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."

Comments

good news for linux?

[tps12]

One of the (many!) drawbacks of VHS is that it is analog; there is no reasonable way of watching a VHS tape on one's computer. With DVDs, of course, all it takes is a cheap drive and a halfway decent video card, and you're set.

It just so happens that one of the many things at which Linux excels is in viewing DVDs (I have seen articles claim 25% better framerates vs. Windows). Not to mention that many of the set-top boxes that people are starting to hook up to their TVs run Linux rather than Windows.

The increased popularity of DVDs over VHS is bound to improve Linux mindshare and marketshare.

Forcing the market change

[M_Talon]

This is just the next step in the evolution of the format. Now that it's gained customer acceptance, the stores can get rid of the inferior technology (VHS) and concentrate their business. It happened with audio cassettes (vinyl was killed), and it happened with CDs (bye bye cassettes).

As far as being a premature move, everyone that I talk to nowadays either has a DVD player or plans on getting one within the year. Sounds like the perfect opportunity for the stores to push those last few stragglers to DVD by eliminating the VHS market for new releases.

Besides, wouldn't you rather have more room on the shelves for the latest anime imports? ;)

Re:Forcing the market change

[foobar104]

This is interesting. There's a new type of Ludditism. Instead of rejecting technology prima facie, you're rejecting technologies based on what you call "copyright gestapo restrictions."

For a contrary opinion to that popularly expressed by Slashdotters, head over to the avsforum.com HDTV recorders posting board. There you'll find lots of people enthusiastically supporting copy protection methods like JVC's D-Theater format. Why? Because they know that without those sorts of protections-- or restrictions, if you prefer-- the studios will never release their movies in 1080i format on any medium. A movie recorded in high-bit-rate 1080i is very close, when viewed on consumer gear with a slightly forgiving eye, to an HD master. Studios simply won't release near-master-quality tapes or discs unless they're confident that those movies won't be copied like crazy.

I like owning and watching high-quality movies; that's why I've invested in a high-definition TV, a DVD player, and a collection of DVDs. I'm not interested in making copies of my movies, so the fact that I'm (a) not allowed to, and (b) prevented from doing so doesn't bother me in the least.

So I vocally support copy protection-- or restriction, or prevention, or whatever you want to call it. Without it, I won't be able to watch movies in high definition, and that'd be disappointing. Every time somebody pirates a video, CD, or DVD, they make it ever so slightly less likely that I'll be able to get the kind of entertainment I want in the future.

The Analog Hole

[Comrade Brightski]

Ahh, looks like the MPAA has found a novel new way to plug the "analog hole"-- just get rid of the analog devices! What a relief. Now I can rest assured that the industry will be making the money they deserve, selling those copy-proof DVDs.

All your VCR are belong to us!

Oh well, has to happen at some point...

[st0rmshad0w]

I don't see what the big deal is. Tho what I do find interesting is walking into a local music store named "Record & Tape Traders" and finding no records or tapes. Blah.

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.

DivX anyone?

[drawlins]

I agree that VHS is out, but I would not be one to follow Circuit City in a technology trend after their all-out effort to embrace DivX. I pity anyone stuck with one. :-(

Re:I would think that this is about time

[Anonymous Coward]

Somehow I find that hard to believe. I know our friends in the East like to own new gadgets, but especially India has a huge heritance of movies. Surely those haven't been converted or disposed of already?!?

And they're replacing it with what?

[Aexia]

Sure, VHS will have to go eventually. and I won't exactly mourn the crap quality. But what's coming down the line?

What's the standard affordable alternative to replace the easy recording ability of VHS?

Before anyone says it, Tivo(and other services like it) ain't it. I can't share it with anyone else over my always-down DSL connection. No one can just hand me a disk of the Angel episode I missed last week or something.

I'm trying to think of a technology that could replace it... maybe a box that could burn VCDs on the fly? The technology's probably at the point that you could do that affordably.

The advantage of this is that people are already used to burning CDs, it's a widely available media, and you probably wouldn't need industry support to make the player. That means you wouldn't need to include DRM or other crap.

Re:And they're replacing it with what?

[ivan256]

No one can just hand me a disk of the Angel episode I missed last week or something.

If you had a TiVo, you wouldn't have missed it. (Unless you're like me, and you hate that show).

Besides, the owners of the the content don't want you doing that.

Re:But they don't want *recording*...

[EpsCylonB]

It's called "Vertical Integration", this is a similar situation to the hollywood studio system. In the 20's, 30's and 40's the studios that made films also owned their own chain of cinema's and would only show their films in them (they controlled production, distribution and exhibition). So if you wanted to see a MGM film you had to go to an MGM cinema, this made it very difficult for independent films to get to audiences. This was all ended in the late 40's (1948 I think) when paramount were accused of having a monopoly position, this led to the paramount decrees which meant that studios were prevented from doing the distribution and exhibition side of things.

Sony is an example of a Vertically Integrated company on a grand scale. Sony is a music publisher, a computer game company, sony also own several labels and columbia pictures to name but a few of their creative assets.

Sony also makes the TV's, VCR's and DVD players (playstation 2) that a lot of people use to watch films. They also make the stereo's, hi fi's that people use to listen to music, they even make most of the equipment that is used to record music (and I think the digital camera's that were used to shoot episode 2 were made by sony as well).

This total dominance of technology is the main reason why sony amongst all the other record companies hate mp3 so much. It's a distribution method that they don't own or control. Also they see mp3 as being in competition with MiniDisc which they have been pushing for the last 6 or 7 years.

So will there be an equilvalent to the paramount decrees in regards to sony ?. I doubt it as sony is a multinational corporation which no single government (yes not even the US) has the power to control. Maybe we should boycott their products after all there are compettitors, but no one else makes those cool electronic dogs do they ?.