I'm not sure if anyone has asked this. Everyone has been talking about what they have "now," but I'd like to know where it all started for them.

My father and uncle bought my grandparents their first VHS player in 1984, but my parents didn't get their first VHS player until 1988 (Neither ever had Betamax or Sony U-Matic or anything other video recording device). When our family moved in 1995, we bought a VCR for our Sony Projection TV that is still in use today (When I'm there I like to play some of my dad's old VHS tapes on that player). We also have a couple other players such as one from about 1998, 2000, and a DVD/VHS combo from some recent year.

1st VHS-a Panasonic Omnivision IV in fall '79. Also got the movie version of "M*A*S*H*" w/it. It was only a 2-4 hr machine, they came out w/the 6 hr ones about a month or 2 later. Click tuner, piano-key-press HARD !-to operate, wired remote. Cassette popped up of the top in this big cradle affair. Whole machine was built like a battleship, there looked to be a good 2 Hyundai-engine blocks' worth of aluminum castings in it. I gave it to my church in '84 or '85, they still have it, but I doubt they use it anymore. Oughta go rescue it....

A good friend got a Betamax around 1981. We never had beta but did get a VHS around 84/85. I used the heck out of it :)

I think it was Christmas '86, an Omnivision. (I still remember their commercials, "ReggieVision!") Dad had stopped in the little video store in town and picked up 3 or 4 movies. The first one we watched was "Challenge to be Free" which is still a favorite of mine. We started watching the second movie and it wasn't very good so I think we watched "Challenge" again! I wish I could have afforded a few extra blank tapes of mine back then; as it was I just had to record over and over again. Wish I had some of that stuff I recorded now.

Having a VCR was a big deal. Around '91 I ended up with a half-worn-out top loader which was the first VCR of my "own" and I thought I was hot stuff!

well my first domestic VCR was a Philips VCR N1500... not a Beta or VHS machine ..it predated them ..I bought it in 1976.

My first VHS machine was a JVC unit in 1978 and Beta .. a Sanyo, in 1980.

I still have tapes of the 1976 Olympics! My earliest videos...

My first VCR was a Sony SL-7200, the table-top one hour Betamax. I bought it used in September 1979 for $320 from an ad in Tradin' Times (a local Chicago classified newspaper of the time).

I still have several of my original tapes and recordings from that machine, but I have not tried to play any of them for many years. I added an audio/video input to the machine and connected a black-and-white camera later.

Later VCRs I owned include a Sony SL-5600 in 1981, an SL-2700 in 1983, SL-HF900 in 1985, and an ED Beta EDV-9500 in 1990. I also owned one VHS machine, a cheap Emerson VHS Hi-Fi so I could rent movies.

My first VCR was a Panasonic (PVC-1000?) purchased in the fall of 1977... I think that it was one of the first 2-4 hour models. Top loader, piano keys for operation, the only remote was a "pause " switch on a long cord. It weighed about 35-40 pounds...massive castings inside. Very solid unit!
It was almost a "bait and switch" deal...there were no "video stores" at the time, but a large department store in the area advertised a RCA 4 hour unit for $999 in the Sunday paper... When I got there, the RCA units were all gone, but they had a few of the almost identical Panasonic units left for $1095.
Many of my early tapes are still playable today, including a recording of "the Nutcracker" with Baryshnikov and Kirkland that aired just before Christmas. :yes:
On a side note, the first T-120 tapes (4 hour in LP mode) were very expensive and in very short supply, averaging about $25 per tape... Ouch!
jr

well my first domestic VCR was a Philips VCR N1500... not a Beta or VHS machine ..it predated them ..I bought it in 1976.

My first VHS machine was a JVC unit in 1978 and Beta .. a Sanyo, in 1980.

I still have tapes of the 1976 Olympics! My earliest videos...

Sometimes it's just good to watch those for the commercials. My dad videotaped the first Chicago Cubs Night Game in August 1988. I skipped through most of the pre-game commentary and just watched the commercials until the actual game started. They sure made the Toyota Camry of that year look very luxurious.

My Dad bought a Panasonic-built J.C. Penny VCR in 1985 (after the divorce.) We didn't have a VCR until Dad gave me one for Christmas 1991, a 2-head Magnavox that was still working when I gave it away around 2002/2003.

Let me think. We got our first VCR, a lower end Magnavox that was actually built by Panasonic, in late '85. It was my birthday and when I came home from school, my Mother told me to go turn off the TV before doing my homework. When I went in the den to turn off the set, I noticed a VCR sitting on the bottom shelf of the TV cart. The sight of that VCR excited me to the point that I couldn't speak. For several months prior to that, I had been dropping hints on my Dad; but, they appeared to be going in one ear and out the other. My Dad was not the type to go out and buy something expensive just because his kids wanted one. I taped my fair share of "MacGyver", various Saturday morning cartoons, and various other programs and my Dad also recorded a bunch of stuff. We also rented a great deal of movies. After several years, that VCR developed a problem in that anything recorded on it had a great deal of static and popping in the audio. My Dad tried to have it fixed; but, kept getting the runaround. He finally got PO'ed and bought a Thomson era GE and that one didn't hold up nearly as long as the Magnavox. Around '94, I bought a Magnavox (built by Funai) two head VCR for around $150. That VCR lasted for about 10 years and I've gone through many BPC models since then. My current model is a late '90's Sharp. I also have an '84 Panasonic top loader and an early '80's Hitachi top loader (both need new rubber), an '86 GE (rebadged Panasonic), and a few BPC models in various stages of condition. The last VCR I bought was one of those $39 Silver Emerson Junk-Mart specials. After about a month, it started stopping on it's own and eating tapes. It's hard to believe that something that cost $1000+ when it first hit the market ended up costing less than $40 by the end of the VCR era.

In the summer of '86, we went to visit some relatives in Ohio and it seems that Beta was popular up there at the time. Down here in MS, VHS seemed to be the most popular format.

My first VCR was a Sony U-Matic VO-1600. 1974. Still running it, too.

1980, got an MGA top loader.

1984, got my first Hi-Fi machine,

1985, got my first Beta Hi-Fi machine, and still have this one!

The first VCR I ever had was a Panasonic-built GE top-loader. Bought it new in 1984 for $400. Lasted six years, then the heads wore out. It was replaced in 1990 by an Emerson machine with electronic tuning that worked very well; don't know what finally caused me to get rid of it, but in the mid-'90s I bought a Magnavox (Philips?) VCR with full auto setup, automatic tracking, very automatic for a '90s VCR selling for about half or less of what I paid for the GE. The Magnavox machine worked very well for me until about 2000 or so, when the heads wore out or something went wrong with the transport -- I'm not sure anymore why I had to trash that one.

I replaced it with a new Panasonic VCR which had VCR Plus+ and honestly, that one worked so well I'd probably still have it today, if it hadn't eaten a cassette after about two years. The tape I lost was a movie I had just taped from cable about two hours earlier -- I never even had a chance to see the film. :no:


That machine was replaced very shortly thereafter by a Panasonic PV-4022, which I still have and which still works amazingly well for being eight years old. To give an idea of how much the prices on these machines had come down by the time I bought this one, I only paid something on the order of $120 for the PV-4022 (2002) compared to $400 for my GE (1984). I haven't had one bit of trouble with my PV-4022 to date, and it gets used quite a bit since I still have a large number of VHS cassettes, mostly 1960s-'80s TV series, travelogues, and movies.

The only thing I don't like about my present VCR is that it makes a loud screeching noise in fast forward and rewind, but it doesn't seem to affect the overall performance of the machine so I just ignore the noise. I think it makes so much noise because there are probably few if any belts in it; I read somewhere that the last VCRs made had done away for the most part with belts (except perhaps for one very thick, toothed belt between the motor and the head drum), now using almost full gear drive. I don't know, however, what the current crop of VHS/DVD combo players use in this position, although if I had to guess, I'd have to say they too have done away with drive belts and now are 99.9-percent gear-driven.

The first VCR I ever had was a Panasonic-built GE top-loader. Bought it new in 1984 for $400. Lasted six years, then the heads wore out. It was replaced in 1990 by an Emerson machine with electronic tuning that worked very well; don't know what finally caused me to get rid of it, but in the mid-'90s I bought a Magnavox (Philips?) VCR with full auto setup, automatic tracking, very automatic for a '90s VCR selling for about half or less of what I paid for the GE. The Magnavox machine worked very well for me until about 2000 or so, when the heads wore out or something went wrong with the transport -- I'm not sure anymore why I had to trash that one.

I replaced it with a new Panasonic VCR which had VCR Plus+. Honestly, that one worked so well I'd probably still have it today, if it hadn't eaten a cassette after about two years. The tape I lost was a movie I had just taped from cable about two hours earlier -- I never even had a chance to see the film. :no:


That machine was replaced very shortly thereafter by a Panasonic PV-4022, which I still have and which still works amazingly well for being eight years old. To give an idea of how much the prices on these machines had come down by the time I bought this one, I only paid something on the order of $120 for the PV-4022 (2002) compared to $400 for my GE (1984). I haven't had one bit of trouble with my PV-4022 to date, and it gets used quite a bit since I still have a large number of VHS cassettes, mostly 1960s-'80s TV series, travelogues, and movies.

The only thing I don't like about my present VCR is that it makes a loud screeching noise in fast forward and rewind, but it doesn't seem to affect the overall performance of the machine so I just ignore the noise. I think it makes so much noise because there are probably few if any belts in it; I read somewhere that the last VCRs made had done away for the most part with belts (except perhaps for one very thick, toothed belt between the motor and the head drum), now using almost full gear drive. I don't know, however, what the current crop of VHS/DVD combo players use in this position, although if I had to guess, I'd have to say they too have done away with drive belts and now are 99.9-percent gear-driven.

1981.got a zenith beta machine.used,heads were filthy!tremendous machine.picture was flawless and very high quality.my first vhs was a sharp.it was a bargain model from sun tv.this was a nice machine and we used it for years.i currently have a jvc umatic that weighs a ton and two sony vhs machines.they are okay,but not the quality i expected.have an old emerson that really blows the sonys away.i actually like beta format better than vhs.i still have the old zenith.rarely used,but still works well.

Well, I have remenbered that I have got myself my first VCR back in August 1986. The VCR was an RCA Model # VMT 390. We have alot of fun with it.

Well, my parents first got VHS in 1986, when they were first married. My dad bought a Hitachi home video camera that also played back VHS. Then, in 1993 I remember him buying a Sony VHS out of a catalog which was hi-fi stereo and 4 head with flying erase head....I remember my mother and him having an argument because he paid a LOT for it (might have been near the top of the line for its time).

As for me, the first VHS recorder of my own was in 1996, a 2-head Sears "LXI"...I was extremely happy to have it.

Then, in '98 I got a Panasonic TV/VCR of my own and gave the Sears to my grandparents.

Now, I use a circa 2002 Sony "19 micron head" whatever that means, that my mother bought new...of course, no one else has any use for "tape" anymore except me. :yes:

19 micron head(s) are the ones sized for the EP/SLP speed. It is probably just a way of saying it is a 2-head machine. Four-head VHS VCRs have two 19-micron heads and two 57-micron ones (for SP).

Well I just looked it up and it said "4 Dual Azimuth Crystal Heads"...:scratch2: but the front panel says 19 micron head.

I am not sure when a VHS VCR entered our household as I was only a child but I would say my parents would of invested in one sometime back in the 80s as I recall we had one back then as I use to watch cartoons on it and Neverending Story movie.

In the early/mid 90s we were donated some unusual early 80s top loader VHS machine, it worked okay to begin with but went completely dodgy by the mid 90s to the point of being unusable, so it was eventually ditched.

I got my first very own VHS machine when I was 18 in 1999, it is a Panasonic NV-SD230, it was a pretty good machine when recording in SP but did a dodgy job recording on TDK tapes in LP in which on playback the sound is muffled. Anyways I still own this deck and still use it sometimes for certain applications.

Since 2002 I have been collecting pre-VHS video recorders because of my interest in recovering lost Aussie programs wiped from TV station archives, particularly our legendary pop show Countdown and have accumulated a variety of video machines such as Philips N1500/N1700 and Grundig SVR-4004 formats, Sony EIAJ format reel-reel VTR, Sony CV format reel-reel VTR, Betamax VCR, U-Matic VCR and more, all can be seen on my vintage video page http://www.troysvintagevideo.741.com/ .

I bought a Sylvania branded top loader in 1983, electronic controls but a wired remote with only a pause function, it was priced at $500, the acceptable price point at the time for a 22 year old still living with his parents with a little surplus cash. :D

This was at a time when rental tapes (from the only place in our small town who had them) was $5, $7 or $9 a night, depending on how fresh they were.

Blank tapes were outrageous, maybe $12 or $15 each?

I bought a Sylvania branded top loader in 1983, electronic controls but a wired remote with only a pause function, it was priced at $500, the acceptable price point at the time for a 22 year old still living with his parents with a little surplus cash. :D

Sounds like mine - the pause-only remote is long gone though...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3520/3469338555_44b1dbecff.jpg

My father bought our first VCR about 1986 or so. I believe it was an Emerson. It was huge, heavy, and had what seemed like a hundred little adjustment pots on the front of it. As a five year old, I was constantly getting yelled at for playing with those and the color adjustments on our TV.

I watched the final battle from Godzilla vs Megalon on it so many times that the tape wore out. That was a good VCR, a battle horse that lasted until 1996.

Bob Crane was ahead of everyone,he had a vtr for home use back in the 60's!

He was really into home movies!

In 1982, I got my first VCR. It was a 1971 Sony U-Matic. Excellent deck and still reliable. In 1983, I got a top loader Panasonic which needed heads given to me which I replaced the heads on and still runs.

Interesting thread! I could not afford one till 1984. Beta and had it for about 3 years.

1984 I was 17 and my dad had just died. I bought my first VCR after his passing and had saved for a few months for it. He always wanted one but I didn't have the $'s saved up until then.

It was a Mitsubishi all direct drive (mostly silver in color) that I paid about $700 for it at a local mom/pop audio/video store when they still existed. Come to think of it I bought a lot of stuff from that store.

AFter the first year that vcr started to suck bad.

My first VCR was the Quasar Great Time Machine (VT-1000 I believe) purchased in ’79 for $100.00. At that time a 2 hour tape was $27.00. Later that year a bought a Sony AV-3600 VTR for $40.00. I did sell the Quasar for $200.00 with a B/W camera in ’81. I did not get my first Beta until ’84 a Sony SLO-260 for $20.00 new belts, clean the switches and pots it was good to go. That Sony lasted me 10 years. My first VHS was a Panasonic NV-8200. It was a good machine as VHS goes. Over the years I have had many VTRs from ¼” to 1” machines. I don’t have much use for recording machines anymore so my Sony GCS-50 works great with my HDTV tuner and plays all the tapes I made back in the hay day of MTV. Doogie

I gave it to my church in '84 or '85, they still have it, but I doubt they use it anymore. Oughta go rescue it....
You should rescue it, before the church gives it to the e-waste dump.:pity:

It was a Mitsubishi all direct drive (mostly silver in color) that I paid about $700 for it at a local mom/pop audio/video store when they still existed. Come to think of it I bought a lot of stuff from that store.

AFter the first year that vcr started to suck bad.
Did you mean to say that your 1984 Mitsubishi VCR stopped working in 1 year? How shocking, but no surprise.

I got my first Sony SL-7200 Betamax in late February of 1976, the day the machine shipped to dealers (at least where I lived at the time in Florida). Within a month, I modified it to have a video input, since the original machines only could record off the tuner. That was back in the day when a K-60 (later L-500) blank tape was $12... in 1976 dollars.

The 2-speed SL-8200 came out about 18 months later, partly as a response to the 2-speed RCA VBT-200. This was pretty much the beginning of the Speed Wars.

Did you mean to say that your 1984 Mitsubishi VCR stopped working in 1 year? How shocking, but no surprise.

Roughly a year after buying it the unit began to have audio problems with severe flutter at all speeds including SP. It was not a HIFI machine so any instability in tape speed was very obvious in the audio. I cleaned it and even had it serviced by the store from which I purchased it. Then it slowly went mad with the unit locking up randomly requiring that it be unplugged and plugged back in. By now it was out of warranty and I had it serviced by a local TV station engineer that was fixing VCR's on the side. Eventually I gave up on it when the loading carriage stopped half way through the loading process and I was unable to get a tape out.

The unit did not appear cheaply made. It was heavy and seemed to be of substantial build which is why I bought it instead of a Panasonic or RCA at the time.

I never was that crazy about Mits VCR's. It was supposed to be a higher end product. AFAIC the Panasonic and clones were a lot less grief. Even later on, I still prefered top load units. Right now, I'm using a Panasonic-built Curtis Mathes I bought for $2.25 at a thrift store.

The first VCR my family had was a Panasonic G9, bought in 1986.

Later in 1993 I bought another Panasonic, I believed it was model PV-4210.

Then in the late 90's or early 2000's my mother bought a Sharp VCR.

None of those are working anymore, but I still have them, except the PV-4210 which I gave to the brother of my ex-girlfriend.

Around 2004 or 2005 I bought another VCR, a Semp ( Brazilian brand ) with the sole purpose of having a working VCR to transfer my VHS tapes to a DVD recorder. But this unity has not seen use for quite a long time... I still have tapes to transfer to DVD, but I need to clean them before I can play them.

in the mid 80s we would borrow our aunt and uncles JVC top loader, you know the model with the red and blue colored buttons, My Step Dad finally got our first VHS VCR back in 1988, it's was the newer slim OSD GE, Panasonic made VCR, I remember looking at the remote and seeing all the functions, and remember thinking to myself, never seen anything like it, pretty high tek. Mother got divorced at the end of 1991, the VCR stayed with my step father, and I moved with my mother to my grandmothers until we found an apartment. Back then being only 13, I always wanted one of my own, I would tell my step dad, he said well I'll probably give you this one for your birthday. I still went to the same middle school and would walk to the house we moved out where dad still lived, and mother would pick me up, and I mentioned to her that dad said he was going to give me the VCR, So while he was still at work, I took the VCR, and months later my dad hid the JVC cassette deck my mother owned until the VCR was returned. My mother bought the cassette deck in 1986, and she still has it hooked up to this day, which still works, and never was in the repair shop... My dad had the GE VCR up till the mid 90s. I don't know what happened with it, I think he mentioned it quite working. We found an apartment and the move in date was on Jan 1 1992. I kept begging mother for a VCR for my birthday coming up. We went to a pawn shop and found a 1986 GE she put on layaway.

This model to be exact

http://vintageelectronics.betamaxcollectors.com/images/generalelectricvhsvcrmodel9-7115_2.jpg

It lasted up to the late 90s when the Power supply went dead, and had it sitting around up till last year when i finally took it to the road. I found another at a thrift and decided to get it.

We moved out of the apartment back in late 1992 when my mother had to go in for a hysterectomy, we moved back in grandmas, dad found a girlfriend and moved out of the house in January of 1993, we than moved back in that house, and my mother bought a JVC VCR, and I remember the VCR started eating tapes not too long after it was purchased brand new.

The first VCR I ever had was a Panasonic-built GE top-loader. Bought it new in 1984 for $400

That was my first, too. They hit that 'magical' number about then. :yes:

My first VCR was a 1991 RCA unit that I got in 2006.
My parents always had a VCR ever since I was born. It was sold under the name "Thomas" which seems to be a very obscure off brand from around 1987. It came with an entertainment center under the same name (19" TV, stereo system and VCR), probably made by Funai.

My parents got their first VCR in 80 or 81. A Zenith Beta top-loader. I can't remember the model, but it could record up to 5 hours. I got my first VCR in 91. An RCA 2 head mono unit. I remember mom gave me a $200.00 check for my birthday, and I shoped around and that was the lowest price I could find. Circuit City, $249.00. I still have it, but it hasn't been in use for years.

My first VCR was a Betamax (not a Sony but can't remember the manufacturer at the moment)...silver with a WIRED remote! I used it principally to record rented CED (!) Videodiscs! That was my first movie library! Wow, that was a long time ago (1983, I think).

I had a Zenith or something like that in 2003. It worked fine even though it was mono until I bought the SL-2700 in 2005 and used it until 2008 when the loading gear broke and it's been sitting in an unuseable state ever since.

Got my first VHS in 2003 as well. Slowly upgraded various off-brand models until I was at the Sony deck I have now.

My first VCR was a Sharp mono VHS unit that was a birthday gift around 1996 IIRC. It could sort of be called my second one though since the one that I unwrapped (a different make model) ate a rented library tape right out of the box....It got returned for the Sharp. I still have that sharp VCR, and last time I ran it a few years ago it was still working good....

The folks did have a VCR for a good part of my child hood, but once I got a garage sale 80's Emerson for my room I wanted a VCR for it.

My first was acquired second hand when I was a college student about 1990. It was a NEC front loader that had a mirror inside the tape compartment so you could watch the tape movement as it played and see how much tape was left. Lent it to a friend for a bit, and he wrecked the heads because he would re-wind tapes without pressing stop first.

Around August of 1985..first Beta player. I think in november--first VHS Hi-Fi. Replaced beta with Super beta the following year--STILL have it--though it currently is not running--needs an idler, maybe more.

My first VCR, a Citizen-branded VHS, was given to me for my sixth-grade graduation in 1993. I broke something in it by using visual rewind way too much and had it repaired, but it never was the same again. There was an older Sears VCR in the main room before that, and it just ran and ran and ran. We eventually "upgraded", which we quickly regretted because the replacement quickly broke. I now have a Sears VCR that is slightly older than what we had before, I think it just needs belts. I have two more VHS VCRs, including a notorious idler-eating Fisher FVH-530.

Family got an NEC front loader in 1988.. was a pretty deluxe machine at the time, hi-fi stereo, etc. it worked for about 15 years to the end of the VHS era. I gave the idler tire the MG chemicals rubber renue treatment a few times.

Back in 1982, after a year or so working for the RCA Smirnoff Labs, I bought an RCA VFT456 vcr. The industrial version of the VFT450, had a 3 prong power plug. Also got a videodisc player. Then I decided I needed a TV set, so I got an RCA CTC101, the one with the infamous flyback, and a line comb filter.

1983 - RCA VJP-900 "convertible" VHS. The deck slid into the Tuner/Timer docking station. I recall I paid just under $1000 at Trader Horn in NJ. Carried that "portable" deck and separate camera all over Disneyworld and on vacations recording the kids. When it finally wore out I got a Sony VHS. That RCA is still here though.

Back in 1982, after a year or so working for the RCA Smirnoff Labs, I bought an RCA VFT456 vcr. The industrial version of the VFT450, had a 3 prong power plug. Also got a videodisc player. Then I decided I needed a TV set, so I got an RCA CTC101, the one with the infamous flyback, and a line comb filter.

Does that VCR have BNC connectors, instead of RCA connectors for the audio/video outs.
I bought a JVC unit like that, just for the BNC to RCA adaptors, that it came with. I paid less for the VCR, than the adaptors would have cost. This also used a IEC power cord like computers use. :yes:

Back in 1980-81 my parents got one. I don't remember the make.

Does that VCR have BNC connectors, instead of RCA connectors for the audio/video outs.
...

No, just RCA connectors. And the cabinet was mostly a silver color instead of wood grain. Other than that, it was the same as the consumer VCR VFT 450. I had the attachable IR remote module as well.

This channel 62?
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/830/464/1600/UHF.jpg

That movie COULD have been a good movie....but it was "ALL over the place"...and with a very haphazard plot. As such....it was not too good.

this channel 62?

lol.

My parents bought teir first vcr, a JVC HR-D120U from Woodward's in '84 and replaced it in '94 with a Panasonic PV-8450 (?) but I saved the JVC and still run every so often but the idler tire for the take-up spindle should be replaced. Still plays quite well considering the mileage it accumulated over the years! My first vcr was (and still is) a Sony SL-100 2 head mono superbeta I saved up for while in high school in '87, but the hall sensor has failed a couple years ago so it is in storage till I can get around to dealing with that. My first U-Matic is a VO-2600 in '91, bought from the school district complete with the TT-100 tuner/timer AND the FA-20 timer adapter! all for $11. Still works perfect!! Bought my first EIAJ-1 vtrs at the time too, AV-3600 and AV-8600 for $15 for both. These are still working great too, just did maintenance on my AV-8600 to do some transfers recently.

My first VCR was a Betamax (not a Sony but can't remember the manufacturer at the moment)...silver with a WIRED remote! I used it principally to record rented CED (!) Videodiscs! That was my first movie library! Wow, that was a long time ago (1983, I think).

I think it was this one!

I was aware of the VCR as early as 1979-ish. I was 15 in 1979. There was one kid who's parents were loaded and they had one. I was fascinated by the concept and was always dreaming about recording music off TV.

I started pestering my parents to get one but they weren't interested. Once I started working I saved and saved and in 1983 I bought the JVC HR-7100 with the big color buttons. One of the first things I recorded and saved was Journey Live at the Summit Houston TX 1981. I still have that tape.

During the 80's I was a hardcore tape trader. Got into the whole multi-system TV/VCR thing to trade with overseas traders and bought a Minolta camcorder to film concerts with. That JVC HR-7100 had a LOT of mileage put on it.

By the time I relocated to the Czech Republic in 1998 the JVC had only required one major repair of the chassis. I believe that was in the early 90's. The JVC was still a workhorse when I shipped it to the Czech Republic in 1998.

Sadly, the JVC HR-7100 was destroyed in Europe when a careless fork-lift driver pierced the shipping box. What a sad, sad delivery that was.

We were late in the game. My family got a VCR probably around 1990-91. It was a Sears (Goldstar).

The first VCR of my own was trash picked in the night at a recycling depot around 1996. It was an RCA much like this. Someone cut the power cord off and dumped it. After a good cleaning I used it for several years.

https://i.postimg.cc/Y0rVZsZv/s-l1600-2024-11-12-T165739-986.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

Around 1984 found a Sony VO-2600 at a surplus store for $20.00

I was aware of the VCR as early as 1979-ish. I was 15 in 1979. There was one kid who's parents were loaded and they had one. I was fascinated by the concept and was always dreaming about recording music off TV.

I started pestering my parents to get one but they weren't interested. Once I started working I saved and saved and in 1983 I bought the JVC HR-7100 with the big color buttons. One of the first things I recorded and saved was Journey Live at the Summit Houston TX 1981. I still have that tape.

During the 80's I was a hardcore tape trader. Got into the whole multi-system TV/VCR thing to trade with overseas traders and bought a Minolta camcorder to film concerts with. That JVC HR-7100 had a LOT of mileage put on it.

By the time I relocated to the Czech Republic in 1998 the JVC had only required one major repair of the chassis. I believe that was in the early 90's. The JVC was still a workhorse when I shipped it to the Czech Republic in 1998.

Sadly, the JVC HR-7100 was destroyed in Europe when a careless fork-lift driver pierced the shipping box. What a sad, sad delivery that was.
JVC VHS VCRs were once rated #1 in reliability by Consumer Reports from 1979-1985 model years only.

1988. Radio Shack. Model 25. Think it was a basic 2-head deck and no idea who made it. But I do remember Planes, Trains And Automobiles was the first movie I saw on it.

Made an upgrade to a 4-head Sylvania in 1991 or 1992. Good match for the 20" Sylvania TV we upgraded to.

We were an RCA dealer and my boss bought for himself RCA's first offering, the VBT-200 that was available in September 1977. He let me borrow it one weekend and I was hooked ! I got my own in November of 1977 and every couple of years I upgraded to a fancier model. VBT-200, then VDT-600, 3 speed, VGT-650, wireless remote, linear stereo sound and then VKT-650, HI-FI stereo, on screen programming, memory backup. Ended up with 3 of the VKT-650s when RCA had a close out sale.

1st VCR: Sony SL-2300 Betamax (purchased 1984-12 at Wards [demo model, was $350 instead of $600])

1st VHS VCR: RCA VJT-255 (purchased 1985-05 at Walmart)

1st VHS Hi-Fi VCR: Emerson (purchased 1987-04 at Walmart)
Found out the local PBS station (KMOS TV 6 was in stereo and also took this VCR to KC and watch Miami Vice in stereo in WDAF TV-4)

I recently bought several used VHS Hi-Fi VCRs (from thrift shops) to record from the 5 streaming services I have (using an HDMI -> baseband NTSC color video converter)


Kirk Bayne

1st VCR: Sony SL-2300 Betamax (purchased 1984-12 at Wards [demo model, was $350 instead of $600])

1st VHS VCR: RCA VJT-255 (purchased 1985-05 at Walmart)

1st VHS Hi-Fi VCR: Emerson (purchased 1987-04 at Walmart)
Found out the local PBS station (KMOS TV 6 was in stereo and also took this VCR to KC and watch Miami Vice in stereo in WDAF TV-4)

I recently bought several used VHS Hi-Fi VCRs (from thrift shops) to record from the 5 streaming services I have (using an HDMI -> baseband NTSC color video converter)


Kirk Bayne

You know you can buy HDMI capture devices that will record those streaming box outputs in full HD right? Most you need a cheap HDMI splitter before the capture box to strip copy protection (it's the friggin plague I swear nobody wants you to be able to archive anything and most services don't want you to time shift if you aren't renting their DVR for more $) from the HDMI for recording to work. That's what I switched to when I still wanted to regularly capture from live streamed sources.