On Friday, September 25, 2020 at 10:02:18 PM UTC-4, crazy chicken wrote:
I am having the exact same problem. What is broken, the VCR or VHS that is making it B&W. Is everything B&W because my VHS tapes are too old and have eroded? I have tapes since 1990, so do they still work 30 years later? Is there no solution to this problem? I am trying to get my tapes to digital, and I need to solve this problem.
Thanks for reading!
- A Chicken

A specific model number would be helpful. I may still have service records somewhere on VCRs. But no, the age of the tape has nothing to do with a loss of chroma in playback assuming the signal to noise ratio is still respectable (viewable image without severe noise). The chroma sub carrier won't degrade any faster than any other part of the composite waveform will.

Old VCRs suffer the same issues as modern garbage does: lazy electrolytic caps as they age. If you only need this to run long enough to do a digital transfer, try taking the cover off the VCR and heating the innards for about 10 minutes with a hair dryer (don't use a real heat gun). With a good hot soak, a weak electro cap can increase it's value and lower it's ESR enough to allow the color to work as it should. If it responds to heat, make all your transfers while it stays hot.