I had a situation in which a new digital DVD/VCR recorder was acting up when I watched my recorded soap opera tapes. The picture would be full of lines on the top and bottom of the screen, would become static-y every few seconds, etc. Enough to give a person a headache.
I accidentally discovered a temporary solution. When I play a commercially recorded VCR movie, the tracking takes a couple of minutes to settle back down to normal, and then I let this tape run for 5 to 10 mins. After that, my home recorded tapes work just fine for a few weeks.
It may be that a VRC head cleaner would do the same thing, without wear and tear on your commercial tape.
I used to work with VCR and camcorder tapes all the time in my previous job. Here are a couple of tips to keep your tapes running as long as possible.
First is to store them away from electronics (meaning NOT in your entertainment cabinet). The information on these tapes is magnetic and electronics have a magnetic field around them. I had it described to me as waves gently removing the information a little at a time. This is true with audiotapes as well, anything that is a black or brown shiny tape.
Second is to use a rewinder. The rewind feature is hard on a VCR but it is harder on the tape. This is when tapes break or become detached. You can fix this if you are careful, but it is better to prevent it in the first place.
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