I would like to record a show/shows on tv using my lg gc990w 6 head hifi stereo vcr . A work colleage has told me I cant do this because I am trying to record a high definition channel. Is this true or can you suggest a way of doing this.

The belts are weak and are skipping and also tired. Your VCR needs the belts to be replaced.Only some VCR types this problem does occur with.

A lot depends on what type of video tape you use and where do you want to play the DVDs (CDs are for audio recording only). If tape is compact VHS then you can buy a simple DVD Recorder VHS VCR combo player and transfer across easily provided you have the compact VHS cassette module.
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For other type of video camera tapes you will have to try other methods like connect camera with tape to a DVD recorder and directly burn the DVDs. You can buy attachments and software for PC but I have found these very cumbersome to work with.

Coax from wall to coax in on VCR and Vcr Coax out to in on set.

Whatever channel vcr is on this way it will record and pass to set.

Check first you have playback from VCR to TV alone, could have dirty or blocked video heads which in record will just record no watchable picture. Hookup or blocked video heads are most likely.

first try a new set of connecting wires these are the usually cheap wires that will give out easily. if that don't work ,its most likly gonna be the tape recorder itself. how old is it.

a common problem is rental videos that have been damaged in the first few feet of the tape by some other vcr's defective drive mechanism that "eats"the tape..What happens is the particles of the damaged tape clog the video heads in your machine,which have gaps in the millionths of an inch.Put a brand new tape in the machine and let it play for a half hour or so and it will usually clear itself.If that does not do it,insert a head clening tape and a couple drops of cleaning fluid and run it through.The newer machines will show a blue screen if there is no video information present.However,if you put it on forward search,it overrides that feature and you will see a snowy picture from a good tape,if one video head is clogged and the other is working.There are 2 video heads on a rotating head.it spins at 1800rpm and that is the whirring sound you hear when play is pressed.If both heads are clogged,you will see a snowy screen and no picture at all.A 4 head machine has 2 heads for slp or 2 hour speed and the other 2 heads are used for lp and slp.A hifi vcr has 2 more heads,which are used for the hifi audio,a total of 6 heads.The stationary playback head has a control signal for tape speed,and regular audio,mono or stereo.

You might try to clean the heads, You can buy some acetone at any walmart, Kmart ect…Use a foam swab to clean the heads on the chrome cylinder that spins. (Do not use cotton swabs, it will get caught in the heads.) It has 4 small windows on the cylinder that are the record and play back heads. Do not use a lot of acetone at one time, just a bit. Let it dry for 5 to 10 min’s. Then try to record and play back something. Sometimes it takes more than one cleaning. But.. Always let it dry good before putting in a tape or it will clog the heads worst. I have found that cleaning tapes only work if the heads are not very dirty. A manual cleaning is the best. Radio shack may carry the foam swabs. I’m not sure but electronic supplies do. Hope this is helpful.

The VCR stereo playback sound is only available through the AV/SCART connection and will not work through the coaxial antenna cable.

Cheers

Is this a HiFi stereo vcr? When you cleaned the heads, did you only do the heads on the rotating cylinder or only the fixed tracking/audio heads between the cylinder and the pich roller?

Does a prerecorded tape ( not a self recorded from that machine play ok?

HiFi vcrs default to the audio head(s) on the tracking/audio head if the HiFi heads on the rotating cylinder are dirty or damaged.

If a prerecorded tap palys fine, then the erase head circuit has failed.

If sound is weak and warbles, worse on SLP than SP, a weak VCR power supply.

Does it play back professionally prerecorded tapes okay? Does that VCR have a HiFi stereo option? What is the brand name and model number of the unit?

Are these prerecorded tapes or ones that you recently recorded? Or are they all normal audio tapes?? Try a pre recored and turn off the HI fi audio and thats an easy thing to do as put it in normal and mono.. Get back to us so we can assit. Not enough info as could be 100 things.