When Did Everyone Get Their First VHS/Betamax Player?

[Tim]

1983 - RCA VJP-900 "convertible" VHS. The deck slid into the Tuner/Timer docking station. I recall I paid just under $1000 at Trader Horn in NJ. Carried that "portable" deck and separate camera all over Disneyworld and on vacations recording the kids. When it finally wore out I got a Sony VHS. That RCA is still here though.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by wa2ise

Back in 1982, after a year or so working for the RCA Smirnoff Labs, I bought an RCA VFT456 vcr. The industrial version of the VFT450, had a 3 prong power plug. Also got a videodisc player. Then I decided I needed a TV set, so I got an RCA CTC101, the one with the infamous flyback, and a line comb filter.

Does that VCR have BNC connectors, instead of RCA connectors for the audio/video outs.
I bought a JVC unit like that, just for the BNC to RCA adaptors, that it came with. I paid less for the VCR, than the adaptors would have cost. This also used a IEC power cord like computers use.

[loopstick]

Back in 1980-81 my parents got one. I don't remember the make.

[wa2ise]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

Does that VCR have BNC connectors, instead of RCA connectors for the audio/video outs.
...

No, just RCA connectors. And the cabinet was mostly a silver color instead of wood grain. Other than that, it was the same as the consumer VCR VFT 450. I had the attachable IR remote module as well.

This channel 62?

[rca2000]

That movie COULD have been a good movie....but it was "ALL over the place"...and with a very haphazard plot. As such....it was not too good.

[loopstick]

Originally Posted by wa2ise

this channel 62?

lol.

[MX70]

My parents bought teir first vcr, a JVC HR-D120U from Woodward's in '84 and replaced it in '94 with a Panasonic PV-8450 (?) but I saved the JVC and still run every so often but the idler tire for the take-up spindle should be replaced. Still plays quite well considering the mileage it accumulated over the years! My first vcr was (and still is) a Sony SL-100 2 head mono superbeta I saved up for while in high school in '87, but the hall sensor has failed a couple years ago so it is in storage till I can get around to dealing with that. My first U-Matic is a VO-2600 in '91, bought from the school district complete with the TT-100 tuner/timer AND the FA-20 timer adapter! all for $11. Still works perfect!! Bought my first EIAJ-1 vtrs at the time too, AV-3600 and AV-8600 for $15 for both. These are still working great too, just did maintenance on my AV-8600 to do some transfers recently.

[djfivos]

Originally Posted by Tom Biddle

My first VCR was a Betamax (not a Sony but can't remember the manufacturer at the moment)...silver with a WIRED remote! I used it principally to record rented CED (!) Videodiscs! That was my first movie library! Wow, that was a long time ago (1983, I think).

I think it was this one!

[AllenR]

I was aware of the VCR as early as 1979-ish. I was 15 in 1979. There was one kid who's parents were loaded and they had one. I was fascinated by the concept and was always dreaming about recording music off TV.

I started pestering my parents to get one but they weren't interested. Once I started working I saved and saved and in 1983 I bought the JVC HR-7100 with the big color buttons. One of the first things I recorded and saved was Journey Live at the Summit Houston TX 1981. I still have that tape.

During the 80's I was a hardcore tape trader. Got into the whole multi-system TV/VCR thing to trade with overseas traders and bought a Minolta camcorder to film concerts with. That JVC HR-7100 had a LOT of mileage put on it.

By the time I relocated to the Czech Republic in 1998 the JVC had only required one major repair of the chassis. I believe that was in the early 90's. The JVC was still a workhorse when I shipped it to the Czech Republic in 1998.

Sadly, the JVC HR-7100 was destroyed in Europe when a careless fork-lift driver pierced the shipping box. What a sad, sad delivery that was.

[Tube TV]

We were late in the game. My family got a VCR probably around 1990-91. It was a Sears (Goldstar).

The first VCR of my own was trash picked in the night at a recycling depot around 1996. It was an RCA much like this. Someone cut the power cord off and dumped it. After a good cleaning I used it for several years.

[ARC Tech-109]

Around 1984 found a Sony VO-2600 at a surplus store for $20.00

[waltchan]

Originally Posted by AllenR

I was aware of the VCR as early as 1979-ish. I was 15 in 1979. There was one kid who's parents were loaded and they had one. I was fascinated by the concept and was always dreaming about recording music off TV.

I started pestering my parents to get one but they weren't interested. Once I started working I saved and saved and in 1983 I bought the JVC HR-7100 with the big color buttons. One of the first things I recorded and saved was Journey Live at the Summit Houston TX 1981. I still have that tape.

During the 80's I was a hardcore tape trader. Got into the whole multi-system TV/VCR thing to trade with overseas traders and bought a Minolta camcorder to film concerts with. That JVC HR-7100 had a LOT of mileage put on it.

By the time I relocated to the Czech Republic in 1998 the JVC had only required one major repair of the chassis. I believe that was in the early 90's. The JVC was still a workhorse when I shipped it to the Czech Republic in 1998.

Sadly, the JVC HR-7100 was destroyed in Europe when a careless fork-lift driver pierced the shipping box. What a sad, sad delivery that was.

JVC VHS VCRs were once rated #1 in reliability by Consumer Reports from 1979-1985 model years only.

[colortrakker]

1988. Radio Shack. Model 25. Think it was a basic 2-head deck and no idea who made it. But I do remember Planes, Trains And Automobiles was the first movie I saw on it.

Made an upgrade to a 4-head Sylvania in 1991 or 1992. Good match for the 20" Sylvania TV we upgraded to.

[damen]

We were an RCA dealer and my boss bought for himself RCA's first offering, the VBT-200 that was available in September 1977. He let me borrow it one weekend and I was hooked ! I got my own in November of 1977 and every couple of years I upgraded to a fancier model. VBT-200, then VDT-600, 3 speed, VGT-650, wireless remote, linear stereo sound and then VKT-650, HI-FI stereo, on screen programming, memory backup. Ended up with 3 of the VKT-650s when RCA had a close out sale.

[kfbkfb]

1st VCR: Sony SL-2300 Betamax (purchased 1984-12 at Wards [demo model, was $350 instead of $600])

1st VHS VCR: RCA VJT-255 (purchased 1985-05 at Walmart)

1st VHS Hi-Fi VCR: Emerson (purchased 1987-04 at Walmart)
Found out the local PBS station (KMOS TV 6 was in stereo and also took this VCR to KC and watch Miami Vice in stereo in WDAF TV-4)

I recently bought several used VHS Hi-Fi VCRs (from thrift shops) to record from the 5 streaming services I have (using an HDMI -> baseband NTSC color video converter)


Kirk Bayne