Weird VHS tape glitch: what is it, can I fix it? [SOLVED]

[holocron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJRoadfan

Was the tape recorded on multiple times? The beginning segment with the tape playing too fast is common when you do a new SP recording on top of an old EP recording. Basically, the first couple of seconds of the old EP control track don't get overwritten so the VCR thinks that segment is EP speed. The rest of the tape was likely recorded on a damaged VCR, one that was severely misaligned.

If you have the original recording VCR still, it likely will play the tape fine. Otherwise, try manual tracking. If there isn't enough adjustment, get a cheap throwaway VCR and "break" its tracking to match the tape.

Well, geeze... I never noticed this reply was here until now. Actually at best, it's the opposite. No idea what was originally on the tape (if anything). The last video recorded on it was done in EP.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

It's really fun when you have a totally fubar tape to test hardware.

... and that's about all it's good for. The tape is signal-damaged, probably physically damaged, and the recording quality is craptastic. If this was made on the silver Panasonic referenced in the new thread, know that I have some crappy tapes just like this myself. Because we had that same rotten VCR from about 87-93. Only some tapes were like this, mostly cheap tapes near the end of its life. It was probably misaligned.

This is also a reason why I started to research video, in 1992.

Note: Year-old post, but was reference in current thread from same user.

That definitely sounds like the exact right time period. And the tape was recorded in 1993. I've got three different tapes, one day apart from each other, and they all act exactly the same. However, I'm close to certain there WAS another box that played them without any issues. I don't know if playback could somehow cause this kind of damage though. At worst, with an old player that can play back the tape without constantly changing speeds, dropping the audio, or of all the stupid features ever put into a VHS, BSOD at the first sign of trouble, (the Sanyo at the end of my compilation played the tape remarkably well) then I can do the multiple capture thing with different tracking settings and hopefully get a complete 'image.'

Seems silly for something as trivial as Weather Channel clips, but this was 'Super Storm 93' which is almost unanimously hailed as the storm to end all storms.

[holocron]

So.. apologies for the necro, but it looks like the problem has been solved. As latreche34 mentioned, the Sanyo was doing the best job with this tape, and there were a few other tapes I had that played "OK" on others but best on the Sanyo. Only drawback was it had mono audio. So I purchased a resell of a VWM-800. The image quality is still poor (probably as good as the tape EVER was) but the glitching seems to have disappeared and the tracking isn't just good, it's flawless! I'm going to get it professionally cleaned before I start converting, but will give specific instructions to do NO other refurbishing.

(mods, if you want to update the title of the thread to solved & copy/paste this to the OP as an EDIT, feel free - I'd do it myself but I don't think it's an option for normal users, or I just can't find the button)

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by holocron

(mods, if you want

I want.