Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

At Christmas I bought my mother a DVD recorder, plumbed it in for her and showed her how to work it. I visit her a few weeks later and she had re-installed the VCR, citing 'irreconcilable differences' between her and the DVD recorder.


I haven't owned a VCR for about 5 years now. I simply don't think I could go back to watching films or recordings that were VCR quality.


Does anyone still use these lumbering beasts of yesteryear?

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

I know a fair few people that do yes.

I have one wired into my other pc up here - which I use to convert vhs to dvd.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

I could see the point in having one to convert VHS to DVD, especially if it was old home video footage.


I just don't think I could watch a VHS movie these days, not with DVD quality films being available. I binned my entire collection of VHS movies years ago and have managed to replace all of them with DVD equivalents.


Admittedly, I'm a bit of an audio/video snob.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Anyone got a spare betamax?
Parents' one died a couple of years back and they have tapes they want putting on DVD.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

I do - I have a dvd-video combi thing. I own a lot of series on video and am not about to spend money replacing them with dvds. As for the quality of recordings...the sound & picture is fine for me. :shrug:

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

My parents still use videos.
I keep telling them about the advantages of a DVD recorder with built in Hard drive for easy recording, but still no go as yet.
Everytime they rewind a tape or play it, I keep telling them the tape gets stretched and damaged.

It would cut down the room taken by videos by half if they converted to DVD's.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

I don't ever record anything to be honest, preferring to download anything I miss on telly (if not available on-demand). So I don't really have any need for a VCR or a DVD recorder these days.

---------- Post added at 11:36 ---------- Previous post was at 11:34 ----------

Top loader?


Have to jump on it to get the tape in?


Ahhh, the memories.......

:D

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

I have a vcr in the cupboard, been there since we moved 14 months ago just never got round to connecting it up, don't even know if it still works either. Probably dump it soon too, when I can be bothered.:D

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

I do have one in the attic but have no idea if it still works. Give me the weekend and I'll check.

Got a lot on my plate atm so PM me Monday if you've not heard anything ('cos I've no doubt forgotton :()

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

I can see my parents having the same thoughts.
Their VCR is easy to use, put a tape in, rewind it if needed, and press record.
My DVD recorder, put DVD-R in, wait a minute (feels like a whole minute anyway!) while it reads it, check anything on it, go into the menu, delete the existing program(s), come out of the menus, and then finally press record!

But then maybe it's just my particular DVD recorder that's a bit slow & fiddly to get going.
Wish I'd spent a bit more and got a DVD recorder with HDD...

But I haven't used my VCR to record anything since I got my DVD recorder, but I do have a load of videos, so how would I watch those if I got rid of the VCR?
I have copied a couple of Videos to DVD just to try it, but will have to do more soon.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Yes, I have a lot of home movie stuff on VHS still.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Still use a VHS, i see no point in buying a DVD recorder until the VHS breaks. Its not as if the quality is that poor when recorded off of TV to make it a burning desire to change.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Went out to buy a VCR a few years back and BOY was it difficult ! So little choice and such ugly looking chunky boxes. The machines of yesteryear were slimmer and had better specifications !

Trouble is that a lot of people still use the tapes as a medium... I mean my missus brought home a tape the other week with so called study materials on it.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

This is a very good point.

Imagine the fun I had when I realised that I had to find a cassette player :)

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

LOL I still have my beloved Sony TCK-611S which I had to really struggle to buy when I was working as a sales assistant many years back !

3 heads - amorphous head - dolby S noise reduction WTF !

£300 it cost ! and my monthly take home was like £500 :rolleyes:
It took 6 months of hard work to get my HiFi built and 15 years on I still dont have the speakers ! ROFL.

Maybe one day I'll plug it into my i-river and rip some tapes to mp3 :rolleyes:

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

i still rent mine, along with my tv .....
can't really live without it, as i still have absolute tons of tapes
and still watch films on it

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Wat a VCR?,I still use a video player if that the same

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Video Cassette Recorder

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Is it still worth renting ?
I used to think so years ago but now things are so cheap you've probably bought ten VCR's in that time, no ?

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Hi there


I install alot of dvd recorders and the like for a living, and i have recently noticed that alot of my companie's customers seem to be buying vcr/dvd recorders so they can copy old video's to dvd.

But buying ( and even selling) vcr's seems to be so yesteryear, and i doubt anyone really bothers with recording onto tape anymore.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

We have on downstairs that the parents and brother use to record TV but I just have a TV/DVD up here. Got some videos but currently selling them on eBay as I get the DVD version.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Unless you run to the expense of a Hard Disk recorder, the VCR is still, for most people, the more convenient medium, especially if you are less technically minded.

You can look at the window in the tape and see if there is likely to be space or not. Rewind a tape and start recording again.

The DVD seems much more complex. Rewritable disks have to be reformatted to erase them. Until it's in the drive you don't know what space is left. Do you need a + or - disk. So many questions, too much to explain.

And of course there is then the stuff that was bought, or you historically have on video, like those home movies. No wonder VCRs are still selling well the legacy of content means they will be here for a long while.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Tell me about it. A couple of months ago, one of the guys at work had a birthday. As a joke, someone suggested going to the pub at lunch, and getting them to play Stevie Wonder's happy birthday.

Then, for some reason, somebody suggested putting it on tape. So, not having a tape recorder to hand, but being in charge of the equipment we lend to students, I start rooting around looking for a tape recorder. We used to have a load of rather nice Denon tape decks in our studio (at work). Seems these had probably been sold off when the studio was refitted. So, no luck. I eventually (after about 1.5 hours) found an old marantz portable, which I used to record the song (had that on itunes).

We get to the pub, explain the situation, and ask if we can play something on the hifi. He says yes. We hand him the tape, and he looks at us as if we are stupid..

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

To add to the numbers..I know a least a dozen people who use VHS, my m8 actually bought a brand new samsung CRT tele with on combined..I myself have one plumbed in as I sometimes use it to record stuff.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

You get the added benefit with renting of an ongoing Warranty I guess that's one benefit.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

We have both a VHS and a DVD recorder and use both. Strictly speaking, VCR was early Philips system only wasn't it? A patented term and that's why the name VHS had to be used?

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Since I got my V+ installed in October of last year my VCR has been removed and stored in the loft.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

The Philips system was called Video 2000.
Then there was Betamax (Sony)
And JVC did VHS, which won the battle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHS

VCR just means Video Cassette Recorder, which all of the above 3 are:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VCR

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Still got one, although don't use it much... keeping it though, as we've got loads of cassettes kicking around.

My granddad only recently bought a DVD player... which is good for me, as I tried to get him a Tommy Cooper video for xmas but couldn't find anywhere except fleabay selling 2nd hand ones. Can now get him a brand new DVD for a quarter of the price of a used VHS cassette - and it's his birthday in a couple of weeks :)

Its good to see you here Gareth!!

I love my VCR,I do not like DVD at all (digital) -- I love and prefer analogue and always have...... To me its a much nicer experience........ (More natural) My VCR is Linear Mono and I love her so much :)

I have a concert from PHIL COLLINS recorded in 1990 (SERIOUSLY LIVE) and its composite analogue video...... And on the linear track,ITS THE ORIGINAL ANALOGUE CONCERT AUDIO and is goregous!!!!!! (You cant hear most of his solo 80s stuff IN PURE ANALOGUE because it was all digitally compromised on records and casettes -- The concert was digitally recorded also and that is on the HIFI track and to me sounds aweful (thin,etc)))


Im sorry Paul for replying to this thread but I just had to mate........ I love VCRs and I wanted to reply to an existing thread and not make a mess by starting a new one...... (Especially on the same base (doesnt look good having duplicates))

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Wow big thread bump!

Analogue is good for when it's audio, ie vinyl but DVD and more so Blu Ray are way better for movies and concert audio with Dolby digital and more so DTS. I have an eagle's concert DVD and the sounds is breath taking with a good amp and speakers. Feels like you are there.

Watching a degraded VHS picture on an old crt looks dreadful compared to a nice new BR restoration of old films.

Although I do still have a laserdisc player and a large library of classics.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Nope, VHS, Phillips and Betamax were different standards used for VCR's. Phillips was just the first to produce and retail VCR's.

Im curious why VHS and BETA arent compatible??

I mean why cant you play a BETA tape on a VHS player? (Even if you put the BETA tape into a VHS cartridge I dont think it will play -- WHATS THE DIFFERENCE??)

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

The tapes are totally different sizes so the spindles in the tape deck are differently spaced.

I think the tapes were different widths too and played at different speeds.

Betamax was technically superior but I think VHS won as the rental market got behind VHS. Just like the Blu Ray and HDDVD war.

I hear ya Stevie.........

What ya said about your Eagles concert is the same as my Phil Collins Concert..... Sounds like im right there..... They didnt digitally compromise the linear track audio so what you hear on the tape IS THE SAME ANALOGUE WARMTH all those people heard at the concert itself!! -- Its goregous...

What year was your concert??? (The eagles one)

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

I can't remember the year but it was their first reunion concert.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

I gave a neighbour a VCR, an analogue TV and loads of prerecorded tapes that her kids love to watch over and over and over again.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

my elderly neighbour has an old Virgin box in his living room, scart lead connects that to vcr for him to record cable tv, he's dreading the day the box dies :(

in his back room he has a freeview vcr/dvd recorder, he uses the VCR bit on that to record tv programmes.

You can't teach an old dog new tricks, or in this case, if he's not willing to move with the times :( But it suits him at the moment, and he has hundreds of TV shows, films, old football matches he doesn't want to lose!

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

But if it's linear mono, sure that means it's low fidelity mono, whilst at the concert it would be in high fidelity stereo?

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

The VCR format was also available as a camera and separate shoulder recorder. I have a number of tapes and machines for the later LP-VCR derivative which doubled the 60m play/record times. I've kept them as I mean to digitise the rarer recordings: Mostly Horizon and World About Us documentaries from the late seveties and eighties. Then they all go for recycling.

Technically the format had the best picture as even on the LP derivative the video tracks were twice the width (lower noise) and twice the linear velocity (8m / second) due to a much bigger head drum, of the other competing standards. The linear tape speed was also double so the sound was much better. Later developments in tape technology extended times to 3 hours

Unfortunately the concentric spool cassette design was incompatible with high speed duplication so it lost out when the video rental market took off.

https://www.cableforum.uk/images/local/2018/02/1.jpeg

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Your VCR is female!?

My first VCR was in the Video 2000 format (Philips IIRC); bought in the mid to late seventies.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

I still have a VCR its about 12 years old. Its outlasted 2 dvd players ive had to replace.

Yup thats the only difference. But I have always preferred mono anyway,its a better sound I think....

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Our first was the Phillips N1502, in 1976. :)

We upgraded to a 1700 later (1978 or 1979, not sure now)

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Well that makes no sense what so ever.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

I must have got my 1702 in late '76 or early '77 as one of the earliest tapes is about the summer of '76

Wow 76??

I know VHS came out in 77 . When did Beta come out??


EDIT:

I see it came out in 1975 ..... Why didnt it catch on more?

http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...ta+VHS+history

Hmmmmmmmm

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Got to remember when I bought the N1702 vs the other formats I paid £750 for the unit. The rest were much more and I went to a video specialist in South London and viewed the demonstration units for sale. Back-to-back at the time. Nothing on the highstreet.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

I remember we had one of each, vhs in living room, dining room had the betamax, that dad bought when he took early redundancy from one job, and got another job immediately :)

There was a video rental place near us, 1 and a half walls were VHS, 1/2 a wall betamax, and a rotating stand for the Video 2000 format!

Betamax was superior in terms of sound and picture quality, but the big boy film studios all got behind JVC and VHS, so there were more films to rent for it, so it was more popular. VHS was also cheaper.

I remember when dad got his first camcorder as well - VHS-C, rather than having to hook the camcorder up to the tv/video, you put the small tape, in a large adapter tape to play in normal VHS VCR :)

Ya I saw some VHS-C tapes @ salvation army..... I dont have anything to play those with though...........

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Our VHS player stopped working which is a shame as I have films that have never been released on DVD. In once case you could download a US version of the film free from the maker but that's disappeared. (The UK release was better.)

In other cases the DVD version is still over £10 for old black and white movies. When I see films on offer on DVD I get them and dump the tape, many are on Netflix/Amazon prime or not really worth buying.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

That makes no sense. It cannot possibly be a better sound than stereo or a great surround system.

Our first VCR was Sony's first front loader. It was still working till 2001 but totally died. Think I still have a few tapes somewhere.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

I still have a working VCR connected to my TV via SCART.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

I suspect there were 3 reasons.

1. It was expensive.
2. VHS offered longer tapes
3. VHS offered a greater variety of content

They are interlinked, to some extent, as had Betamax sold better, the price would have come down, which would have encouraged more sales, and also encouraged more commercial releases on the system, but VHS also had the advantage of longer tapes. If you are looking at recording your TV, and look at the tape prices, what looks like better value? 3 or 4 hours for £10, or 1 or 2 hours for £10.

Im very confused about NTSC AND PAL Stuart..... You guys watch stuff mostly in PAL.. Is it the right speed???? -- I have heard pal is faster but how about if its played ON A PAL MACHENE?? -- Is it the right speed then? (Video/Audio)

If someone hooked two VCRs together and copied a PAL tape to an NTSC that would be the right speed I think....... (The pal player would play it @ the right speed to the other one)

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Of course its the right speed :cool:

They are just two different standards ;

PAL is 25 Fames / Sec, and 625 lines
NTSC is 30 Frames / Sec, and 525 Lines.

You cannot play PAL encoded video on an NTSC machine, or vice versa.
(unless they are dual standard, or have a conversion system).

Neither is "faster" than the other, they just have differing frame rates. :)




NTSC = Never The Same Colour :erm: :angel:

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

I seem to remember most UK vcr's played NTSC also (as you say dual standard). I'm not sure the US NTSC machines were as flexible.
It's like being in a time warp in this thread ! :D

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

PAL and the French SECAM TV systems prevent phase shifts in the transmission path from affecting the hue of the colours.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

I remember reading that watching Secam on a PAL receiver results in a black & white picture. Why did this happen?

Not sure if the sound was affected.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

The colour signal processing is different but the black and white part of the picture is very similar. The TV does not recognise the colour component so doesn't show it.

In the UK the sound was on 6mHz (intercarrier FM) whereas on the continent it was on 5.5Mhz. Sometimes the set will have enough "stretch" to render it.

Re: Does anyone actually use a VCR anymore?
 

Thanks, I often wondered why this was the case. I suppose those near enough to France will have been able to watch analogue French TV, albeit in monochrome.

Has this situation changed with the advent of digital TV both here and in France?

Thank you buddy,I honestly didnt know........

And as far as VCR discussions there is a whole site dedicated to them :)

www.pre-cert.co.uk/forum (Also VBB)

The bases are MEMBERS ONLY so google,etc cannot index them......... (The first one is indexable though)