VCR tape sounds crystal clear. No video, only snow. When FFw'd can make out video images, though very distorted. Checked all present connections. Brand new DVD/VCR player, DVD works fine. Recommendations? Need more info? Would be happy to provide. Frustrating, thanks.
All it takes is a small bad spot in a tape to make the video heads dirty enough to have problems. With a 4-head VCR, 2 of the heads can be dirty and the other 2 can be fine, so a tape in SP may play while one in LP or SLP may not play or vice versa.
Thanks, David! Still haven't cleaned it, don't remember where it is, may have to go get one. I appreciate your advice, and will come back to let you know how it went!
Thanks again, David. I cleaned the heads and now have a picture, scratchy as it is sometimes. May have to clean it a few more times. I wonder if an old, dirty tape could have dirtied the brand new heads? I appreciate your advice, and didn't want you to think I forgot your words.
A dirty tape is usually the cause. Always store them in cases. The drum the heads are on spins at 1800 RPM, and the heads scan most of the width of the tape, so a small amount of anything that shouldn't be on the tape can easily dirty the heads. Rental tapes are notorious for getting heads dirty. Cleaning tapes don't work very good.