Any "Tape Heads" or "Spinners?" (VHS or Laserdisc Collectors?)

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Since I don't have the funds at the moment to afford my dream Laserdisc Player — the European Model, the Pioneer CLD-D925... double-sided play, good "bones" and, in specific, NTSC and PAL Region Coding which is precisely what I'm looking for in my player... — I'm going for a lower end, but equally recommended model of the Pioneer CLD-D704. (Which only plays NTSC coding, but for the moment it will do...) Either way I'm hoping to start digging into Laserdisc and become an official "Spinner."

As for a "Tape Head." Most definitely. I own a Samsung SV-5000W Worldwide VHS Format VCR. Plays all Region-Coding VHS', (at the moment on Amazon anyway), the rarity of this product has caused this system to scale the heights of over a grand now... dang! Anyway, I own quite a few tapes in my collection, but to keep my player "clean" I try not to tax it's system to much in "play" as well as the fact I own a VHS Rewinder as a side-system so I don't have to tax the main system itself further as a result.

As for my "Tape" Collection thus far:

Suicide Commandos
Midnite Spares
Jaws 2
Jaws 3
Friday the 13th Series
(to Jason Takes Manhattan)
Red River
Alien
The Shining

and recently ordered, but hasn't come in:
Them!

Anyway, right now my expenditures are going more towards other entertainments, (mainly my CRT TV for Retro Gaming, TV Stand, Etc. ... but mainly due to the fact a Laserdisc System hasn't arrived on eBay that I'm willing to invest in... but when that day comes...) ...

I'll post here further to discuss Retro Movie Formats ... Anyone else do something similar?
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I don't collect, but I still have two VHS players in my wardrobe and some tapes too (some concert recordings, old Italian barbarian films, and maybe something else like Aliens special edition). I just don't have the heart to get rid of them.
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My current TV does not have RCA jacks, and while I'm aware that adapters exist I took that as a sign that it's time to retire the VCR. So I've been converting my tapes that are irreplaceable to digital (like the time my next door neighbors were on Dance Fever. TC from Magnum PI gave them a score of 89 ). And posting my old tapes on Ebay. I've been surprised at the interest they've attracted, even the stuff that was just taped from TV.

So if you've recently placed a bid on a Lon Chaney VHS, that might've been mine.
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My Collection



I used to be heavily into VHS about 12 years ago. Used it as a primary recording medium. Here in Australia we've got the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Back then they used to run old American and British b-grade movies as station filler through the middle of the night. Once I cottoned onto this it became rather an obsession. Used to set a 4 hour tape going to capture as much as I could during the night, then re-record to DVD-R during the day, the reason for that being simply to save space.

Some of those old tapes recorded hundreds of films before obvious signs of wear caused them to be retired. It was all great fun and thoroughly worth it. Went through about 2 dvd recorders and 3 VHS players in the process, rewinding mechanisms mostly the first thing to fail. Ran the obligatory cleaning tape with fluid through once a month. Why did I use VHS to record? Because if there was ever a glitch for any reason the tape would fail gracefully and just bring on a bit of static, which was far nicer than an ugly freeze frame you might get with digital. Back then HD and all that jazz wasn't a factor. I was just happy watching movies on the old 4:3 family box. Still am, although it's 16:9 now.

Before that the family had quite a collection, maybe a hundred or so proprietary VHS tapes of movies and documentaries for regular viewing. Still got 'em, though most have been transferred to DVD. And before that ( - wait for it - ) BETA! Vastly superior quality to VHS. Sony Betamax was great gear - professionals used to use it. I still have the original player/recorder my dad had from the '80s. And. It. Still. Works!

But eventually I just got tired of it all. I've still got about 30 or so films on VHS that need transferring to a better format but don't really have the serviceable gear - essentially burned out everything I had. That as well as the fact that all those hundreds, maybe thousands of DVD-Rs I have all need to be converted to mp4. An achievable but nevertheless tedious task. I really need to get on with that though, some of them are going cactus over time. Can still view most of them though, and that's the main thing.

For me the technology is interesting from a nostalgic point of view, but it's more about managing and preserving a rather large collection of recordings as best as possible for the longevity and practicality of viewing. Additionally for what it's worth I do think there's something rather quaint about an older and somewhat imperfect recording. It has the literal character of another time and place perhaps, especially if you happen to have recorded it yourself.



You ready? You look ready.
I personally have more VHS movies than DVDs, and at this point I won't ever get rid of them even tho the only thing that we have that will play them is a 13" combo TV. For me it is primarily the commercials/trailers that air at the beginning. I remember reading an article once about how there's a whole piece of our history lost forever because we didn't properly preserve tape medium. I agree with that wholeheartedly.

I still have the tape that I used to record Pokemon episodes on when I was at soccer camp. I'd have a meltdown if that wasn't setup to record before I left the house. It was a different time, we were different people, and it was good.
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That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
I got a stack of DBZ episodes I recorded from the very early 2000s when it aired afternoons on Cartoon Network, and a closet hanging rack of commercial flicks. Maybe half of those were bought used from a local mom-n-pop rental store. A rare few still have the plastic wrapping. I think that includes Willy Wonka, but I'm sure it was an anniversary print and not an original. Hrm.... I'm curious now what else there is. I know I have some Star Wars, I think Dune, and the TMNTs' first movie. I think I have the set of TMNTs from the Burger King Kid's Club. Yeah, I had to Google it.

I wouldn't call anything I have part of a collection. Just stuff I kept from my teens/colleges days. Gosh, I'm curious now...
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You ready? You look ready.
I have the original Star Wars collection and the Indiana Jones movies. The boxes have taken a beating but the tapes are still good, which is a miracle in itself as I watched those movies hundreds of times.

Same with the TMNT movies.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
I still have a few working VCRs, and hundreds of VHS tapes, but I rarely watch them. Most of the tapes have movies and TV shows that I recorded over the years, a lot of which has not been released on DVD. I started converting them to DVD-Rs a while back, but I have so many tapes that I might never finish.
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OPEN FLOOR.



I got a stack of DBZ episodes I recorded from the very early 2000s when it aired afternoons on Cartoon Network...
I'll always remember the announcer, (who seemed to have a Texas 'twang to his voice since as I recall Funimation Studios was located in Texas at the time):

"... On the Next EXCITING Episode of DRAGONBALL Z!!!"

And yes I totally taped those episodes in Jr. High and High School!




For me the technology is interesting from a nostalgic point of view, but it's more about managing and preserving a rather large collection of recordings as best as possible for the longevity and practicality of viewing. Additionally for what it's worth I do think there's something rather quaint about an older and somewhat imperfect recording. It has the literal character of another time and place perhaps, especially if you happen to have recorded it yourself.
You've said some amazing things here in your above post, but this catches my eye the most. I mentioned this in another post on this site when it came to my VHS transfer of Suicide Commandos... but there's really something to be said about watching an obscure work or title, especially of one which never got an "official" DVD/Blu-Ray release... and watching said title in a legitimate, albeit "lower quality" transfer like VHS. It has a "feel" and "charm" that is impossible to describe. Same thing goes with my Midnite Spare VHS... truth be told, both films are more or less "narratively and structurally" crude. But considering they're an interesting document within the Ozploitation and Macaroni Combat film histories, I find them worth having on hand as reference to a time and place as well. There are some VHS titles which never transferred over into the Laserdisc, DVD, Blu-Ray, and Digital Eras... and further still there are still many Laserdisc titles which had "perks and special features" which never transferred into the DVD, Blu-Ray, and Digital Eras too... I find owning a variety of titles on different formats seems to buffer all your cinematic needs and wants. Just food for thought. Loved reading your personal history and experiences in all this!



I find owning a variety of titles on different formats seems to buffer all your cinematic needs and wants. Just food for thought. Loved reading your personal history and experiences in all this!
Yeah thanks. I've had a few duplicates over the years and there's definitely a difference in the experience. Like stuff my dad recorded from TV on Beta, with all the signal static everytime a big jet flew over and the '80s advertisements. Then years later you get the DVD of the same movie thinking it'll be a step up, and end up being disappointed. Go figure! You can get attached to idiosyncrasies like that.

There's a particular film I'm interested in seeing in a higher quality version which is now recently out on Blu-Ray - Malenka/Fangs of The Living Dead (1969), very nice quality from all the screenshots. Aside from the fact I don't have Blu-Ray and region encoding would be a problem, I've always enjoyed this film as a really trashy looking print that's been getting around for years, basically a cheap bootleg version, copied a million times by everyone. Got several copies of that now. Thing is I wonder if I'd enjoy the nice HD version as much now. Something about the grunge of the cheap version which value adds to the character, I'd probably miss it somewhat. Best thing I guess is to have and enjoy both, choose your flavour depending on the mood.



A true Finnish classic, this one.
You Finns are all the best.



I still have a box full of VHS tapes. And six hundred or so LaserDiscs.
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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra



That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
I almost forgot to post this related video. A true Finnish classic, this one. Is OP a VHS enthusiast of this caliber


OMG that's great stuff. I immediately fell back into local Montgomery Wards' electronic department where they had two walls of VCRs on display. Ugh I miss seeing that and doting over specs and gadgetry designs.



I still have a box full of VHS tapes. And six hundred or so LaserDiscs.
Do you have any rares? One of my VHS "Jewels" is Midnite Spares. Not really "legit" cinema, but more of a place in time for Ozploitation reference. As far as I know it never made a transfer past tape.



Since I don't have the funds at the moment to afford my dream Laserdisc Player — the European Model, the Pioneer CLD-D925... double-sided play, good "bones" and, in specific, NTSC and PAL Region Coding which is precisely what I'm looking for in my player... — I'm going for a lower end, but equally recommended model of the Pioneer CLD-D704. (Which only plays NTSC coding, but for the moment it will do...) Either way I'm hoping to start digging into Laserdisc and become an official "Spinner."
Laser discs were huge here in Japan for about 10 minutes in 1988. Now the record stores are lousy with them in the $2 bins. Would gladly hoover up and send them on although they weigh a tonne. Maybe biff em in with the cheapo surface mail