VHS.....

[tgpo]

VHS.....

Selling em' At My Yardsales

[willy_annand]

I am in the process of converting all my VHS tapes to DVD.

Then I will yard sale / give them away before they become unwatchable.

[Craig Tucker]

I can't remember the last time I watched a VHS tape.

[MachineMan]

VHS tapes are still great for kids. They are more durable and easier to run, no menus. I put some of my childrens DVD on VHS, becuase the scratch the hell out of DVD's

[txpharoah]

My last visits to Blockbuster and Best Buy showed me VHS was dead. Blockbuster only has favorites on VHS. Nothing new. All new shows are DVD. Best Buy had one shelf about three-fourths full as compared to about 10 rows of fives shelves apiece, full of DVDs. I haven't used VHS in years, having converted to SVHS years ago. We'll see how long that lasts before I grab a DVD recorder.

[rude_skankin]

I still buy VHS because most of the movies I want to watch aren't on DVD yet. Mostly older movies though. I recently spent over $200 on VHS tapes because the local video store was going out of business. Lots of goodies pretty cheap. Although my wife wasn't too happy when I came home from work with a huge bag of videos. But luckily she gets over things real fast.

Anthony

[rhegedus]

If it's from TV and it's something I'll only watch once, then I'll record to VHS. If it is something I want to keep then I'll capture as DV and encode to DVD.

I haven't rented a VHS since I bought my first DVD player - what's the point?

[txpharoah]

I haven't rented a VHS since I bought my first DVD player - what's the point?

Only when it is old or only on VHS. Those are when I make exceptions.

[rhegedus]

Maybe Blockbuster's in the US is different to in the UK, but over here you have problems getting films over a few years old.

Used to be nearly all the store was VHS with a little section for new DVDs. Now it's half DVDs, quarter console games and a quarter VHS.

[txpharoah]

Maybe Blockbuster's in the US is different to in the UK, but over here you have problems getting films over a few years old. Used to be nearly all the store was VHS with a little section for new DVDs. Now it's half DVDs, quarter console games and a quarter VHS.

It depends on the age of the store. Some of the stores from the 80s still have their very first VHS movies! A treat to find rare oldies.

[rhegedus]

What's the quality like on a 20+ year VHS?

[txpharoah]

What's the quality like on a 20+ year VHS?

More like 15, but let's just say that some of these shows are so hard to find, you're happy - no matter the quality.

[Reaper88]

VHS tapes are still great for kids. They are more durable and easier to run, no menus. I put some of my childrens DVD on VHS, becuase the scratch the hell out of DVD's

I agree, VHS is great for kids. Can drop them , spill stuff on them and they still keep going. I only use vhs for tapeing my favorite t.v shows for one time viewing only.

[j1d10t]

Quote from rhegedus:
"What's the quality like on a 20+ year VHS?"

I've got some VHS tapes that are over 20 years old, or pushing 20 years old, and depending on the source, they can still look pretty good. My dad was Navy, so he got our first VCR overseas in 81, and then started recording everything off TV he could (back when 1 blank tape cost over $30). The home recorded stuff looks OK, and I guess the quality of TV back then wasn't the greatest anyway, so they've held up pretty well. I've still got some old Disney movies that I used to watch when I was a kid (in 83 and on), and they've held up great - my son can still watch them. But I was also taught to be very careful about the care of videos (you never let a tape sit in the middle of the tape, you FF then RW so it won't create slack on the tape and wrinkle, you always store them in the upright position, never laying down, you never leave a tape in the VCR...), so that may be one of the reasons they've held up so well.
And I still record stuff to VHS off TV if I want to watch it, but not keep it. Otherwise I capture to my PC, then convert to CVD, XSVCD or DVD.

[rhegedus]

But I was also taught to be very careful about the care of videos (you never let a tape sit in the middle of the tape, you FF then RW so it won't create slack on the tape and wrinkle, you always store them in the upright position, never laying down, you never leave a tape in the VCR...), so that may be one of the reasons they've held up so well.

Sound advice!

[Vejita-sama]

I have about 500+ VHS tapes (all anime) in my basement. There fansubs from 'back in the day.' These days I much rather either buy the japanese DVD or just wait and 9/10 there will be a US release.

I have NEVER bought a commerical VHS tape. There was something out that I wanted back then I would track down the LD. LDs are offically dead (and Pioneer is going to stop making new players). And while VHS isn't dead yet, it's looking a little sick and seems to be losing weight at a concerning rate

[Faustus]

My VCR is no longer hooked to my TV, its hooked to my PC. When I find something that isn't on DVD I get the VHS convert it and store it in the closet. Actually I'm thinking of picking up a copy of Evil Roy Slade soon if I can get my hands on one, that movie should have been on DVD LONG ago.

[ManixTT]

My last visits to Blockbuster and Best Buy showed me VHS was dead. Blockbuster only has favorites on VHS.

Heh, txpharoah, I wish I could say the same. Walking into Blockbuster is now a nightmare. My Blockbuster has found a way to deal with the lackluster VHS rentals. They've hidden all the DVD in the back, and stuffed the front shelves with VHS! bah.

[ROBERT BLACK]

I have some vhs tapes that are 20 years old, and still look great.(for vhs) Pretty durable medium. Let's see if DVD will look this great in 20 years. Yes vhs is pretty much dead, but,I think it'll still be in use for a few years to come as cheap recording medium. At least that's my primary use for it now. I still have a lot of rare films, that have only been released on vhs. When they come on DVD, I dump the vhs on Ebay. Unless it has better key art, on the package. Then I keep both.

BTW, according to Variety(entertainment industry trade paper) the VCD is still the biggest home video format in the world. I'm curious to when that tide will change.

There are only two reasons for me to have a VCR:
1) To make monye by digitizing VHS
2) For movies that aren't on DVDs... (Yes, some still aren't).

MO

[dcsos]

My VCR is no longer hooked to my TV, its hooked to my PC. When I find something that isn't on DVD I get the VHS convert it and store it in the closet.

Flaystus and I are alike in this respect..gotta watch the tape as it captures on the COMPUTER MONITOR
Sometimes, I make MPEG-1 instead of DVD and use CD's
(Its gotta be an HOUR or less)

Remember VHS stood for 'VIDEO HOME SYSTEM'?
well my home system is computer now!

I have NEVER bought a commerical VHS tape

You say that like you're proud!.. I could almosst second the NON-CONSUMERST approah here..but I broke down and bought a few in my time in the industry, incl:
THE MEN WHO MAKE THE MUSIC : DEVO warner 1979
Barbarella-with Jane Fonda 1968 released '82 on vhs

[dcsos]

the VCD is still the biggest home video format in the world

IS That cause of CHINA?
Cause they don't sell any VCD's at all in the UNITED STATES..
we make 'em..
is that what your speaking of?

[tgpo]

Cause they don't sell any VCD's at all in the UNITED STATES..

Sure they do. I see them at the flea market all the time!

[Digitizer]

Dead, dead, dead. Even rare movies, I catch them on cable and bake a DVD. VHS quality is not good enough anymore.

[ROBERT BLACK]

Is that cause of China?

Well,yes, but the vcd is HUGE all over Asia. Even huge in India, with it's 1 billion! population. It's also very prevalent in much of Eastern Europe. It just never took off in North America.But I've seen pornos on vcd in the U.S.

[SatStorm]

My first VCR was in 1980! My stepfather got it, second hand from a store he did a job once. We also had a Colour TV, 2 years before Colour transmissions begin in my Country (early 80s....)

I still have 3 tapes recorded in 1980. Those tapes are 23 years old now. Well, the play excellent! And I did anything to them: I watch them as a kid thousand of times, one of them record it all over billion of times! And they still plays excellent (for VHS)....
On my new SVHS VCR, with embedded TBC, those tapes looks really good.
Now, where I was reading that VHS has life for about 10 years only?

From the other hand, my first VCDs from 1999, needs replacement..... Bad media. And I paid so much back then for them...

[rhegedus]

Where in SE Europe do you live, SatStorm? - Just curious, my whole family is Hungarian.

[SatStorm]

SE: Southeast.
I'm from Hellas (Greece).
Hungary is in Central Europe. I jealous them because they have very deligate and beautiful women there!

[rhegedus]

Yeah, I know about the babes! Just curious about your locale as there are quite a few Hungarians in Romania and what was Yugoslavia.

Have fun!

[Will Hay]

I was gonna' say I'll use them for recording shows I'll only watch the once but now I think about it if I record it it must be good enough to keep, so I'll capture directly to pc and then to dvdr.
I have a tonne of vhs tapes and recently binned five, yes five, black bags of tapes.
Only recorded from TV though, I keep my originals.
I don't think I'll replace many of my original VHS with dvd's, apart from the obvious (Star Wars etc.).
Many of my favourite films (starring Will Hay, to name just one) are over 60 year old and apart from Will Hay most haven't come out on dvd.
I'll keep the originals and archive to dvd to preserve them, and burn the mpeg to dvd to preserve the preserve
As for buying new ones, I doubt it, but only if I can't find it anywhere on dvd (and that includes importing of course).
Will