Video Asylum

Posted by John-from Seattle on April 26, 2000 at 16:00:09:

I was watching a VHS tape of "Jazz on a Summer's Day", recorded/shot in 1959 at the Newport Jazz festival.

A way cool video of Jazz in action. Anyway, I was playing it in my Mitsubish Hi-Fi VCR with the audio running into my stereo. Normaly this is no problem but I've noticed this on one other video tape w/ Hi-Fi audio as well. Crackling or buzzing in the the audio.

In the Jazz on a Summers Day, I would get the crackling, like the speaker(s) were shot, but it only occured on the loudest transient passeges and would be brief in nature. It was annoying as I was enjoying the great jazz being played that day (the soundtrack sounded excellent otherwise).

The one other time I encountered this simular situation was when I would watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. About 1/2 way through the movie, I'd start getting a buzzing, crackling sound that would remain more or less constant through to the end of the piece. It's not really bad, but it's there non the less.

However, I do notice that the audio levels for the Jazz video were really high, staying in the red mostly and well pegged at times. Yep, I have audio meters. My vcr is the Mitsubishi HSU-57 w/ variable audio input levels so it can be used as an elaborate audio deck if desired (which I often do). Can't verify the audio levels of Charlie but it doesn't seem awfully loud.

Have any ideas as to what might cause this and is this going to ultimately do harm to my speakers? The video looks fine w/ no interference of any kind.

TIA.

John.