I just bought two VCRs (different models, from different sellers) because the two units I already had finally failed. But the new units are both eating tapes, and they were each advertised by the sellers as being fully tested and operational. Here's what happened with each machine. A store-bought tape plays for about a minute, then stops and the machine shuts off. Turning the machine back on ejects the now-eaten tape. Using a brand-new (still sealed) blank tape, machine records for about 10 seconds then shuts off. Power back on, tape (also eaten) ejects. Using my "home recorded" tape, does the same thing....plays 10 seconds, shuts off, etc. (First VCR is a Toshiba, second is Phillips/Magnavox.) The Toshiba still has my tape stuck in it, and I can't power the unit on to try and get the tape out. My next step is to use another unit I have - which I know works fine - and see what happens. The cable TV box uses an HDMI connection, but I have the appropriate converter, and I've never had this problem. And thoughts/suggestions? (I have a large collection of classic films on VHS, so stopping use of VHS is just not an option.)