unable to play VHS-C tapes?

[jacob6000]

I have several VHS-C tapes that just won't play. I can rewind them and ff them but when I attempt to play them, it starts and immediately stops. Any idea on how to repair these?

Thank you,

[DB83]

Can you play ANY vhs-c tapes ?

[jacob6000]

Yes, I have tapes that work. I have tried two different players and these four tapes are the only ones that won't actually play.

[DB83]

Final question(s). Are you using a dedicated player or an adapter. And if an adapter is it the same adapter that was used with the tapes that actually play.

[jacob6000]

I have two VCRs. Yes, the same adapter. I only have one adapter. It plays some but not the other but they turn by hand and rewind/ff. ???

[orsetto]

Are all the VHS-C tapes the same brand and the same length? Are they all the same age? If the two problem tapes are different from the good ones, that would narrow down the potential issues.

The C30 tapes usually hold up well, the thinner C45 and C60 tapes can be very troublesome when played in an adapter instead of the camcorder that made them.

VCRs vary in their compatibility with different VHS-C adapters. Depending on the specific tape and adapter shell, some VCRs cannot overcome the drag of the adapter mechanism for proper playback (even tho FF and REW might be OK).

Is your adapter one of the motorized auto-load models with a battery? These can be the most troublesome: the added weight and the motor throw off some VCRs. Manual-load adapter shells are cheap at flea markets or on eBay: if these tapes are important to you, try buying one or two adpters that look very different from yours (they might be more compatible with your VCR).

Also try bringing the tapes and your adapter to the homes of friends and relatives who might own a different VCR model than you do. Often the VHS-C+adapter that doesn't play on one VCR will play fine on another. You can buy a $20 Panasonic, JVC or Sharp vcr from someone on Craig's List (if you don't know anyone else with a VCR).

Worst case, your two problem tapes have degraded over the years somehow: the actual tape inside the cassette has become sticky and difficult to slowly unspool during playback (the brute force of FF and REW can sometimes overcome this.)

[turk690]

...The C30 tapes usually hold up well, the thinner C45 and C60 tapes can be very troublesome when played in an adapter instead of the camcorder that made them.

VCRs vary in their compatibility with different VHS-C adapters. Depending on the specific tape and adapter shell, some VCRs cannot overcome the drag of the adapter mechanism for proper playback (even tho FF and REW might be OK)...

I had some VHS-C tapes that wouldn't play with any adapter. So I opened them up, and with rubber-gloved hands, respooled the wretched tape onto another normal-sized VHS case, emptied of its original tape. They played; the tracking was at maximum on one extreme, but it was good enough.