


To put it bluntly, they are full of it.

Paying a tape is playing a tape.  There is no difference whether the 
output goes to a second VCR or to a TV.  (How the VCR or TV reacts to 
this signal is a different story - see messages pertaining to macrovision 
copy protection.)

In order for the tape to self-destruct, it would have to have circuitry 
of its own within the tape case.  The circuit would have to somehow 
magically determine what the output of the VCR is connected to.  The 
circuit would then have to have an erasing head to actually do anything.

It is a pretty lame scare tactic.  (I've seen something similar on a BBS.
When the SYSOP wanted to, he could have a message sent to the user's end 
saying that it is sending the code to format your HD.)
