[kluttermyworld]

I have VHS tapes that I recorded years ago and wonder if they would damage my recorder if I played them. How old is too old? Ten years okay?

[modular01]

I have VHS tapes that I recorded years ago and wonder if they would damage my recorder if I played them. How old is too old? Ten years okay?

They should in no way damage your recorder. However, lets say you left them in a place that experiences extreme temperature changes (like an attic or garage) or a place with high humidity, the tape will degrade. All recordable media does sooner or later. Even DVD and CD-R media does, although at a slower rate. As long as they were taken care of, you should not have any problems.