VCR Tracking Reminder IDs

Strand/VCI Entertainment

(1988-1993)

Bumper: On a black background, the screen reads "For best picture quality, please adjust the tracking control on your VCR." in a white Arial font.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on Strand/VCI Entertainment releases such as Thomas Gets Tricked and Tenders and Turntables. Both are in EP Mode. It also made a surprise appearance on Thomas Breaks the Rules, which was actually recorded in SP Mode instead of EP.

Scare Factor: None.

BBC Video

Bumper: On a black background, white text scrolls up and stops at the center. It reads "IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT OF ANY PICTURE INTERFERENCE, PLEASE ADJUST YOUR VIDEO RECORDER'S TRACKING CONTROL. THIS WILL, IN MOST CASES, RECTIFY BOTH SOUND AND PICTURE QUALITY."

FX/SFX: The scrolling.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on 1990s VHS releases of BBC shows.

Scare Factor: TBA

GoodTimes Home Video

(1984-1990s)

Bumper: On a black background, there is white text in a blocky font reading: "FOR BEST PICTURE QUALITY ADJUST TRACKING CONTROL".

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Uncommon. Seen on some GoodTimes and Kids Klassics releases of the time. Also seen on some MCA(/Universal) Home Video tapes co-distributed with GoodTimes.

Scare Factor: Minimal.

Turner Home Entertainment

(1987-1992)

Bumper: On a black/gray gradient background, we see white text reading "This video is recorded in E.P. mode. For best picture quality please adjust your tracking."

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Used on early Turner Home Entertainment releases and some by GoodTimes Home Video, Orion Home Video, and Cabin Fever Entertainment (such as Lonesome Dove).

Scare Factor: None.

Feature Films for Families

(1980s-2004)

Bumper: On a black background, the screen reads "If the picture on your screen is not clear, please adjust the tracking on your VCR." in a white Arial font.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on certain Feature Films for Families releases.

Scare Factor: None.

UAV Corporation/Sterling Entertainment Group

(1989-2004)

Bumper: On a black background, we see the words "For better picture quality, adjust tracking control on your VCR" in white typewriter-like font.

FX/SFX: None.

Variant: Sterling Entertainment releases use the text in the Arial font.

Music/Sounds: Just a man reading the message.

Availability: Seen on some UAV and Sterling Entertainment tapes.

Scare Factor: None to minimal. If you're not expecting the man reading the message, it may scare you, but it's otherwise harmless.

Media Home Entertainment/Maier Group/Random House Home Video/Starmaker/Miscellaneous

(1980s-1990s)

Bumper: On a black background appears the white text "FOR MAXIMUM PICTURE QUALITY" and the red or blue text "IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO ADJUST THE TRACKING CONTROL ON YOUR VCR". The screen lasts for fifteen seconds until it finally fades out slowly.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: Three seconds of silence, then a man reads out loud by saying "Please note: For maximum picture quality, it may be necessary to adjust the tracking control on your VCR." After that, the rest of the screen remains silent.

Music/Sounds Variant: Sometimes, a different announcer is heard.

Availability: Uncommon for the most part, but it was seen on a 1990 Media Home Entertainment Video copy of Madeline (released through Hi-Tops Video). It was also seen on some Random House Home Video releases such as a few The Bernstein Bears videos as well as Maier Group's Inspector Gadget tapes. It was also seen on some Festival of Family Classics tapes from Starmaker.

Scare Factor: None to Minimal, if you're not expecting the man reading the message, it may scare you, but it's otherwise harmless.

Media Home Entertainment (standalone)

1st Bumper

(1981-1985)

Bumper: On a blue background is the white text "PLEASE ADJUST TRACKING FOR BEST PICTURE QUALITY." and "THANK YOU".

Variant: On the 1989 Video Treasures VHS of Class, the  PLEASE ADJUST TRACKING FOR BEST PICTURE QUALITY  was smaller and it doesn't have THANK YOU.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on certain Media Home Entertainment releases of the era. It was also preserved on several Video Treasures re-releases of the aforementioned titles.

Scare Factor: None.

2nd Bumper

(1987-1993)

Bumper: On a red/orange gradient background, there is a white figure guy holding a wrench and the white text "FOR BETTER VIDEO VIEWING HAVE VCR SERVICE CHECKS." on the top. Below them is a white bar, and underneath it is the first portion of another white text, which reads:

MEDIA HOME ENTERTAINMENT

& YOUR VIDEO ENTERTAIN-

MENT RETAILER RECOMMEND

YOU HAVE YOUR VCR

ROUTINELY SERVICED

TWICE A YEAR TO

IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF

YOUR VIEWING, PROLONG

THE LIFE OF THE VCR, AND

TO MINIMIZE THE RISK OF

DAMAGE TO THIS VIDEO

CASSETTE.

Four seconds later, the figure with the wrench slides away to the right (as if he was running) and then five seconds later, the bottom text scrolls up, revealing the rest of itself. After that, it stops scrolling to show the last portion.

FX/SFX: The figure sliding away, the scrolling of the second text.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on certain Media tapes of the era.

Scare Factor: Low.

Celebrity Home Entertainment

(1985-1991)

Bumper: On a white background, we see the text "FOR THE BEST POSSIBLE PICTURE PLEASE ADJUST THE TRACKING KNOB ON YOUR VIDEO MACHINE", with "THE TRACKING KNOB" blinking on and off.

FX/SFX: The blinking of "THE TRACKING KNOB".

Music/Sounds: A man reading the message, which sounds like it was recorded in an auditorium.

Availability: Found on some Celebrity Home Entertainment releases, most notably the Mighty Mouse compilation tape.

Scare Factor: None to minimal, if you're not used to the man reading the message, it may at least surprise you, but it's otherwise completely harmless.

Simitar Entertainment

(1990?-2000)

Bumper: On a sky blue background, we see the words "Recorded in EP Mode If you experience picture problems, adjust Tracking Control" in silver.

FX/SFX: None

Variant: There is an early variant which is in a blue background and is not in a gradient, and includes a different font which is narrower.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on Simitar tapes with the Gold S logo (currently unknown if it appears on releases with the Other S From Hell logo). The easy way to find this is by looking at the tape to see if it says EP Mode. It was rarely seen on the Awesome Series but it might be on other tapes as well. The Early Variant can be seen on Awesome Airplanes and Awesome Motorcycles. It also made a surprise appearance on Awesome Mining due to the fact that the tape has been recorded in SP Mode instead of EP.

Scare Factor: None.

Vestron Video

(1989)

Bumper: On a blue background is the white text "This Cassette is Recorded In The Extended Play Mode. Please Adjust Tracking" in quotes.

FX/SFX: None.

Cheesy Factor: Is there really any reason for the text to be in quotations?

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extremely rare. Found on the screener demo VHS of Gleaming the Cube.

Scare Factor: None.

Parade Video

(Late 1980s-Early 1990s)

Bumper: On a black/blue gradient background appears the white text:

ALL VCRs ARE DIFFERENT

TRACKING ADJUSTMENT

MAY BE NECESSARY.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: This can be seen on some Parade Video releases that have been recorded in EP Mode.

Scare Factor: None.

Malofilm Video

(1990s)

Bumper: On a black background we see the words "For Maximum Picture Quality, It May Be Necessary To Adjust The Tracking Control On Your VCR" in a typewriter-like font.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: This can be seen on some Malofilm Video releases that have been recorded in EP Mode. It was seen on The Best of Mighty Machines.

Scare Factor: None.

Burbank Video

(1985-1991)

Bumper: On a blue background is white text reading "PLEASE ADJUST TRACKING FOR BEST PICTURE QUALITY" in small size.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: This can be seen on some Burbank Video releases that have been recorded in EP Mode.

Scare Factor: None.

Anchor Bay Entertainment

(1985-1998)

Bumper: On a rocky Video Treasures wallpaper background, the words "Please adjust tracking for best picture" slide in at a slow-like speed and at both sides. They stay there for a few seconds. Later, they slide out and go backwards.

FX/SFX: The words coming in and out.

Music/Sounds: Like the FBI Warning, it's silent.

Availability: It appears on all videos from the Video Treasures era. But sometimes, it skips to the FBI Warning. For some reason, this also appears on a few tapes recorded in SP mode, including Zombie.

Scare Factor: Low; it makes a jarring cut to the FBI Warning and the less scary Video Treasures logo.