AfterDawn: News

R.I.P, VHS

According to an LA Times piece, Distribution Video Audio, the last known large distributor of VHS tapes, has shipped out its last batch of tapes, marking the end of an era.

VHS, and the players they are played on, VCRs, hit retail shelves in 1965 and allowed users to time-shift shows by recording them to video tape for playback whenever they chose. Earlier this year we reported the final demise of standalone VCRs although many companies still make combo DVD/VHS players or even Blu-ray/VHS players.

Ryan Kugler, the CEO of Distribution Video Audio, said that any leftover tapes would be given away.

"It's dead, this is it, this is the last Christmas, without a doubt," he added. "I was the last one buying VHS and the last one selling it, and I'm done."



The last Hollywood movie to be released on VHS was A History of Violence which was released in 2006.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 24 Dec 2008 1:16

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• 23 comments

• slickwill

  Noooooo, you have to be kidding me. VHS can't be dead, I was just starting to get a reputable collection of VHS videos, and I still regularly record shows onto VHS. What will I ever do!!!

  24.12.2008 04:10 #1

• bryston

  Oh well, I haven't used my vhs machine in a while anyway.
  
  Jo
  

  Life is Grand !
  
  

  24.12.2008 04:21 #2

• ripxrush

  i still have like a 10 pack of sony vhs blank tapes here but have not used my vcr since my DVR beginnings of 2004 i think! I removed my last VCR/VCP about 6 months ago & it is relegated to the shed where it will sit for 5-10 ears until i toss it out!

  24.12.2008 04:36 #3

• bomber991

  It's gonna be sad in the future copyright wars, people are going to forget that before everyone had vcr's and blank tapes, and only had to hit record to instantly record something, and had to be a nasa scientist to record something at a specific time.

  24.12.2008 07:42 #4

• mbself

  I think the stuff came out around 1975-1976 and not 1965 as posted in the article. I still use VHS but not for video. I record live audio events on a hi-fi deck because of the fool proof aspect of it's use....then transfer to digital at my convenience.

  24.12.2008 16:50 #5

• blivetNC

  Quote:The Video Home System,[1][nb 1] better known by its abbreviation VHS, is a recording and playing standard developed by Victor Company of Japan, Limited (JVC) and launched in Europe/Asia in September 1976 (U.S. launch was June 1977), with The Young Teacher being the first movie to be released and A History of Violence, released on home video in 2006, being the last in the North American market
  From Wikipedia, you are correct mbself. Personally I think that the VHS tape concept is too archaic to be around, DVD-R recorder drives and the like are way ahead of them in terms of picture quality and ease of use.
  For anyone still interested, Goodwill has plenty of VHS players and recorders for really cheap.

  24.12.2008 17:27 #6

• DVDBack23

  Originally posted by mbself: I think the stuff came out around 1975-1976 and not 1965 as posted in the article. I still use VHS but not for video. I record live audio events on a hi-fi deck because of the fool proof aspect of it's use....then transfer to digital at my convenience.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videocassette_recorder

  24.12.2008 17:52 #7

• ZippyDSM

  And you probably can still find tapes for another decade, mass produced stuff is easy enough to find until it gets trashed.

  25.12.2008 07:55 #8

• mbself

  Come to think of it, haven't we read several stories like this concerning reel to reel tapes. Last I checked you can still find those around. Not ebay either....new in stock.

  25.12.2008 18:35 #9

• DXR88

  What about VHS-C. they use the same 1/2 Tape.

  26.12.2008 20:56 #10

• locobrown

  I have to get me a VCR pronto. Mine died 2 years ago. I still have my Betamax and tons of digital tape. Blank VHS tapes will still be around for another decade since not that many people are VHS crazy at this moment. Most people of this current generation look forward to blank DVDs rather than blank VHS tapes, but VHS enthusiasts many be quite happy about this fact. Lets not forget that DVD is far superior than VHS. Blu-ray still has a long tough journey before it grabs everyone's attention like DVD has done especially those who can easily rip DVD movies.

  28.12.2008 02:51 #11

• xboxd00d

  I aint used VHS in years, not since getting a dvd recorder, the picture and sound quality of vhs is shocking, now we are in the blu-ray age i dont think i cud even watch a tape now, i cant even watch copied dvd's, the quality is unacceptale (even the so called "good copies").
  
  So I say WHO CARES vhs is dead, bring on the new technology, hi def tv's, surround sound, and PS3's rock, people who cling onto to this outdated technology should stop livin in the past.

  8.1.2009 14:13 #12

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by xboxd00d: I aint used VHS in years, not since getting a dvd recorder, the picture and sound quality of vhs is shocking, now we are in the blu-ray age i dont think i cud even watch a tape now, i cant even watch copied dvd's, the quality is unacceptale (even the so called "good copies").
  
  So I say WHO CARES vhs is dead, bring on the new technology, hi def tv's, surround sound, and PS3's rock, people who cling onto to this outdated technology should stop livin in the past.
  Give me 10 grand and I wont care :P

  8.1.2009 14:14 #13

• varnull

  Give me 10 grand.. and I can find way better and more important things than hd ripoff tech to spend it on..
  

  
  
  Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work.
  I would rather you hate me for who I am than love me for what I am not.
  Welcome to the other side of the looking glass Alice

  8.1.2009 14:16 #14

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by varnull: Give me 10 grand.. and I can find way better and more important things than hd ripoff tech to spend it on..Well ya....I could clear my debt with 10G... hehehehehe
  
  
  BTW oh great tech goddess would you know how to reset progressive scan to off...I set my new DVD+VHS recorder to progressive scan by mistake...and ...well........ I no can undo it ><
  

  Fallout 3 has stole my soul, for about 30 hours till the paint wore off.... even if its a action focused FPS RPG, at least its a FPS RPG not a under deved shooter like Bioshock!

  8.1.2009 14:19 #15

• varnull

  Good question... you have a vhs/dvd recorder??.... errrmmmm.. RTFM?? dunno.. anything that does i/p is outside my area of knowledge.. all mine does interlaced.. because that's all my pal 50/60 ONLY tv will display.
  

  
  
  Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work.
  I would rather you hate me for who I am than love me for what I am not.
  Welcome to the other side of the looking glass Alice

  8.1.2009 14:30 #16

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by varnull: Good question... you have a vhs/dvd recorder??.... errrmmmm.. RTFM?? dunno.. anything that does i/p is outside my area of knowledge.. all mine does interlaced.. because that's all my pal 50/60 ONLY tv will display.Mines pal/ntsc, but the progressive scan dose not have a sensor on it(like msot progressive scan stuff has) and its on progressive scan mode thus I am SOL since I have no progressive scan TVs...
  
  I do have a combo player that supports progressive scan I wonder if it will convert it back to something a normal TV can see....
  

  Fallout 3 has stole my soul, for about 30 hours till the paint wore off.... even if its a action focused FPS RPG, at least its a FPS RPG not a under deved shooter like Bioshock!

  8.1.2009 14:38 #17

• varnull

  should do.. on the fly even... or how about a capture card?.. you have one on your pc (/me does because me is a geek)???
  

  
  
  Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work.
  I would rather you hate me for who I am than love me for what I am not.
  Welcome to the other side of the looking glass Alice

  8.1.2009 14:46 #18

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by varnull: should do.. on the fly even... or how about a capture card?.. you have one on your pc (/me does because me is a geek)???I have one but its a old hauppaugei wintv.
  

  Fallout 3 has stole my soul, for about 30 hours till the paint wore off.... even if its a action focused FPS RPG, at least its a FPS RPG not a under deved shooter like Bioshock!

  8.1.2009 14:50 #19

• varnull

  give it a go.. if you drop every other frame.. say odd.. then you should at least get something you can see.
  

  
  
  Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work.
  I would rather you hate me for who I am than love me for what I am not.
  Welcome to the other side of the looking glass Alice

  8.1.2009 14:57 #20

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by varnull: give it a go.. if you drop every other frame.. say odd.. then you should at least get something you can see.or I can tag a used 20$ USB model that's known to support it.
  

  Fallout 3 has stole my soul, for about 30 hours till the paint wore off.... even if its a action focused FPS RPG, at least its a FPS RPG not a under deved shooter like Bioshock!

  8.1.2009 15:00 #21

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by ZippyDSM: Originally posted by varnull: give it a go.. if you drop every other frame.. say odd.. then you should at least get something you can see.or I can tag a used 20$ USB model that's known to support it.Ack dose not work on the PCI wintv card, tried changing the interlace/progressive scan options in Vdub capture mode....Win tv dose not have those options.
  
  I wonder if my old Creative montage Crt TV tuner will do it...mmmm
  

  Fallout 3 has stole my soul, for about 30 hours till the paint wore off.... even if its a action focused FPS RPG, at least its a FPS RPG not a under deved shooter like Bioshock!

  8.1.2009 15:20 #22

• Azazel61

  I'll just have to put the VCR right next to the old Beta Max in my basement. :) For old time's sake.

  9.1.2009 15:51 #23