Do you remember a long time ago when you had no options to watch a TV show if you didn't see it when it aired (you had to wait for a repeat)? Of course you don't, you people with your Twitters and your iPhones and your space-age Saran Wrap. But there was a time when if you wanted to watch, say, The Magician, you had to stay home and watch it. No iTunes, no Hulu, no YouTube, no DVDs. Then came the VCR, and everything changed. Only $1000! (Full-sized ad here.) Notice the fine print at the bottom: "Caution: The unauthorized recording of television programs and other materials may infringe the rights of others."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-22-2009 @ 7:39PM
Joyce N. said...
WOW! And I paid less than 50 bucks for my last VCR three years ago. The other thing i hated pre-VCR technology was having two or even three shows on at the same time and having to choose only one to watch.
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6-22-2009 @ 7:48PM
Jack said...
I have an LP inner sleeve from the early 1980s that says "Home taping is killing music... and it's illegal."
They had NO idea what was ahead, did they? They'd go back to the age of cassettes in a heartbeat.
6-23-2009 @ 9:50AM
litehousebeacon said...
I only paid 60 for a DVD player four years ago. You got ripped off.
6-22-2009 @ 9:34PM
DeadParrot said...
"The Magician", wow, that's a blast from the past. I really enjoyed watching it when it first aired, and haven't thought about it in years. Thanks for the reminder.
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6-23-2009 @ 12:01AM
mj said...
Due to a recent break up, I moved, and no longer have TIVO. I miss the TIVO more than my ex, lol. No more pausing, no more rewind. No more copying shows/films on DVDs. Sigh. No more scheduling to record. I stil have a VCR to record on, but, well...I remember how excited I was when I first bought a VCR in 1982.
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6-23-2009 @ 5:29AM
Michael said...
Records one show while you watch another? PATENT INFRINGEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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6-23-2009 @ 2:02PM
jffm said...
The first VCR we had...
- The tuner only handled six stations at a time.
- It had six little white dials at the top that you had to rotate to
set it to receive the channel you wanted.
- Had a pause button that got you a jumpy, distorted picture most
of the time unless you got it just right. There was no "slo-mo". We
thought it was fantastic.
- Setting the timer was like setting an alarm clock. And naturally you could only set it to record one program at a time.
The only reason we actually got one when they were still that expensive was my dad had a few friends who tended to just happened to have a knack for being around when things "fell off the back of the truck". Be kind to your local longshoreman. ;-)
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6-23-2009 @ 9:43PM
been there done that said...
And brand name (3M, Memorex, TDK) blank video tapes were 12.99 EACH at the cheapest discount electronics store in L.A.
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