VHS tapes will contain Macrovision content-protection encoding embedded within the video signals they carry.

Should this be the case, you can "bet the ranch" those signals will be detected upon playback and the unit will reject the tape in very short order. Any recording equipment manufactured during the past 5 years MUST now contain built-in Macrovision copy-protection circuitry or it can't legally be sold in the US and most other countries.

How can I determine whether or not it's a Macrovision copy-protection issue?

Use a brand-new tape you've recently purchased at your local Walmart or other retail store. There are plenty available for only $5 and you can find them for as low as $1 (brand new) at any "dollar discount" store such as Dollar Tree. Alternatively, simply borrow a known LEGITIMATELY purchased commercially made tape from a friend or Video Rental store.

If the tape doesn't play from beginning to end 100% successfully without interruption, it means your MWR20V6 has a problem which needs to be repaired. If it does play perfectly, you've now proven the reason the other tapes aren't playing is due to some kind of content-protection issue.

For any of those, you can easily purchase and connect a Macrovision signal removal device for as little as $20 which will completely resolve the problem. I've already submitted two posts in this section of the forum. The first explains in full detail exactly how to hook it up and the second is a step-by-step guide explaining how to make DVD or VCR recordings using it.

Please contribute to the value of this forum, simply by letting us know what you discover, including what the final outcome and problem resolution was. The results will help many others who are presently or will be experiencing the same difficulty you're dealing with now. Thanks for your inquiry and participation!

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Thanks Mike!! I think I may have just replied with your reply...dah...and I am trying to work a vcr..lol. Anyway, I tried all different vhs tapes all with the same results. I even tried one of those head cleaning tapes and still nothing. Without exaggeration, I have played about 10 tapes during the time I have owned this product. Nothing has ever jammed. Previous to this episode I had successfully watched a movie...about a month prior. Do you think it is 'worth it' to take it in for repair? I really want to copy some tapes to dvd..which is why i bought the thing in the first place....obviously, i am a procrastinator because now a year has gone by and i was just thinking about it. Thanks for your help. Funai should read your posts!

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Seems like I am getting a great education here!! I have tried everything you have suggested with the exception of removing the top cover. So far no luck. I get the logic that the vcr side is probably shot and what is the harm?...but what about the dvd side?...will poking around on the vcr side do any harm? ps..i love this ctrl +a function!! Are you sure I just can't send you my mwr20v6...lol. please note: i have successfully used the edit function. I look at it this way..even if I can't fix my vcr, I have learned lots...thank you. You now have an avid reader. I will keep you posted.

Have you tried a wet VCR cleaner followed by a dry VCR cleaner? Repeat as often as needed. This helps my Daughters VCR when she messes it up. (She is 22years old, disabled and abuses her VCR regularly; we also always have a spear one so she will not miss her Barney Videos.)Anyway, this has helped more then once.
Oma101

Still doesn't work. Ugh, I want to throw it out the window? Any other suggestions? Please?

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I did it!! For anyone out there who is afraid of taking off that top..it is a piece of cake. There was nothing foreign in there..except for all the parts. I was even so brave as to plug it in!!! and then put a tape in...just to see. So everything appears to work just fine. The little spindles grab the tape(in any mode), pull it around the big round thing, and the tape actually moves. All is well. Then everything disengages...it is like it thinks it is finished. Nothing looks broken. NOthing is dirty...not even dust in there. What's next?
ps..with the cover open and the tape in..i continually pressed play, waited 2 secs...pressed stop...pressed play...stop...all functioning fine...but as soon as i let it go...it stops on its own after 5 or 6 secs.

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Originally posted by MikeAdams:

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Do you know any useful tips, work-arounds or problem resolutions you've discovered which may be useful to other MWR20V6 owners?

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Just a couple of notes that I thought might be useful to others:
1. My main use of this unit is to dub VHS tapes to DVD for later editing on my computer. Before I begin dubbing, I review the tape and make notes as to what is actually on the tape; most of my tapes go back 15-25 years, and what is actually on the tape may differ from the label(s) on the outside. During the review, I make a time based list of what I see; and if there are gaps, glitches,or extraneous material, etc, I note them. That way I can plan my dubbing efficiently.
2. I hook up a small tv as a monitor from the Recorder outputs so I can see what is going on.
3. After I have dubbed the tape to a DVD, I can play back both the DVD and the tape to compare them side by side. This is especially useful when I have done my later editing (on my computer) and made an edited DVD. That way I can see how or if my editing is having the result that I want compared to the original (kind of 'before and after').

Hope this is helpful to someone.

HI Mike! I am becoming quite comfortable with the inside of my VCR! I have located the sensors and once again nothing is blocked. What I have noticed is that if i move something in front of the sensor a mechanism moves and even if i keep the sensor block..the mechanism moves back. This only happens with one sensor. Blocking the other one has absolutely no effect. Also...all the little belts are attached. If I go ahead and order the vcr assembly...does it come with the motherboard? I would hate to go through the work of replacing the vcr assembly only to find out it was the motherboard. Wow!! Listen to me...lol. And this is from someone who couldn't figure out how to post here. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. Thanks again Mike.

How to recover lost video data after burning...

If your read some of my previous posts you'll have read how I recorded a segment and the disk refused to finalize rendering the disk useless in any other dvd drive/player other than the Magnavox... Yesterday I discovered a fairly simple solution to fix that problem that only took about an hour or so...

I downloaded and installed a program named Isobuster, its main use is the recovery of files on DVD Disks that windows cannot read. It reads the physical data on the disk not the windows accesible layer.

I used Isobuster to recover the RAW .VOB file from the disk that I could not previously recover or otherwise even read. Then I used NeroVision Expess 3 to create a DVD .iso image containing the .vob file I had recovered. By using NeroVision Express, I was able to create a playable DVD .iso file that could be burnt to any disk and then played in a DVD Player.

So after NeroVision had finished its task (around 7 minutes) I used ImgBurn to write the .iso image to a new disk and it is now a usable file again...

ImgBurn is a free program and NeroVision (or a comparable program) is commonly bundled with most CD/DVD burners you buy. The only other program needed which is Isobuster does cost $29.95 which is well worth the money if you consider the usefullness of its abilities and attributes not mentioned here. It does have limited free functionality, which does not include file recover. So its upto you to decide whether or not its worth paying for. There probably is a free alternative program that does the same, and would I would love to hear about it once someone finds it...

Just sharing my excitement on a new discovery... Thank you for everyone's time and help... Have a lovely day...

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