My RCA 4 head VCR just recently acting up. After I record a show from the TV and watch it, it plays the video from the show I taped, but the audio from something else on the tape.

Is this a problem with the heads? Can they be adjusted in any way? If so, is this easy to do or should a repair shop do it?

Thanks,

You might have SAP or second audio program activated on the VCR when it was recorded.

You didn't give any details about your VCR (model No or age), so it's not clear whether it has a linear audio (mono or stereo) track or a helical (hi-fi) one.

If the former, look for some sort of 'dubbing' switch that allows you to record audio separately from video (allows you to dub audio onto an existing video track). This may be switched in such a way that the audio track is off during recording, leaving what was previously on the tape.

But if it's a linear audio machine and the dubbing switch is correctly set, it sounds like your audio recording head or circuit has died. Since the same head is most likely used for both recording and playback, it's more likely the circuit than the head. This wouldn't be worth the cost of a technician fixing it, given that VCRs are practically given away these days (being obsolescent).

Daniel

Verify where the Inputs are coming from.
Audio and video should be from same source.