Blast From The Past!

[tongue_tied_danny]

1 minute ago, BTFD said:

Piracy became infinitely better in the digital age. The drop in quality when copying between analogue VHS tapes was massive. Macrovision protection (essentially making the picture signal poorer so it'd be harder to copy) was an arseache, but could be entirely defeated by using older VHS recorders without additional hardware.

It's incredible that we used to be quite happy watching VHS tapes. The picture quality was almost uniformly terrible, but you take what you can get. Christ, this is our generation's "when I was a lad, we only had a stick and hoop to play with, and we were happy".

Yeah, I remember having to play around with the "tracking" when watching VHS tapes.

As an aside, anybody who returned a VHS tape to the rental shop without rewinding it first deserves the most painful and humiliating execution imaginable. Now, I know that you haven't been able to rent VHS tapes for about 20 years, but there is no statute of limitations on this. 

[TxRover]

1 hour ago, tongue_tied_danny said:

Yeah, I remember having to play around with the "tracking" when watching VHS tapes.

As an aside, anybody who returned a VHS tape to the rental shop without rewinding it first deserves the most painful and humiliating execution imaginable. Now, I know that you haven't been able to rent VHS tapes for about 20 years, but there is no statute of limitations on this. 

Had forgotten tracking, and the fines for non-rewound tapes were sufficient to pretty much ensure it didn’t happen round here. But, look what’s under the TV right now…

 

As another VHS aside, the kiddos High School Yearbook was designed to look like a VHS Tape last year, most kids didn’t even recognise that.

[scottsdad]

This all has reminded me about a German bongo movie that was doing the rounds at school in the 90s. I got my hands on it for a few days, and then the stars aligned. Dad at work, siblings all away and mum out for a couple of hours, I had the house to myself. Got the video recorder from my bedroom and took it downstairs,. Hooked it up to the one in the living room and started copying. Only took a minute to set up.

And then began the most nerve-wracking 2 hours I had known. What if my mum came home early? How could this be explained? Every time a car drove past or a person walked past the house, I was jumping out of my seat and looking out. Amazing, when you think today of the ease and sheer quantity of this stuff available online.

By the end, it all went smoothly and I had made my own copy.

What I remember of the movie itself is 3 things. First, it was Medieval themed, and set in a castle. Second, it starred Sarah Young, who was popular in the genre at the time (an English woman starring in German movies). And finally, the main guy in the movie had what can only be described as a bent boaby. I mean, it was at right angles. If he was facing North, it was facing West.

It went with all my jazz mags when I solemnly took them to the woods and dumped them under a bush.

[Bert Raccoon]

34 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

This all has reminded me about a German bongo movie that was doing the rounds at school in the 90s. I got my hands on it for a few days, and then the stars aligned. Dad at work, siblings all away and mum out for a couple of hours, I had the house to myself. Got the video recorder from my bedroom and took it downstairs,. Hooked it up to the one in the living room and started copying. Only took a minute to set up.

And then began the most nerve-wracking 2 hours I had known. What if my mum came home early? How could this be explained? Every time a car drove past or a person walked past the house, I was jumping out of my seat and looking out. Amazing, when you think today of the ease and sheer quantity of this stuff available online.

By the end, it all went smoothly and I had made my own copy.

What I remember of the movie itself is 3 things. First, it was Medieval themed, and set in a castle. Second, it starred Sarah Young, who was popular in the genre at the time (an English woman starring in German movies). And finally, the main guy in the movie had what can only be described as a bent boaby. I mean, it was at right angles. If he was facing North, it was facing West.

It went with all my jazz mags when I solemnly took them to the woods and dumped them under a bush.

Ah, the circle of life 

[DA Baracus]

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

Edited August 8, 2023 by DA Baracus

[TxRover]

5 hours ago, scottsdad said:

This all has reminded me about a German bongo movie that was doing the rounds at school in the 90s. I got my hands on it for a few days, and then the stars aligned. Dad at work, siblings all away and mum out for a couple of hours, I had the house to myself. Got the video recorder from my bedroom and took it downstairs,. Hooked it up to the one in the living room and started copying. Only took a minute to set up.

And then began the most nerve-wracking 2 hours I had known. What if my mum came home early? How could this be explained? Every time a car drove past or a person walked past the house, I was jumping out of my seat and looking out. Amazing, when you think today of the ease and sheer quantity of this stuff available online.

By the end, it all went smoothly and I had made my own copy.

What I remember of the movie itself is 3 things. First, it was Medieval themed, and set in a castle. Second, it starred Sarah Young, who was popular in the genre at the time (an English woman starring in German movies). And finally, the main guy in the movie had what can only be described as a bent boaby. I mean, it was at right angles. If he was facing North, it was facing West.

It went with all my jazz mags when I solemnly took them to the woods and dumped them under a bush.

“Hamlet: For the Love of Ophelia”, perhaps?

[ICTChris]

The last major movie release put out on VHS was A History Of Violence, starring Viggo Mortensen, directed by David Cronenberg.

A great movie and a worthy one to finish on.

[scottsdad]

13 minutes ago, TxRover said:

“Hamlet: For the Love of Ophelia”, perhaps?

If I weren't at work today I'd be looking this up to check...

[tamthebam]

9 hours ago, ICTChris said:

The last major movie release put out on VHS was A History Of Violence, starring Viggo Mortensen, directed by David Cronenberg.

A great movie and a worthy one to finish on.

And adapted from a novel written by the co-creator of Judge Dredd

[Fullerene]

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.  

[BFTD]

2 minutes 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.  

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  

[hk blues]

11 minutes 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.  

It was you, wasn't it?

I remember well the joys of recording TV programmes - it was such a hit it or a miss that most gave up.  In later years, they (no idea who 'they' were)  brought in a new system using a series of numbers which you could get from the TV Times or Radio Times which was an upgrade I suppose but still shite.  Our 1st VCR was a Sanyo Betamax and my old man bought it for Christmas - we went to a hire shop on the Hilltown and hired Jaws even though we'd seen it a dozen times. 

Edited August 9, 2023 by hk blues

[stimpy]

My Brothers friend had hooked up 2 VHS (imagine having 2!) and had a newly purchased copy of Terminator 2 and that was my first pirated possession. 

[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.