r/howto • u/w0wverychill • 3d ago
How to make a VHS tape play static?
weird request, but I need to make a VHS tape play ONLY static for one hour for a performance piece. how can I accomplish this?
one restriction: I can’t tune the TV to a channel because it has no antenna (aka I can’t record a channel of static).
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u/killthecook 3d ago
A new, blank vhs should play static on a tv with nothing recorded to it. Static is just what a TV shows when tuned to an analog input with no data to read/display
The issue is a lot of digital displays will show a blue/black screen instead of static now.
Another issue is finding a new, blank vhs…
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u/Miss_Sullivan 3d ago
I think it depends how old your VCR is. I'm pretty sure my more recent (as in back in the 90s) had a blue screen instead of static.
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u/NekkidWire 2d ago
That's a problem similar to analog/digital TV. The device detects no input (or tape with no magnetization) and shows something else instead of static.
u/w0wverychill if you want this to work on any player, you really need to record the static from any source (analog TV tuned to empty channel, or a generated static image from PC, e.g. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Television_static.gif ) and not wast you time with magnets.
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u/mrbearuk69 3d ago
Run a magnet over a tape and it’s blank
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u/HandshakeOfCO 2d ago
This. OP, find a copy of veggie tales, and a big rare earth magnet.
Or, also, it’s pretty easy to mechanically hack a vcr to play with no actual tape inserted.
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u/thejennadaisy 3d ago
You could use a dummy VCR and tape but actually play the static video from some other source like a hidden DVD player or computer.
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u/Sorry-Climate-7982 3d ago
That or use a generator and a video player to loop it and record that.
Or, just post a controversial issue here on Reddit and OP will get plenty of static.
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u/Cricket_8719 2d ago
I’m not sure but I think having no antenna means the tv will show static on most channels already.
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u/thetoolmannz 2d ago
Agreed, the only challenge is some tvs switch to a blue screen when there is no signal.
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u/ericsmallman3 17h ago
Not with today's digital receivers and flat screens. If a signal isn't detected, most newer TVs simply don't load a channel.
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u/RandomUser3777 2d ago
You need an older TV that still has an analog tuner, I have an older LCD and it will produce static if tuned to a empty channel. If you tune the analog tuner to a channel with nothing on it then you will get static. You cannot get a static channel on a digital channel. And having an antenna or not does not in any way change anything, except that some channels may have non-static on them. Even if you don't have an antenna connected there is ALWAYS still an "antenna" even though it is tiny and won't pick up anything unless you are super close to the transmitter.
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u/TheDeadWriter 2d ago
▓ And (this is for the OP) that static,the random dots on the screen and acoustic hiss, is the tuner picking up unwanted radio signals, some from lightning and other terrestrial sources, and much of it, is from the echo of the big bang. https://youtu.be/Ctj3WQliQmo?
Seriously OP, if you have a VCR or a TV with an analogue tuner, you likely have a source for static, either tune to an empty channel (UHF channels will definitely have static). Most later VCRs recorded black or blue when there was no signal, but others in this thread have noted work arounds.
OP- Your performance piece could contain random bits from all sorts of stellar events, echos of the big bang, and terrestrial lightning, as well as human and machine made noise. I'd love to hear what your piece is.
Regardless, best of skill and luck to you. ▓
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u/allbsallthetime 2d ago
I just did a Google search for static tv mp4, all kinds of free options to download.
Is the VCR requirement part of the presentation?
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u/JamesCDiamond 2d ago
Even if it is, it doesn't have to be connected to the television so the tape could be put in the VCR but the TV actually shows a .mp4 of static or similar.
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u/I-Died-Yesterday 3d ago
Adjust the tracking on the VCR. Blank tapes on newer TVs will blue screen or show no video without additional settings changes on the TV. Tracking adjustment can skew and distort the picture of any vhs tape.
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u/Metallicat95 2d ago
A VCR with the blue/black screen feature turned off will show static on any channel, and from a blank tape. Most older VCRs can turn off that option, which was added because people didn't like seeing static.
You can also record that static using a VCR. The analog broadcast stations are gone, so it shouldn't be hard to find a channel which looks like nice static.
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u/RainbowUnicorn0228 1d ago
Old tape and vcr. I had a vcr that played all my tapes in a staticky black and white. Both the tapes and vcr were old.
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u/Lost_Garden7368 3d ago
If you only need video and no audio then a blank tape looks like static if you're not playing it on a vcr that shows a blue screen when there's no signal.
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u/soundsthatwormsmake 3d ago
This is a YouTube video with 8 hours of static. https://youtu.be/ubFq-wV3Eic?is=-EKRNUfpbkgvMIZY
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u/CoachSevere5365 3d ago
Interesting demo of YouTube's tracking here. Same video link posted three times, but three different urls
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u/conwaytwt 2d ago
Yes, obviously most people don't know how to remove their personal tracking from YouTube links
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u/Way2trivial 2d ago
step 1. buy a new blank tape
step 2. don't record anything on it
step 3. play the tape
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u/_justanislandgirl 2d ago
On the old VCRs & old TVs you see static if you put in a blank VHS tape. Some newer ones show blue. 🤷♀️
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u/Hodr 1d ago
Do you want pure static, or static over an image? For pure static if the VHS player has a built-in tuner just hit the "TV/VCR" button (with no antenna/coax connected) and it should play static on all channels. If you want a lot of static over an image, take a movie (or tape of whatever content you want) and adjust the "tracking" button until it looks how you want.
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u/ericsmallman3 17h ago
If you don't already have a tape that has nothing but static on it and you can't record a tape of static there's no way to get your VCR to magically produce static.
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u/Mayor_of_Pea_Ridge 11h ago
cant you just set the tv to an unused channel? why does it have to be a recording?
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