vhs

Transfer VHS tapes to your computer

Unlike your old vinyl record collection, those VHS tapes you stored away in the back of your closet aren't going to see a resurgence in popularity. There are no videophiles extolling the superior experience and fidelity of these analog tapes. No, VHS is a dying medium that fully deserves to be put in its grave.

But before your tapes turn to goop or VCRs become as rare as eight-track players, let's take a moment to archive any sentimental home movies you still have on tape. Honestly, those really should be the only VHS tapes you're still holding … Read more

RCA's 'video LP' format, doomed from the start?

While the LP revival is still in full swing you rarely hear about the other 12-inch, grooved vinyl record format, the RCA VideoDisc.

It was a grooved, carbon-loaded PVC disc. The grooves were 48 times smaller than an LP groove, but they were still tracked with a diamond "needle"! That was possible because unlike an LP's zigzag grooves the CED's grooves were hills and dales. That difference also minimized groove wear, so the discs could be played hundreds of times. VHS and Beta tapes would wear out faster than that. The VideoDisc also had stereo soundtracks.… Read more

Turn old videotapes into DVDs, no PC required

Over the years, I've seen lots of VHS-to-DVD transfer kits that involve your PC, a USB video-capture gizmo, and hard-to-use software. Almost without exception, they're a pain in the butt.

If you have old tapes you want to convert to DVD without all the pain, check out the Sony DVDirect DVD Recorder MC6, which B&H has refurbished for $119 (plus about $9 for shipping). It sells new for $199.99.

Update: Sorry, peeps--already sold out. Closest equivalent I've found is a new unit at Vann's for $169.97 shipped. That's still a pretty … Read more

Get a Blu-ray/VHS combo player for $139.99

Quick housekeeping note: the Cheapskate is traveling this week (hello, San Antonio!), so posts may be scarce for the next few days.

The VCR has been dead to me for a few years now, but I know plenty of people who still play tapes using that venerable device.

If you're in the market for a Blu-ray player but still want to keep VHS in the picture (pun!), Amazon has the Panasonic DMP-BD70V Blu-ray/VHS player for $139.99 shipped.

I believe this is a deal-of-the-day item, and the discount is pretty huge (it's $299.99 just about everywhere … Read more

Basic movie organizer

Movie Label 2010 is a multifeatured database program that allows users to organize their movie collections. Although we liked the program's many options and sleek interface, it didn't always run as well as it should have.

The program's interface will look familiar to users of Office 2007 products. Everything is fairly intuitive, although given the number of features, sometimes users will have to do a bit of poking around to find what they're looking for. There are several ways for people to enter movie titles; Movie Label can search for and download information from IMDb, gather … Read more

Want some eggs with that VHS toast?

Every now and then we come across weird concoctions that tickle our funny bones. But this particular VHS toaster is a cut above the rest.

While we're impressed by the way a working toaster can be jam-packed into a vintage VHS machine chassis, it's the VHS toast marks that really make the connection for us. All you'll need to complete the delicious techie breakfast is a glass of milk, two fried eggs sunny side up, bacon, and a dollop of butter. Yummy!

(Source: Crave Asia via Ubergizmo)

VHS at CES 2009: Still alive

VHS movies may be disappearing from store shelves, but we saw some evidence at CES 2009 that the VCR just isn't ready to die. In addition to Panasonic's surprising DMP-BD70V--a combo VCR/Blu-ray player--JVC and Toshiba also have new VHS/DVD combos lined up for 2009. Check out the slide show below for a complete comparison.

Panasonic's DMP-BD70V puts Blu-ray, VHS playback in a single box

It seems weird to put Lo-Fi VHS tapes and 1080p high-definition Blu-ray movies in the same box, but that's exactly what you'll be able to do with Panasonic's DMP-BD70V, which (as far as we know) is the first combination VHS/Blu-ray player. Aside from adding VHS playback, the specs look to be identical to the standard DMP-BD60 Blu-ray player. Here are the details.

Key features of the Panasonic DMP-BD70V series:

Blu-ray and VHS playback from a single player Profile 2.0 compatible Onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-Master Audio Essential decoding SD card slot and USB input Access … Read more

The end of the VHS era

I've never been very good at giving up on old technology. I held on to my audio cassettes well into the compact disc era; my old Handspring Visor is still sitting in my desk drawer; and I admit that I still have an old Sony VCR taking up space underneath my TiVo.

And so I had a slightly nostalgic moment when I read this report from the Los Angeles Times that the last major supplier of VHS tapes has shipped its final truckload of the format. I know the VHS tape has been considered dead for years now, but … Read more