Oddity Archive: History of VHS (COMPLETE SERIES)

You wanted a history lesson? You got a history lesson!

NOTE: I’ve taken the opportunity to make a couple of slight revisions to Volume 4

0:00 – Vol. 1: The ‘70’s
21:58 – Vol. 2: Format Wars/VHS-C
47:57 – Vol. 3: S-VHS
1:13:58 – Vol. 4: D-VHS/Demise & Resurrection

Social Media:
Twitter: @oddityarchive

[reggiebenes]

I distinctly remember recording, FDR's "Day of Infamy" speech, live on my family's Quasar VR-1000 machine. So the VCR was obviously invented sometime before 1941. My dad kept this recorder on top of the TV right between his JVC GR-C1, and the "flux capacitor" that he loaded into the trunk of his DeLorean he used for business trips every time there was a thunderstorm in the area.

[shonbrennan]

Fun Fact (although obvious) this video is long enough to go on an T-120 tape at SP.

[FirstLast-vres]

I miss going to the local mom and pop video rental store in the '80s and getting a couple of VHS tapes. I was a kid at the time, but I vividly remember it. Oddly, the thing I remember most is the smell of the store. If you were around, you probably know what I mean. Tapes and VCRs had a very particular smell. I'd probably get a can of air freshener with that smell if somebody made it. Good times.

[jamesburke]

I miss the days of walking into an electronics store in the 90s and seeing the wild and wonderful different technology all in your face advertising everything being new and exciting. now its all the same design on everything and its just like "oh here's the next one that comes out in a month its the same."

[ThriftyAV]

Hey wait... Haven't I seen this?... Guess I'll let it play in the background and see if you added any hidden new info!

[neilforbes]

In Japan, the *only* legitimate user of the Dog & Gramophone "His Master's Voice" trademark is *Toshiba, * the Japanese subsidiary(like Capitol in America, the "infant toddler") of EMI(The Gramophone Co.) Ltd., Hayes Middlesex England.

[Vodhin]

Perhaps you may have hinted at it, the Betamax Blank Tape was way more expensive than VHS blanks. This supposedly is because of royalties other manufacturers had to pay to Sony to make the blanks - including those bought by the Pre-recorded video industry. That alone contributed greatly to the decline of Betamax.

[ExplosiveAction]

Very interesting and entertaining. I am in Australia and remember seeing D-VHS on runout sale at a specialist hifi shop circa 2002-3. Didn't realise they were so mechanically bad inside, but it makes sense - any VCR after Panasonic's amazing MKII around 1997 was just wafer-thin tinfoil garbage.

[Kylefassbinderful]

I plan on recording this series (all 103min) to VHS. Just for my own collection.

[marcelooshiro]

I like too much this history! I had VHS even when I got DVD player. Very impressive!

[TheHarryshelton]

Good review of format. I never would have thought that VHS would come and go in my lifetime!

[Kylefassbinderful]

I was waiting for these parts to be put together. Now I think I'll call in sick to work and binge watch some Oddity Archive!

[bobrogers]

I remember at Christmas I used to get lots VHS tapes in to tape some of the special programmes and films. In those days we had four channels (!). I remember in the late 80s early 90s there used to be special films series shown at Christmas such as the Japanese monster movies, W.C Fields, Marx Brothers, Jackie Chan etc etc.

[Bucky]

Glad you put this together. Enjoying it very much . Keep up the good work .

[neilforbes]

Matsushita: correct pronunciation broken into the separate syllables - *Mat - Su - Shi - Ta!* Four syllables, the 'i' in the third syllable is *NOT* silent!

[joer-tard]

i just remember when my family lived in north carolina for a year that one mom and pop video rental store right by the house we just had built and my dad was always out of town on buisiness so my mom would take her 4 kids me included to the rental stire and the adult section was just a few book cases full of vhs tapes in the back of the store with only a sign on one side of the aisle that said adults only.

my momin hushed tone: "JOE! GET OUTTA THERE AND LOOK AT MOVIES!"

of course the tiities had electrical tape covering them over the case😭😭😭😭😭but still tho. my mom tellin me to get outta there😂😂😂😂

[brucebuckeye]

Great job. I was fully absorbed! I can't imagine the hours you put into this. Thank you!

[tadreaming]

Really like your video compilation here. I would like to hear the music at the end of this video in CD format extended, maybe extend to an hour. I'm a sucker for the Mellotron, the violin sounds great too with it!

[VectraQS]

In regards to the US introduction date, the July 5, 1977 episode of _Wheel of Fortune_ exists due to being recorded by one of the contestants on the program. He says that it is on VHS tape and has poor sound quality and color. I can definitely confirm the quality aspects (it's floating around here somewhere on YouTube), but I guess we'll have to take his word for the format.

[azomama]

Welp, this is going to be a great hour a forty three minutes of my life