# VCR Taping Oddity

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vcr-taping-oddity/7013>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 10, 2000, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vcr-taping-oddity/7013 "2000-02-10T21:21:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2000, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vcr-taping-oddity/7013/1 "2000-02-10T21:21:00Z")

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How do you explain this: I erased a segment from a VCR tape. After rewinding and replaying the segment, the segment seems to be erased. But then, when “rewinding while viewing” (i.e.: search feature), the tail end of the allegedly erased segment is still there. I can’t quite explain how this can be. Either it’s there or it’s not, right?

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2000, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vcr-taping-oddity/7013/2 "2000-02-10T22:03:00Z")

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My you are on a posting roll today.

Some vcrs, once you rewind all the way, they forward a bit so you don’t get the techincolor thingy at the start of it.

When you rewind search, you see that part that is usually forwarded.

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**Author:** ![krish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c57346/32.png) [@krish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krish)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2000, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vcr-taping-oddity/7013/3 "2000-02-10T23:45:00Z")

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IIRC, some VCRs have what is called a “flying erase head” and others do not. The ones without it are the ones that generate the “snow” at the end of a segment that was taped over. Wait! That wasn’t your problem.

My understanding is that if you changed the mode from LP to SP, the distance between frames increases. It is possible that some frames may not have been deleted because of this.

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**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2000, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vcr-taping-oddity/7013/4 "2000-02-11T00:26:00Z")

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You said the tail, not the beginning right? It’s possible that there is a partially taped over remnant of the old program that isn’t normally visible because the VCR assumes it’s damaged and blanks it out. I find this is true on my VCR on a damaged tape, bad tracking etc. When scanning it seems to “force” a picture, damaged or not.

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2000, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vcr-taping-oddity/7013/5 "2000-02-11T14:52:00Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Originally posted by handy:  
> **My you are on a posting roll today…**

So many questions, so little time!