Greg's Corner

Off Topic Friday: The last VCR to be made this month

For those of us who grew up in a bygone era no machine held such wonder and awe in us than the VCR. It promised what no other device could before it, being able to record your favorite TV programs while you weren’t home…in theory. In practice the overly complicated controls would often fail to record the correct program. Then when cable company set-top boxes were added to the mix it became an even more herculean task to set it up right. Then there was the often told joke about how the digital clock on the VCR would only blink 12:00. That’s because even setting the clock to the correct time was a hassle.

VCRs were not without their benefits though. With the addition of video cameras, home movies could now be watched on a TV rather than having to set a movie projector and a screen. However the biggest boon of the VCR was the fact that you could now watch full length movies at home. Almost overnight, video rental stores popped up all over the country, Many people even started entire VHS libraries in their homes. Sadly, with all media formats, something better always comes along to replace it, In the late 1990s DVD’s came into their own and rang the death knell for the VCR.

Surprisingly VCRs are still being made to this day, but not for much longer. Japanese manufacturer Funai Electronics is the last company to make VCRs and they are ceasing the manufacturing of the device at the end of this month.

So while you’re watching Netflix or something from your DVR, remember the humble VCR and how it paved the way for modern television viewing.

Be kind and rewind.