A couple of questions about VHS tape storage & a VCR I got

[Kzzrn]

Hello there, I've become rather fond of the medium again and got a VCR from a thrift store. It's a Sony SLV-775HF, and after getting the heads cleaned it's been working pretty well so far. One question I have is there's a button on the front labelled TV/VTR. I tried looking through a manual I found online and couldn't find an explanation of what this means, what are they referring to?

The second question is I've seen online in various places some things suggesting the VHS cassettes should be stored vertically, why is that? When I was a kid we always kept them horizontal and that never seemed to cause an issue. Is it more important now that the medium is older?

Thanks.

[lingyi]

As I recall, the TV/VTR button is to choose between the antenna input (which is passed through) or play a tape. Unless you're using the RF/Coaxial input/output, it doesn't do anything.

As for storing tapes, the answer is whichever way you want. The reels inside the cassette protects the edges of the tape from damage, unless the tape is severely mispacked so the edges touch the reel (which was a problem with reel to reel tape, which is where the store horizontally [edit: should be, store vertically] mantra originated). Personally, I preferred vertical with the full reel on the bottom for stability.

More crucial is where you store the tape. Cool and dry is best, with dry being a key factor as there are numerous posts about mold growing on tapes.

[Kzzrn]

Thank you, that's very helpful.