First Video recorder?

[Mulletino]

Re: First Video recorder?

We were pretty late on the VCR train as they were expensive, till a friend upgraded and gave us their old Hitachi.



It had a "remote" that was just a handle with a button in it with a long lead which you plugged into the VCR and it just paused the recording/player.

They gave us a tape which had Zulu on it recorded off the telly.

My last VCR was a snazzy Sony one which had really good stereo sound output which I used to run through my Technics separates Hi-Fi which had ball surround speakers and virtual surround modes. That died a few years ago. Now the only working VCR in our house is built into the 14" TV that I used as the screen in my PS2 powered Arcade Table.

[Richard1978]

Re: First Video recorder?

One of my friend had a Panasonic VCR with a corded remote which he hardly ever used as it was a stretch to the nearest seat.

[staffslad]

Re: First Video recorder?

You've reminded me that our Sanyo also had a corded remote control, but it was just a single button by which you could pause recording and playback, with no other function. I don't think I ever actually used it.

[darren]

Re: First Video recorder?

ANYTHING LIKE THIS.

My first one was a rented (from DER) Ferguson top-loader!

It had a remote but that was connected to the body by a wire!

[zabadak]

Re: First Video recorder?

My first one was a rented (from DER) Ferguson top-loader!

It had a remote but that was connected to the body by a wire!

[staffslad]

Re: First Video recorder?

Our first video recorder was a Sanyo VTC9300P betamax (or betacord as Sanyo called it) bought from Dixons in July 1980 and cost £399.99. It was the cheapest VCR we could find at the time. It gave over 20 years of service.

[Richard1978]

Re: First Video recorder?

This was our first VCR

remember it was not as easy to use as they would have you believe

would have been about 1981 ish though we soon ended up with a VHS like everyone else

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq1n5fQIV0I

My Gran was the only person I knew who bought a Betamax machine, & by the end of the 1980s switched to VHS. I can't remember her having both at the same time though.

[Jay Mc]

Re: First Video recorder?

This was our first VCR

remember it was not as easy to use as they would have you believe

would have been about 1981 ish though we soon ended up with a VHS like everyone else

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq1n5fQIV0I

[marc]

Re: First Video recorder?

Had our first video recorder in 1986/7. Good old top loader. It lasted about 10 years or so. In fact it was better than the replacement. When you paused a film you actually had a good still clear picture still. Its replacement would not do this without lines across the screen. I've still got a video recorder. It's virtually brand new. When I moved into my own home, I bought one. About a year later, I bought a dvd player. Therefore I hardly used it.


I can't remember the first thing we recorded all those years ago, but I think it was an episode of Spitting Image. I've still got a large collection od VHS videos. I can't be bothered to sort them out at the moment. I think I've got a large amount of documentaries.


Anybody know of any posh people who had both VHS and Betamax? There was one family I know of.

[80sChav]

Re: First Video recorder?

Prior to our first VHS - I recall an Auntie having a Betamax - these where the things of legend ... topladers and everything.

I think (though am not totally certain) after reading the O.P's post about seeing a very early to mid 70s Video Machine 1 in a magazine in Art at school about 1992/1993! Or if not it was sure in a Magazine at another point and I recall being as amazed now as I did then that one existed in such an era!

80sChav

[darren]

Re: First Video recorder?

WE HAD THIS VCR IM SURE OF IT.
NOT SURE IT IT WAS THE FIRST THOUGH.

[Richard1978]

Re: First Video recorder?

The N1500 was one of the first machines to put the tapes in a casette, but with 1 reel on top of the other.

My Dad can remember watching training films on U-Matic, which was a semi-pro format.

Later versions were good enough for one-the-street news reporting, as there was no waiting for film to be develop.

[Rob N]

Re: First Video recorder?

I actually worked in the industrial video game in the early/mid seventies. I do remember an early reel to reel model but the first VCR (video cassette recorder) that I can think of was a Philips N1500 which was copied and taken over by the Japanese manufacturers. There was also a large heavy thing called a Sony U matic.

[darren]

Re: First Video recorder?

first one we had was in 83.
Cant remember the make but i remember it being a top loader.

[branny]

Re: First Video recorder?

We got our first in 1983. A Ferguson videostar rented from a local shop. Toploader with giant buttons. I can't remember the first film we rented but knowing my Dad it would have probably been a horror film. I seem to remember that it took about 9 months for the rental to be released after the cinema release had departed. With the popular films one of our local shops used to get loads of copies and they'd sell them after the initial rush. I remember wanting a copy of Aliens but they were going for £90. Amazing when you consider that you can now get the box set on blu-ray for £17.