CED VideoDisc and Player Discussion

[digicube]

Power cycling solves the problem for a few minutes, then bad picture, no color appears again. Is this a capacitor problem or dirty stylus problem?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JgXHIfikaZ6k6LpulxFbzq59d8WVvqIn/view?usp=sharing

[digicube]

It's working fine now after playing a disc for a while. Looks like I have to play a disc once a week to keep it from dying completely.

[digicube]

Found a new problem. Keep losing picture and the player makes a clicking sound when it happens. Bad relay switch?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_1ObN04c5xoXW5Jlf6eveEVkQa0JQLxR/view?usp=sharing

Here is the clicking sound made by the player.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kh2_Pn_pjpehV5YN6iaWTwKHUgBZtNmQ/view?usp=sharing

It only occurs on some discs, so I assume it's a bad disc.

[SelectaVision420]

ok, a few things. one i cannot see the videos you posted, only hear. so im going on a limb here. knowing you have a 400, from what i hear, the clicking you are hearing is called " carrier distress " you have probably put a bad disc in and the player is trying to clean the stylus because it knows (by feedback) the kind of picture it is picking up from the disc. they call it " carrier distress " because the carrier signal ( picture signal ) is distorted enough to warrant a temporary pause to activate the stylus sweeper to try to clean the tip of the stylus. your stylus may have the vapor metal coating on the tip worn down if you play enough bad discs

i highly suggest checking any disc you havent played visually first. you may have caused some damage or debris collection on the stylus already, which would explain your varied playback issues...
_________________
(2)Sears 274 & 934(80150,10&11350), sft100, sgt250, sjt 090-400, vp550, VDR3000, VP2000 & 4000
complete '84 Dimensia Owner

[jsdspif]

The first link is video and sound,I see and hear that fine,second link is sound only and I hear it.
I agree with selectavision. I forgot about that stylus cleaning feature while the disc is playing. I would start off sending the stylus in for cleaning/inspection and after that carefully examine discs (without touching with bare hands) for any imperfections. I have some white cotton gloves I use just for ced's and record cleaning and I have an old sft100 stripped down that I can load discs into just to inspect them. Makes it so much easier to do and alot less actual handling by hand.

[digicube]

Here is an image of the bad soft picture no color.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1raqwZqT5HYR-EGx5zlSvxqwmNO3LbCZZ/view?usp=sharing

The discs I have are new old stock and shrink wrapped, surprised they can be bad too. I have vinyl record cleaning tools like a stylus brush. Can I use it to clean the CED stylus?

I recently use Spin-Clean to clean a CED disc and it made a huge difference in playback quality, picture is much more stable.
Is there a CED to vinyl record adapter I can buy or 3D print so I can use it on a KAB EV-1 vacuum cleaning tool?

Anyone know the exact diameters of the hole on a CED disc and a vinyl record? I might do the model myself when I have the time if it's unavailable on thingiverse.

Are ultrasonic cleaners ($1K) better than vacuum cleaners ($150)?

[jsdspif]

whatever you do you want to do a dry clean only. The discs have a coating on them and any liquid probably disturbs that coating. I have an old panasonic record cleaner thing that takes away static and has a very soft rotating brush. Basicly just takes away the static and brushes off the dust.
For stylus it's really best to send it in. Cleaning and inspection is free except to ship it there and back.
I think even on new sealed discs that strip of material at the opening of the caddy seems to come unglued and then that strip of material and the foam underneath it pretty much get's distributed onto the disc each time it's removed and re-inserted,if that is happening. At times I try to think of a substitute replacement for that material because I have a couple discs that that material has fell off and the foam underneath is disintegrating.
I wouldn't do any wet cleaning. I did test a spot and for cleaner I think I just used distilled water thinking that wouldn't upset the coating but it looked to me like it did upset the coating where I applied the water. This was a disc that I was trashing,it wasn't something I was thinking of playing. I also have tried to work a duster thing down inside the caddy and then light pressure compressed air to blow debris from the caddy,so it isn't transferred to the disc. The picture on the movie you posted I thought looked and sounded pretty good,until it would do the stylus cleaning process (if that's what was happening and I think that's what it was but I am not familiar with it/never seen it with my own eyes" Almost have to open the player and watch it in action to see if that is what is actually happening.

[SelectaVision420]

please do not under any circumstance try to wet clean a disc. any removal of the coating on the disc will cause undesired damage to your stylus. i have personally gotten damaged discs in cellophane. they are not impervious to stacking damage or mistreatment in general ( usually by the postal service )
_________________
(2)Sears 274 & 934(80150,10&11350), sft100, sgt250, sjt 090-400, vp550, VDR3000, VP2000 & 4000
complete '84 Dimensia Owner

[digicube]

How to clean fingerprints/smudges on the disc then?

How many disc plays is a stylus good for?

I know a disc is good for 500 plays. Will a stylus last longer than that?

[SelectaVision420]

you cannot remove smudges or fingerprints. the disc should never be touched
_________________
(2)Sears 274 & 934(80150,10&11350), sft100, sgt250, sjt 090-400, vp550, VDR3000, VP2000 & 4000
complete '84 Dimensia Owner

[banjodrummer]

[quote="digicube"]How to clean fingerprints/smudges on the disc then?

How many disc plays is a stylus good for?

I know a disc is good for 500 plays. Will a stylus last longer than that?[/quote]

A stylus, under normal conditions, can be expected to last for 1000 hours of playback before needing to be replaced. So, that's a good 500 2-hour flicks.
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Austin N.

[digicube]

That doesn't sound like a lot. If you watch 1 movie a day, that's less than 18 months.