VHS tape went black after playing once Any hope for it?

[VanDell2009]

Hello All,
Using a JVC Pro series player, played a VHS tape through once, played nicely, on replay it is just black with white streaks. Tried playing it through another machine NO LUCK still black. Any help out there? I seen this same problem on a post from 2005. Was hoping someone figured something out by now. Thanks

[redwudz]

Have you visually inspected the tape? It may be mechanical damage. Can you wind it back and forth? If you push the small button on the L side of the cassette, you can open the front tape door and take a look at the tape. Look for wrinkles, lots of oxide dust and frayed edges. Don't touch the tape with bare hands though.

And welcome to our forums.

[VanDell2009]

Hello,
I can wind it back and forth. No frayed edges or excess dust of any sort.
Could my machine of stretched the tape? The JVC sure has a fast forward and reverse. Thanks Again

[redwudz]

Just my experience, but stretched tapes usually show some obvious edge damage from the stretching. One slight possibility is that the deck erased the tape, though there should be quite a few safeguards against that.

Maybe other members have experienced a similar problem, or have some better suggestions. Just stand by......

[lordsmurf]

Does the tape have a play-once "feature" on it? This is a hidden eraser strip on the tape. If this is the case, you're screwed. Screeners were often released this way in the 90s, I saw many of them as an entertainment editor/reporter. I used to cheat, dismantle the tape (or drill it out), and swap shells with a cheap $1 blank. Some were simply a piece of crap magnet taped into a standard cassette, just yank it out.

The other option is the VCR has an issue, and it's erasing the tape as it plays. This would be a mechanical failure of the erase heads.