Wheather you have VHS,BETA,etc... what is the earliest recorded tape you have???

The oldest one I have is a 1980 release of SILVER STREAK by Magnetic Video on VHS.....

Not sure which one i have is the oldest. I'll have to go through them. My oldest Beta is Tron.

I have the two-tape Magnetic Video version of The Towering Inferno, from 1977 or 1978, one of the first fifty movies to be released on Beta (or VHS) videotape if I remember right. My oldest home-recorded tapes are from fall 1979. I recorded the original broadcast of "Jaws", when the two blank tapes (for my one-hour-only Beta VCR) cost me a full day's pay. Understanding that cost issue, that movie may be one that I recorded over, later.

Not videotape, but about a year or so ago, I dug out a cassette tape I'd made back in 1971... Didn't even know to run a patch cord from the "Rec Out" jack on my Sony CRF-230 to the "Mic In" jack..It was done w/taping a mic to the speaker panel.. Lots of radio station airchecks, vintage commercials, etc. HORRIBLE sound quality, but it sure did bring back LOTS of memories..

I got a buncha stuff like that too..... Somewhere between 2000 and 2007 I think, WABC am radio
did a anniversary special, and they played a tape backup they found at the transmitter
they kept there if the line went dead between the transmitter and studio..... I taped it,
and got a few hours of it somewhere.... It was Gan Ingram from the 70's Pretty cool...
I bet by now there are copies of it on the internet....

We watched a movie a few months ago that was really old, I forgot what it was, but funny old
FBI warning, and some studio run contest to win a vacation trip.... I really wanted to send
in an entry form...... Wonder what would have happened.....? How many they still get.....

M*A*S*H 1977, Magnetic Video, VHS.
jr

one of my oldest tapes would be Williard on vhs and beta...

Y'Know, when I'm Dead & Gone, somebody MIGHT find that 1971 tape amongst my belongings, & pop it into a cassette player.. MAYBE I'll "Speak" to them thru the years, & formats... And POSSIBLY, they WON'T Throw Me Away...

MASH 1977 (MVC)
The Sand Pebbles 1977 (MVC)
The Boston Strangler 1977 (MVC)
The French Connection 1978 (MVC)

....and dozens from 1979-1980 (including Silver Streak).

All of them still play fine.

Yes and I figure with good care they should continue to :)

That MASH one you have is that the FIRST release on VHS?? (I have Silver Streak by them)

1979 and both it and I look fine!

Recorder Panasonic NV-8400, Camera WV-3300E (Both still in the garage)

Recorder weighed over 20 pounds and the camera over 7 - so outings were a manly affair. Wish I was still in that shape!

MASH, Patton, and the Sound of Music were the first three released in the US, according to other sources.

The back cover of my 1977 copy of M*A*S*H from Magnetic Video lists what I believe to be the first 50 movies released by the company:
Hello Dolly, Fantastic Voyage, Von Ryan's Express, The King and I, Patton, The Hustler, The Agony and The Ecstasy, Cleopatra, The French Connection, Hombre, The Only Game in Town, Can Can, The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Desert Fox, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, The Bible, The Boston Strangler, Tora Tora Tora, The Detective, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Longest Day, The Grapes of Wrath, The Robe, How to Marry a Millionaire, Dr. Doolittle, The Panic in Needle Park, The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker, Vanishing Point, The Sand Pebbles, State Fair, Bus Stop, Three Coins in a Fountain, From the Terrace, Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, The Song of Bernadette, How to Steal a Million, How Green Was my Valley, M*A*S*H, Love is a Many Splendored Thing, Anastasia, Boy on a Dolphin, The Hot Rock, The Seven Year Itch, Valley of the Dolls, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The long Hot Summer, The Paper Chase, Carmen Jones, The Razor's Edge, A Farewell to Arms.
IIRC the copy, which was a gift cost about $50.

Add: just found a picture of a 1980 MVC release that shows added titles:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IZUwIBl5cWw/TU8FMMhhPVI/AAAAAAAAHIw/M4ckARMw7BU/s640/Picture.png
Now including "Sound of Music" and "Towering Inferno" ("and many more").

jr

Peter Pan off-air from KYW-TV NBC in March 1989 on VHS. Still looks good and the commercials are great.

I bet they do buddy!!

Add: just found a picture of a 1980 MVC release that shows added titles:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IZUwIBl5cWw/TU8FMMhhPVI/AAAAAAAAHIw/M4ckARMw7BU/s640/Picture.png
Now including "Sound of Music" and "Towering Inferno" ("and many more").

jrMy 1980 release of SILVER STREAK has the same movies listed on the back.. (In the same order also)

Some time back I bought a 1971 Sony VO-1600, THE first U-Matic deck, with tapes. Though I've yet to watch them all I can say that they go back to at least 1973(there was a Dodge commercial touting the new '73 models). Most of the stuff on them is over the air taped material from Chicago and Rockford stations.

My first commercially recorded movie on VHS was "2001 A Space Odessey". I saw the film release of the movie in 1969, I think, in Cinerama. Loved it and bought it on VHS somewhere around 1980. Paid a whopping $100 for the tape, and at that time, it was recorded in mono sound. A few years later, I bought a second copy, this one done in HiFi Stereo. When DVD's came out, I upgraded to that version of the movie.

Ahhhhhhhh I love stuff IN ANALOG MONO,from records,cassettes to VHS............ To me it sounds the absolute best :)

If audio tape is allowed, my oldest pre-recored tape is from the late 1940s.

It is a paper backed tape. IIRC, it is half track monophonic and is square dance music, including the caller.

I acquired it the early 1960s, with I with the acquisition of a portable Webcor half track bi-directional recorder and a Brush half track portable recorder, both 7 inch reel machines.

I had a spool of magnetic wire for a wire recorder, but I am not sure that I still have it.

Wow 1940s??

Excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!! -- I bet it still sounds good :)

From the '80's. Probably 1987-1988. Most cartoons for me (I was a kid) and some music (for my fathers). The oldest prerecorede cassettes are with cartoons also (I think from around 1985-1987... have too look for them).
I'm curios, a prerecorded V.H.S. cassette from around 1980 still offers a decent image and sound today or most of them are D.V.D. (Dead, Verry Dead)?

Early VHS should still be as playable as new with some possible exceptions. Magnetic media don't degrade unless you store it in horrible conditions (like outdoors for example), or it is one of the 60's-70's formulations where the glue bleeds through (fixable by subjecting the tape to a few hours dry heat something like 100-150 Fahrenheit) the magnetic particles and makes the tape stick in the mechanism.
I have 70's U-matic, and EIAJ tapes that play fine, and some 80's home recorded VHS that also play fine.

June 1976 board meeting in B/W at Otis Elevator.. I got that U-Matic tape about 15 years ago with a bunch of CCTV equipment when I still owned The Massco Group.

The oldest audio tape I have is reel to reel.. My Sister and I recorded it off the air in March, 1969. It was about 10 minutes of CKLW in Windsor. The tape is still in perfect condition, unlike some others I have.

My grandpa john has a few of the first recorded tapes big much like reel to reels he was one of the first people to have a video tape recorder in the early 60s

I have a few '77 Magnetic Videos and late '70s Allied Artists VHS, but this Japanese VHS of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) on "Once More Video" might be as early and far rarer. Even in its native country tapes this early are rare as hen's teeth.

Wow 77 Magentic video??

The earliest I have of those is 1980 -- Wasnt 1977 when Magentic Video started??

My oldest and only videotape came with the JVC CP-5200U U-Matic deck I got last month. I have no idea what's on it. I doubt it's blank as the deck does not record.

My oldest video is williard on beta video than carrie on vhs and beta...

I believe my oldest VHS tape is 'Alien'(1980, Magnetic Video) while my oldest Beta would be 'The African Queen' (1979, Magentic Video), 'East of Eden' (1979?, WCI Home Video), or 'Superman: The Movie'(1979, WCI Home Video).

Oldest title, and a favorite movie of mine: The Blue Max, 1979.

I believe my oldest VHS tape is 'Alien'(1980, Magnetic Video) while my oldest Beta would be 'The African Queen' (1979, Magentic Video), 'East of Eden' (1979?, WCI Home Video), or 'Superman: The Movie'(1979, WCI Home Video).

Welcome to VK :)

I have the 1980 release of African Queen also and Im wondering if the original 1979 release is even BETTER than what I have which is excellent.......

My oldest tape now is FAREWELL CONCERT FROM CREAM - 1978 MEDA release.....

They did a horrible job on that!!!!! (Not MEDA (Media),the ppl who recorded that concert)

The oldest tape in my possession is a home movie taken by either my Great-Uncle Neil, or my Great-Uncle Skip. My Grandfather appears in it, and is clearly still healthy, and my Great-Grandfather appears, so it would have been shot prior to about August of 1980. If I had to guess, I'd say late 1978 or early 1979 would be more likely.

I picked up another copy of the occult classic, Little Shop of Horrors.
That tape doesn't play either. It really must be made by a cheap outfit, as the original movie was.
I tried to transplant the spools in another case, no joy. That tape was damaged so bad by others, that tried to get it to play. It seemed like the spools were binding in the case and wouldn't move easily. :sigh:

The oldest VHS tape I have is the blank tape that came with my 1979 Magnavox top-loader VCR. I think the oldest pre-recorded one I own is 2001-A Space Odessey from 1980-1981 when I paid a whopping $100 for it at the video shop. Repurchased the same movie a few years later when it was released in hi-fi stereo, then repurchased a third time when released on DVD.

Oldest videotape is a portion of the "Jack Paar Show" ("Tonight Show") from December of 1959, on a 2" quad reel.

Oldest audio tape is an off-air recording of the soundtrack of an episode of NBC's "All-Star Revue" from December 13, 1952.

- Kevin

Oldest Beta: Half hour of Jimmy Carter Inaguration Coverage from January 1977, back on an old K30 or K60 tape.

Oldest VHS: Have a handful of 1977 Magnetic Video Corporation tapes, and others from 1978 and 1979. Home recorded I have some from Spring 1977-through early 1982. All still play great in a 2000s era VCR. It amazes me that stuff 42 years old still plays but it does.

Yes if it was taken care of the early stuff makes it quite nice :)

Sadly newer tapes in the 80s were not made as good and alot dont make it....

As far as recorded off the air stuff:

VHS: "Ewoks: Battle of Endor" recorded off a station up in Green Bay in December of 1985.

Beta: Some Dr. Who, all of "Revelation of the Daleks" and the second half of "Keys of Marinus" recorded off a local Madison PBS station, also in 1985, complete with the pledge breaks

The oldest tapes I have are those 2 Quasar VX tapes (1976 / 1977?). But I won't know if they're blank or if there's anything on them unless I get that Quasar VR-1000 to work.

Probably a couple of 1" reel tapes made on an IVC VTR. The 7" reels are about 40 minutes I think. The two are part 1 and 2 of a show of some sort, title is "subversion and debauchery". Some day I need to fix that VTR and back up the tapes. Strictly for documentation/historical purposes of course.

Opcom, I think I have a IVC in the attic. Come get it in SE PA before it collapses my house.

I'm a young'un so my oldest VHS tape is A View to a Kill from 1985...

Personal R2R I made of a Band I was in "Five of a Kind". A few practice Tapes done on BASF Tape in 1963! Surprisingly still sounds pretty good for what it was:)

I have VHS tapes from about 1980. Things taped off of TV. I used to have many, but through moves I dwindled it down to about 5 or 6. Lots of lame things from when I was a kid, but fun to see clips of old commercials, which look so ancient! The white parts of the tape are yellow! Quality tapes though that still play.

Opcom, I think I have a IVC in the attic. Come get it in SE PA before it collapses my house.

How I wish I could just make a road trip! Do you recall the model #?

Opcom...stay tuned. I will venture up and see what it really is. Gotta check up there anyway for suspected squirrel habitation.

Definitely!

I went ahead and got the VTR out - it has some issues and I posted (http://www.videokarma.org/showpost.php?p=3208712&postcount=1) about my repair effort in a different topic.

Opcom...stay tuned. I will venture up and see what it really is. Gotta check up there anyway for suspected squirrel habitation. Did you have time to take a peek at it?

I have a new oldest VHS tape! I found a copy of Catch-22 dated 1979 at a thrift store today. My first pre-1980 tape!

Excellent http://www.videokarma.org/images/icons/icon7.gif

1979 is it magnetic video or Meda??

Beautiful analogue glory on your copy my friend!!

I have no idea, but it's made in USA which is definitely a rare sight on a VHS tape.

Ya I have noticed ya dont really find anything really GOOD at thrift stores.....

The best OFFICIAL pre-recorded VHS tape I found (so far) was a 1981 'MCA VIDEOCASETTE' release of THE ISLAND (1980) .. That was the first release of it and its beautiful!!

The 2nd best official was finding the first ON GOLDEN POND (1981) release '20th century fox' - 1982

My oldest videotape to date is a reel of Memorex tape, EIAJ-1, recorded sometime in 1970, in b/w. It does in fact play properly too! It is an episode of David Frost hosting a discussion on Northern Ireland, recorded from KVOS-12 Bellingham WA. I obtained this tape in a lot of old equipment from our local school district.

Not video.but I do have a wire reel to reel audio recording of new years celebration in 1949.It was recorded in a 1908 house I used to own.I bought a wire recorder/ player a few years ago but have to tune it up before archiving the recording with modern tech.a few cassette tapes from new years, ( iirc ) 1970 and up.recorded by the previous owner of the house that moved into the house in 1911.

The oldest video tapes I have are several Magenetic Video Betamax tapes I found at a junk shop (literal) about 14 years ago. I believe these were among the first movies ever released on tape for home consumption. The copyright date on them is 1977. The Hello Dolly one is still in its shrink wrap though it's ripped in several places.

The oldest recordable video tapes I have are a Zenith Betamax cassette and Panasonic VHS cassette whose sleeve graphics suggest very early 80s to me, though I'm not sure when they were made. Still cool though.

And the oldest audio tapes I have are two Memorex recordable 8-track cartridges that are still in their shrink wrap with Musicland price tags.

Not tape but I have a wire reel audio recording with new years celebrations in 1946 recorded by the owner of a 1908 house I used to own. RonL

The oldest video tapes I have are several Magenetic Video Betamax tapes I found at a junk shop (literal) about 14 years ago. I believe these were among the first movies ever released on tape for home consumption. The copyright date on them is 1977. The Hello Dolly one is still in its shrink wrap though it's ripped in several places.

The oldest recordable video tapes I have are a Zenith Betamax cassette and Panasonic VHS cassette whose sleeve graphics suggest very early 80s to me, though I'm not sure when they were made. Still cool though.

And the oldest audio tapes I have are two Memorex recordable 8-track cartridges that are still in their shrink wrap with Musicland price tags.

I've got Zenith's first Betamax deck, that tape would go good with it.

It would! That's neat you have an early Beta. I have a Sanyo VCR4500 so not the earliest but still up there in age.

Those Zenith and Panasonic tapes are definitely late 70s-early 80s, based on my experience with tape stock that old. By 1979-1981 Beta had many more blank tape brands than VHS, I've only found 3 pre 1982 VHS brands released in America, that Panasonic one in the photo, RCA VK250 and VK125, and TDK Super Avilyn. I have some stuff recorded in 1979 from the RCA and TDK brands, and 1982 for that Panasonic one.


[QUOTE=technoman9;3239661]

The oldest recordable video tapes I have are a Zenith Betamax cassette and Panasonic VHS cassette whose sleeve graphics suggest very early 80s to me, though I'm not sure when they were made. Still cool though.

I've got Zenith's first Betamax deck, that tape would go good with it.

I've got pretty near their first, it's a behemoth. The Zenith "Video Director".

Doesn't work, it does thread tapes but refuses to play them.

https://i.imgur.com/BVTEdki.jpg

I've got pretty near their first, it's a behemoth. The Zenith "Video Director".

Doesn't work, it does thread tapes but refuses to play them.

https://i.imgur.com/BVTEdki.jpg

I had one of those. I think they get bad caps on servo speed control circuit mine had a weird issue where it would only play at BIII speed no matter what the tape was recorded at.
It fell and I had to glue the cabinet.... Still worked after that. I had the Sony version working so I ended up selling or donating mine.

My oldest videotape to date is a reel of Memorex tape, EIAJ-1, recorded sometime in 1970, in b/w.Wow it must be goregous!!!!!!

Im glad she is staying happy and playing good for ya buddy!