Can a tape ruin a VCR?

[apuleuis]

I am trying to convert old home movies to DVD. finished 3 tapes on one VCR, then when I put in the 4th, my VCR stopped working, but it was old. It was aming ugly noises and seemed to be playing slow, then grinding to a halt, even started to eat the tape. So I borrowed a VCR, started with the same tape, same thing, ate the tape. I never got that VCR to work for me at all. 3rd VCR is the newest of the three. I got it to work for one tape, then put in that same tape, and now I have audio but no video for any tapes I put in. Is that tape cursed, or is something causing damage to the VCR's or is it coincidence? All the tapes are from the mid 80's.

[JohnnyMalaria]

Tapes deteriorate. One thing that happens is the various adhesives used to stick the magnetic material to the plastic tape migrate to the surface of the tape. When the tape is played, it deposits some of this sticky gum on the various parts of the VCR's transport path. Sooner or later, the tape is going to stick to something and cause the tape behind it to back up. The result is the tape gets chewed up. Once mangled, it is likely to do the same in other VCRs, too.

Historic and important recordings have to go through a lengthy process of baking the tape in an oven to reverse the deterioration just enough to allow the tape to be played once or twice in order to salvage the recording.

[apuleuis]

But now not only does that tape not work, no tapes will work in the VCR's, even ones that did yesterday.

[Marvingj]

I agree with JohnnyMalaria 100%, also sounds like the tapes were not store properly. And the elements got to it, like air, dust, light etc. vhs tapes need to be store in containers. So this kind of thing doesn't happen. Some members recommend baking the tape, I don't subscribe to that but some say it works. But I wouldn't try it.

[johns0]

Another problem with the tape is the mechanism inside is seizing up causing the tape to stretch across the head cylinders depositing lots of tape particles which people call head dirt,what you have to do is clean the tape path with isopropyl alcohol and quit tips.

When cleaning the head cylinder you have to clean it from side to side,not up or down or you will break the heads,they look like little chips in between where there is a gap,these are the video heads that get clogged up and need to be cleaned,they are very brittle so be very careful if you are going to clean them,they have to be cleaned in a side to side manner ,just rotate the head cylinder counter clockwise with the soaked q-tip in the head gap but be slow and not pressure as to break the heads'

If you dont feel comfortable doing this then take the vcrs to someone who can.

[redwudz]

If no tapes work now, you will likely have to clean your VCR. You can try a head cleaner tape. I would recommend a wet type. If you get nowhere with that, then a professional cleaning may be in order. You may be able to do it yourself, but you will need to take the cover off the VCR and clean the heads and guides directly.

I use foam 'Q-tip' type head cleaners. Other types may leave fibers. Be very careful around the video heads as they are brittle and easily damaged. Once you get all the 'gunk' off, you can try it again. If your tapes are falling apart, you may have to do this several times.

EDIT: And what johns0 said.

[orsetto]

Just wanted to add my emphatic agreement with the previous replies to this post: folks, be VERY VERY careful when manually cleaning the heads in a VCR using a foam or chamois "Q-Tip". Even the most experienced of us have had tragic mishaps while doing this: make one false move, and you can kiss the tape heads goodbye. If you have a really excellent "vintage" VCR that you love, chances are the spare heads are discontinued / no longer available, and even if they are available, expect to pay upwards of $125 to have them replaced professionally if you break them with a "Q-Tip". I have been doing simple repairs and head cleanings on my VCRs for over 20 years, and even I screwed up big time recently: I got really annoyed when a nasty tape totally clogged one of my SVHS editing VCRS, in my frustration and without thinking I stupidly scrubbed the heads with an up-down motion and destroyed them. Replacement heads were discontinued 5 years ago, so my best VCR ended up in the trash. Total loss of a unit thats still worth $200+ in good used condition. If using a wet cleaning tape does not fix your problem, bring the VCR in for professional cleaning if it is an especially good unit. Word to the wise.

[rcubed]

I use foam 'Q-tip' type head cleaners. Other types may leave fibers. Be very careful around the video heads as they are brittle and easily damaged. Once you get all the 'gunk' off, you can try it again. If your tapes are falling apart, you may have to do this several times.

EDIT: And what johns0 said.

I would recommend the chamois tipped swabs specially designed to clean the video heads. They are generally available in packs of 10 from an electronics store. Its a piece of chamois wrapped around the end of a flat plastic strip. Q tips especially and foam tipped (to lesser degree) swabs run the risk of catching in the video head and damaging them. I caught the heads on one of my VCRs and had to have the heads replaced. The foam swabs are ok to clean the other tape paths in the VCR. One holds the chamois swab wet with cleaning solution with the broad flat side against the VCR head drum with slight pressure and rotate the head assembly to "wipe" the heads across the chamois. Be careful to not move the chamois in a vertical direction. 91% or higher isopropyl alcohol can be used as a cleaning agent. Lower % alcohol has more water in it. As redwudz mentioned it may take several attempts to get the "gunk" off.

Sorry I repeated what orsetto had to say. He poseted while I was composing.

rcubed

[redwudz]

Agree with all. Chamois would be better than foam and lots better than cotton tipped cleaners. Remember to clean all the guides and rubber rollers also, and inspect them for wear, along with the belts and brake pads, if used. If any doubts, get a professional to do the process.

[johns0]

Been working on vcrs for 30 years and never broke heads using cotton tip q-tips,much better for deeper cleaning if you know how to handle them.