Apr 14 2009
Five reasons why VHS cassettes are better than DVDs
Now look, I’m not some technological dinosaur still living in the Dark Ages with my Betamax player and clockwork Nintendo, but let’s face it: the DVD isn’t all that magical. In fact, in a lot of cases this newer, more ‘versatile’ format simply pales in comparison to the supposedly inferior VHS.
Following are five reasons why the good old cassette beats the Digital Vimto Drink (or whatever DVD stands for) into fibreglass pulp.
Why cassettes rule and DVDs drool
1. Cassettes just looks cooler. Look at all those sci-fi films - they still use cassette tapes despite the fact they are capable of holographic projection and other such futuristic technologies. It has its own distinct design, whereas the DVD just looks like a glorified CD. Yawn.
2. It’s harder to destroy tapes. VHS is seemingly indestructible - throw it off a cliff and it’ll… well, break. However at least you can give it a bit of rough treatment before it gives up the ghost, and I’d rather put up with a bit of a snowy reception than get a disk read error from some tiny scratch. Gah.
3. VHS burns better. What better way to dispose of unwanted tapes than to chuck them on the bonfire and watch them melt into the ashes, and maybe even explode. I’d bet if you did the same thing with a DVD it’d just burn in seconds. Boring!
4. The DVD has an identity crisis. It wants to be a Compact Disk, taking the form of your run-of-the-mill music CD, but comes in packages around the same size as a VHS cassette as if it can’t make its mind up about what it wants to be. Schizo.
5. Tapes are recyclable. When you’ve finished with your VHS cassette, you can take it apart and use the various bits for new purposes. Why not use that ten metres of leftover tape to tie a cat to a lamppost, or create some delightful Christmas decorations? And the husk of the tape can be re-used as a brick or toy for your small child to play with.
Yeah, but did you ever try to smuggle an al Qaeda training VHS past airport security by shoving it up your ass? At least you can burn a DVD to a thumb drive and make the effort of spreading the hilarity of global terror less painful on your sensitive tissues. Just saying.
Anything to help the you Brits. It’s something Frank taught back during the 200 Motels tour.
Lord, have mercy on the people in England,
for the terrible food these people must eat.
( Errrr, excuse me )
And may the lord have mercy on the fate of this movie
and God bless the mind of the man in the street.
I tell reCaptcha and me have this thing going, Picken as-, it says, which, considering my current post and dubious history, is almost prescient.
funny post - compare cassette tapes , eight track tapes, and records. Here it is getting harder to find VHS tapes to record your TV programs on.
I still have hundreds of movies on video. I agree about the scratches. Same with music cassette tapes. At least you can splice past the crinkled part that your tape player spit out.
Thank you so much for making me laugh out loud today! What are your thoughts on Windows Vista versus MS DOS?
Very funny! I have often thought that VHS tapes were more durable
There are other reasons why VHS is better than DVD:
!.) Archival Media: In accelerated aging chambers, scientists have proved that a tape can last up to 500-700 years, where as a DVD can only last 200 years.
2.) Simplicity: There are no previews, extra features and root menus as with DVD’s. Just put VHS in, press play, adjust tracking and watch:-)
3.) Price: Movies can be $1-$2 at Salvation Army.
4.) Recordable: DVD are Read only media, you can record on a VHS tape.
5.) Duplication: Its a hassle to copy DVDs, copy VHS just by hooking 2 VCRs together. ONLY COPY TAPES FOR PERSONAL USE, IF USED AS GIFTS OR PROFIT, YOU ARE BREAKING PIRACY LAWS!!!!!!!
6.)Retro: In about 5 years VHS will be popular again, the retro fad will kick in, just as it has for audiotapes.
7.)No Region Coding: You can play an American VHS, even if you move to Jo’burg, London, Shanghai, or Sydney.
8.) Libraries are only starting to stock VCDs/DVDs/Blu-ray/HD-DVD in my town.
More very good points there, Pegasus. Might be worth revisiting this subject for a coming post, cheers.