Why doesn't my VHS tape play anymore?

Why doesn't my VHS tape play anymore?

Jeff Colen (President, A Sharper Home, Inc.) gives expert video advice on: Why doesn't my VHS tape play anymore?; Will my CDs and DVDs last forever? and more...

Your old VHS tape may not play anymore because over time it degrades, especially if your VHS tape has been stored improperly. In other words, sitting in the sun, in the back of a car, some place where it gets exposure to heat or magnets; speaker systems; your kid playing with a magnet, whatever. That can destroy the integrity of a VHS tape. Over time it will decompose and at some point it will stop functioning. You won't be able to play it in your VCR anymore.