60 Years of Video Tape Recorders & Videocassette Players (1956 – 2016)

In 1956, the very 1st video tape recorder was invented. And by 1963 videocassette recorders were invented. But since, initially, it was intended only for the professional sector, it was way too expensive for the general public to afford for home use. The first consumer video cassette was introduced by SONY in 1971. The VHS (Video Home System) was released in Japan in late 1976 and in the USA in early 1977. So after being in use for 60 years, and surviving for almost 40 years in homes around the globe, the production of, the Video Cassette player, has finally come to an end. In July 2016, FUNAI Electric, in Osaka, Japan, the last remaining manufacturer of VHS recorders; which had been producing VHS-playing VCR’s for 33 years; announced, it would cease production of videocassette players by the end of the month !!!!!!

Ironically it was 33 years ago, in late 1983, that we got our very 1st videocassette player. I was 8 years old. By the age of 9/10, I was a pro when it came to VCR’s and VHS cassette’s. I use to love recording stuff off the tube (televisions, that existed in another era). By the 1980’s, thanks to the videocassette player, cinema’s saw a major decline in numbers. People preferred to watch movies, in the comfort of their home. In fact, as a kid, it’s only once or twice, we went to the cinema, in the 80’s. But we use to go out on other outing a lot back then. By the mid-90’s thanks to the multiplexes, cinemagoers multiplied. Back in New Delhi, India, during my Delhi University (DU) years, we students went to the Cineplex’s, just to witness the new trend of having many a screens in one theatre. Plus it was a classy experience, unlike the best (one screen) cinema’s in Colombo, Sri Lanka, at the time. Soon Laser Disc’s (LD’s) & Video Compact Disc’s (VCD’s), started entering the market. I remember, how back in the late 90’s, I was talking with my fellow batch mates in DU, and I recall verbatim, that I said “Call me old fashioned, if you like, but I prefer the old videocassette, to these Laser Disc’s and VCD’s”; and they nodded in agreement. In fact I wasn’t a fan of sticky VCD’s at all (but loved the concept of audio CD’s, since I first saw/listened to them in the late 80’s, even though, I was still buying audio cassettes, in the late 90’s, as well).

My Audrey Hepburn collection of Videocassettes (from September 2003)

By the early 2000’s, I was still buying video cassettes, mainly in regard to my Master’s course, in England. In Luton, UK, in September 2003, just after I handed in my final dissertation, titled “Marriage in Hitchcock Films: From Rebecca to Marnie” for my MA in International Cinema, I treated myself to a collection of Audrey Hepburn movies, by buying a box set containing, five videocassettes (four out of the five were movies I had already seen). AND it was thoroughly worth it, being a big Audrey Hepburn fan!!!!!

The Dual System (VHS-deck & DVD player, combo system) I bought in Oslo, in December 2003; we still use!!

Videocassettes on one side …

… DVD’s on the other.

In Oslo, in December 2003, I bought a Dual System (VHS-deck & DVD player, combo system); and still kept recording films/TV-miniseries from television onto video cassettes, until about 2005!!! I saw a Christmas offer, in a catalogue, back then, and I knew it would be perfect for us (our family), for we had so many videocassettes from the 80’s onwards, and a few VCD’s, in our house in SL. Not to forget the few home movies (we had on old video tapes), of what we had filmed, in our childhood to teenage years. Of course, all those (older) cassettes are rotting away in a store cupboard. Hope I can salvage the home movies, at least. It’s only within the last decade, that I haven’t done any kind of video recording at all. Of course, since 2004 onwards, I’ve bought quite a few DVD’s, around the globe, adding to my ever growing private home library of books and movies (also see my post Holidaying in Australia, comes to an end, from November 2014).

My Film Library: My Private DVD collection

My Film Library: My Private collection of Movies (Videocassettes & DVDs)

My Film Library: My Private collection of Movies (Videocassettes & DVDs)

So the video cassette survived, well into the early part of the 21st century. Even VCD’s couldn’t kill the tape. But now, DVD’s, downloading, online viewing, watching movies on your iphone/smart phones, et al, people hardly would look at their old video tape’s, let alone watch them. And finally now the last remaining manufacturer of VHS has ceased production. It’s the end on an era!!! But since some of my old cassettes, from the early noughties, are still in working condition, I’ll still be watching them, once in a while.

Other Movies in our house

Other Videocassettes in our house (most still in working order)

Other Videocassettes in our home (most still in working order)

The 80’s & 90’s: Old Videocassettes, from our childhood/teenage years, in a store cupboard (doubt they work at all)!!!!! The few VCDs, are fine though!!

My Film Library: (Last, but not the least) SIX new DVDs, a recent acquisition of mine (from just last month)!!

To the good old videocassette, that’s been part of my life, since childhood!! We’ll always have fond memories. Thanks to videocassettes, my love for good cinema, survived forever; through an aesthetically depressive society, such as SL, that has no respect or an understanding for the fine arts, especially the fine beauty of cinematic arts. ❤ Love Film!!!!!!!

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