When you play a master tape, don't rewind it. Rewinding the master just before it is played will limber up the tape and prepare it for showing. Always put the tapes in their cardboard or plastic cases to protect them from dust and other contamination. Never leave a cassette in a VCR for a long period of time. The protective flap found on a cassette in propped open while in a VCR, allowing the dust and dirt found inside all machines to find their way onto the exposed tape.
Store cassettes upright, on one of their narrow edges.
Tape left flat could eventually sag from its own weight and damage the bottom edge of the tape. Because the control track runs along that bottom edge, if the tape gets wrinkled there, the picture will tend to roll during playback. VCR's and camcorders used to play back your tapes should be kept in tip-top condition. Misaligned tape guides and worn rollers can crease and crinkle tapes. Keep your tapes stored in a place that will isolate them from temperature extremes - 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit is optimum.