1) Every time you copy a tape, the quality of the copy will be slightly lesser than the quality of the original. If I have a tape that I rate a 1, expect a 2, and so on. This way you won't be disappointed.
2) SP (Slow Play) mode preserves tape quality the best and slows down this decline as much as it is possible to do when going from tape to tape. This is why it is so desirable.
3) Many gymnastics competitions in circulation on the GTTC are quite old, and the fact that they have even survived this long is remarkable. They are what they are. If you're a new trader, don't expect miracles when it comes to tape quality, especially on tapes from before the year 1990. Also, a lot of '80s tapes and tapes from overseas that are more than about 12 years old are take-'em as they come - i.e., some of them are missing the beginning montages if there ever were any, or they cut off abruptly at the end or whatever. This is the way that I would have received them and the way that the person who sent them to me would have originally taped/received them.
Rating System:
1 - Exceptional quality. This rating is only for *new* tapes (from within the last year or so) that are still virtually perfect.
1.5 - The best rating I give to tapes that aren't brand new *and* taped by me. Excellent quality. There may or may not be a visible quality difference between a 1 and a 1.5; I just don't feel comfortable giving a 1 rating to a tape that isn't a brand new first generation.
2 - Great. This is the highest rating that I will give to tapes converted from PAL or SECAM, even if there is no visible quality difference from an NTSC tape. I also give a 2 rating if the quality is superior relative to the age of the tape (which means that if I think you probably can't get better quality than this, considering the age of the tape, it goes here)
2.5 - Very good, but lacks a little something in my mind to be rated as excellent.
3 - Good. The picture and sound are clear and watchable, but may not be crisp, or the colors might have faded slightly, etc.
4 - Average. This is a "good" with one problem that could possibly be annoying - the picture may not be entirely stable, there may be a tracking line or low sound, the picture might have degraded more than in a tape with a rating "good," the tape might have been copied many times, or it may have made an uneasy transition to NTSC from the PAL/SECAM formats. May or may not be a strain to watch.
5 - Fair. This is an average with more than just one of the problems described in a 4 rating, an extremely grainy picture, or something else happening that's just really annoying. I do realize that what annoys me might not annoy you, so I've tried to specify whenever possible. Still watchable, but a strain to watch.
6 - Poor. Picture is not clear, terrible quality. The tape may be watchable or not, but if it is watchable, it is only JUST, and the watching will be probably be very painful.
8 - Would be unwatchable. I don't list these.
0 - Unwatched as of yet.
