VHS recorded tape going bad?

[ms]

Viewed a movie (Return of the Pink Panther) I recorded about 12 years ago
on good Scotch VHS tape. Saw a few vertical color bars, but I expected that
due to the age of the tape.

But one effect is a question:

Usually a movie scene has a sort of leadin effect to the next location or
event. We noticed that scenes changed suddenly, no transition effect at
all, an example, a scene in a room, a sentence ends, a jump to inside a car
driving. We saw that throughout the movie, and IIRC, the original had
better direction than that. Like the tape had been spliced badly.

Is it possible that age of a tape can produce this kind of effect?

ms

 

[Jerry]

Usually a movie scene has a sort of leadin effect to the next location or
event. We noticed that scenes changed suddenly, no transition effect at
all, an example, a scene in a room, a sentence ends, a jump to inside a car
driving. We saw that throughout the movie, and IIRC, the original had
better direction than that. Like the tape had been spliced badly.

Is it possible that age of a tape can produce this kind of effect?

Don't know, only guessing, maybe has something to do with copy-
protection circuitry built into newer VCRs?

Jerry

 

[ms]

Don't know, only guessing, maybe has something to do with copy-
protection circuitry built into newer VCRs?

Jerry

This an originally blank tape, and my VCR is about 10 years old. No copy
involved, this movie I recorded directly from a TV broadcast years ago.
It may just be the movie, as I don't notice this on other tapes of
similar vintage.

ms

 

[Derek Geldard]

Viewed a movie (Return of the Pink Panther) I recorded about 12 years ago
on good Scotch VHS tape. Saw a few vertical color bars,

They must have come from somewhere, if they were actual colour bars it
could be they were on the tape before the movie was recorded and the
tape was not 100% erased. Particularly If the tracking during replay
(now) is not the same as when the programme was recorded.

but I expected that
due to the age of the tape.

But one effect is a question:

Usually a movie scene has a sort of leadin effect to the next location or
event. We noticed that scenes changed suddenly, no transition effect at
all, an example, a scene in a room, a sentence ends, a jump to inside a car
driving. We saw that throughout the movie, and IIRC, the original had
better direction than that. Like the tape had been spliced badly.

Sounds like the original programme had been edited "quick, dirty &
cheap" to get it to fit into a broadcast time slot, no more than that.

Is it possible that age of a tape can produce this kind of effect?

No. The sound and picture are recorded at different physical places
along (And across for that matter) the tape, nothing that happens to
the tape at any one point or points can effect sound and picture in
the same way. If you see a "Jump Cut" then it must have been done
before the programme material was recorded.

I can also say with certainty it's not at all typical of normal tape
deterioration such as oxide coming off the tape leading to noise or
noise bands on the picture, or the tape cynching on the reel (through
thermal cycling) and in effect getting creased, the effect on the
picture being similar to the above in a cyclical sort of way.

DG

 

[ms]

They must have come from somewhere, if they were actual colour bars it
could be they were on the tape before the movie was recorded and the
tape was not 100% erased. Particularly If the tracking during replay
(now) is not the same as when the programme was recorded.


Sounds like the original programme had been edited "quick, dirty &
cheap" to get it to fit into a broadcast time slot, no more than that.


No. The sound and picture are recorded at different physical places
along (And across for that matter) the tape, nothing that happens to
the tape at any one point or points can effect sound and picture in
the same way. If you see a "Jump Cut" then it must have been done
before the programme material was recorded.

I can also say with certainty it's not at all typical of normal tape
deterioration such as oxide coming off the tape leading to noise or
noise bands on the picture, or the tape cynching on the reel (through
thermal cycling) and in effect getting creased, the effect on the
picture being similar to the above in a cyclical sort of way.

DG

Thanks, it sounds like you said, they edited the movie on a local channel
to get the commercials in.

ms