Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

I've boght many VHS tapes of my favorite movie when no other source is available. I always check for the laserdisc first, but sometimes thats not even an option. I've bought VHS for these gems so I could convert to dvd-r:

Time Walker
Joey! (80's teen film, with all the classic doo-wop acts)
Willie McBean and His Magic Machine (the first rankin-bass film)

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

Wow, I thought I was the only person who wanted to own that. Luckily I got it on laserdisc when it came out so I'm a bit better off, but I dream of the day I can get a DVD or BD of that.

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

The only VHS tape I own that I still watch is Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (And Don't Come Back!). I wish Paramount would release that. It seems like every other Peanuts movie and TV special is on DVD.

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

Now that you mention it, I have the King of the Ring with the Hell in a Cell match (First one?) between 'Taker and Mankind. That was the only reason I bought that tape back in the day. And the only reason I still have it.

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

Sorry if it is bad form to dredge this up ... it was the first thread in my search of VHS.

I have a bunch of VHS, love them in all their analog glory. When the stores started selling off all VHS a couple years ago I went a little nuts. This in addition to picking up 20-30 a year new for at least 15 years. Mostly off-beat stuff, too.

A lot of it hasn't come out yet on DVD, though in the last year or so movies like Howard the Duck, Vibes, and even Serial and Johnny Got His Gun have finally been released. I've picked up a lot of those again on DVD, but there is still something about the clacky old VCR...

I've been getting worried about shelf life. Some of my stuff is going on 25 years old. Any advice?

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

Analog glory. Exactly. Human beings are analog, not digital.

Anyway, I was going to transfer some rare items on VHS that were more than two decades old to new tape, but when I played them, they played just fine, as good as they did 20-odd years ago, so I didn't bother.

I just bought some used VHS tapes tonight, including an Ultraman movie I'd never seen before and had never heard of. The tape only cost $1. If the DVD of this title was offered by the store, I would have bought that. But it wasn't. The VHS will do just fine. It's not like it's something I absolutely have to have on DVD.

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

sure I still have a few hundred, I expected people to be listing more than what has been written so far.

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

Ralph Bakshi's Street Fight (aka Coonskin) is also not on DVD, been meaning to convert this from VHS to DVD.

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

I've got a bunch of old wrestling tapes as well. I got a lot of the WWF "In Your House" and WCW PPV tapes. I also got the WrestleMania VHS box set (1-14).

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

I have dozens of tapes. Which makes sense since I still use my VCR almost every day. So there.

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

Yeah, we have a small crate of rarities, NONE of which are available on a digital format. I've been looking at purchasing a prosumer VCR with all the TBC, DNR, Calibration, Picture Modes and 3D Y-C filters to make the most of the source.

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

So, I recently picked these up on VHS:

Kidco (1984)
Big Shots (1987)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1980)

As with old school video game systems (Colecovision, NES, Genesis) I've learned that you really have to play VHS on a standard def TV for it to be viewable. My attempts on an HD TV were horrible. Most of these I'm watching just for nostalgia purposes, so I'm not too bothered by the less than stellar presentation. Truth be told, most of my "wants" would only merit a rental even if they were available on dvd and I think their unavailability might make them seem like more of a prize than they deserve.

I am surprised at how much money some VHS tapes still seem to go for. For example, I'd like to get my hands on a copy of The Midnight Hour. The Anchor Bay dvd is OOP and sells for over $100. I thought, I could get a VHS version on the cheap that would satisfy my nostalgia needs, but not so, even the VHS seems to command $30 and up.

Of my "wants," it seems even the less sought after titles go for about $10, and when you factor in shipping, they’re often more expensive than my average dvd purchase.

The other thing I've found is that its hard to get a VHS tape that was taken care of, is in good playing condition and has its original case. Of course, all of this should be expected in the year 2009.

I was a little surprised to find that even my local library stopped carrying VHS a month ago. Perhaps I should have been more surprised that they held on to them as long as they did. I thought it would be a cheap alternative to find "not yet released on dvd" curiosities.

I suppose the time for picking up boxes of unwanted VHS tapes for pennies on the dollar has come & gone. Though, at that time, who could know what would make a quick emergence on dvd and what would take years to release (if ever)?

So, I suppose if you can find a copy of The Boogens on VHS for 50 cents at a garage sale, it could be worth it. But it’s really hard to justify the price and effort involved in obtaining some of these when weighed against the quality and abundance of DVD (and hi-def) material. I only hope that with the dwindling of small dvd production companies, the future still holds a place for some forgotten movie memories on the new formats – even at this late stage in the game.

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

as I recall there was one VHS edition of Stop Making Sense that had the deleted songs: 'I Zimbra/Cities' reinstated back into the actual movie.

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

I've got a bunch of sporting events taped from the 1980's - baseball playoff games, NCAA basketball championships, etc. My intention is to transfer these over to DVD, I just haven't made the time to do so. I'm actually scared to watch any of 'em like I used to do on occasion. I was rewinding a tape and it snapped. So for now I hang on to these ancient media devices.

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

Dug out my copy of Michael Jackson - Moonwalker and watched it this week. The tape is 18 years old and still looks good on a standard def TV. Just as good as a TV broadcast, IMHO. It is in SP mode which I think must make a big difference in the longevity of VHS.

It's a great tape, what a unique mix of stuff. Several videos, an expansive medley, a live performance, a claymation short, an alternate version of Bad with children as the lead performers, and a "movie" that includes the 10 minute "Smooth Criminal" video. Quite a trip down late 80s/early 90s memory lane.

I wonder if this will get a DVD/BR release in light of his passing. The VHS is going for $60 on amazon.

I probably had at least 800 tapes at one point. It is down to around 250 or so that still aren't on DVD (that I know of).

A few:

200 Motels (Zappa oddity)
At Play in the Fields of the Lord
Chuck Norris - Karate Commandos
Emmylou Harris - At the Ryman
Green Slime
House of Dark Shadows
Neil Young Unplugged
Night of Dark Shadows
One on One (Robby Benson)
Son of the Morning Star
Tex Avery Screwball Classics 1,2,3
Triumph of a Man Called Horse (First two are on DVD, why not this?)
Under the Rainbow
Wings (a landmark silent)
Wings of Courage (Val Kilmer)

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

I have alot of history stuff on tape. Docus of WWI, WWII, Vietnam, Zulu wars...
The way they look will not be much improved on DVD so I just keep them and a Miitsu stereo vcr and they work fine.

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

Kidco was just in HD on HBO this weekend, maybe a dvd is coming?

Still have Howard the Duck on VHS and need to get the DVD; I am waiting for The Band of the Hand, Stick(1985), Malone, 8 Million Ways to Die, and Tattoo to be released on DVD.

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

I got rid of all of my VHS tapes, as well as my VCR last year. I hadn't used them in a year or two, so I didn't see any reason to keep them around. For me, I didn't start buying many movies until DVDs became popular.

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

1492: Conquest of Paradise was never released on R1 DVD, which is a true shame as it was a spectacular-looking movie. I believe there was a laserdisc version though. Here's hoping Paramount gets around to releasing a DVD/Blu version ASAP.

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

I still got loads of movies, TV shows and sporting broadcasts on blank recordable VHS tapes. Ive only got 5 or 10 pre-recorded VHS tapes left, as I sold most of them many years ago for store credit at Blockbuster video. By the way, that Robocop cover art looks awesome, so much better then the special edition DVD that I happen to own..

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

yes, on laserdisc the sound was fantastic. The Japanese laserdisc is the slightly longer more violent international cut of the film.

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

I'm sure most of those cartoons also wound up on the laserdisc deluxe box set: 'Compleat Tex Avery Collection' - I should dig out my copy from my collection.

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

I still have a few:

Guns N Roses - Making of November Rain
Guns N Roses - Making of Don't Cry
The Guyver OVA
Guyver :Bio-Boosted Armor (US Rendition Versions)
The Crow (WS w/ Brandon Lee Interview. Don't remember if this was on the 2-Disc SE DVD)
Akira: Streamline Dub

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

I've still got my copy of Twice Upon a Time on VHS. I'd kill for a Blu-ray version. Seriously. I'd kill someone dead.

Re: VHS - When there is no other option?
 

On the subject of VHS, this book looks like fun:

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