Mass Media & Technology

Memories Of Video

What's your oldest recollections? (March 2020)

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NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
Ne1L C posted:
There always seemed to be a bit more tape length then stated on the box. A three hour tape seemed to have 2-3 minutes more. Waiting for the duration counter to state how much time was available could be nerve wracking.


Pretty sure there was a reason for that. The table on Wikipedia suggests it was standard practice for an E180 to run for about 3hrs 4 minutes.

I suspect it may be because of the way the machines pulled a significant chunk of the tape out to feed it round heaven only knows how many things to make it work, so a bit of leeway was needed.
NL
Ne1L C
When you look at how VCRs actually worked with the mass of electronics and metalwork you have to take your hat off to the genii which came up with them.
JA
james-2001
Probably as much of the fact that if the tapes ran short of the advertised time, people wouldn't be happy, so adding a bit extra assures the tape won't run short.
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
james-2001 posted:
Probably as much of the fact that if the tapes ran short of the advertised time, people wouldn't be happy, so adding a bit extra assures the tape won't run short.


Well there is that, but I suppose the point I was getting at was if it was more to do with a principle like there was such a thing as a baker's dozen for example, and the reasons for baker's dozens are documented.

I mean realistically when this stuff was first being made a length of tape wouldn't just so happen to be 184 minutes. If it was a one off okay, but that seems to be standard practice/length for an E180. Just wondering if it was a deliberate decision to cut magnetic tape to specific lengths to aid production? Its probably safe to assume, like most things that are mass manufactured, a massive production line exist(ed) somewhere.
NL
Ne1L C
Neil Jones posted:
james-2001 posted:
Probably as much of the fact that if the tapes ran short of the advertised time, people wouldn't be happy, so adding a bit extra assures the tape won't run short.


Well there is that, but I suppose the point I was getting at was if it was more to do with a principle like there was such a thing as a baker's dozen for example, and the reasons for baker's dozens are documented.

I mean realistically when this stuff was first being made a length of tape wouldn't just so happen to be 184 minutes. If it was a one off okay, but that seems to be standard practice/length for an E180. Just wondering if it was a deliberate decision to cut magnetic tape to specific lengths to aid production? Its probably safe to assume, like most things that are mass manufactured, a massive production line exist(ed) somewhere.


Ah I see what you mean. I think there must have a been a specific length. Some kind of industry regulation possibly?
PE
Pete Founding member
BillyH posted:
It was interesting to follow the decline of VHS in favour of DVD in the early 2000s, as late as 2002 most shops still had huge VHS sections with a small but gradually growing DVD section, and there were still two local video shops near me at this time. 2003 saw the DVD section overtake that of VHS, and by 2004 there were just a small handful of videotapes at clearance prices for a few pounds each. The last time I saw VHS for sale outside of bootsales/charity shops was very early into 2008, at a Morrisons supermarket stuffed away in the corner.


That possibly bc they literally took up more space. I remember I had my Buffy box sets and they were six tapes teach for one season. I bought Season 7 on DVD. It was 1/8th of the width.
PE
Pete Founding member
So I, amazingly, never had a chewed tape. All my VCRs just died.

Ferguson ones had a gorgeous easy to use UI on them, first ones we had Videoplus+ (with PDC) on which looking back was a wacky system.

Our school once won a CD-i player in a competition. It was showed off excitedly for an entire hour and then never seen again.
RO
robertclark125
Remember the head cleaning tapes, where you squirted a little liquid on, then put the tape into the machine, and played it for 15 seconds? Did they do any good? I remember in the late 1990s, I think, when BASF brought out a head cleaning tape, that was a dry one, i.e. no liquid needed. You put the cassette into the VCR, played it, and on screen it would tell you when to stop the tape.
NL
Ne1L C
robertclark125 posted:
Remember the head cleaning tapes, where you squirted a little liquid on, then put the tape into the machine, and played it for 15 seconds? Did they do any good? I remember in the late 1990s, I think, when BASF brought out a head cleaning tape, that was a dry one, i.e. no liquid needed. You put the cassette into the VCR, played it, and on screen it would tell you when to stop the tape.



I remember recording the first episode of the 1993 series of Red Dwarf and being horrified when playing it back the following day and seeing the picture obscured by dirt.
RO
robertclark125
A local corner shop, now defunct as the owners have retired, had a head cleaning tape they RENTED out. Sounds fine, but we never hired it. A former neighbour suggested that once the tape got to the end, the shop owner might rewind the tape, and you started again. She said you were likely to get other folks dirt!
NL
Ne1L C
robertclark125 posted:
A local corner shop, now defunct as the owners have retired, had a head cleaning tape they RENTED out. Sounds fine, but we never hired it. A former neighbour suggested that once the tape got to the end, the shop owner might rewind the tape, and you started again. She said you were likely to get other folks dirt!


Rent?! Shocked
RO
robertclark125
Yes, you read right. Rent!

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