当大多数人想到VCR时，他们会想到过时的技术。当然，VCR可能对80年代和90年代的每个人都至关重要。但是它们被DVD，然后是Bluray和流媒体所取代。这些天谁仍在使用VCR？
事实证明，很多人。一方面，人们将视频盒用于旧家庭视频。虽然您总是可以将它们转换为数字，但拥有原始版本不是很好吗？此外，许多80年代和90年代的电影从未获得数字发行。如果您喜欢艺术电影，恐怖电影或其他另类类型，那么很难在Bluray上找到您的最爱。但是有了VCR，您可以继续享受那些无价的旧录音带。您还可以观看当天可能从电视上录制的电影。
当然，使用VCR需要一些耗材。除非您有旧的CRT电视，否则您可能需要组件/AV到HDMI转换器just to plug in. And then, you still need to keep your heads clean. As video tape spools through the player, dust and debris can build up inside the VCR. When this debris builds up on the heads, your video quality will suffer.
We’re about to look at three of the best head cleaners that money can buy. We’ll start with the Trisonic Video Head Cleaner. This is a cleaning cassette that includes a small bottle of cleaning liquid. Next, we’ll review the CleanDr VHS Video Head Cleaner. This is a dry cleaning cassette that requires no liquid. Finally, we’ll review the Read Right Tape Head Cleaning Swabs. These swabs are made to be used with alcohol or cleaner to maintain your VCR. Which choice is right for you? Let’s dig deeper, and find out!
如何清洁您的VCR
Like other mechanical devices, VCRs get dirty over time. As the video tape passes through, it can leave small traces of magnetic dust, or spread dirt around. It can also spread small amounts of lubricant from the moving parts of the machine. As this builds up, it becomes harder and harder for the VCR to read your tapes. Eventually, you’re going to have to clean your machine.
If you’re going to clean your VCR yourself, the first thing you’ll want to do is unplug the power supply. You’re going to be poking around inside, and you don’t want to get an electrical shock. Next, remove the VCR housing, and the internal shield plate that holds cassettes in place. Now, you’ll be looking at the guts of your machine. There, you’ll see a path where the tape travels through the VCR. You’ll want to clean every surface your tape might come in contact with.
First, you’ll want to clean the capstan shaft and pinch roller. This is the large shaft that physically pulls the tape along, as well as the wheel that holds it in place. Wipe them gently with alcohol or a specialized VCR cleaning solution. Next, move on to the A/C head, a magnetic component that sits next to the tape path. This head is metallic, and it should shine once you’re done cleaning it. Note that the A/C head is for audio. The video head is further down. Further along the line, you’ll find the erase head, and eventually the video heads. These should also be cleaned thoroughly, since they’re the parts that are most sensitive to dirt. You’ll also need to clean the tension rollers and guides that line the tape’s path.
This might sound like a lot of parts, but keep in mind that they’re small. Cleaning all of them shouldn’t take more than about five minutes. Once that’s complete, simply reassemble the VCR and plug it back in. That said, manually cleaning every part is still fairly involved, and you have to disassemble your VCR to do it. For most people, it makes more sense just to use a head cleaning kit.
As for how often you should clean your VCR heads, different people have different answers. Some guides recommend cleaning as often as every 20 hours of playback. Others are less rigorous, and suggest cleaning every 30 to 40 hours. At the end of the day, it depends on how dirty your VCR is. If the video and audio are fine, there’s no urgent need to clean. If your picture is getting fuzzy, a cleaning is probably in order.
On the flip side, it’s important to remember that not every VCR problem can be fixed with a head cleaner. Issues like tracking and mechanical failure have nothing to do with how dirty the inside of your VCR is. If you’ve cleaned your heads and you’re still having issues, clean them a second time to be sure. If the picture or audio still isn’t right, you might be looking at a mechanical failure.
Trisonic Video Head Cleaner
这Trisonic Video Head Cleaneris a special cassette that automatically cleans your VCR. It looks like a normal cassette on the outside, but the inside houses a special cleaning tape. Instead of a normal magnetic tape, this soft fabric is designed to gently clean your VCR’s most delicate parts. Along with the cassette, you also get a small bottle of cleaning solution. To use the cleaner, you simply put a few drops in the cassette, then run the tape for 20 seconds. Rewind the tape so it’s ready for your next cleaning, and you’re good to go.
三角清洁器的广告图像可能会有些混乱。他们显示了盒式盒子，前面有一个小孔，用于将清洁溶液涂在胶带上。但是，当您首次打开包装时，将孔纸纸覆盖。要应用解决方案，您需要直接在盒式盒子上的孔上打一个孔。同样，清洁溶液喷嘴也被密封。要分配它，您需要将密封件刺入喷嘴尖端。完成此操作后，易于涂抹，易于再次扣除。更换溶液很容易获得，或者您可以在用完时使用酒精。也就是说，每次清洁只有四滴，它应该持续一段时间。
这个湿清洁过程的优点是它非常擅长去除油脂和磁性灰尘。无需担心会留下一堆碎屑。也就是说，清洁盒有自己的固有局限性。胶带最终被污垢饱和，需要更换。不过，这需要一段时间。考虑到单个清洁最多可用于40小时的播放，因此您不必经常这样做。Trisonic清洁胶带应持续数年，并且当它停止工作时，更便宜。
Cleandr VHS视频头清洁器
这Cleandr VHS视频头清洁器is a simpler device, and takes less than a minute to use. Like the Trisonic cleaner, the CleanDr is a cassette tape that’s designed especially for cleaning. However, it uses a dry cleaning process, so there’s no need to mess around with cleaning solution or alcohol. Instead, a non-abrasive fabric gently wipes dust and grime off VCR heads and other parts.
This makes it the most convenient option of the bunch. To use the CleanDr, you simply insert the cassette and press play. After 30 seconds, rewind the cassette and eject it. That’s all there is to it. Your heads will be clean, and you’ll be ready to start watching your favorite tapes. The cassette is good for up to 30 cleanings, so it will last for quite some time. Depending on how often you clean, it could last for 1,200 hours of video playback. That’s on the order of 600 full-length movies before you have to worry about buying yourself a new cleaner.
这downside of the CleanDr’s dry design is that it’s not as effective as other cleaning kits. Without a proper cleaning solution, there’s only so much it can remove. This is particularly true for lubricant, which can be tough to take off without any kind of solvent. We’re not saying the CleanDr will leave your VCR filthy. It will certainly be noticeably cleaner than before you cleaned! We’re just saying that it won’t leave your heads as pristine as some of the other options.
Read Right Tape Head Cleaning Swabs
这Right Read Tape Head Cleaning Swabs不是专门的头部清洁套件。取而代之的是，它们是五英寸，刚性的拭子，设计用于清洁各种电子产品。他们装在36盒中，因此您有足够的清洁工作。不仅如此，而且它们非常通用。盒式盒子只能用于清洁VCR，但这些拭子几乎可以用于任何东西。每个人都有自己的密封袋，并用清洁溶液预先安装。您可以将它们用于键盘，鼠标，计算机组件和其他敏感电子产品。
这swabs themselves are rigid and well-constructed. The stems are made of plastic, not paper, so they maintain their stiffness even under light pressure. The tips are broad and spatula-shaped, so they can cover a wider area than a smaller swab. Not only that, but the material of the heads is a soft, absorbent fabric, not a ball of cotton. This fabric resists shedding, so you don’t have to worry about it leaving a bunch of lint behind. Not only that, but it’s even more absorbent than cotton. Grease and excess cleaning solution will wipe away easily, without leaving a lot of residue.
If the pre-applied solution doesn’t last, you don’t have to worry. The swabs are made to be impervious to alcohol, so you can always re-moisten them as needed. Be careful about using acetone, though. It can eat away at the tips. While the tips are normally lint-free, this corrosive action can cause them to start shedding. So when you need to re-moisten, stick with alcohol, and you’ll be just fine. And with all of that being said, the pre-applied solution is pretty effective to begin with.
Final Verdict
那么，这些VCR头部清洁器中的哪一个适合您？在大多数方面，这取决于您要寻找的东西。这Trisonic Video Head Cleanerprovides a good balance of effectiveness and convenience. On the one hand, it’s a complete kit, so you don’t have to disassemble your VCR. On the other hand, as a tape cleaner, it’s not going to be quite as effective as a manual cleaning. Even so, the cleaning solution makes the Trisonic cleaner far more effective than your average dry cleaning tape. This means cleaner heads, and a longer period of time between each cleaning.
这Cleandr VHS视频头清洁器奖的时候方便。贝科use it doesn’t require any solution, you don’t have to worry about spilling or mess. You literally just stick it in your VCR and let the tape run for 30 seconds. In terms of time investment, that’s about as minimal as it gets. On the other hand, there’s only so much a dry band of cloth can do to keep your heads clean. This isn’t to say that the CleanDr is a bad head cleaner. It’s just not the best option if you want the maximum possible effectiveness.
这Read Right Tape Head Cleaning Swabs位于频谱的另一端。“便利”并不是真正的词汇。要使用它们，您必须拆卸您的VCR，这涉及一些时间。也就是说，它们是非常精心设计的拭子，非常适合清洁。如果您愿意付出努力，他们将获得比任何清洁盒更清洁的。它们也可以用于其他电子产品，因此比清洁盒更通用。
