A nostalgic way to record media back in the 70s-90s with a tape that you could either record on, or buy pre recorded. Pretty nice other than 2 things.
1. The fact that if you rented a tape that you'd spend 8 years rewinding it all the way for the next user. Luckily some had tape reminders, but most didn't and therefore you had to watch a blue screen waiting to get to the beginning.
2. For today's standards VHS tapes are quite crude, especially since so much could happen while playing and the tape would be a little more worn each time you played it, meaning it would progressively worsen in sound and visual quality. Luckily DVDs are really long lasting and are also convenient as well.
1. The fact that if you rented a tape that you'd spend 8 years rewinding it all the way for the next user. Luckily some had tape reminders, but most didn't and therefore you had to watch a blue screen waiting to get to the beginning.
2. For today's standards VHS tapes are quite crude, especially since so much could happen while playing and the tape would be a little more worn each time you played it, meaning it would progressively worsen in sound and visual quality. Luckily DVDs are really long lasting and are also convenient as well.
Girl: How was the movie?
Boy: It was so good I recorded it on my VHS!
Girl: There's such thing as Blu-ra-
Boy: IT'S CALLED NOSTALGIA YOU UNCULTURED SWINE
Boy: It was so good I recorded it on my VHS!
Girl: There's such thing as Blu-ra-
Boy: IT'S CALLED NOSTALGIA YOU UNCULTURED SWINE
by (◉ᴥ◉) July 16, 2019
A rather crude and low quality tape-based video recording format from the 70s, which remained popular 'till the 90s, mainly because it was the lowest common denominator (practically everybody back then had a VHS machine).
VHS can capture only a portion of the detail the TV signal offers (less than 50%), even in "standard play" mode. Original VHS recorders could only record low quality mono sound, but later-day VHS recorders could also record Hi-Fi stereo. The biggest disadvantages of VHS were it's low quality blurry picture, and the fact the tapes lost even more detail when stored, played or copied. So, once you wrote something on VHS, it was guaranteed to become progressively worse in terms of quality over time.
A close cousin of VHS is S-VHS, an upgraded version which captures most of the detail the TV signal offers (close to 90%), but unfortunately S-VHS tapes lose detail over time too.
People like me who like to preserve their family videos and TV recordings for as long as possible hate even the mention of the name VHS (and S-VHS), as it brings back bleak memories from the 80s of their favorite videos rotting away without them being able to do something to save them (copying them resulted in loss of detail by itself and was only a temporary measure).
Better recording alternatives include DV recorders, DVD recorders, DVRs and media center PCs.
Believe it or not, there are people who still like VHS and mourn over it's loss, for reasons that contradict common logic.
VHS can capture only a portion of the detail the TV signal offers (less than 50%), even in "standard play" mode. Original VHS recorders could only record low quality mono sound, but later-day VHS recorders could also record Hi-Fi stereo. The biggest disadvantages of VHS were it's low quality blurry picture, and the fact the tapes lost even more detail when stored, played or copied. So, once you wrote something on VHS, it was guaranteed to become progressively worse in terms of quality over time.
A close cousin of VHS is S-VHS, an upgraded version which captures most of the detail the TV signal offers (close to 90%), but unfortunately S-VHS tapes lose detail over time too.
People like me who like to preserve their family videos and TV recordings for as long as possible hate even the mention of the name VHS (and S-VHS), as it brings back bleak memories from the 80s of their favorite videos rotting away without them being able to do something to save them (copying them resulted in loss of detail by itself and was only a temporary measure).
Better recording alternatives include DV recorders, DVD recorders, DVRs and media center PCs.
Believe it or not, there are people who still like VHS and mourn over it's loss, for reasons that contradict common logic.
-Me: Why are you treating your family videos so badly by writing them to VHS tapes?
-Other guy: I am retro dude! DVD is a conspiracy by corporations to make you buy more stuff.
-Me: Let me guess, you also drive a carriage to work instead of a car, because cars are a conspiracy to make you buy more stuff?
-Other guy: I am retro dude! DVD is a conspiracy by corporations to make you buy more stuff.
-Me: Let me guess, you also drive a carriage to work instead of a car, because cars are a conspiracy to make you buy more stuff?
by DimK October 31, 2011
An ancient video format from the distant past. It is believed by many archeologists and scientists that a box shaped object with film-like material inside was inserted into a odd device that was hooked up to a TV so you could watch movies. Fossils of VHS "tapes" have been radiocarbon dated 1980-1995.
by BucaFan3 June 29, 2014
A great medium being replaced by DVDs. You can rip the tape out of a VHS and throw it all over the place and shit, can you do that with a DVD? Hell No!
by pro-nun-see-A-shun July 7, 2003
The first format that allowed home users to play movies on a TV rather than going to a theater. Debuted somewhere around 1970, VHS tapes allowed people to record Televison programs off a VCR. It was considered a breakthrough technology until DVD's came out around 1997.
The truth is, VHS tapes are more durable than DVD's. They can be thrown around, gotten wet or stored in high heat, and still play. The minute you get a scratch on a DVD, it will skip. You can't break a VHS tape, but a DVD can be snapped in half.
The truth is, VHS tapes are more durable than DVD's. They can be thrown around, gotten wet or stored in high heat, and still play. The minute you get a scratch on a DVD, it will skip. You can't break a VHS tape, but a DVD can be snapped in half.
I've still got an old copy of ET from the 80's, and lots of recorded programs from the 80's and 90's. I love VHS!
by LadyLomia November 13, 2006
by ?6 April 30, 2021
DVD's have to be handled more carefully and be placed in environments with a certain level of humidity and temperature... despite the longevity DVDs have they seem to be a bit more fragile than the VHS. If you still have VHS tapes KEEP THEM! until they are completely unusable.
by Twentyfour December 29, 2005