Video head cleaner
Encyclopedia
A video head cleaner is a substance used for cleaning the record/playback heads
of a video or audio cassette player.
Audio and video
(VCR) cassette players require regular maintenance to perform properly. Particles that come off the magnetic tape
from the videocassette can build up on the helical scan
record/playback heads, reducing the signal quality. Head cleaning may be done with a special cloth or special long swabs and/or a cleaning cassette. This removes smudges and dirt on the recording head
.
Cotton threads can snag the video heads, so cotton balls and swaps should not be used.
Recording head
A recording head is the physical interface between a recording apparatus and a moving recording medium. Recording heads are generally classified according to the physical principle that allows them to impress their data upon their medium...
of a video or audio cassette player.
Audio and video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
(VCR) cassette players require regular maintenance to perform properly. Particles that come off the magnetic tape
Magnetic tape
Magnetic tape is a medium for magnetic recording, made of a thin magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip of plastic. It was developed in Germany, based on magnetic wire recording. Devices that record and play back audio and video using magnetic tape are tape recorders and video tape recorders...
from the videocassette can build up on the helical scan
Helical scan
Helical scan is a method of recording high bandwidth signals onto magnetic tape. It is used in reel-to-reel video tape recorders, video cassette recorders, digital audio tape recorders, and some computer tape drives....
record/playback heads, reducing the signal quality. Head cleaning may be done with a special cloth or special long swabs and/or a cleaning cassette. This removes smudges and dirt on the recording head
Recording head
A recording head is the physical interface between a recording apparatus and a moving recording medium. Recording heads are generally classified according to the physical principle that allows them to impress their data upon their medium...
.
Cotton threads can snag the video heads, so cotton balls and swaps should not be used.
Cleaning fluids
Fluids used for cleaning video heads include (but are not limited to) the following solvents:- Freon-Dichlorodifluoromethane (discontinued in 1995 for damage to the ozone layer).
- AlcoholAlcoholIn chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
s are effective for cleaning heads and guide rollers. - AcetoneAcetoneAcetone is the organic compound with the formula 2CO, a colorless, mobile, flammable liquid, the simplest example of the ketones.Acetone is miscible with water and serves as an important solvent in its own right, typically as the solvent of choice for cleaning purposes in the laboratory...
is an effective solvent, but can damage plasticPlasticA plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
s. - Amyl NitriteAmyl nitriteAmyl nitrite is the chemical compound with the formula C5H11ONO. A variety of isomers are known, but they all feature an amyl group attached to the nitrito functional group. The alkyl group is unreactive and the chemical and biological properties are mainly due to the nitrite group...
and other nitrites are marketed as video head cleaners.
Dry cleaners
Dry methods of cleaning include:- Compact CassetteCompact CassetteThe Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
-shaped devices that can be inserted into tape decks and played for a short time to polish the recording heads to remove smudges and dirt. This may shorten the life of the unit and should not be overused. - Compact Cassette-shaped devices that have a cloth tape that can have liquid cleaning fluids added to it before being inserted into a tape deck and played for a short time.