Looking back at older technology can be fascinating, especially when it comes to the VCR. In the 1980s and 1990s, VCRs were the primary way to watch movies and record shows off your television. Nowadays, the VCR is becoming a thing of the past, but to truly understand it, we need a little bit of background.
In the early 1900s, if you wanted to watch anything on a screen, you had to leave your house and go to a movie theater. Black and white televisions made their way into homes by the 1950s, and in the 1960s came the color TV. Then in the late 1970s came VHS, which was a game changer. Previously, you were limited to what was being broadcast at that time. With VHS, you could now record TV programs and bring home your favorite movies to watch whenever you wanted, and this was a big deal.
There was another competitor called Betamax, which looked and worked very similar to VHS. Betamax was slightly higher quality, but VHS was slightly cheaper and could store a longer length of video. After a few years of battling it out, VHS won over and that’s why most people today are familiar with VHS.
VCRs and VHS tapes were most popular during the 1980s and 1990s. Then in the early 2000s, DVDs began to rise in popularity. DVDs could produce better quality, and you could fit a lot more of them on a shelf next to each other. However, even today there are some enthusiasts that still use VHS, and lucky for them, you can still pick up a VCR player at a thrift store for only 10 or 20 U.S. dollars.
So, how does a VCR work? The VCR stands for Video Cassette Recorder, and it plays VHS cassette tapes. You take the tape, push it in, press play, and there’s your movie. To really understand it, we need to take a look at the inside of a VCR.
After undoing a few screws, part of the case usually comes right off. There were a handful of companies that made these machines and quite a few different models, but overall, they will be very similar because they all need to be able to read the same VHS tapes.
The VHS cassette tape has two reels inside. From the bottom, you can see how the VCR will spin these. In the front is the spring-loaded door. This is normally locked into place. The VCR will press right here to move back a small plate which then unlocks the door. When the door is open, you can see the magnetic tape where the movie is stored. It is important not to touch this with your fingers, as you could ruin the tape and make it unwatchable.
As the movie plays, the magnetic tape will slowly move from the supply reel all the way over to the take-up reel. Part of the tape will actually be pulled out so the VCR can read it. Most VHS tapes hold about 248 meters of tape. If you were to unravel all of this, it would be enough tape to extend most of the way up the Eiffel Tower. That’s a lot of tape!
The reel lock mechanism prevents the reels from rotating, which keeps the magnetic tape from coming out. When the VHS tape is inside of the machine, a piece of metal will poke up through this hole. This will push the lever which will unlock both reels. If the video was rewound all the way, then the magnetic tape should be completely on the left side.
Overall, the VCR was a game changer in its time and will always hold a special place in many people’s hearts. While it may not be as practical as it once was, it is still an interesting piece of technology to learn about and explore.