Guides

Signs your tapes are already going bad

A few of these and it's worth acting sooner rather than later.

Tape damage is usually gradual, which is exactly why people miss it — the last time you watched a tape might've been 15 years ago, and it looked fine then. Here's what to actually check for before you assume everything's still okay.

On the tape or case itself

• The tape feels tacky or sticky to the touch — a real warning sign, and playing a sticky tape can damage both the tape and the VCR.
• Fuzzy white or greenish spots on the tape or inside the case — usually mold, especially if the tape was stored somewhere humid.
• A musty or sour smell coming from the case.
• Visible warping of the cassette shell, usually from heat exposure.

During playback

• A squealing sound as the tape plays — often sticky shed syndrome, the tape's coating breaking down.
• Random white flecks or streaks across the picture — dropout, caused by the magnetic coating shedding off in small spots.
• Tracking that keeps getting worse even after adjusting it.
• Color that looks faded or shifted compared to how you remember it.

What to actually do

If a tape feels sticky or smells off, don't force it through a VCR — that can shed tape material inside the machine and damage both the tape and the player. If you're not sure, that's exactly the kind of tape worth having looked at by someone who does this regularly, rather than risking it on your own equipment.