I've been tasked with capturing some old VHS tapes, it's been many years since I've done this and it seems I have forgotten A LOT!
I'm having trouble with a certain tape, it has horizontal fuzzy lines scrolling down, if I pause as they pass it's still there. If I rewind and play again the lines appear in the same place so I'm guessing it's a problem with the tape.
The tape did have mold on it so before I tried it I ran it through a mold cleaning device (VHS is LIFE) several times.
Am I right in thinking the mold has damaged it?
Panasonic NV-HS930 > Panasonic ES-10 > ATI 9800 Pro
I've tried with and without the ES-10 and tried adjusting the tracking.
There’s no way in hell I’m putting a moldy tape in a top-shelf machine.
You need a secondary SVCR, just for tapes that may damage your video heads and/or contaminate your machine.
There’s no point in using a TBC/NR unit when you’ve got an ES-10 or 15 in the workflow.
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lordsmurf (10-12-2025)
Sometimes moldy tapes can be sticky (not sticky shed), putting stress on VCR mechanisms.
Also even after multiple passes in my Geneva cleaner this last tape left a film on the video heads that made me think I ruined my Mitsubishi 778. A few good cleanings and the image cleared up. But that’s enough about mold, you're past that now.
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lordsmurf (10-12-2025)
Have to agree with timtape - seems more like physical tape creases since they scroll slowly and it isn't on all frames. This should be pretty visible if you look at the tape itself if it is that.
There’s no way in hell I’m putting a moldy tape in a top-shelf machine.
"You wanna get nuts? Let's get nuts!" -- I actually have JVC decks that I refer to as my "dirty decks", because I'm willing to subject them to unclean tapes. That's the sort of thing, namely the costs, that separate pro from non-pro. It's what we all use, just more of them for specific pro uses.
Not mold, however. One bad spore can send you into anaphylactic shock, earning you a shot in the ass ("side butt" upper thigh), and once was enough for me. Doctors bills, downtime, etc -- not worth it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BarryTheCrab
Sometimes moldy tapes can be sticky (not sticky shed), putting stress on VCR mechanisms.
Also even after multiple passes in my Geneva cleaner this last tape left a film on the video heads that made me think I ruined my Mitsubishi 778. A few good cleanings and the image cleared up. But that’s enough about mold, you're past that now.
My boneheaded SSS was this year. When did you screw up?
^ Lesson for others. It can happen to the best of us. We know what we know, and yet tape problems can catch us by surprise. Always be vigilant!
Yes not much can be done except to try to ensure no more tape damage occurs. Perhaps in this case the tape damage occurred previously.
Assuming good storage, playing or winding tapes in faulty machines causes the most tape damage. That's why the working condition of the machine is so important and IMO deserves far more emphasis than it gets. Especially these days when new machines are no longer made, and spare parts and service technicians are increasingly hard to find. Dont just go by brand/model, even price.
Conservation of the recorded media comes first in my book. Will this machine preserve or damage my tapes? That should be the first consideration IMO.
