The last VCR was made in July......

[Gingerbread Demon]

I don't know if I've mentioned this before in this forum but this July the last Japanese VCR's were made....

http://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/7/21/12244094/japan-stops-vcr-production-funai

Oh VCR I will miss you fondly.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I'm shocked anyone was still making them.

I don't and won't miss VCRs. Poor video quality, mechanical failures, bulky tapes. They were cheap and ubiquitous--they had that going for them. That was about it.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I still got my unremastered TOS on video. And rather too many stages of Star Wars trilogies..

I threw everything else out though.

 

[BillJ]

I don't and won't miss VCRs. Poor video quality, mechanical failures, bulky tapes.

But back in the 80's and 90's, they were the shit. All the flaws you mentioned, but still awesome.

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

The one thing I liked about VCR's over DVD players is that you never had to worry about scratches and fingerprints, so there was no annoying freezing or skipping.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

The one thing I liked about VCR's over DVD players is that you never had to worry about scratches and fingerprints, so there was no annoying freezing or skipping.

Just chewed up tape if you didn't clean the heads every 5 minutes

Especially if you played a lot of rental tapes.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

The one thing I liked about VCR's over DVD players is that you never had to worry about scratches and fingerprints, so there was no annoying freezing or skipping.

I'll never understand why this is such a big problem. Do people not understand how to handle optical media?

 

[DonIago]

^Accidents happen.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Sure, but people could just as easily step on a VHS tape and bust it. I've definitely done that.

 

[Draculasaurus]

I will always love VHS.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I'll never understand why this is such a big problem. Do people not understand how to handle optical media?

As far as CD's, some units will scratch up the media real nice. Depends on how the disc goes in of course, but I've had CD's with lots of circular scratches.

Could've been from the boombox, couldv'e been from the car player, could've been due to a poorly balanced disc.

 

[John Clark]

I'll never understand why this is such a big problem. Do people not understand how to handle optical media?

Some don't hence why one of my mates will never touch any of my dvds ever again. Broken case and jam on the disc. I'm not even sure what some of the stuff on the case may have been as well


Don't think I've ever broken a video cassette (though the machines did a couple) and I haven't damaged a disk either (though I've received a broken one in the post before now)

 

[Random_Spock]

As far as CD's, some units will scratch up the media real nice. Depends on how the disc goes in of course, but I've had CD's with lots of circular scratches.

Could've been from the boombox, couldv'e been from the car player, could've been due to a poorly balanced disc.

Exactly. It's one reason why I don't really like CD's or DVD's all that much.

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

I'll never understand why this is such a big problem. Do people not understand how to handle optical media?

I definitely do but you wouldn't believe how many DVDs I've bought that I ended up having to return because they were so scratched up that they were unplayable. I'm talking about brand-new-factory-sealed. It's why I stopped buying DVDs.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I definitely do but you wouldn't believe how many DVDs I've bought that I ended up having to return because they were so scratched up that they were unplayable. I'm talking about brand-new-factory-sealed. It's why I stopped buying DVDs.

Damn, I certainly wouldn't buy from that company, then. I don't think I've ever bought a (new) DVD that was scratched up out of the box.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I have seen DVD packaging - mostly in boxed sets - that was so crappy as to make it almost ridiculously easy to damage discs when removing them from said packaging.

One example I can think of right away, is Deep Space 9. Worst DVD packaging I've ever seen.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I've actually had a data CD explode inside my computer once. It happened only that one time, and I've used hundreds of CDs in that same computer since with no problems.

In comparison, I've probably lost a half-dozen VHS tapes to hungry VCRs, but I still have several of them about the house, including one hooked up to my TV that I still use pretty regularly--that one is at least 25 years old, but it still plays like new (go fig). I have a DVD player and even a Playstation, but I still find myself using the VCR for recording stuff off TV.

 

[Amaris]

But back in the 80's and 90's, they were the shit. All the flaws you mentioned, but still awesome.

I could watch my favorite movie any time I wanted! I could record shows right off of the TV! Yeah, the VCR was awesome, and is a part of some really fond memories for me.

 

[MacLeod]

Just chewed up tape if you didn't clean the heads every 5 minutes

Especially if you played a lot of rental tapes.

Ah the joys of opening up a VHS player to get tapes out.

 

[Amaris]

Ah the joys of opening up a VHS player to get tapes out.

I know all about that. I worked for Hollywood video back in the early 2000s, when VHS was still popular and DVD was just getting warmed up. VCR repair, VHS tape repair, we had to know the basics on everything.