Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Maybe Only For Christmas - Could We All Go Back To VCR's?

I miss my VCR.  I used to be able to tape the TV shows that I like, in the order I liked to view them.  I had a tape with all Halloween episodes of my favorite TV shows and could bring it out every Fall.  Do we think the DVD will ever be that convenient.  I know they are easier to play, but are we really ever going to be able to record?
And then there are my Christmas favorites (everyone who knows me knows that I am crazy for Christmas movies - and plays, ballets, dishes, lights, foods, etc) - is Bernard and the Genie even available anymore?  I recorded my copy from PBS until I could find a copy to buy.  And the best of all versions of Dicken's A Christmas Carol, the Muppets one.  And Miracle on 343th Street - I prefer the oldest version, colorized.  Or Love Actually - which I like better when recorded from network TV, since they take out all that nudity and swearing that the British seem to think necessary, but that makes me slightly uncomfortable.  So, do I have a point today?  I don't really think so - just a bunch of ramblings.

12 comments:

  1. Ah, but Beryl you make a very good point. Newer versions are not necessarily better. I also miss being able to control VCR tapes of things I want to keep forever, on the tape of my choice. Yes, we can record on our Foxtel cable TV but after a while it gets full, and some things have to go. My new upgraded computer software is also somewhat disappointing - things which took one click now seem to involve about 5 windows and any number of selections. BAAAH Humbug!! Happy halloween :)

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  2. We have actually hung on to an ancient VCR, but it only hooks up to one remaining tv. And we still have boxes of old tapes around, mostly full of things we think the grandkids would like. I miss them too.

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  3. So it's not just me being stupid? I thought one could record on a DVD player and I just hadn't bothered to figure it out, given I never got the hang of the last video player either... I still have a video player and tapes of films. The commercials improve with age, I find, sort of like going back to the old days! We tried hanging the TV on the wall, but given we still need a place for those other gismos, I'm going to have my TV table back before Thanksgiving.

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  4. Funny how they try and trick us into thinking that new technology is better, when they're really just trying to get more money out of us in the long run. Since you can't record from tv onto a dvd, you'll have to tivo it (which costs monthly). Even that won't last, so you'll have to buy the dvd eventually. CDs are the same, since you can't record from the radio onto one. You can only do it on a computer, so you, or someone you know, will have already paid for it. If you don't pay for it, they sue you for thousands of dollars per song. Now it's nearly impossibly to find something to play your tapes on. I liked my tapes.

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  5. Beryl! I have a DVD/VCR player in my kitchen. I love watching old movies that I recorded over 10 years ago from TCM. Stuff like The Thin Man movies and anything with Cary Grant! I also LOVE Love Actually.....it's soooooo sweet! I agree that it's nice to feel comfortable watching it with my kids sans sex scenes. And I absolutely drink my margaritas with extra salt!!! My favorite drink!! Hugs my friend! Serene

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  6. I am so inept at operating the equipment associated with DVDs that I totally avoid it. If it's not live on TV or on the radio, I skip it completely. Too many pieces of equipment, too many remotes. Depend on my husband, so only watch movies when he's around. I need to learn those skills but for some reason, have not. Not a priority, I suppose.

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  7. Hi Patricia - Sorry your new software isn't easier. Sounds like Foxtel works like our DVR. Suddenly our cable company more than doubled the storage space on ours, and now I'm recording the Christmas movies whenever I find them, for December viewing.

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  8. Hi Terri - One of the things my mother said when she called to agree with this, was that even having a VCR, you couldn't hook them up to new TV's. Rats!

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  9. Hi Shelley - Finding out that we are not alone in our notions (misconceptions?) is one of the best things about blogging. If I can't record on them, why did we switch ot DVD's? The picture isn't that much better.
    I also love those old commercials!

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  10. Hi Amanda - Our old tapes are good. What about the ones of your band playing on TV? Or your brother's basketball team on the news? And I didn't even think about all the music that we used to record from the radio.

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  11. Hi Serene - Oooh, I just love those old movies. I use a couple of quotes from the Thin Man movies - my favorite one is when she joins him at a bar and asks him how many Martini's he's had before she got there. Then has the bartender line up the difference and proceeds to catch up with him.
    I usually like movies that I can share with my kids better, too.

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  12. Hi Sanda - It does get pretty complicated with all the remotes and input setting - I am so proud of myself when I finally figure out how to operate everything.

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