When do you think the VHS format officially died?

Question

I know a lot of people still use VHS/VCRs to record stuff off of tv to watch later. I'm one of those people. I know stores still sell blank VHS tapes, but as far as movies being on VHS I haven't seen them in over a year.

When do you think it died?

DVD is King now. Even in stores like Blockbuster and Hollywood video, I only see maybe 3-4 titles, at best, on VHS and those movies are for very little kids.

I bought my DVD/VCR combo player about 3 years ago and that's when I started buying everything on DVD.

When I go to the pawn shop to buy DVD's (great place for cheap used DVD's) I see racks upon racks of VHS movies. They are selling them for something like 5 for a buck. I was told by a store manager they won't let people sell them anymore because they have cases of em sitting in the back they need to sell, but nobody is buying.

Does this not surprise you? It sure doesn't for me.

Answer 1

The vhs era died the minute they came out with digital video disks.

The DVD's days are also numbered. The next thing is going to be memory sticks. About the size of a bic lighter. Plug them into your PC and Download movies to them, play them on your tv.

Answer 2

In brick and mortar stores VHS has died but on online stores they are still alive. Sort of like the cd to the cassette tape. Players still being sold.

Answer 3

something funny happened on the way to the funeral.

VCR manufacturers formed a consotrium about 15 years ago to design a replacement for VHS. they wanted to eliminate the possibility of a "Beta-VHS" type format war (like we saw with "bluray-HDDVD). This is what we call DV. The first product out was miniDV, the camcorder format. Next, was regular DV, a larger size for holding movies and replace the home VCR. But before it came out, DVD movies hit the market. Hollywood went with DVD because it cost almost nothing to duplicate say $1 a movie vs $30 a movie for DV, and at least originally the DVD did not have a record function making copy protection easy. So DV type VCRs are nearly non-existant.  Because people still wanted a recorder (for soap operas), the VHS format VCR has lived on and is still produced, mostly as VCR/DVD combo units.  Movies are no longer released on VHS, as of about 2006. The death knell for VHS will be when the household converts to digital TV.

VHS is pretty low resolution, so i don't mourn its passing. it is a shame that regular DV did not catch on, it would be perfect for recording HD televiion content and movies in HDV format.  

Answer 4

I still have a few old disney movies on VHS that I'm keeping.  The last movie I saw come out for VHS was Lord of the Rings the two towers.

I think VHS died about 4-5 years ago when DVD players became so cheap.

RIP VCR.

Answer 5

I dunno. I still have VHS of old disney movies, and I still watch them. VHS may be dead, but some people still have them. They will probably be none that really work in like 20 years, cuz tapes only last so long. DVD's apparently last for a hundred years. We'll just have to see what new format comes out next.