In praise of VHS! (1 Viewer)

[Brian Kidd]

Comparing VHS to 8-track is ludicrous. 8-track was never more than another format in the bunch. It didn't move home audio forward in any way.

I do love Laserdisc, however it was never more than a niche item. Setting the physical faults of videotape aside, it did create home theater as we know it today. I'm sure that many of you know people who had HiFi VCRs long before they got a LD player, if they every purchased one at all! The vast majority of homes have at least one VCR. Some have more than that. Ridicule it, if you must, but VHS paved the way. It's a fact.

 

[DeathStar1]

Oh Most Definetly. I have Two VCR's in my room alone, mostly for dubbing purposes. I have One VCR Hooked up to a stereo, so I can record my favorite radio broadcast in the morining, since I rarley wake up at 6AM to hear it. The Dubbing comes from preserving older shows on tapes that seem to wear out faster than they should. Mostly due to over use. Also, so the originals can be un-used and last a little longer.
There's also something we never brought up. The VCR's themselves. I don't know if it's just the brand that I seem to buy, but after a few months, my VCR's start to get an annoying ringing sound every now and then. Sometimes when they start to start recording, others when I play a tape, that eventually wears away as far as noise goes. None of that with DVD players .

 

[Brian Kidd]

You must have bought your VCRs at WalMart.
Seriously, I was thinking about the comment made earlier about whether or not I think that those old P&S tapes were "edited" or not. Certainly, now that OAR presentation is readily available for almost every film released on DVD (at least for now :frowning: ) I insist on only watching films as they were intended to be seen. What some of you newer folks may have forgotten is that OAR presentation is still comparatively new in the home video world. It wasn't until the late 80's that you saw any ltbx transfers and then only on LD. Am I sorry that I saw so many films before that, even if they were cropped? No. I would have missed out on a hell of a lot of great movies then. Today, I'll kick and scream until I'm blue in the face if the studios stop releasing OAR transfers and I won't buy any film that isn't released that way. I'm still glad I had the opportunity to see all those films, even in a butchered manner. I wouldn't have, were it not for videotape.
PS I think some of the people were thinking that I was showing a preference for VHS over other tape formats. I assure you, as a former Betamax owner, this isn't the case. It's just historical fact that, like it or not, VHS won the format wars. Friends again?

 

[Mattias_ka]

2.) the studios/manufacturers seem to have let quality control slip. An inordinate number of VHS tapes I have purchased recently (from major "name" studios) suffer from "drop out" at certain points on the tape (usually near the very beginning or the very end).

This is true! The old tapes I have is over TWICE as heavy as the new tapes and better builed. So they will last longer.

Must tell you all that in Sweden and most of europe, during the "golden age" of VHS (78-83/84) most non commercial movies (the ones I collect) where IN OAR!! And all those 1000's after 1000's that will never come to dvd is great to have on VHS tape. Of course if a title is on LD/DVD in OAR uncut I will get it over the VHS, but there are too many movies I want that are not on LD/DVD.

 

[Brian Kidd]

That's interesting, Mattias. Unfortunately, it's just further proof that the world considers Europeans more intelligent than Americans. We're still trying to convince most folks that widescreen tv's are better and that Harry Potter found the Philosopher's Stone and not the Sorcerer's Stone. :frowning:
I concur with your opinion about tape quality. I have several older tapes as well, and they are much sturdier and have lasted much longer than tapes I bought just a couple of years ago. Sigh.

 

[Phil Florian]

It has been pointed out, but the best part of VHS was its ability to record. Though Tivo would like to think it invented "watching shows when you want to," VHS did it long before. VHS allowed my friend to tape "Stripes" off HBO back in the day so that we may watch it and re-watch it until it was memorized. Star Trek II was taped off a network and we got to see our first "deleted" scenes as old material was entered to fill out the time. I still use it it tape episodes of shows I can't watch while my daughter is still awake. While Tivo offers this service for $200 plus 10 bucks a month (or something like that) I can use a cheap ol' VHS tape and do the same thing...and do it over and over, as VHS is reusable. DVD-R, which will be hip, will still not be the best way to tape shows you can't be around to watch...unless DVD-R is DVD-R-R (rerecordable). Otherwise, it could get costly.

All Hail VHS. Grandaddy of Home Theater.

Phil

 

[DarrenA]

To me VHS was simply bringing HBO, Showtime, The Movie Channel and Cinemax into your home to watch whenever you chose (if you bought) or within a certain period of time (if you rented it).

I always felt that VHS was merely watching movies on television, but with DVD you can actually reproduce the film and theater experience in your home with front projection and state of the art digital surround systems. With VHS I never yearned for anything much larger than a 27" television, with DVD I never want to watch a movie on anything smaller than my 92" widescreen.

 

[Brian Kidd]

Well, those of us who can't (and probably won't ever) afford a 92" screen, VHS served its purpose and did it well. Once re-recordable DVD comes along, I'll bid a fond farewell to VHS. Until then, I'll use it at least once every few days to tape shows.
Fil,
You don't think your daughter is mature enough to handle BUFFY?

 

[Ed St. Clair]

SOUND!

Some people recorded CD's on VHS tape on their VHS HiFi machines and lost 'nothing' [in their eyes, or should I say ears] on their systems. And had six hour tapes for two bucks [pre-CD-rom deals, of coarse].

The sound of the trailer on LotR on the Blow VHS [my sister rented it], blows [yeah, I know!] away the sound of the trailer on Total DVD.

Now the sound on the movie DVD will certainly be better [can you say DTS]. However, their was a 'richness' and 'fullness' to the sound that was miles away from the 'thinness' of the DVD. And even the detail of the female singing voices was much more clear and distinct. Really adding to the atmosphere.

My favorite sounding VHS tapes were four films that were taken 'off the board' at Skywalker Ranch [don't ask!].

Only 'stereo' downconversions of the 5.1 masters that were going on the LD's.

Picture was FAB [S-VHS].

 

[RIchard Y]

I have to say that I despise VHS with a passion.
For years I had to put up with video noise, hiss and dropouts on this crap format. And when I bought widescreen videos, I had about 50 lines of resolution.
Celebrating VHS is like praising the audio quality of wax cylinders because it eventually led to CD.
DVD arriving was like mana from heaven, I still get excited about the sound and video quality.
VHS
DVD
Rant over.

 

[Paul_D]

I have to say that I despise VHS with a passion.

The two separate camps in this thread can be defined with this simple distinction. There are movie lovers, and then there are lovers of the format technology. True lovers of film, can see past VHS's shortcommings, relative to the digital format, and pure DVD/Laser lovers can't. Simple as that. This post may seem like smug superiority, but I say it with the utmost respect for pure lovers of the format. What it all boils down to is the film, whether it be digital or analog playback. To say you despise a format because of the lack-of-resolution seems is only just-about believable, given the nature of this forum. But in the broad context of movie-watching, its ludicrous.

DVD is doubtless a wonderul advance in the home movie watching world. But home viewing began with VHS, and for me, its still an acceptable way of watching a movie (and before you pounce - OAR goes without saying.)

 

[Scooter]

Videotape brought full length movies into the home...to view at your leisure..uncut! But for me the best thing about tape is what I recorded and can watch to this day. The births of both my sons...live coverage of the John Lennon assasination and the attempt on Reagan. ALL of Live Aid from C-Band satellite..etc. In the pre-recorded arena I have stuff that most likely will never make it to DVD...certainly did not make it to laser...due to lack of interest or political correctness.

As each improvement came along...I got it. I, like Greg, started out with 8MM silent..then Super Silent..then Super8 Sound..and on and on. I never did get BetaED and have not chosen which digital format to leap in to.

As much as Hollywood pays tribute to Edison and those first flickering images for creating an industry..so too should magnetic media be awarded a place in home theater as well.

 

[Phil Florian]

Brian,
Clara, being 2, appreciates Buffy only on the basest level and clearly misses the overarching themes of youth and such. She, being a realist with her feet solidly held in standard Euclidean Geometry, can't accept the aerobatics and unique worldview of the...oh, slag it. She is two, dang it, two! All hail taping shows!
Phil

 

[Doug Pyle]

Well, this may not be entirely on topic, but:
I always thought the Cinematographe sucked, and the Kinetoscope was an embarrassment.
Talkies
Silent

 

[Bob McLaughlin]

After thinking about it for a while, I realized that I've probably seen more movies on VHS than any other format, film included. So I'll give some kudos to VHS for good distribution. But other than that, put it on the shelf marked "OBSOLETE".

 

[RichardJS]

When I got my first VHS, I was able to record and to rent movies I wanted to see. I was and still am more interested in quantity (of available material) versus quality. Once DVD's became generally available I upgraded (which required a new amplifier and then a new TV, but thats an other story). I now only watch movies on DVD, but I still love the VHS VCR for recording OTA TV to watch when I have time.
VHS (in its place)
DVD

 

[RIchard Y]

Blimey! I didn't realise so many of you love this format.
Well, I still stand by what I said, it is poor quality.
Ok, so you can record but in the last 3 years I have recorded precisely zilch. I bought loads of films on VHS and they are now gathering dust, I can't even bring myself to watch any of the Indy trilogy on VHS. The moment DVD came out, VHS died in my eyes and I was happy to bury it.
How many of you can really say that after being spoiled with DVD video and audio quality that they can sit down and watch a VHS tape and not inwardly bitch about the crappy presentation.
Anyone want my old tapes?

 

[Paul_D]

Anyone want my old tapes?

I'll take 'em.
Shouldn't have to pay too much for postage either!

 

[Bill Eberhardt]

I love VHS! ...in its place. Like in the basement when I'm working out. After 10 or 15 minutes on a noisy treadmill with sweat rolling down my face, I couldn't appreciate the difference between VHS and DVD anyway.
In my workout room I have a 27" Sony TV and a Denon 1200 receiver hooked up to a pair of Klipschorns in stereo mode. I like to play some older VHS tapes to pass the time. With a 27" set the picture isn't that bad and I still have some great sound. I've got the first Indiana Jones tape in there right now and will probably follow it up with the next two.
In my home theater... well... I can't remember the last time I played a VHS movie in there. That's the time when I want to kick back and get total immersed in a film. A DVD on a 55" widescreen HDTV with 7.1 channel sound and no distractions... now that's the way to enjoy a movie.
So, put me down for:
VHS
DVD
Bill

 

[David Von Pein]

Thought I'd use this VHS platform to post these humorous anecdotes I found on the 'net (I still feel kinda sad for VHS. It has served me well. I hope to still see it around (albeit limited) in the future.) .......
VHS Funnies.........
When VCRs die out, there will be millions of VHS tapes left with no useful function. Hmm, what would a crazed Martha Stewart do with them? ..........
Use two cassettes as soles and duct tape as straps and, voila, homemade Birkenstock sandals! Nearly as ugly as the real thing, at a fraction of the cost.
Paint some cassettes yellow, then glue on Mr. Potato Head arms, legs and eyes. Try selling them for big bucks on eBay as SpongeBob SquarePants dolls.
Miles of shiny brown tape mean an endless supply of tinsel for your Christmas tree.
At Halloween, hold a cassette under your nose and go around yelling, "Hey, look at me, I'm Gene Shalit!"
Rip the guts out of a cassette and replace them with sand and ants. Watch your new ant farm through the clear plastic windows.
Lash a raft of videotapes together and escape from a desert island, like in "Castaway."
Two words: giant dominoes.