Hi!

One failed this week. When I attempted play-back, I got a mixture of
play-back image and audio/video static.

Perhaps most importantly, when I set the remote to 'video' with no tape
playing, I get a blue screen, some audio static, and a weird (and loud)
'scratch-scratch' sound that repeats endlessly. When I set the remote to
'TV',
I get the normal reception images (tuned from a cable box).

Well, with many things that don't work properly...I'd look for something
that would be common to large areas of the circuitry. Have you checked the
voltages coming off the power supply to make sure they're stable? The
voltages may be printed on the circuit board, if the power supply is on a
separate board. If they're not, you'll have to guess. That won't be as bad
as it seems, since the voltages should be stable when you measure them.
Unstable output means a problem or poor design.

Just about every VCR power supply I've ever seen runs hot when the unit is
on and doing something. This can take its toll, especially on components
like electrolytic capacitors where heat will dry them out.

If you're willing to try, I see no reason not to. Try to figure out exactly
what functions don't work, and look for things in the circuitry that would
be common. You might draw a map of how things interact with one another if
you can figure that out.

If you do find that the fix won't be cost-effective or easy, I second the
recommendation to look for other VCRs in secondhand stores and thrift shops.
Older ones in particular are well built, some have impressive features and
capabilities, and more of the components are separate, which makes figuring
out which part does what that much easier. Newer VCRs tend to have very
integrated assemblies, and may even have only one circuit board with a few
ICs on it. In fact, if you want, you might buy an old broken VCR and build
your skills by fixing it first. It would only cost a few dollars to find
out.

William