VHS, 30, dies of loneliness

[lurkey]

VHS, 30, dies of loneliness
The home-entertainment format lived a fruitful life
By DIANE GARRETT


After a long illness, the groundbreaking home-entertainment format VHS has died of natural causes in the United States. The format was 30 years old.
No services are planned.

The format had been expected to survive until January, but high-def formats and next-generation vidgame consoles hastened its final decline.

"It's pretty much over," concurred Buena Vista Home Entertainment general manager North America Lori MacPherson on Tuesday.

VHS is survived by a child, DVD, and by Tivo, VOD and DirecTV. It was preceded in death by Betamax, Divx, mini-discs and laserdiscs.

Although it had been ailing, the format's death became official in this, the video biz's all-important fourth quarter. Retailers decided to pull the plug, saying there was no longer shelf space.

As a tribute to the late, great VHS, Toys 'R' Us will continue to carry a few titles like "Barney," and some dollar video chains will still handle cassettes for those who cannot deal with the death of the format.

Born Vertical Helical Scan to parent JVC of Japan, the tape had a difficult childhood as it was forced to compete with Sony's Betamax format.

After its youthful Betamax battles, the longer-playing VHS tapes eventually became the format of choice for millions of consumers. VHS enjoyed a lucrative career, transforming the way people watched movies and changing the economics of the film biz. VHS hit its peak with "The Lion King," which sold more than 30 million vidcassettes Stateside.

The format flourished until DVDs launched in 1997. After a fruitful career, VHS tapes started to retire from center stage in 2003 when DVDs became more popular for the first time.

Since their retirement, VHS tapes have made occasional appearances in children's entertainment and as a format for collectors seeking titles not released on DVD. VHS continued to make as much as $300 million a year until this year, when studios stopped manufacturing the tapes.

[Brent]

Good riddance. I still have about 200,000 tapes(they take up WAY too much space), but I record all even semi-important stuff to DVD now, and I've transferred a lot.

[JenBayles]

We're so old we actually still have Beta tapes and a working machine.

[GalvestonDuck]

I still have two VHS machines and a gazillion tapes. But thanks to Brent, my eyes were opened to the world of DVD-recorders! Now all my VHS's are being transferred to DVD for easier storage (and evacuation) and better movie protection.

The only Beta tape I have is a newscast of the Challenger explosion.

[angelwing]

Gee, guess I'll have to put the VHS next to my reel-to-reel player

[MGC]

I'll put my VHS player next to my 8-track car stereo.......MGC

[Tstormwatcher]

I took mine to the dump. Stopped working a few years ago anyway.

[TexasStooge]

The VHS player is on life support here. (DVD/VCR Combo)

[Miss Mary]

I wore out 4 VCR's before we bought the two we have now - simple Panasonic ones. Still going strong. Used occasionally, since we have Satellite and that tends to go out in storms. Which cancels any programming we have on the DVR (if in progress). So I still use the VHS format but not as often as we used to.

My first VCR? An RCA that I paid $550 for in 1984. Well worth the price I said (back then)!

But seriously once you go with DVR, Tivo, etc. you're spoiled. Going back to rewinding and FF on a VHS tape is tedious and you almost forget how to do it!

Mary

[gtalum]

I dumped my last VCR 2 years ago when I got a DVR.

[breeze]

I have a VCR player AND a DVD player - I guess I'm still on "life-support", too,
because all my tapes are VCR and I only rent DVDs - it's time to move on,
isn't it?

*sigh....


~Annette~

[JonathanBelles]

i thought that happened a long time ago.

[Terrell]

I still have 2 working VCRs one of which is a VCR/DVD combo but the only DVD burner I currently have is on my PC. Guess I need to get one.

[pojo]

RIP VHS

I'm glad for the transition... technology has become so advanced.... one can only speculate what will they come out with next?

[kevin]

:lol:

Good riddance. I still have about 200,000 tapes(they take up WAY too much space), but I record all even semi-important stuff to DVD now, and I've transferred a lot.

What? What would you be recording? Are you in film school or something, have movie ambitions? I am confused.

200,000 is an enormous number. I don't have 200,000 things, not even pennies.

[Brent]

:lol:

Good riddance. I still have about 200,000 tapes(they take up WAY too much space), but I record all even semi-important stuff to DVD now, and I've transferred a lot.

What? What would you be recording? Are you in film school or something, have movie ambitions? I am confused.

200,000 is an enormous number. I don't have 200,000 things, not even pennies.

Well 200,000 was an exaggeration, but I do have several hundred. It feels like 200,000 sometimes.

I record and watch a ton of TV. It's depressing.

[kevin]

That isn't depressing man, but I took you on your word at 200,000. Call me gullible.