Tracking

I buy a lot of VHS tapes. They are super cheap and you can find amazing titles that aren't on DVD or Bluray or Netflix or on YouTube or on your face.

But nothing bums me out more than a bad tracking problem on a VHS tape... uh... well, starving children in Africa bums me out more.




Look at that!!! Don't you want to see that? Well don't look at your DVD player. It doesn't know what to do to help.



Remember this kid? He'd show up at the beginning of tons of old tapes telling you to adjust your tracking because the tape was recorded at EP and is total junk.

That kid may look familiar to you today... he is Presidential candidate Rick Santorum. Maybe.



Duh.

Oh, while I'm on the subject what was the deal with this VCR feature:




Why does the "auto tracking" need to announce itself in giant letters in the center of the screen?

Look manufacturers of VHS tapes and VCRs, fix these issues!

That advice would have been better given a few decades ago. Oh well.

Here is the full "tracking advice" video:

Guy Hutchinson