Abstract: A coin operated video machine is provided, of the sort intended for stand-alone operation in shopping malls and the like. The machine includes a tape player with a tape playing mechanism, a coin operated switch, and a television monitor. Upon actuation of the coin operated switch, pre-recorded program material is viewed on the monitor. A plurality of discrete video programs is recorded seriatim on the video tape, each having a control track; and between each pair of pre-recorded video programs there is a non-program passage. When the non-program passage is encountered, the tape playing mechanism stops; and a new play mode is not initiated until the coin operated switch is once again actuated. The tail end of the video tape is such that when encountered, the tape playing mechanism will go into a rewind mode; and the front end of the tape has at least a short pre-recorded program material and control track so that, upon termination of the rewind mode a play mode is immediately initiated.