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In praise of VHS! (1 Viewer)

Ross Williams

Supporting Actor
Joined
Feb 9, 1999
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653
Ted,

I can understand why you hate VHS. To you it represents the death of theater. But for the majority of us, who never had revival theaters near them, VHS was a blessing. I grew up 30 miles from the nearest theater, which only showed the newest films. For me the only way to see older movies was VHS and HBO. I grew up on both. I wouldn't love movies the way that I do now if they had never existed. For me it's as simple as that. I've got to give VHS props for what it provided me with.

Now, I can't stand VHS quality. I never watch movies on VHS, I'm a complete and total DVD snob. VHS still has its uses in my house, mostly recording TV.

Thank you VHS for introducing me the wonderfulness that is film. Now get out of the way for DVD.
 

Dick

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May 22, 1999
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Rick
Laser disc techncology was not available when VHS first came out. VHS was an enormous breakthrough for true movie buffs in its day - it brought into our own homes films in full-length at about the same price as a 20-minute "digest" print in super 8mm (albeit on a smaller screen). It allowed us film collectors to actually own feature films for far less than the super 8mm $200.00-$400.00 range, thus leading to the domestic demise of super 8 releases but spawning a completely new collecting field. Laser didn't catch on for a few years yet, and when it did, it was spectacular for us, indeed! But laser maintains its place as a great precursor medium to DVD, and I submit that, while most of us now have little use for it, VHS served the same purpose for laser.
 

Jean-Michel

Supporting Actor
Joined
Mar 28, 2002
Messages
769
Sure -- after an additional fifteen whole years of revival movie theater pleasure -- and for an infinitely superior product (apart from the DVD quality lets not forget the director's commentaries, etc.), when combined with 16:9 HD displays, 5.1 sound systems, etc. Hardly the "same thing".
But the result would've been the same thing -- fewer revival houses. That was my point.
 

David Von Pein

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Feb 4, 2002
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My, oh my, what a hot bubbling abyss of VHS controversy I wrenched out of a dead thread when I revived this after 8 months in the ground! :)
(I'm certainly enjoying the renewed viciousness however! :D )
I'm very glad to hear many of my co-horts here at HTF defending (to some degree) the VHS format! Refreshing! Like many have said above, VHS has provided us with so many different programs/movies that we do not have (yet anyway) on DVD (and may never get)! I wouldn't dare scrap my VCR. I'd be a fool!
 

David Von Pein

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Feb 4, 2002
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Time-Shifting and Commercial Skipping are the 2 best things about VHS for me, these days. Still, I have some movies that I like on VHS, but do not like enough to buy the DVD (or the DVD is not available).
I would have SWORN on a stack of old VHS movie tapes that it was I, and not John, that posted the above! :)
John, I concur right down the line!
 

David Von Pein

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Feb 4, 2002
Messages
5,752
VHS is this film buff's worst nightmare. Die, VHS, die!!!
I'm curious as to WHY a film cannot be enjoyed by a "buff" while viewing it in VHS form?
I realize the super-duper digital quality is not there...but, if you ask me, if you're a true-blue film/movie buff, then you could enjoy some of these classic treasures at home too, even on the dreaded Video Home System format. Maybe I'm off my rocker, I don't know. :)
But don't truly fanatical film buffs savor the film content itself foremost? Obviously, you don't want to have to endure a totally unwatchable crap VHS copy of a film. But as long as it's in decent condition, I would think the buff would be able to stand viewing a movie on magnetic tape.
Perhaps it's a stigma, brought about by this great-looking DVD format we're now into. Many people have the attitude that since we have DVD technology now, that must mean that VHS is completely worthless/useless! Which is a stance I don't get. I love the quality of DVD too, but I'm not about to file each and every older VHS tape in the garbage just because DVD has arrived! To me, this is as ludricous and silly as not purchasing any Warner Brothers movies simply because of the box which houses the disc(s)! Lunacy!
Why not enjoy BOTH formats while they're both here?!
The other day, an acquaintance gave me the most vicious scowl upon learning that I still have many movies in VHS format (rather than upgrading ALL of them to DVD). I felt like I was dirt under his fingernails! "You'll go directly to Hell if you keep any VHS!" was the feeling I got from him. Too bad! I'm keeping VHS, as well as (now many) DVDs!!
Hell, open your fiery gates! I'm comin' down! :D
 

Mattias_ka

Supporting Actor
Joined
May 21, 2001
Messages
567
Good talking David VP!!!
Most of the movies I'm interested in are NOT coming out on DVD. VHS is still the king in my house
 

Brian Kidd

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Joined
Nov 14, 2000
Messages
2,555
VHS isn't king in my house, more like Arch Duke. DVD comes first, then Laserdisc, then VHS, then shadow puppets. :D
I agree that there are some lesser-known genre films that may never come out on DVD. Movies disappear every day unless they're more popular titles.
 

Jerome Grate

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May 23, 1999
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2,989
'm curious as to WHY a film cannot be enjoyed by a "buff" while viewing it in VHS form?
Jolly good comment DavidVP, my sentiments exactly. Before DVD I watched Transformers The Movie well over 100 times since I got the VHS about two years ago. When I sit with my son in his room I still watch it on VHS, just so I can see it with him and makes him laugh when I say the lines immediately before they come up.
 

Vickie_M

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Joined
Dec 31, 2001
Messages
3,208
When DVD recording becomes more affordable I will transfer many of these to the more permanent and reliable digital format, but until than...
I know, I dream of being able to reduce everything I have on video into something (DVDs in jewel cases) that will fit on a couple of shelves. Damn you Jack Valenti! (Now if only I could also microfilm the tens of thousands of magazines that I can't bring myself to throw away...)
Just call me Packrat! :b
I'll never forget the first time I heard about VTRs. The technology was mentioned in an article in TV Guide (I used to memorize the thing, was a walking, talking TV Guide), sometime in the early '70's. I read that article over and over again, not believing that such magic could be possible. To be able to watch a specific movie anytime I wanted! To be able to record movies and shows to watch later! It was one of those "Golden Moments" that you never forget. I'd been watching movies on TV ever since I could remember, and used to daydream about being rich and famous enough to have my own screening room like I'd read about in stories about Hollywood people. To be able to say "I think I want to watch **** tonight, and so I will" was such a magnificent thing to ponder. (That's one reason why I will never have enough DVDs. People say, but you can't possibly watch them all. Who cares? They'll BE THERE if I want to.)
When I met my husband in 1982, he had owned a VCR for several years. I had never even seen one before. I knew I wanted to stick to him like glue. Luckily, we fell in love. :)
I'll ALWAYS have a soft spot for VHS, even though I'd like very much to get rid of all of mine (without losing the contents).
Ted, I grew up on a farm, so not only were there no "revival houses," the nearest movie theater was a long, long, long ways away. I'm sorry at the loss of so many wonderful theaters (I'd love them as much as you if I had lived there), but VHS was the BEST thing to happen to the millions of movie lovers not in NYC. Even today, you have more theaters playing older films (don't say you don't, I get the New Yorker) than possibly any other city in the world (I don't know what the revival theater situation is in LA, Toronto, Paris and London).
Another thing, in response to something on the front page, Tivo is FAR SUPERIOR to VHS alone. It's one of those things that people don't realize is so wonderful until they actually use one. Just the Wish Lists alone makes it a dream machine. You put a name in and the Tivo will record everything with that name, automatically, as long as it's in the Program Description. To do the same thing with a VCR, you'd first have to spend hours pouring over the TV Guide or other sources for what you want (and lots of times the TV Guide isn't as complete as the Tivo guide), write down the times, program them into your VCR's timer, then make sure there was a safe, recordable tape in the machine (not a pre-recorded video or the only copy of your baby's first steps), then make sure your VCR was shut off. I know, because I used to have to do that all the time. It's so much easier now. I have over 100 Wish Lists, mostly for very obscure things. Not everyone needs a Tivo, but for me, Tivo has already paid for itself in the "OHMYGOD! I can't believe it got that! I would have missed that otherwise!!" department.
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I'll shut up now. :D
 

Steve Christou

Long Member
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Apr 25, 2000
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:laugh: Vickie, I know how you feel, hundreds and hundreds of tapes, what to do?
I'm a collecting-freak, the only things I don't keep are newspapers and tv guides, its a disease, luckily I have spare rooms to stick everything in.
I have several thousand non-pre-recorded videotapes dating back from the late 70's. I even have a few hundred Betas (we had to have both).
Yikes! I don't have any Betas, getting into vhs around 1980, I've never counted my tapes but there must be well over a thousand.:b
I'm replacing my favorite movies with dvds as fast as I can, looking forward to replacing my old 'Singin'in the Rain' tape soon.:emoji_thumbsup:
I give my unwanted tapes to my nephews and nieces.
 

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