Advice on VHS copy production?

[Max Field]

For an upcoming project, I'm going to put out VHS copies of a 50 minute feature as a fun little bonus for crowdfunding backers. I already have a system to produce the tapes, but I just needed advice on the difference between "standard grade" and "high grade" tapes. Here are links to what I'm talking about:

 

Standard=http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/214829-REG/Maxell_214016_T_120_VHS_Video_Cassette.html

High=http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/220312-REG/Maxell_224510_HG_T160_VHS_Video_Cassette.html

 

Is there any difference in playback quality or just a limited number of rewrites?

 

 

And what are some places you've trusted in the past for wholesaling of blank media of this nature?

 

Thanks for your tips on this weird subject.

[Tyler Purcell]

In the past, the high grade tapes had better back coating on them and denser particles.

 

With HiFi audio, you needed those denser particles to reduce FM modulation noise.

 

Today however, I don't think there is any difference. I bet both tape stocks are identical, the only difference is how much tape is on the reel.

 

Back in the day T160 tapes were actually thinner, but today nobody uses tape so they probably don't make multiple thicknesses anymore.

 

I don't know of any multi-machine VHS duplication facilities anymore. I pulled out several facilities over the years. :(

[Max Field]

I don't know of any multi-machine VHS duplication facilities anymore. I pulled out several facilities over the years. :(

Are there certain sites to avoid? For example I found this one http://www.checkoutstore.com/Standard-VHS-60-Min-Tape-p/vhs-t60.htm?gclid=CL7nq5Ds_8wCFQmQaQodFxgKhA

but the pricing is a tad "too good to be true" if you get what I mean.. Perhaps I could be wrong.

[Tyler Purcell]

Pricing sounds right to me, blank VHS tapes aren't very expensive at all.