Lubrication Deterioration / Sticky Shed Damaged Video Tape Repair Services
- Lubrication deterioration is usually only detectable when playback is attempted
- All videotape material has a thin layer of lubrication on its surface that allows the tape to flow smoothly over the heads of playback equipment; over time and even under ideal storage conditions this lubrication can start to break down, causing playback issues that range from interference to complete mechanical failure. When you try to play a tape that has lubrication layer issues you might hear a high-pitched squealing from your equipment and the tape will likely foul the heads of your equipment, preventing video from being seen while occasionally audio can still be heard. Very often people describe the issue as seeming as if the tape is wound too tightly on the reels or having tension problems, which is quite accurate since there is friction on the heads and rollers of equipment during playback. Sometimes this type of damage will cause the surface of the tape to smell strongly of crayons.
- This issue is sometimes referred to as "sticky shed"
- The problem has a wide spectrum of damage that can occur once the tape has started to suffer from lubrication deterioration which ranges from playback interference to separation of the magnetic layer from the plastic liner. The repair process for your tape will depend on the extent of the damage; we're often asked about "baking" the tape, which is available as a last resort but more successful and gentler methods are available and will be attempted first.
- Lubrication deterioration can only be temporarily halted
- The tape's surface can be cleaned up and the lubrication can be restored, but once the problem has begun it will continue to worsen to the point where the tape will eventually become unplayable, even under ideal storage conditions. In order to salvage your footage, if your tape has been affected by lubrication deterioration you will need to order a DVD or data file copy of it because we cannot guarantee that the tape will be in playable condition for regular use even after it has been restored.
- $69.50 per tape repaired for lubrication deterioration issues
- VHS, S-VHS, VHS-C, miniDV, miniDV HD and Audio Cassette - anything and everything that's wrong with your tape is covered, please visit our FAQ page for details regarding the repair process for Video8, Hi8 and Digital8 tapes. Discount pricing is available.
- Discount pricing
- The repair process for tapes that have been exposed to lubrication deterioration is slow and gentle in order to increase the chances that footage can be recovered; working with tapes in batches allows us to be more efficient. If you send in 5 - 9 tapes that have been affected by lubrication deterioration we can offer 10% off of the repairs and if you send in 10 tapes or more in a batch we can take 20% off of the repair costs. When you place an order you will see a prompt that will ask if you will be sending more than one tape and the discounted price will be reflected in the automated quote you receive.