People love to condescend about VCRs
I’ve noticed something recently. People think it’s awesome to be condescending about the VCR. Like having a VCR makes you a huge boner. I’m going to tell you right now, I will never apologize for having a VCR. Nor will I apologize for the fact that I still have one. In my closet. On the top shelf.
Think about it. People are so impressed that they can “record live television” with their fancy cable boxes and TiVos. Well, you know what else can? Yep. The V.C.R. Guess you forgot about that one. I’m certainly not going to go back and buy The Dirt Bike Kid on DVD, I recorded that cinematic gem off HBO in 1986. I’m set for life.
So tell me this. Why is it that when people look back at the 8-track and record player they get all wistful and/or think they’re super-cultured and awesome? How come the VCR is a huge joke? I loved the damn thing. When DVD’s first came out, you know what I said?
“Uh-oh, there goes the VCR. What a terrible, terrible shame.”
That’s exactly what I said. I won’t stand on the sidelines as hipsters besmirch my beloved VCR with their chi latte-scented venom. It’s no doorstop. It’s no relic of a lost time. It’s a culturally significant piece of technology and I love it.
Frankly, I don’t care about your opinions on this one, but give them to me anyway.
Gremlins, 1700 Christmas vacation, 3371 NBA Allstar game 1993
you could fit three or possibly four of your favorite movies recorded of abc sunday night movie on one vhs tape. mark the time on it. double fast forward and you’re good to go.
my only point i take issue with is that i don’t think people look very fondly on 8track. they’re the least practical music listening device invented.
Half Animal,
First, I have to commend you on your perfect examples of recorded movies – Gremlins was especially clutch.
However, you can’t come into my house and tell me that the 8-tracks aren’t seen as more ironic and kitschy than VCRs. And the reason is precisely what you identified – they’re completely useless junk. But people remember them fondly, with a glint in their eye. Remembering days when drunk driving was funny and Stadium rock was alive and well. People see a VCR and dismiss it as a time when humans were too stupid to figure out how to put stuff on a disc. I’ll allow that maybe its not far enough in the past, but currently the status quo is to condescend about Video Cassette Recorders.
many of the world’s greatest movies–on tape–haven’t been DVD’d yet and may never be. Without a VCR, they’re lost forever.
The best VHS tape I ever made had Spaceballs, Three Amigos and Dragnet (the Hanks-Ackroyd version) back-to-back-to-back.
Well, made from HBO. The best VHS I *really* ever made was just a montage of cream pies hitting random gfs bare asses.
Even “Rocky” had a montage.
My wife still uses a VCR. We refuse to get a DVR/TiVo because we know that once we give in, it will become a necessity and not a luxury. Why pay huge bucks for something my VCR can do. Furthermore, my wife and I already can’t keep up with all we want to watch, a DVR just takes up time watching programs you would have skipped if you had to go through the trouble of recording or ran out of tape. In any case, the day I feel bad to go meet actual people/friends because I can’t DVR a program I watch is the day I am officially a 21st century asocial mutant.
I get grief all the time about still using my VCR. There are only about two shows a week I don’t want to miss. Why would I need a DVR? Its not as if I don’t have a dvd player. When people tell me they love their DVR like its the greatest thing ever, I say, “wow, you must watch a lot of tv.” These are also the same people that bore to me death telling me about their lates cell phone and all the things it can do. Get a life, will you people?
We still have our VCR’s hooked up to the televison (along with our DVD Player). I refuse to get a movie on DVD it I alread have it on VHS.
my life age 13-17 (when started getting laid regularly): wake up check if what i set last night recorded. scan the tv guide for what i’m gonna record during the day. go to school. not eat much lunch cause i’m saving money for another 10 pack of 240min longplay capable VCR cassettes. get home, check the day’s recordings. set any evening tapes up. watch2-3 movies. check the evening tapes. catalogue, label and file the days videos. set night recording. sleep
says more about my teenage boredom than anything else really. i neither love VCR for or resent them for the time they stole, i just moved on. but there’s no need to rip on the thing. it does what it does well and has done since long before DVD was but a twinkle in some geek’s eye. i’m guessing they’re the same people who go round people’s houses and ask if that TV’s “Full HD or just HD Ready? Cause I have my doubts”. These people exist. knobs.
My only problem with VCRs is the picture quality. I’ve tried watching VHS tapes on by HD big screen and it just looks like crap. I do treasure my original Star Wars Trilogy VHS box set though… but I have them on DVD and once a finally cave and go blu-ray I’m sure I’ll buy them in that format as well.
The venerable VCR is indeed still useful and to be admired. Write down the counter setting of your favorite scene and go to it in fast forward (you’ll generally get close). If you want to watch some great action a second time, slow reverse to the point you want and watch again.
Cheap too.
With the video and sound quality of VHS its a wonder DVDs ever came out. I remember fondly adjusting, “oh so slightly”, the tracking on my VCR to tune in the perfect picture. Oh tracking button where have you gone?
The hours I spent fast-forwarding and rewinding unmarked tapes looking for that 1990 episode of the Simpsons were pure joy. And who didn’t like having closets and closets full of tapes? If you ask me, being able to have digital copies on a DVR or my computer’s hard drive just doesn’t have the same appeal. I say: give me 6 hours of sifting through random black tapes any day.
I put my VCR in the trash about three years ago when I was given a Tivo for Xmas, I am one of those DVR junkies and just last week made fun of a friend who had to wait for heroes to finish recording on his VCR before he could watch, while I was already watching off DVR.
Well Karma finally came back and got me I am moving and needed the owners manual to make sure I secured the drum properly for my front loading washter, so I go into the crawlspace to get the box with all the washer stuff and what is the manual??? a mudderfricken VCR tape!!
Luckily I found a version of the maual online but I will no longer devalue the greatness that is the V.C.R.
I have games 6 & 7 of the 86 World Series ond VHS (recorded), so i could go back and watch the ball go through Bukners legs, over and over and over again.
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