Weird distortion on VHS tape

[the98]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to ask you about a distortion I get on some VHS tapes. This happens with a few tapes, and on certain areas of the tape. The effect usually repeats on the same part of the tape. It can be fixed by pressing the still button (or RW or FF), and pressing PLAY, but not always. Another thing that fixes it is unplugging the video cable off the VCR, and plugging it back in again.

I don't know why, but I suspect it might be a problem of some sort of a grounding issue, and maybe the tape is like magnetized some strange way, or something like that (I don't know what to make of it)...

Here is an example:



I can't try this tape with another VCR at the moment, but maybe this is some usual problem that I'm not aware of, and you guys can point it out without a doubt.

Thanks for reading!

[october262]

are these tapes prerecorded tapes or ones that you've recorded yourself ?? and how old are the tapes.

[JVRaines]

What are you using for digital conversion? Looks like your converter is going bonkers on some bad timing. Maybe you need a TBC.

[SHS]

Look like there and issues with tape it self maybe partly damaged, I get to bad spot in tape and look at it

[the98]

What are you using for digital conversion? Looks like your converter is going bonkers on some bad timing. Maybe you need a TBC.

I tried playing the tape with the VCR connected to a TV, and it does not go bonkers

So it may be the capture device. I will try to capture the same tape using a different VCR, to see if I get the same issue.

Thanks for your help

[Mano Bakker]

This is why: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fBTYbm3CZQ
VHS copyright protection Macrovision.
Blocks in the 1st lines of the video picture who become very white (far above 100% white) and very black: superblack (far under 0% video or black)
The automatic gain control in your capture device (card of recorder) tries to correct that to legal video and change the whole picture and your video is the result.