Can a crunched VCR tape still be watched?

 

Danielle123456
Unregistered guest
I have borrowed a friend's tape and during the rewind and stop process, the tape crunched. I heard it. I hit eject and the casette came out and some of the tape was stuck in the machine- about 12 inches.

I carefully pulled it out and wound it back onto the casette- but the tape is pretty crunched. I have access to another VCR, but my question is, can I safely play this tape? Can one watch "crunched" tapes? I would like to recopy it over onto a new tape, and give the owner the better version back with the original, it's the least i can do. My other option is to not do anything and just send it out to an online repair shop and pay $18 for them to splice the tape free of the crunched area. Advice please!
 

Gold Member
Username: Samijubal

Post Number: 1023
Registered: Jul-04
Why not just replace the tape? Unless it's something that isn't available retail, it would be cheaper to buy a new tape than to have it spliced. Playing it if it's in bad condition isn't advisable, it could get the heads dirty, or even damage the heads if it's bad enough. Splicing videotape isn't a very good idea either, unless it's at the end and not in the middle. If you can't replace the tape with what's on it, maybe there is something else the person wants you could get for them.
 

Danielle123456
Unregistered guest
Thank you, David for your reply.

The video unfortunately has about 6 hours worth of science related video copied from the TV- the owner of the tape and I are both science teachers and this is a one of a kind tape she's spent months and hours collecting info. for our genetics unit. Ugh. I feel terrible right now that I have ruined her tape. I'd really like to fix this mistake if possible. Is there nothing I can do?

It's right in the middle of the tape where it was crunched. Not at the beginning or end.
 

Gold Member
Username: Samijubal

Post Number: 1024
Registered: Jul-04
You can splice tapes, it has to be done very carefully. Copying a 6 hour tape to VHS will be very poor quality, it would probably be better to splice it. They used to sell kits at Radio Shack for splicing tapes, I don't know if they still do or not. The best thing to do if it's that important would be to try to get it on DVD, if you could find someone with a DVD recorder to transfer it for you. The reason being I don't know how many times you will be able to play a spliced tape.
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