The VCR Tape
A VCR tape is pretty intricate device in its own right, and it's a classic miracle of mass production. It is amazing what you can buy for $2!
If you take a video tape apart, you will find that it contains:
- The top and bottom pieces of the outer shell
- A moving, spring-loaded door to protect the tape
- Two spools to hold the tape
- An 800-foot (244-m) long, 1/2-inch (1.3-cm) wide piece of oxide-coated Mylar tape that acts as the recording medium
- Several low-friction rollers to guide the tape across the front of the shell
- Two spring-loaded locks to prevent the tape from unrolling inside the cassette
- Several screws to hold the whole thing together
When the tape is inserted into a VCR, the VCR uses a lever to release and open the door, exposing the tape. It also inserts apin into the hole to disengage the two locks on the spools. At that point, the drive can extract the tape and play it.
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