VHS as a medium

[hiphophead34]

Im a free lance audio engineer. I like using VHS as a poor mans tape machine. I use Protools to record the audio and then I bounce Stereo mixes of drums and bass to the VHS. That way they get some analog tape saturation and then I record them back into Protools. I don't do this all the time but its fun to do and listen to the differences.

That is a great idea. Couldn't you get the same effect using a 4 track or regular cassette deck? I don't know much about how the size of the tape effects the sound.

Probably but I think that the audio heads on VHS are larger and I've been able to slam the VHS tape pretty hard giving it good ol analog tape distortion. I try different tape brands just to see what kind of tapes have a higher head room.

[Jrecee]

What's the difference between the original version and an edited 1978 laserdisc version?

[Medical Dust]

You can hook two VCRs together and do linear editing! That's been a hobby of mine for several months.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Was actually thinking about finishing up my DBZ VHS set since they're so cheap. How long do VHS usually last? Not trying to buy something that will die out on me in a couple of years.

25-30 years if played regularly (AKA weekly) and kept away from and electromagnetic interference, but honestly it's unknown as it's an analog medium.

According to Cowboy Bebop they'll last 85 years or longer so I'd go with them on this one, they are clearly from the future.

[yomomma1]

Wait, So if I use the tape often, it won't degrade. I thought it was the other way around. I know that my most played tapes don't work. (Ie the little toaster, star wars)

[Hobie-wan]

They will. Since the tape slides across the head, some of the oxide comes off each play. That's why you have to use a head cleaner, to clean off the bits that stick to the head. I have audio tapes I played a ton when I was younger. The 2 most played, the tape isn't as shiny as it used to be. There is oxide buildup on the spring pad and other friction points in the tape. There are wear points on the glide sheets.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Wait, So if I use the tape often, it won't degrade. I thought it was the other way around. I know that my most played tapes don't work. (Ie the little toaster, star wars)

What I meant is that it'll last about that long if properly maintained and played often if you were to play it less and store all your VHS tapes in some sort of lead lined box then they would last far far longer than they were intended to.

[samsonlonghair]

Was actually thinking about finishing up my DBZ VHS set since they're so cheap. How long do VHS usually last? Not trying to buy something that will die out on me in a couple of years.

It depends on the quality of the Tape actually. Some of the Disney VHS tapes I bought in the '80s still look good without any static or distortion. Some of the cheap tapes I bought in the '90s are looking pretty ragged by comparison.

According to Cowboy Bebop they'll last 85 years or longer so I'd go with them on this one, they are clearly from the future.

That was a Betamax tape. Don't you remember the episode? The distinction between VHS and Beta was a major plot point. Spike and Jet went underground to find a VCR, but the VCR they brought back could only play VHS tapes.

[MrPopo]

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According to Cowboy Bebop they'll last 85 years or longer so I'd go with them on this one, they are clearly from the future.

That was a Betamax tape. Don't you remember the episode? The distinction between VHS and Beta was a major plot point. Spike and Jet went underground to find a VCR, but the VCR they brought back could only play VHS tapes.

I'm pretty sure everyone who's seen that ep hasn't actually seen a Beta tape in the wild (myself included), so it's easy to forget about them.

[samsonlonghair]

What's the difference between the original version and an edited 1978 laserdisc version?

Mostly text differences. For instance, the Original title "Star Wars" was changed to "Star Wars Episode 4: a New Hope" in 1978. The credits of Empire Strikes Back were changed to list George Lucas as writer and executive producer.
The 1978 release also has badly washed-out colors.

The 1995 VHS release has the same text edits, but greatly improved color and clarity. The editors at Lucasfilm used (then) groundbreaking digital video technology to make the sharpest images ever seen on VHS. These tapes don't have the "soft" look VHS is notorious for.