What if a new 4K-VHS format existed?

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Lucifixion
Posts: 48
Joined: January 4th, 2020, 6:32 pm

Re: What if a new 4K-VHS format existed?

Postby Lucifixion » August 5th, 2021, 6:10 pm

This would be an extremely expensive endeavour at present. Since virtually none of the parts required to make even a regular VCR are mass-produced anymore, each and every component would be exponentially more expensive than what they were 20+ years ago. I imagine that to produce a high quality VCR that could only do VHS as it used to be would result in a cost to the consumer approaching $1000. In order to have ''plenty of storage capacity'', presumably more than prior VHS iterations, the tape would have to be larger and much longer. I think we can safely say this will never occur.

As for the comparison to vinyl records, there is a significant difference. Vinyl records are quite arguably better in terms of sound quality and dynamic reproduction. This is especially true with recordings done in the analog age (pre-1990s). See ''Loudness Wars" for more info on how digital music has changed the way music is presented to us. There are, of course, drawbacks. Much like tapes which wear out over time and use, records also get scratchy and damaged by their intended use. But unlike records, tapes do not offer any particular upside in terms of quality. It's novelty, plain and simple.

This all being said, I have no use for tapes of any sort. I'm a huge collector of records, as well as CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, and of course video games. I've nothing against VHS (or BETA), or even audio cassettes. They're just inconvenient. On the flipside, I agonize over paying to download something I don't truly own; music, videogames, or otherwise. Spotify, Netflix, etc. can all go fly a kite.

Robotrek
Posts: 638
Joined: June 6th, 2016, 9:24 pm

Re: What if a new 4K-VHS format existed?

Postby Robotrek » August 6th, 2021, 6:15 am

Man, this reminds me of how my roommates and I dropped our entire tax returns into a Sony KV-30HS420 HD CRT and a D-Theater system. We got a few movies, and were all excited for The Day After Tomorrow, as the visual effects blow us away in theaters. The quality of the tapes were actually quite good, and the fact is there weren't any disc based options available yet. Problem is, the line was discontinued very quickly after we got it! I think there weren't even a hundred movies put out on the thing. I think people knew there was a disc based line inevitably coming, and decided to hold out, never mind the unbelievably SLOW adoption of HD TV's at the game.

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pacman000
Posts: 1141
Joined: December 30th, 2015, 9:04 am

Re: What if a new 4K-VHS format existed?

Postby pacman000 » October 4th, 2021, 9:47 am

Making a new video tape format shouldn't be too hard; after all, large companies still use tapes for computer backups. Making it backwards compatible with VHS, however, would be hard.


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