VHS Tape Issue - Fuzz/Static/Tracking That Cuts Out And Comes And Goes

[Joseph Beasley]

Hello,

I have an old action movie (Desert Heat with Van Damme if anyone is wondering lol) on VHS tape that I am trying to watch, however, when the tape plays it shows video and audio fine then fuzzes out with static, cuts out and then comes back on and that happens over and over.

When I fast forward or rewind the tape the picture looks clear throughout,

Also, if I watch to a point where it goes through the fuzz/static process then rewind back past it and let the tape run it doesn't do it in the same place twice.. could there be a tension issue with the tape??

Additionally, I have tried several other VHS tapes in the VCR and they are all working so I don't believe it is a head cleaning issue but I may be wrong.


thoughts, help, direction --THKS

[johnmeyer]

Tracking? Try adjusting manually.

[orsetto]

Try to manually adjust the tracking, as johnmeyer suggested. With most late-model VCRs, you can manually adjust tracking while a tape is playing by tapping the up or down channel button on the remote or front panel.

If that doesn't help, you may have edge damage on the actual tape ribbon. This was especially common with commercial movie rental tapes. The damage isn't bad enough to prevent the movie playing completely, but it is bad enough that no VCR can get a steady lock on the tracking (hence the repeated glitching).

Trying the tape in another VCR would tell you for sure: if it plays steady, your own VCR just doesn't "like it" for some reason. If you see the same glitch, the tape itself is probably damaged. You should be able to buy another copy of this movie in better condition for just a couple bucks on eBay.

[Alwyn]

Trying the tape in another VCR would tell you for sure: if it plays steady, your own VCR just doesn't "like it" for some reason.

I've got a tape that does this in one particular VCR, it plays fine then slowly rolls with static, then it's fine, then static/rolling again. It plays OK in another VCR.