[net.video] Help! My VCR has gone into orbit

seltzer@lebeef.DEC (04/10/85)

Several people from the net were kind enough to answer my question
regarding the cause of fluctuations at the top or bottom of the
screen when playing an older tape.

The answer most applicable in my case follows:

"May be caused by a wrinkle in the tape.  A wrinkle is usually caused
by storing the tape lying flat (so the tape rests against the reel).
Tapes should be stored in an upright position (any of the four
smaller surfaces down.)"

Not knowing about that potential problem, I had stored about
half my tapes on their sides.  And those are, in fact, the ones that
are now giving me trouble.  

Are the "wrinkled" tapes now simply junk?  Can anything be done
to save the shows that I recorded on them?  Or can anything be done
to make those tapes good for re-recording?

Thank you very much for your help.

Richard Seltzer
(ihnp4,decvax,dual)  decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-lebeef!seltzer
seltzer%lebeef.DEC@decwrl.ARPA