Slashdot Mirror
Circuit City Phases Out VHS
Rashan writes: "Video Business Online is reporting that Circuit City is becoming the first of the mass merchants to state its intent to discontinue sales of the aging video format."
← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)
is one of the first legitimate signs that DVD is here to stay. Obviously circut city beleives that they are now outdated. I just wish that more obscure and/or old films and shows would come out on dvd. I need the good ole' VCR to watch my stupidly huge collection of "V" episodes...
I assume there will still be a niche market for security cameras and camcorder type cameras.
On the plus side, if anyone is looking for a good security camera program that is open source, I recommend "Motion". I was going to use a VHS based security setup, but went with it instead, with VHS as a backup un case the computer crashes.
I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
Anyone else remember the far-sighted and insightful (ha) judge in the DeCSS case that said hey, you don't need to make excerpts from DVDs, because the analog format is available?
Not that I'm crying about the loss of VHS tapes, that's for sure. As soon as PVRs have built-in DVD writers, clunky tapes that operate by scraping against a metal disk will be a distant memory.
Anyway, since VHS is still the primary *recording* medium of the consumer, I wonder if they'll continue to sell VCRs?
I just mentally picture Circuit City as being more "in the pocket" of Sony et al, especially when it comes to playing with the anti-copying lobbyists.
John
Lousy picture quality, and they will wear out. Good riddence to VHS, your grandpa's way to collect movies. I guess they are an appropriate format for the Jurassic Park flicks, though.
The Uncoveror: It's the real news.
Not only do they earn commission, they earn their commission based on the profit of an item. That "too powerful" phone you were trying to purchase was probably a loss leader and had a very poor profit margin. He was likely trying to steer you a phone with a better profit margin and of course a better commission for him. Commission is still commission, but don't be fooled into thinking that the more expensive item will yield a better commission for the salesperson.
Never successfully gotten any Linux DVD player to work. I have, however, watched many DVDs using Windows XP. If it's that hard to set up in Linux, framerate statistics are worthless.
While I use and love my DVD player all the time (ST:TNG DVD collection is getting quite a workout), I still love my old VCR. Why? It was a convenient, all in one package. I could buy used VHS tapes for under $10 each at the local blockbuster, or pop in a blank cassette to record whatever program I wanted. No need for two seperate disc racks, and one less box to fiddle with in the entertainment centre.
Agreed, the quality isn't there. The picture and sound are completely inferior to DVD, and any new movies I buy will most likely be in DVD format. But until they can give me an affordable, recordable dvd player, VHS is a viable option for those who don't want to spend that much money on movies.
Add to that the number of videotapes i've purchased and recorded over the years, and the cost of replacing them all with DVDs, and I'll probably hang on to the old VCR for quite some time.
Having said all that, I am definately looking forward to a time when true HDTV, DVD-Rs, and PVRs are commonplace, and I can say goodbye to analog and poor signal quality forever. Of course, they still haven't figured out how to keep the sat dish from fizzling during thunder/snowstorms.
Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo - H. G. Wells
What, exactly, constitutes "everyone you talk to nowadays"? The other folks in your cube farm? Doesn't sound like a representative sample to me. (Not a flame, just an observation).
Curb CO2 emissions: Kill yourself today!
Yes VHS is on its way out. The worst problem with this is the eventual loss of films that will never be released on DVD.
You hit that one dead-on. I have a number of old videotapes that i love kicking around that will never make it. There isn't exactly a huge market in 80's teen chick flicks in the DVD genre *grins*.
I love the dvd releases for Harry Potter, Star Trek TNG, and just about any anime for the choices and menus (cant wait to grab Neon Genesis on DVD), but most of my old favourites just weren't popular enough or are too 'passé' to be released on DVD now. While geek favourites are almost guaranteed to make the transition, movies like "Heathers" and "The Breakfast Club" probably never will.
Showing my 80's girl upbringing bigtime here.
Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo - H. G. Wells
I won't convert to DVD until it is completely safe of DMCA/UBDTCADFDSASBXCASFAF/copyright-gestapo restrictions. We fall so easily for the same old trick. Now we have to repurchase all our old content because VHS is being phased out (just like we had to pay x2 to upgrade to CD)? No thanks, I'd rather *legally* digitize my copy-unrestricted VHS tapes and burn them onto (if it is DVDR I'll already be unduly taxed for "piracy"). In fact, the first thing I'm going to do after I purchase the new VHS movie I want today, is to download *legally* a DivXed copy (save myself the trouble of digitization). Just watch 10 years from now it will be flourescent video disc technology and we will be on the same upgrade treadmill throwing away mountains of DVDs and repurchasing our property all over again.
It's 10 PM. Do you know if you're un-American?
I think one of the major reasons to make the change is that there are bigger profits to be made selling DVD's. Audio CD's cost pennies to produce, yet they still sell for 10-20 bucks in the stores. DVD's will be the same way. DVD media will continue to go down and down in price but they will still be super expensive in the stores. VHS tapes already sell at low prices, so they have less of a profit margin with these.
What do you use your VCR for? I use mine to time-shift TV shows. I cannot do that with a DVD player. Phasing out pre-recorded VHS tapes I can understand, DVD is far better in that case, but the VCR will have plenty of market behind it as long as it is the only affordable way to record shows.
Travis
Anyway, since VHS is still the primary *recording* medium of the consumer, I wonder if they'll continue to sell VCRs?
This is an example of how "electronics super stores" are bad for the consumer. Circuit City wants to make money selling not only electronics, but also pre-recorded entertainment. They don't want you to be able to record a pay-per-view showing of a movie because that could cost them a sale. The sooner they can convince you to scrap your VCR and, if you don't have one, buy a DVD player (from them), the happier they will be.
That's why it was better when "record stores" sold recordings and "stereo stores" sold audio and video equipment. And this is why it was better for Sony to make consumer electronics and Columbia pictures to make films. The conflict of interest is now such that Sony would happily kill off the CD and replace it with a copy-protected equivalent -- much as they are doing to push DVD as a replacement for VHS. They want VCRs to go away so that they can sell you not only the player, but also the movie when you switch to DVD.
You're right. There's nothing that could be done. People are forced to buy movies after all.
If the restrictions are too onerous, no one will buy the discs.
You're like one of those jews who helped the nazis shovel coal into the furnaces. You fucking piece of shit. You help the machine destroy our civil rights and then you say it's in our best interest. Wait until the nazis/RIAA/MPAA comes for your HDTV next and says you can't watch movies YOU RIGHTFULLY PURCHASED anymore because they've decided to switch to a new format and you'll need to update your licensing with a new fee. You are a fucking collaborater. That's what you are. PIECE OF SHIT.
It just so happens that one of the many things at which Linux excels is in viewing DVDs
Except that 1) you are committing a crime by posessing a DVD player for Linux, 2) The DVD players for Linux have terrible user interfaces, 3) The DVD players for Linux are unreliable at best, 4) The DVD players for Linux are some of the only software that can cause the entire X server to crash.
Quit yer trolling...if you're getting 29.97 fps, you're getting as much out of a DVD as you can.
20 January 2017: the End of an Error.
Why he is so damn stubborn about not releasing his back catalog on it is beyond me.
Especially when he gets so excited about digital cinema...
SpamNet - a spam blocker that really works
Hollywood has been burned three times now: VHS, VCD, DVD. It's pretty clear that they won't adopt another, more sophisticated format without some pretty strong copy protection features.
Wow. An entire industry has been arriving in the last twenty years that makes them happy by selling first run movies weeks after release to rental shops for up to $120 US for huge profits and you say they get burned?
Funny, I wouldn't say even blockbuster would be saying that the movie industry is getting burned by them, quite the other way around.
After all, we're talking about movies here for chrissakes. You know, images on a screen? I love to watch them, but honestly, its getting a little ridiculous with the prices and schemes.
Screwed by DVD? You honestly haven't noticed that most people cannot record DVDs yet, have you?
Matter of fact, studios encourage DVD. So what are you talking about?
You might also notice that the people that make no real important product, and make fantastic money at it insulate themselves with lawyers.
Here's some examples: Porn. Cigarettes. Television and movies. Drug dealers. Some Software.
They are going to use lawyers and FUD. They love them. Get used to it.