So who still uses their VCR extensively?

[Walt]

When I last rearranged my setup I tried to clean things up a little ... I thought about it and decided to pull the VCR out of the line.

The fact is:

a) if I watch a rented movie, I have a DVD-P which is far superior

b) it's only use for me was to record TV programs that I miss

But,

the TV programs that I record (if I could be bothered) I rarely got around to watching.

It seems to me in this day and age of less leisure time and encroaching interests, that if a TV program is worth watching, then it's worth making the effort to be in front of the "tube" to watch it live, otherwise I just never get around to watching recorded stuff.

In anycase, any free time I have, I'd rather listen to some music than watch TV programs that I may have been interested in at some point.

Do you guys find the same thing?

[THOR]

The only shows I can make a commitment to watch are the Sopranos and The Shield.

I still have a VCR but rarely use it I prefer to get the movies on PPV that way there is no late fine when I forget to return it :D

I haven't figured out yet how to hook up my VCR to be able to record from the digital cable box. Actually I still haven't figured out how to set the clock and it just blinks 12:00 alla the time.

[Drybasement]

VCR is out of the loop in the main system. No room for it anyway. It's 12 years old and I have it set up with the other television in the basement. I use it 2 or 3 times a month. Shame really. Got about eighty movies collecting dust.

Yeah Thor, those damn clocks were always a nuisance. Have you tried reading the instructions? :D

[bully]

Got five hi-fi VCRs. Two are down for needed repair (idler tires &/or belts). One each are with each TV system (or HT system, "whatever").
They make excellent music recorders, FWIW. Near-digital quality if recording from cds. Record on long play, doesn't matter, the audio heads are on the rotating drum doin' about 40K rpm.
Hosting a party, or responsible for the entertainment? Record the mix, then hook it up and let it go.
Sure, y'all could do that with yer 9,000-title MP3 playlist, but I dunno how to do that, but I do know how to record music to tape, any kind of tape.
So, I guess one vcr is outta system. Probably oughtta put it in a music system. Think it's probably the best unit, too.
Don't much really watch stuff on anything. DVD, dusty, TV, dusty. Stereo gear, not dusty. Shelfs, dusty.
yikes

pete

[THOR]

Bully MP3's and Winamp are really easy to use and you can get all sorts of cool visualiztion goodys with winamp that do cool things like little digital girls that dance to the music or meters and stuff.

[Wardsweb]

I've got two JVC SVHS in the HomeTheater setup. Mainly for the boys to watch and dub their Japanese Anime stuff. Then there is one in the master bedroom for the wife to tape West Wing. I really don't use them to much anymore. They just don't have the audio dB impact I like.

[Kamakiri]

I use my VCR daily, and don't even have a DVD player :eek:

But then again, it's probably because Thomas the Tank Engine and Teletubbies aren't big DVD titles, and that's all we really watch in a recorded medium around here with my 2 year old :)

Believe it or not, the last movie I watched in a theater was Back to the Future III back in 1989! I was called at random for a Gallup poll regarding my moviegoing habits a couple of years ago. When I told them that, they hung up on me! I guess they didn't want me to skew the curve.....

It's not that I don't really enjoy movies, but I enjoy a lot of other things more I guess.......

[Walt]

Kama - I have a 9 mth year old, and I picked up "Fantasia" (the original version) in the weekend on DVD.

Now I'm not saying you can get all titles on DVD, but there should be more and more out each day. Of course if you already have a library of kids stuff in VHS format then I can understand, but I think there's more than enough on DVD to keep them going ... and then of course regular network kids programming as well.

The reason I brought it up was we have moved house some 4 times in the last 3 years, and each time we moved I always set up the TV/HT with the VCR in the line - it was automatic even though I wasn't even using the thing! Just more wires, and in fact connecting the VCR to the receiver required more wires than the DVD!

So when I recently changed my rack, I thought about it, and ditched the VCR - at the time I thought that I might end up having to put it back in the line again, but I have since discovered how much I was using it before - NOT AT ALL!! :)

LOL!

[frostyra]

I don't watch enough movies, or TV for that matter, to bother with getting a DVD. My VHS HiFi VCR is used mainly for time-shifting (and commercial-skipping) the two programs that I watch regularly -- doesn't get much use during the summer!

Tim, I'm glad you have started this site, and glad to be on board.

[Kamakiri]

Hi Frosty! Glad you made it! Welcome aboard! :D

[Lefty]

Wife has tons of commercial recorded vcr tapes so will probably always need a vcr to play them.

As Pete suggested, I've had a VCR HI-FI deck in the vintage stereo system as a kick ass general purpose tape deck. 6 hours recording ability with 20-20000 hz responce, CD like sound quality. I like the older hi-fi VCRs that allow manual level settings, the Zenith VR-4100 model I have has a silver front and a swing down keypad type control panel, very cool. Sold for around $1,000 when new and no plastic to be found.

So while VCR decks may not be mainstream soon they can always be useful for certain tasks.

[Walt]

Same here Tom,

I am just waitng until the cost comes down, and for the format winner to become clear, and then a video/data/audio recording device will go back into my line again.

[VinylHanger]

We got one. And just like Kama, about all we watch on it is Thomas,Teletubbies,Land Before Time's,and recorded pbs kids stuff. I think I watched the first movies we've rented in years the other day when I was down on my back. We didn't even have a VCR until my folks bought it for us a couple of years ago.
So I guess my answer is: we don't use it much :)

[angela]

I just yanked it out of my chain this week. It just sat there anyway.

I moved it back to the workout room hooked up to a small TV for aerobic videos.

I have totally switched to DVD for movies and probably own a little over a 100 DVD's.

angela :boink: