When did you last use a VCR?

I was just looking at the devices connected to my TV and suddenly realised I can't remember the last time I used my VHS VCR. I sometimes have to use the one at my girlfriends because she has no other method of recording anything, but I'm not sure when I last even played anything in mine. :unsure:

Since Sky+ I've not needed one to record anything from the TV, and there is also the DVD recorder when needed too.

And I just tried to play a tape in the VCR and it got stuck! So now I remember why I stopped using them in the first place! :dry:

So when did you last use one, and do you even still own one?

I know Steve still uses his religiously, and I expect him to for years to come, complaining that the HD signals won't record in a few years time. ;)

We have one under the telly, but I don't think it's actually connected.

I haven't used a VCR for probably 4 years.

Sunday to record "My Son Jack". No freeview signal in my area so cannot use DVR and most the things i want to record i only want to watch once so no point having a dvd recorder.

I actually still have three connected VCRs in the house ... but they're all DVD/VCR combos. I think that as long as you mainly use Standard Definition TVs, VHS tapes are still decent quality.

The last time I watched a tape was only two weeks ago - for some strange reason, I felt like seeing Armageddon again.

I replaced pretty much ever pre-recorder film I had on VHS with DVD's soon after the format took off, so I don't actually have that much still on VHS to watch. So I may even get rid of the VHS tapes and VCRs I still have... although... I do need to keep the SVHS edit decks in case a client ever throws some footage at me on the format.

I replaced my VCR when I bought my PS3, I needed the place, but not the VCR.

I have one of those VCR<>DVD combi things, but only ever use the Video Deck when transferring stuff to DVD. Else in the unlikely event of there being more things to record than the PVR can handle, I record to DVD-RW.

Same as most here....have a DVD/VCR combo....but has the VCR ever been used? No.....

The only reason I have one in my room is because I need to use the AV channel as the tv is older than me and I cant plug my PS straight in! :blink:

Heh, anyone missing those 'good old days when we used to record movies ourselves' ;)

But seriously, these last fifteen years we really have made some progress on data storage formats.
If you had told me all those years ago that we would be storing data like games and movies on CD (I probably would think that a DVD is a CD ROM too) I probably have not believed you.

Dammit, now you have activated the 'nostalgic' subroutine, I will be reminiscing (is that a word?) all day, thinking how happy I was at the time with stuff people now consider old and outdated.

Yea like NES games that you could never finish...

That is one thing you have to say for progress. At least most games can now be completed. There were so many 8-bit and 16-bit games I gave up on or cheated because they were just so unforgiving or impossible to work out.

I am using one as I write this.

I am currently watching the ceefax pages from the morning of Saturday 27th October. Well, more like listening. I can't read the ceefax pages whilst I am typing messages. I need to use this tape later to record something for my Mum, who lacks any kind of recorder, so I thought I'd listen to the ceefax music for a while.

Last time I used one was last night. My Dad does have a DVD recorder which I could have used, but I don't trust DVD recorders any more, so would only use one in an emergency. (The disks which this DVD recorder produces don't play in my player, but do play in my mum's player, and I often forget to finalise the disk which is something that can not be done when I have transported the disk 3 miles to watch it on my own tele).

I also have a DVD/VCR combi, but I am thinking about getting a VCR on it's own, so I can have one which can be put in the cupboard during the night to record stuff (it keeps me awake when it is on the desk), and also take it downstairs without messing up the cabling, and also for copying tapes.

You record teletext so you can listen to the music?... :unsure: O....K.....

The problem you mentioned with recorded DVDs not playing on certain players is actually down to the make of blank disks you are using. Some makes of blank DVD-R won't work in all DVD drives. For example 4x speed Datawrite discs can't be played in my Sony DVD player, but every other make I've used will. These days I just stick with Verbatim DVD-Rs. They may cost a little bit more, but they work in everything I've every tried them on and are higher quality and more reliable.

Isn't Pages from Ceefax music like lift music? Anyway, if you want a VCR for copying tapes, you could do far worse than tracking down one of these bad boys:

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/7...stradddfe0.jpg

Hey, I remember those Amstrad double decks. They were great at eating tapes.

£349.99! :o No way. Did we actually used to pay that much for such junk? Well I suppose it was viewed as quite current, if not cutting edge, at the time.

Inflation adjusted it's actually about £515!!

Still this was well before the days of DVD Writers etc. and I reckon a standard VCR would have been quite pricey.

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Originally Posted by Harrison

You record teletext so you can listen to the music?... :unsure: O....K.....

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Nah. I just fancied seeing what happened when BBC 2 finishes for the night these days. Seems like they have been using Ceefax for quite a few years. Back in 2002 when I recorded a few revision programmes off learning zone I always wondered why there were ceefax pages on for a few minutes before learning zone started.

That double VCR sound quite cool, although I would rather have two seperate ones.

But, if anyone fancies having one: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/vintage-amstra...QQcmdZViewItem

Imagine the postage for that thing from Aus! And Amstrad products were not exactly well made even when new, so I can't imagine it would be to hot after so many years. Although the built quality of their CPC computers was much better.

I expect it would be heavy.

What about the build quality of their printers and satellite recievers? (as you know, my DMP2000 still works perfectly and seems to be built pretty well)

Must have been about 7-8 months ago.

Havent got rid of it yet, as I have over a decade of Formula 1 review videos that not on DVD. :mad:

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Originally Posted by AlexJ

Isn't Pages from Ceefax music like lift music?

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Yeah, it is just like that lift 'muzak'

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Originally Posted by StuKeith

I have over a decade of Formula 1 review videos that not on DVD. :mad:

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You could always convert them over to DVD.

I last used a video the day before i got my PS2 many years ago - it was DVD for me from then on. Being a member of the MTV generation I like anything shiny and black tape just didnt cut it. In fact, I have to have flashing leds and speed metal on in the background just to get through this post without loosing attent....oohh look at the smiley faces...

Bah, VCR FOREVER. Im a diehard, VCR's are so easy to operate, even the oldies can use em, give em a shiny new dvd recorder and bang, they are stumped. Format this, erase that, bah, VCR rules, :).

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Originally Posted by FOL

Bah, VCR FOREVER. Im a diehard, VCR's are so easy to operate, even the oldies can use em, give em a shiny new dvd recorder and bang, they are stumped. Format this, erase that, bah, VCR rules, :).

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VCR? whats that? I still use betamax! :rolleyes:

Betamax. That's on my wish list for future upgrades. But currently I'm more than happy with my Philips V2000.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FOL

Bah, VCR FOREVER. Im a diehard, VCR's are so easy to operate, even the oldies can use em, give em a shiny new dvd recorder and bang, they are stumped. Format this, erase that, bah, VCR rules, :).

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My mum could never set the VCR, ever, even when we bought ones with proper on screen displays, videoplus and all that shit. Or maybe she just wouldn't, rather than couldn't.

Thank goodness for Sky+, she can use that alright!

Luckily for me, my grandparents can use the VCR, but I would hate to think what they'd be like with a DVD recorder.

Although I probably wouldn't be much better.

My parents can operate a VCR or and my mum can work her DVD recorder, but neither of them know how to set the timer on anything to record something later.

But my grandmother had no idea. I had to draw her an easy to understand flow diagram that she would take out and follow each time she wanted to use the VCR. And right up until the day she died she still thought you had to keep the TV on while recording. She would start the VCR recording with the TV on and then go in the other room to watch the other channel. Mad! But my other grandmother was even worse. She thought that when it was recording it would pick up sounds in the room so she would creep in trying not to make any noise. :lol:

I think I last used a VCR sometime in 2006. We still have it underneath the TV, but it's never in use. Mostly we use the DVD.

Years have passed. Now we don't use DVD-s often either. Got Netflix and the possibility to stream movies from the tuner as well.

I ripped my whole DVD collection, put it on the NAS where it's accessible from everywhere. Usually now I download my movies, or rarely I buy a BluRay, but only movies that for me are great.

I haven't had a DVD player connected under the main TV for over 2 years now, and it was only a couple of days ago that I needed one because my wife bought my 2 year old son The Gruffalo on DVD and he was walking around clutching the DVD box asking me to play it for him. I actually ended up moving the PS3 into the living room and connecting that up to play it. I was initially tempted to quickly download the film and stream it to the TV, but as my wife had purchased the DVD I thought it only fair we play it.

Funny thing is, the next day I went into the living room and the PS3 was on, the controller had been activated (pressing the PS button), the Star Wars BD that had been in the drive was ejected and on the side, and the Gruffalo DVD box was missing. Walked into thr Kitchen and there was Tom walking around trying to work out how to open the case.. he had actually worked out how to turn the PS3 on, eject the disc and activate the controller just by seeing me do it once! Impressed! But also annoyed that he had touched it. Didn't tell him off though.. just said he needed to ask me to do it in future. :)

Back to the TV, all we have under it normally these days is the SkyHD box. The Samsung TV is a smart TV so can stream films and music from my server upstairs, and Sky does the rest. Don't need anything to play discs normally any more.

We would all the screwed if the internet disappeared though!

And regarding VCRs, I actually need to dig one out and try to connect it up to capture an old Video tape my wife found which contains a series of final performances her University year group did for their final degree presentation. Quite hilarious watching to as it was made 20 years ago, and we want to embarrass her best friend whom spends a lot of the video inside a large stretchy tube. :lol:

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Originally Posted by Harrison

Funny thing is, the next day I went into the living room and the PS3 was on, the controller had been activated (pressing the PS button), the Star Wars BD that had been in the drive was ejected and on the side, and the Gruffalo DVD box was missing. Walked into thr Kitchen and there was Tom walking around trying to work out how to open the case.. he had actually worked out how to turn the PS3 on, eject the disc and activate the controller just by seeing me do it once! Impressed! But also annoyed that he had touched it. Didn't tell him off though.. just said he needed to ask me to do it in future. :)

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Children are very clever. Never underestimate that :ninja:.

As for VCRs, I have one on the floor, daisy chained via SCART to the Freeview box, which is connected via composite to my Dell U2410. I deliberately watched a VHS tape a couple of months ago.

I ran out of blank VHS tapes last year (the last lot I bought lasted me several years), so I went to Poundland to get some last month. I'm sure they'd had brands like Maxell before, but now they have their own Poundland brand VHS tapes! :huh:. I was surprised they would go to the effort of putting their own brand on them, but I bought some and they seem to work fine.

Poundland used to have Maxell UR audio cassettes as well, but now only have their own Poundland ones. Haven't tried those yet.

Have fun with the University tape :).

I just have a BluRay player, but it makes me a bit mad that I even bought a better one, I have an Oppo 93, which was 700€, but so far I watched perhaps 5 movies on BluRay, what a waste of money :dry:

That's the reason I didn't in the end as these days, like you, I tend to download and stream most movies from my server/nas. I just use my PS3 for BluRays.