Someone just gave me a load of VHS tapes

[site123a]

When using a VCR to record TV shows (not for archival purposes but to re-watch for later), how many times can the tape be re-used before it should be thrown away?

I usually use standard grade VHS tapes for just re-watching show's for later. I would use the tape from start to finish at SLP speed and I always start off the cassette where I last left off (to insure the whole tape was used). Once the tape reaches the end I would rewind the tape back and record over what I've already watched. I've always thrown the tape out after the 8th rewind, I thought if I go beyond that number I risked damaging the VCR with a worned out tape...

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by site123a

When using a VCR to record TV shows (not for archival purposes but to re-watch for later), how many times can the tape be re-used before it should be thrown away?...

I always figured about 100 passes through the VCR; 50 records and plays for example for someone who time-shifts TV shows, or replace the time shift tape every two months. That's what I used to tell my customers (I was in the VCR repair biz). Some people would admit running a time shifting tape for a YEAR before tossing it so they can go for quite a while. Usually it's the tape mechanism that eventually wears out the tape, not the other way around. The tape has to go through a couple of angled guides and around the spinning cylinder and that puts some stresses on the tape, depending on how well aligned everything is too.