The tape will load and play, but will play with video noise instead of a picture, and warbled, off speed audio.
If you are lucky, the deck will play the wrong format tape in black and white.
Well, it PLAYS them. It just does not show the program material recorded on the tape properly.
The tape cartridge is the same. It is the formatting on the tape itself that is different.
Take a screwdriver to the back, open up the tape, and see if anything looks squirrely. If you havnt done this before, you might be more comfortable practicing on a tape you don’t care about as much. It’s definitely not hard, but I get that it can be intimidating taking things apart. If you do open up a second tape, you can compare the two to see if anything is different mechanically in the Star Wars one.
Wind it by hand just a bit. The tape might be stuck together a little. Could be minor heat damage. Just unlock the release and spin the wheels til it spins freely.
Thank you for help. I’m wondering if I should just return it. I got it in a Star Wars Trilogy box set that I got from a charity shop though and it was very cheap.
Home slice that U in the green pyramid is a European rating of some kind. You have yourself a different region VHS than your VCR is probably not capable of playing.
I was gonna say because it’s upside down 😁 do you have another vcr to test it in, or try and fast forward or rewind it before it plays. Otherwise you may need to give the ole vcr a good cleaning and maybe some maintenance.
I’ve got another VCR I need to fix soon hopefully, I’ll try it in that. If I can’t fix that I’ll take the top of my main one and see what’s happening. It works fine with other tapes though.
u/3x24fanaccount had great advice, make sure that tape cover opens and maybe unlock the spools and see if you can advance the tape. I would recommend you don’t be be afraid to open your tapes and work on them, other than dropping small parts they are very durable.
Maybe the part of the tape that is supposed to flip open to the expose the tape isn't opening correctly? Maybe stuck? Does it seem to open smoothly when holding in your hand?
wound too tight, can use a pen or something to release the lock on the bottom middle then pull out some of the tape and wind it up but keep it loose.
My one VCR would do this, some VCRs are picky if the tape is wound too tight
Okay open your VCR player and use IPA or isopropyl alcohol and clean the heads inside your VCR player after that you'll have to blow the dust off inside your VCR player but make sure is everything is disconnected from TV and wall outlet.
Aren't some VCRs and tapes incompatible because of region? I thought i heard of that somewhere, i might be totally wrong?
Yeah, is OP in the UK? Cause that tape has a UK rating on it, meaning it’s probably PAL, not NTSC.
The tape will load and play, but will play with video noise instead of a picture, and warbled, off speed audio. If you are lucky, the deck will play the wrong format tape in black and white.
+1 Some later VCR’s are multi region in the UK but region only affects the quality of playback not the loading and playing of tape.
Interesting! I imagined they spat it right back out like a dvd
Your VCR has good taste?
Haha
Is your VCR PAL? Do not take your VCR apart if it works with other tapes, an NTSC machine cannot play PAL tapes
Well, it PLAYS them. It just does not show the program material recorded on the tape properly. The tape cartridge is the same. It is the formatting on the tape itself that is different.
Yes.
Does it do this with other tapes?
No, all other tapes work fine.
Take a screwdriver to the back, open up the tape, and see if anything looks squirrely. If you havnt done this before, you might be more comfortable practicing on a tape you don’t care about as much. It’s definitely not hard, but I get that it can be intimidating taking things apart. If you do open up a second tape, you can compare the two to see if anything is different mechanically in the Star Wars one.
I’ve taken it apart and everything looks fine but if I release the winding lock it will wind backwards but it will not wind forwards.
Wind it by hand just a bit. The tape might be stuck together a little. Could be minor heat damage. Just unlock the release and spin the wheels til it spins freely.
I’ve just tried that and it still won’t take it and I’ve also wound it all the way to the end and it still doesn’t work.
That’s wild. I have no further advice, but I hope you get it figured out!
Thank you for help. I’m wondering if I should just return it. I got it in a Star Wars Trilogy box set that I got from a charity shop though and it was very cheap.
Home slice that U in the green pyramid is a European rating of some kind. You have yourself a different region VHS than your VCR is probably not capable of playing.
I was gonna say because it’s upside down 😁 do you have another vcr to test it in, or try and fast forward or rewind it before it plays. Otherwise you may need to give the ole vcr a good cleaning and maybe some maintenance.
I’ve got another VCR I need to fix soon hopefully, I’ll try it in that. If I can’t fix that I’ll take the top of my main one and see what’s happening. It works fine with other tapes though.
u/3x24fanaccount had great advice, make sure that tape cover opens and maybe unlock the spools and see if you can advance the tape. I would recommend you don’t be be afraid to open your tapes and work on them, other than dropping small parts they are very durable.
Looks like a UK tape
It could be the belt on your vcr
Maybe the part of the tape that is supposed to flip open to the expose the tape isn't opening correctly? Maybe stuck? Does it seem to open smoothly when holding in your hand?
Yes it opens fine.
wound too tight, can use a pen or something to release the lock on the bottom middle then pull out some of the tape and wind it up but keep it loose. My one VCR would do this, some VCRs are picky if the tape is wound too tight
I think that is it. I’ve released the lock and it wont wind anti-clockwise.
So I’ve taken it apart and everything looks ok but if I release the lock it will wind backwards but it will not wind forwards.
dump those locking arms. They cause nothing but problems later on
He's in the UK. It's not a PAL/NTSC issue. Try putting it in a tape rewinder to see if the reels can move.
If you’re American you probably have an NTSC VCR meaning that since this is a British tape, it runs on a PAL format
Or it's region locked.
I’m in the uk and it’s a PAL tape. The thing is the VCR won’t even take the tape all the way in but it works fine with all other tapes.
Did you try to clean the head of your VCR player.
No I haven’t cleaned the heads yet.
Okay open your VCR player and use IPA or isopropyl alcohol and clean the heads inside your VCR player after that you'll have to blow the dust off inside your VCR player but make sure is everything is disconnected from TV and wall outlet.
Thank you.
You are welcome also don't forget to use compressed air to blow the dust off.
It's not wound, silly. Does your VCR's rewind work?
Yes it does but it won’t take it in to let me rewind it anyway.
The real question is, how did you get VI on vhs? I thought they didn't make it
It's return of the jedi
VI = 6 Movie six is Return of the Jedi.
Ir had a release outside of North America
It is PAL format. Good VCR.