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Reports of VHS's Death Highly Exaggerated

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the i-don't-want-to-go-on-the-cart dept.

aicrules writes "What does it take to ensure that a technology choice will remain relevant and available to the general public? Well, being sold by Wal-Mart is certainly pretty high on that list. According to a CNN/Money article, Wal-Mart Stores will continue to sell VHS tapes for as long as its customers want them. With Best Buy, Circuit City, and Target all dropping sales of the VHS medium, how long can VHS hold out? What is the major reason for people still sticking with VHS?"

7 of 624 comments (clear)

  1. Blanks? by XanC · · Score: 4, Informative
    The article doesn't make clear whether we're talking about movies on VHS or the actual blank VHS tapes.

    The advantages of the blanks should be clear enough... It's still not cheap/easy for most folks to record TV any other way.

  2. Here's two good reasons by DaveJay · · Score: 4, Informative

    1: My wife is pregnant with twins, and as much as I'd like to get a DVD of the ultrasounds, they spend their money on staying abreast with the latest childcare technologies, just like they should. So I need VHS to take those ultrasounds home with me (just did this today, in fact);

    2: My grandparents (in their late 80s) were very reluctant to accept VCR technology; moving them to DVD will be impossible. And we want them to see the ultrasounds. ;)

    1. Re:Here's two good reasons by generic-man · · Score: 3, Informative

      What happened to the idea of the ultrasound as a medical diagnostic procedure?

      It died earlier this year when companies started offering "recreational medical imaging" at the mall.

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  3. Is this a serious question? by Luminous · · Score: 5, Informative

    For myself and a dozen million other people, VHS is still the cheapest easiest way to record TV programs. Yeah, yeah, I'm behind the tech curve because I don't TIVO or digitally record tv. I don't get tv via bit torrents and honestly, I just can't bring myself to spend the money or the time learning all of that. VCR. Put in Tape. Hit Record. Done.

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    This is not the way to build a lasting empire.
  4. Re:well... by nocomment · · Score: 4, Informative

    also, as someone who is leaving work early right now to go to an ultra-sound to find out the sex of my incoming baby, they will record the ultrasound for you, but only if you bring your own VHS tape.

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  5. Re:Two good features of VHS by exp(pi*sqrt(163)) · · Score: 3, Informative

    Have you tried the DVD? You have to scan through the entire movie to find your scene as it has just one chapter.

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  6. Phillips DVP642 + Hacked Firmware = BLISS by toy4two · · Score: 4, Informative

    Play XVID, DIVX, DVD, MP3, SVCD, KVCD, etc etc all for $55 at walmart.
    Then join groups.yahoo.com dvp642 and download one of the many hacked firmwares.

    Region free, no macrovision, skip any previews, change the backround image, etc etc.