TVSquad

I'm getting ready to move, so I'm in the process of going through the house and purging things I don't need. What's at the top of the list? Two VCRs and a handful of old VHS tapes.

I've been spending the weekend with a VCR plugged into the computer so I can capture the video from those old tapes and make them into digital movies that can move with us to the new apartment without taking up any space (other than hard drive space).
Sharp has just launched a new personal video recorder in Japan that includes not just a 250GB hard drive and a DVD drive, but also has VHS support. Either Sharp believes there's more demand for VHS out there than we think, or this device is targeted squarely at people in my situation. It'd be nice to be able to convert these videos to DVD without a computer.

Anyway, if you're still enamored with the VHS format, you can use the Sharp Aquos DV-ACV52 to record television programs to cassette. You can even record one program to the hard drive and another to a VHS tape at the same time. The unit also includes HDMI support and a digital TV tuner. It's due out in Japan on May 21st, and should run about $925 US, but don't expect a US release anytime soon (or ever).

[via Engadget and MediaMentalism]