Survey: VHS End-of-Life

For more than a quarter-century, VHS tapes (and VCRs) were the kings of on-demand video (at home, school and work).  Never mind dog years, 25 tech-years are an eternity during which VHS users gleefully amassed large content collections without giving a second thought to the day of reckoning when a) dependable tape players would no longer be available and b) the medium would wear out. 

Today, VCRs are hard to find. They are costly to purchase, integrate and lifecycle.  Yet most institutions continue to rely upon pre-recorded VHS tapes, for which they have invested a small fortune. 

How do classroom planners and technology managers deal with the inevitable transition away from VHS to a digital format?  Please complete this simple survey as a means to begin this crucial dialog among your peers within the AV-1 community. We'll post a follow-up with survey results at the end of the week.

Survey now closed, see results...

	by Scott Tiner
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Comments

[Dale]

Who ever supported the development of DVD technology was an idiot. DVD's are nothing but junk technology. Try this test: Take a DVD and try it and as many players as you can. Did they play in every player? Yes? Not likely.

Do the same thing with a VHS tape. did it record and play in ever player? Probably so!

Not only that I have VHS tapes from way back in the 80's and they still work just fine! Let those DVD fans try that with their junk DVD technology and see what they get. Just wait until they lose their precious memories due to failed junk DVD's.

When it comes to DVDs, temperature will damage them up, cleaning them will damage them up. Static will damage them up. Heck, seems like just looking at DVDs will damage them. Scratch it and it's gone.

There's usually at least 2 or more DVDs to a 50 pack spindle that's no good. If that's not enough the DVD players them selves will screw up and are screwed up. VHS was excellent technology. Those idiots who supported DVD just took them selves for a ride to the bank. If it was copyright holders or the movie business who were behind the end of VHS I've got news for them. I've had enough disk failures renting DVDs. Movies, I won't even touch a DVD rental to see a movie, much less would I be foolish enough to purchase something recorded on one.

To those who were responsible for doing away with VHS: SHAME ON YOU!