Blog #4: VCR

The Video Cassette Recorder (VCR) was first introduced in 1956 by the company Ampex. The VCR uses electromagnetic signals to record audio and video onto magnetic tape. This allowed people to save the recording of television and keep rewatching it for years. The first commercial version was the Ampex VRX-1000 which cost $50,000 which would be around $325,000 in today's money. It was apparently the size of a piano. In 1963 Sony created the first reel-to-reel recorder. This helped make it less expensive for consumers but was still not very affordable for most households. They were mainly bought by businesses and schools. In 1965 Sony created the CV-2000. This model was less expensive and meant specifically for the average consumer for household use.

As competition continued to rise, prices continued to come down. Sony continued to improve their technology and released the Sony U-Matic in 1970. This was the first VCR commercially marketed for consumers to use. It was capable of holding 90 minutes worth of footage. This was the one problem with VCR, they did not hold a lot of time. With technological advances, tape durations continued getting longer and were mass-produced and marketed to average consumers. This also made it more affordable for the average person. In 1972 videocassettes of movies became available for home use through Cartrivision. Cartrivision did not last very long because they were expensive and poor quality. Eventually new forms would be released. 

By 1975 a digital timer was added and gave people the ability to record directly from their TV. During the same year, Sony released the Betamax. JVC developed and released the VHS in Japan in 1976 and was released a year later in the US. By the 1980s, there were three major competitors of videocassettes. The main competition was between the Sony Betamax and the JVC VHS. The Betamax was higher quality but more expensive and shorter record time. The VHS was lower quality but longer record time and more affordable. By 1987, the VHS dominated the $5.25 billion dollar VCR market in the US alone. The VHS continued to be the main format until DVDs. 

The VCR was revolutionary technology because it allowed people to rewatch their favorite shows and movies which was not possible before. Before the VCR, watching shows and movies was a one-time experience and people could finally rewatch things as much as they wanted. It really became popular when people started to collect their own movies and TV shows. It also allowed network companies to record shows and air them at later dates or broadcast them for different time zones. A 1996 national survey by MIT found that 80% of the public picked the VCR as the most helpful invention that made life easier. The VCR changed the world of Television by introducing the ability to record. Here are some fun facts about the VCR: 

1. The world's last VCR was made in June 2016 by Japan's Funai Electric.

2. June 7 is national VCR day. National VCR Day is to recognize the impact that VCRs had on the time and continue to have. 

3. The first VCR to use VHS was the Victor HR-3300 and in 2008 it was registered with Japan's National Museum of Nature and Science.

4. The VCR was sold for around $1000-$1400 when first introduced. 

5. “The Young Teacher” was the first VCR movie.

6. The best-selling VCR is “The Lion King” which sold 35 million copies.