“My VCR Chewed My Tape” — What Happened & How to Save It

If your VCR just ate a cassette, don’t panic. In most cases the player caused the damage—worn pinch rollers, stretched belts or clogged heads—not the tape itself. We’ve handled thousands of transfers on calibrated equipment and don’t see chew issues on our decks. Here’s how to protect your footage and move to VHS to digital safely.

Why VCRs chew tapes

• Hardened pinch roller or dirty capstan = tape slip and crumpling.
• Misaligned guides = edges scrape and fold.
• Contaminated heads (often from mouldy tapes) = snags and dropouts.

What to do immediately

• Stop and eject carefully (don’t yank). If the shell won’t eject, unplug and bring it as-is—we can extract the tape safely.
• Do not re-try in the same player; repeated attempts make creases worse.

How we recover & convert

• Inspect the cassette; if needed we re-shell or replace the leader and gently flatten minor creases.
• Use serviced, broadcast-grade decks with time-base correction to stabilise picture.
• Deliver clean MP4 files, or VHS to DVD/VHS to USB as you prefer.

Prevent this in future

Don’t buy random “bargain” VCRs; they often need servicing. If you no longer have a player, it’s simpler to convert VHS to digital for easy watching on any TV or phone.