Circuit City Says No To Tape (1 Viewer)

[Eugene Hsieh]

If they can get a good DVD-RW deck to market at around a $500 price point (2003?), then I believe that that will be the true replacement for VHS

The Panasonic DMR-E20 DVD-RAM/-R is now under $600. eCost.com is taking preorders for the DMR-E30 for $550, out in a couple of months.
Not bad if you ask me. A recorder that allows you to record DVD-RAM while playing a different part of the same disc at the same time, DVD-R recording, as well as progressive scan, for a little more than I paid for a Panasonic progressive scan non-recordable DVD player a year ago.
Anyway, good riddance to VHS. Watching it is simply painful now.

 

[JoshB]

And thats the end of that chapter.

To sin by silence when we should protest makes cowards out of men.

 

[Paul D G]

So, the news did a little story on this the other day. They interviewed some woman who complained that she doesn't like being forced to rebuy a movie she has on VHS on DVD. And I'm thinking, you own the movie, CC stops selling it on VHS... and how exactly does this equate forcing you to buy the movie again?

Seriously, sometimes you wonder if they edit these pieces to make fun of certain people.

BTW - they showed one particular CC's VHS selection and it was pathetic. One side of an asile, two rows all the way down.

-paul

 

[Bryant Trew]

Here's to hoping that this stops D-VHS!!! Not that it has a chance anyway.

 

[Brian E]

BTW - they showed one particular CC's VHS selection and it was pathetic. One side of an asile, two rows all the way down.

That's all the CC I usually go to ever stocked.

 

[Dennis_HT]

VHS quantities are rapidly diminishing in other stores. The local Best Buy stores now stock dvds at a ratio of 4-1 over VHS tapes. DVD is a great a/v medium. HD-DVD will be even better.

 

[JasenP]

I look forward to the death of tape. I just wish they'd stop using it where I work, I am tired of fixing these cheap VCR decks they insist on buying.

 

[John_Berger]

What Circuit City isn't telling you is that they're phasing out VHS in order to introduce their new pay-per-view DIVHS system -- $4.50 for the first VHS viewing and $3.25 for every viewing after that.
Don't worry. It's not meant to complete with VHS. Trust them on that, because they said so.

 

[John_Berger]

I look forward to the death of tape. I just wish they'd stop using it where I work, I am tired of fixing these cheap VCR decks they insist on buying.

Until such time as recordable DVDs and decks are affordable, I'm actually concerned about the rapid reduction in VCR availability.

Yes, DVD is *the* medium to watch pre-recorded movies; however, VHS is currently *the* medium to record. If stores want to stop selling pre-recorded VHS tapes, that's one thing. But if they're trying to completely stop selling anything VHS related, I am very concerned about that action at this point.

 

[Eugene Hsieh]

Well, around here VHS software is diminishing rapidly, but VCRs are still on sale everywhere. ie. VCR availability is diminishing at a much slower rate.
It may just be a matter of semantics, but I don't believe VHS is "the" recording technology. DVD recorders are here and are "the" recording technology, but are just a bit too expensive. One can only hope that VCRS will start to disappear more quickly and that DVD recorders will drop precipitously in price to fill the gap.

 

[John Berggren]

PVRs seem to be a good interim recording technology. You can get TiVo (or other) to record for you, then record to a secondary source - VHS or video capture card. I imagine VCD's wouldn't be hard to make with the tech available.

 

[rick bie]

I for one find it worrysome when a chain discontinues a product before it's time. I started way back with Beta and then went to VHS and just recently started into DVD. Beta at the time and I still think except for tape length was a far superior media in regards to VHS but it was buried by better marketing and poor corporate judgement.
I love DVD and OAR but don't agree with the rather snobbish "good riddance VHS is dead mindset" If it was the majority of the public saying it, thats one thing, but it isn't. Figures I've heard were 30% of the market is DVD, far from even half, but because they've decided to stop selling VHS(can't be because they can charge more for DVD) so be it. Don't get me wrong here, as I said earlier I have DVD and it is definately better. It just a little scarey when corporate buys into something how quickly the wheels can turn. I know you guys with the high end HT's may not care but to the rest of us, when you've invested a lot in different formats (Beta- 250+ tapes, VHS- 275+ tapes, DVD- 12 discs) and equipment watching another of your medias(I am not even talking about 8 tracks & cassettes)gets wacked, it's painful. Just remember the DVD format isn't perfect and technology is constantly changing as long as there is money in it for the companies.
p.s. I'm not flaming anyone, just observing