1965 Ampex VP-4900C video player

This is an industrial 1 inch playback only machine, capable of color or black & white. The record version was the VR-5200. The tape path of this machine has the tape go around the head drum almost twice.

On the front, there is a power switch which is also a volume knob, as it has a built in speaker. Then there are play and stop buttons, a B&W/color switch, and a color control. There are two black knobs on the right side of the transport, one is for rewind/FF, and the other is to move the two tape guides into place after threading. On the back is the power connector, a fuse, B&W/color UHF video outputs, and an XLR audio out.

It uses a threading method called B-wind, which means that the shiny side of the tape is actually the side that gets scanned. There are carrying handles on each side, and a cover that goes over the top of the machine. It weighs 64 pounds. 

I have started to restore this machine, and when I first powered it up, the head drum spun, and the motor would run when I pressed the buttons, the reels just didn't turn. So I opened it up, and found that the belts had melted into that horrible black goo. But this time, it was even worse because it had melted probably 20 years ago, and then the melted goo had hardened!! Alcohol would not do anything, I had to scrap the stuff off with a screwdriver. So after hours of cleaning that stuff off, I got new belts and put them in, and the reels worked great. But playing a tape, all I get at the output is a black screen, and I have yet to get it actually making a picture.