VCR auto shut-off on VHS tapes?
 

Just started converting VHS to DVD with HonesTech converter on the laptop. Using a Samsung DVD/VCR from early 2000s.

On VHS tapes, VCR stops at the end of the recorded portion. How is it doing this? How does the VCR 'know' there is no more data on the tape?

A lot of VCRs are trained to turn off when non-counting "snow" (unrecorded tape, ie no signal) is encoumtered.

In terms of "knowing" when the tape actually ends, no, it doesn't know. That's the problem. VHS VCRs (not S-VHS) are really stupid. If the VCR encounters a small segment of unrecorded tape between clips, you have a hassle on your hands. Blue screen is just as bad.

Your equipment, plus lack of TBC, will also give you problems.

I'd be interested in seeing a capture sample (attached to a post).

A VCR can detect the physical end of a tape (not the recorded portion) with a photo cell that can "see" the clear leader at the ends of the tape.

The end of a recorded section can be detected by looking for breaks in the control track, or by loss of recorded video signal. Some VCRs will output a blank (e.g., blue) screen rather than noise during gaps in recorded signal.

An issue with detecting the lack of recording is in how to process gaps in recording such as often happened with home recordings; e.g., the gaps when one records some tape, rewinds to review it, stops just after the end and records some more.

How capture hardware and software deal with all this depends on the systems being used.