Video Asylum

Posted by Joe Murphy Jr (A) on April 07, 2011 at 08:35:41

In Reply to: RE: problems with old VHS-C tapes posted by tesla on April 07, 2011 at 08:01:41

What are you using for VHS-C playback? Perhaps the machine or camcorder that you are using to play them back is in need of cleaning. Back in the days of tape, Radio Shack used to sell, and may still do, some different formula tape solutions. One solution was for cleaning pinch rollers and capstans. Another was for lubricating the metal items so that the tapes would be less prone to sticking and picking up the oxide from the cheap and shitty tapes (mostly the FeO2 types). You can also use denatured alcohol and a Q-Tip to do the cleaning or even one of the "wet" type VHS or VHS-C cleaners. If you're using an adapter, it is possible that it's defective.