VCR/TBC Damaged by tape with a different format?
 

I know this will seem awkward, but I am simply asking out of curiosity:
Would a VCR (or the TBC inside it if it has one) be damaged if a VHS with a different format (PAL for example) is played using a VCR that doesn't support this format (an NTSC VCR, for instance)? I simply stumbled upon a video on youtube where someone puts a PAL/SECAM tape in a NTSC VCR (Or so I think it was that) and I simply wondered if this would or could cause any damage, or if a cleaning cassette would clean the whole thing. I'm not planning on doing anything obscure, I'm just curious :p

I know the output would be atrocious, but I am focusing on the damage it could cause.
I want to apologise if I'm wasting people's time by asking this, but I can't really find anything elsewhere.

Yes it will be damaged if you put a Betamax tape in it or a CD but VHS? No, that's rediculous.

Okay!

And yeah I didn't mean "unsupported format" as in BetaMax in a VCR for VHS, but rather a PAL VHS for a NTSC VCR.
Thanks for the tip though :P

Its a bit like asking "If someone spoke to me in a language I didn't understand would my ears or brain be damaged?"

In a way PAL, NTSC, Secam are just different "languages" to convey motion picture information.

It's a fair question.

Firstly the physical tapes are all the same, they're all (for the purposes of this conversation) made out of the same stuff and providing everything carries the 'VHS' (or pick ya' format) wordmark it won't cause any damage, there's total compatibility between physical stock.

You'll just confuse the machine, but there won't be a hint of any damage. The TBC will no doubt get a bit of a hot-supper when it comes to trying to work out what's going on.

Try it, you'll probably just end up with audio running at the wrong speed and no picture.