Blast From The Past!

[scottsdad]

1 hour ago, Fullerene said:

You could also record TV shows on to the VHS.  Originally, the TV had remain switched on and it would record whichever channel was on.  Thus there would be a sign on the TV saying "Recording BBC1.  DO NOT SWITCH OFF".  Frustration when this occurred anyway.

Often you would grab the nearest VHS tape and get a telling off when you recorded over something else.

Later you could set the timer to record a channel for a certain time.   I know someone who never mastered that.  On one occasion, we all sat down to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" - or at least most of it.  Just as it got to the last five minutes, it suddenly switch to a gardening show.  We never left him in charge if it was a whodunnit.  

If you had the right kind of recorder, you could use the code from the TV listings and it would record around the show you wanted. Sometimes you'd get the first half, sometimes the last bit. 

[Soapy FFC]

On 08/08/2023 at 09:21, DA Baracus said:

The last VHS I ever purchased was LOTR: Return of the King.

One of the best South Park episodes ever was "The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers"

[tamthebam]

 

This talk of videos is not complete without Harry the Ba stard

[Northboy]

4 hours ago, scottsdad said:

If you had the right kind of recorder, you could use the code from the TV listings and it would record around the show you wanted. Sometimes you'd get the first half, sometimes the last bit. 

I remember using such a code but the programme prior to the one I wanted to record over ran and screwed everything up. I think recording must have been linked to the published showing times rather than any particular programme.

[BFTD]

As Betamax got a mention, a kid I went to school with used to wax lyrical about the superiority of it over VHS...in the early Nineties. His dad had plumped for Beta early and refused to acknowledge that the game was up. They had a mobile video library in their area, and the guy running it kept twelve Beta tapes just for them, which they'd rent one of every weekend. He invited me over to watch Top Gun, because that was the one they normally chose.

I fucking hate Top Gun.

[Boghead ranter]

6 hours ago, BTFD said:

Remember when they brought in that feature where there'd be a signal on the screen that told newer recorders it was time to start/stop recording? Can't remember what it was called, but a wee grey box would pop up at the top right of the screen.

Absolutely guaranteed that the recording would finish a couple of minutes early  

 

4 hours ago, scottsdad said:

If you had the right kind of recorder, you could use the code from the TV listings and it would record around the show you wanted. Sometimes you'd get the first half, sometimes the last bit. 

 

20 minutes ago, Northboy said:

I remember using such a code but the programme prior to the one I wanted to record over ran and screwed everything up. I think recording must have been linked to the published showing times rather than any particular programme.

Was it VideoPlus or such like it was called?

Edited August 9, 2023 by Boghead ranter

[BFTD]

Just now, Boghead ranter said:

Was it VideoPlus or such like it wad called?

That's the one, Although it was actually VideoPlus+, which is a bit Hibernian FC Club: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_recorder_scheduling_code

Never worked how it was supposed to; you'd always miss part of the show. Anyone thinking of travelling back to the Nineties, just learn how to set your VCR manually.

[scottsdad]

23 minutes ago, Northboy said:

I remember using such a code but the programme prior to the one I wanted to record over ran and screwed everything up. I think recording must have been linked to the published showing times rather than any particular programme.

Still get that with Virgin Media.

I recorded the Belgian Grand Prix sprint race. it was delayed by rain so I only saw the first few laps. 

[Fullerene]

58 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

Still get that with Virgin Media.

I recorded the Belgian Grand Prix sprint race. it was delayed by rain so I only saw the first few laps. 

I recall going on holiday but setting it up to record some program on BBC1.

We came back and I set it going but I forgot that the clocks changed and so we only got the last two minutes followed by an hour after whatever came next.

[Fullerene]

I nearly forgot about my claim to fame !!

Does anyone remember the millennium bug?  The world was going to end.  It did for me.

My video recorder stopped working at the stroke of midnight when year 2000 began!

[TxRover]

Betamax was superior, but more costly to build, didn’t offer longer than one hour tapes for much too long, and Sony missed the boat on relationships with production companies to license tapes to rental companies (nor for distribution of adult films). Despite Beta being crushed in the consumer market, the Betamax format lived on in television production (especially TV news as Betacam, until HDTV finally killed it). Beta also was the defecto standard in the music recording industry in the 80’s and 90’s.

The most annoying thing about early Beta machines was having to set them up, turn on the TV and “tune” the channels on the broadcast TV into the VCR. Then sticking tiny celluloid number squares into the correct backlit slots by the channel selection buttons on the VCR.

[The Naitch]

 

9 hours ago, BTFD said:

Remember when they brought in that feature where there'd be a signal on the screen that told newer recorders it was time to start/stop recording? Can't remember what it was called, but a wee grey box would pop up at the top right of the screen.

Absolutely guaranteed that the recording would finish a couple of minutes early  

I always thought that was a sign for the local telly stations to get their ad breaks lined up back before ITV took them all over (STV aside). Your idea sounds more plausible though. 

 

[Cosmic Joe]

The wee box on the top right of the screen on Channel 4 was much more informative.. 

[Soapy FFC]

3 hours ago, TxRover said:

Betamax was superior, but more costly to build, didn’t offer longer than one hour tapes for much too long, and Sony missed the boat on relationships with production companies to license tapes to rental companies (nor for distribution of adult films). Despite Beta being crushed in the consumer market, the Betamax format lived on in television production (especially TV news as Betacam, until HDTV finally killed it). Beta also was the defecto standard in the music recording industry in the 80’s and 90’s.

The most annoying thing about early Beta machines was having to set them up, turn on the TV and “tune” the channels on the broadcast TV into the VCR. Then sticking tiny celluloid number squares into the correct backlit slots by the channel selection buttons on the VCR.

Sony only stopped making and selling blank betamax cassettes in 2016 

[tamthebam]

I used my first wage to buy an ex rental video from Radio Rentals 

[TxRover]

Not the “completely correct” thread for it, but I’m not digging further back to revive another, for this while running around the web…Glasgow 1987, some blokes videos:

 

[Hedgecutter]

Saw something similar for Aberdeen the other day, from a time when oil firms had only just moved in.

 

I think my favourite part is the middle aged Yank trapped in a 14yo's body. 

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by Hedgecutter

[Wacky]

Party rings (not to be confused with philip schofield and friend) 

[Stellaboz]

1 minute ago, Wacky said:

Party rings (not to be confused with philip schofield and friend) 

Perhaps Unpopular opinion thread but I thought they were shyte

[Wacky]

Anyone remember this here thick chewy Texan bar, por favor?