Replacing VHS
 

For those who came into the world of DVD with a wagon of VHS tapes in tow, how many of your VHS movies did you replace with DVDs? Some, most, all?

While I tend myself to frown on buying movies on DVD that I already have on VHS - unless there's a reason - I've found I have replaced a good number of my VHS movies with DVDs.

As for the reasons to replace or "upgrade," it may be because of anniversary/special/collectors editions, which I'm a sucker for; because the tape was a rental I bought so it may not be in the best condition; the tape may be worn out; or I simply want to see it in widescreen with the better audio and video. DVD extras are nice, but not usually a reason in my decision to replace a VHS.

Of the 57 pre-recorded movies I have on VHS, I've replaced 17 with DVDs. Just today I bought Groundhog Day, which I had on VHS, pretty much just because it's on sale for $10 at Target. The next upgrade will be Star Trek First Contact.

Among movies I have on VHS that I want on DVD when a new edition comes out are: Batman, Con Air, Face Off, Fugitive, Logan's Run, The Paper, Sneakers, Titanic, and True Lies.

replaced them all....gave the vhs to my parents and friends.....another good way to get rid of vhs is donate them to a art/film school...you can get a tax write off.

I made a list of the ones I would want on dvd and then boxed them up and took them to a place locally that would buy them from me. Bye! Bye!

I am only now slowly buying the titles I enjoyed on VHS.

When I first got into DVD (my first dvd was the Matrix) I was more concerned with buying new movies not movies I already had.

I had the same thought, Dazed. Better to get movies I didn't have.

For those I have replaced, selling the VHS versions hasn't really seemed like a viable option. I just doubt I'd be able to get that much for them to make it worthwhile.

But then there are some movies I have on VHS that I just don't think I like enough to buy on DVD, or I don't think I'd watch them enough to put the money into a VHS-to-DVD double-dip. In that category I'd put Dead Poets Society, Forrest Gump, and maybe even Star Wars.

I never owned very many VHS tapes, I mostly just rented, so I haven't really had to worry about rebuying many movies. So far, I think the only ones I've replaced are Star Wars, Indiana Jones, The Matrix, Star Trek: Generations, Aladdin, and Ice Pirates.

I have replaced almost all (probably about 40-60 not a huge collection). There are a few catalog titles I just have not had the urge to watch or replace, but I am sure they will be eventually.

I take all the VHS every so often to my parents house where they are then transfered to my grandmother's house. We watch them there because there is no DVD, no real rental places or cable since it is in the mountains of West Virginia, we are not there often and I have alot of really good VHS - many THX widescreen ones. She passed away recently and my mother inherited the house (it is the family house that my grandmother inheritied from my great grandparents - it is over 100 years old) so we travel (8 hours from Murfreesboro, TN) there every so often to work on restoring it. Since we have limited entertainment options the VHS is fine especially since we do not carry them with us - they now reside there.

I only owned 5 VHS'. Hills Have Eyes, City of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Zombi, and Last House on the Left. All were replaced by DVDs. I still kept all the VHS' though, especially the Hills Have Eyes because I like the art on that a lot better.

I moved from Atlanta to Charlotte to be with my GF. Around this same time, my parents sold their house (the one I grew up in), anticipating a move to Florida. The bottom line is that I have a box with about 200 VHS tapes in storage that I will one day have to move up here and go through.

It's mostly a lot of junk - I've seen Sixteen Candles and Heathers enough for one lifetime, thanks!) or some movies that weren't readily available on DVD when I first moved to NC (Bright Lights, Big City comes to mind.

The sad thing is that there are also a *bunch* of 80s music videos - including a few Japanese imports - that I don't have the heart to get rid of because they'll never see the light of day on DVD. Stuff like Kim Wilde: Video 45, Berlin: Video 45 (anyone else remember "Video 45s"??), Japan: Instant Pictures, Athens, GA Inside/Out (which is out on DVD, but I heard that the 5.1 mix is rife with static - WTF?!?) and the *original* Duran Duran compliation video, in which the videos are "mixed" together and also has 2-3 videos you can't even get on their "exhaustive" video compilation DVD. Hell, that Duran Duran tape cost me (OK, my folks, actually) $69.99 back in 1983 and we had to drive 30 miles one-way to order it (and pick it up six weeks later... ahhh, the early days of VHS!)

Anyway, I only have two VHS store-bought tapes here now - Kenneth Branagh's version of Hamlet (which we're all still waiting for on DVD!) and Oueen Margot, which I simply can bother to either part with or upgrade (I think it's R2 only).

I replaced all of my VHS titles on DVD--- either gave them away or sold them at a garage sale. However, I really didn't have too many -- maybe 15 titles? Actually, I have still have a few left over.

The only tapes I have left are some WWF tapes and those old 60s Marvel Comic cartoons (Capt. America, Fantastic Four).

I can't imagine not replacing all my old VHS with DVD. VHS tapes look awful on my 55" Mitsubishi TV.

Replaced Star Wars and 2 or 3 Disney titles, that is about it.

Just to echo some of the above, really: I'm more interested in movies than formats, so I always told myself that my DVD purchases should be of things I haven't owned on VHS, or have never seen.
Inevitably, I've kind of broken this rule, as DVD is just way too seductive to resist upgrading some favourites - so films such as "Picnic at Hanging Rock", "The Deer Hunter" and "Happy Gilmore" have all received the upgrade treatment, amongst quite a few other titles.
Much as I like DVD, I still go with movies over formats - I'd much rather watch a film I like on a battered old VHS than a bad movie on shiny new, ultimate edition DVD...

Dazza.

Replaced all of em (About 400-500)

I only still keep my Star Wars Trilogy sets (5) and my Indiana Jones Widescreen box.

I didnt have many on VHS...the only ones I still have are Star Wars theatrical trilogy in pan and scan and the 97 special editions in letterbox. Sold widescreen copies of Titanic and the first two Jurassic Park movies on Half.com. I do still have a lot of drum corps on VHS which I really need to upgrade to DVD, but I just havent gotten around to doing it.

Cameron....I take mine to The Great Escape and get a couple bucks for each one :)

I don't even know how many VHS movies I still own. I know I still have the Star Wars trilogy in both the original and the special edition formats along with a Star Wars: A New Hope tape that is in it's original case (the big plastic bulky ones) from back in the day when you could only rent VHS. My parents said they paid like $100-$150 bucks for it and had to bribe it off the rental store. Anyways, I think it is a pretty cool Star Wars relic which I will never part with. Besides for those, I think I still have a few but not even sure what they are so I don't even know if I've replaced them on DVD.

I replaced every VHS I had except for one, 20 Dates, a documentary that is not released on DVD. I sold them all to places that buy used VHS tapes (usually music stores) or on ebay...

I just picked up a new VCR to play my old Kurosawa and Mizoguchi tapes. The Mizoguchi's will never make it to DVD, and can't wait for Criterion to do the Kurosawa's. Then there's One Million Years BC....can't quite bring myself to buy the DVD.

I don't have ANY VHS tapes left. At first I would sell them off or give them away as I upgraded to DVD, but even with those I didn't replace, I realized I was NEVER going to watch another movie on VHS anyway. ALL GONE!!!

I had over 1500 vhs tapes. now i have about 350 left. I've been replacing the ones that are out on dvd. I will not sell my vhs tapes that are not out on dvd.

Same here, but I did not have a huge collection maybe 20 or 30 or so.

I had a ton of VHS which I had planned to supplement with DVD. Within weeks I was dumping the VHS. DVD spoiled me. Sold some on eBay, gave some away.

I now have an Abe Lincoln Documentary and a copy of Dragnet signed by Alexandra Paul. That's it for my VHS collection down from almost 300. The kids still have a few they never watch but won't let me get rid of.

The only VHS Tapes I have left are ones that aren't on DVD like Lost Highway, Jerky Boys: The Movie, Nirvana Live Tonight and Sold Out, and Mystery Science Theater: The Movie (and no I'm not paying $100 for a copy) and the old Star Wars sets. Plus I have a lot of old WWF and WCW VHS Tapes that likely won't see the light on DVD so they are keepers, other then that I give them to a buddy to sell at Flea markets for a few bucks.

I probably still have hundreds of VHS tapes, both legit and copied-from-tv. The ones in good shape, I stuck up on Half.com and tried to get a few bucks for [did sell quite a few.]
I haven't upgraded a whole lot...

Starship Troopers [gave VHS to my dad]
Rocky Horror [2 disk] [gave VHS to my brother]
Star Wars trilogy [the VHS's keepcase is totally trashed]
Simpsons s1-4 [I have about 12 VHS tapes, taped from the syndicated episodes].
maybe one or two more.

I only had about 30-40 VHS tapes and I've pretty much replaced them all with DVD.

Queen Margot (R1) is on DVD, I have it. :)

I replaced all that I had that I still watched. Only have 2 left (movies) and about 20 hours of taped 'Style' with Elsa Klench (love watching 80's fashion).

The Keep (1983)
Wavelength (1983)

I don't even have a VHS machine anymore but have been thinking of getting a dual recorder to put the final VHS on DVDs.

I just gave my VHS away, with the exception of The Wild Bunch and Dawn Of The Dead, which I use every so often at work.

Altimus Prime: I'm sure you already know this, but The Fugitive has been released twice... The current DVD is already a SE with an improved transfer. Granted, it seems like a good title for WB to triple dip on with a 2 disc release, but that may be awhile. So, if you really want to replace that VHS, the current SE is definitely worth picking up as is and you can find it for < $10... It's $8.04 at DDD.

mine are all gone except for some home recordings (in-car footage) and a few anime titles that haven't made it to DVD yet, like Space Battleship Yamato (Star Blazers made into a movie).

Well true, but if you don't have enough Schedule A Itemized Deductions, then it won't make a whole hell of a lot of difference.

PS - I work for H&R Block. ;)

I owned about 100 movies on VHS and have replaced all but my widescreen copy of The Spirit of St. Louis.

I re bought mine on DVD. Didnt have many.. maybe 50.
Any movies that hand't been realesed on DVD I upgraded myself.

I still have all my old wwf/wcw/ecw tapes.. those are staying for now.

I collect films, not format, so I have a bunch of widescreen VHS still. Also music video and performances and OAR/1:33 old films. And I will have a bunch of DVDs after HD-DVD comes out. Just ain't got da funds to replace all that stuff. :)

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Upgraded most of my vhs tapes as they came out on dvd most reecently star wars, indiana jones and dawn of the dead (original), the only thing i havent upgraded is my james bond movies, i dont think i ever will either, i just dont even really like james bond that much anymore, so the vhs tapes will do fine, i may upgrade License to Kill and Goldeneye someday.

I upgraded most of my tapes . The only VHS tapes I kept are movies that aren't released on DVD yet, and children stuff. (Disney, Star Wars). The rest I gave away or tossed.

Too many tapes recorded off TV to replace. Tons of stuff that will never come out on DVD.

Even shows I have on VHS that are now showing up on DVD, I can't get rid of the tapes for now because my VHS aren't in season order.

Ditto to everything you just said!

I only have a very tiny collection but mine are all gone. Once I got a DVD player a few years ago, I lost ALL interest in tapes. Never watched another after my first DVD.

I also say ditto.

RE: the poster who mentioned "Video 45s" I remember them and have a couple, I believe it was strictly a SONY thing. Of those the ones I think I have are: Blondie, Berlin, Stevie Nicks, Missing Persons (That might not be a Video 45), I also have a Stevie Nicks bootleg [gasp] tape that I had gotten at some sort of convention, I only got it because it was taped at a local arena and I thought it was cool. Of course now that the arena doesn't exist (The Capital Center, Largo, MD) it is kinda historical. Unfortunately the quality was never really good. I decorated the plain standard VHS cardboard box/sleve with some magazine and newspaper cliped photos. Even if it had been in great condition to begin with, I could never be able to sell it.

A couple of keeper VHS tapes for me are the Theatre version Star Wars with special enhanced THX sound (just before the blah special editions) unfortunately when I got it way back when I didn't know it was the pan & scan versions. I only opened the New Hope to find out the P&S bad news.

I noticed when I had gotten the DVD of a Dr. Who episode The Five Doctors that the DVD version had new special effects added which are different from the original VHS version so I managed to get a good quality copy of that and will keep it.