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Frequently Asked Questions
Broken Video Tape
The tape in my video cassette has broken . What caused this?
When a video tape fails to transport properly, jams, or breaks, this usually indicates there was some slack tape inside the cassette. As you probably know, when you load a video tape into your machine, the tape is actually pulled out of the cassette and wrapped around the video head drum as well as several tape guides. Any slack in the tape could cause it to leave this very intricate path, creating problems.
Slack tape can be caused by a variety of conditions. First, be sure to fully rewind your tapes before removing them from the machine and turning off the power. It's also a good idea to visually check your tapes before loading them into the machine by looking through the plastic windows on the top side. If you notice any slack at all, manually turn one of the reels on the underside of the cassette to take up this slack. Many people do this as a matter of course with every tape they play.