We were talking about this topic awhile back in a different thread, but wanted to start this topic on the main page.
How do you prefer to watch your favorite 80's movies? I'm probably crazy but I'm thinking of buying a collection of VHS tapes. They just have such a distinct picture. I know it's a bad picture, but it brings me back to being a kid. I'm just curious how many of you who have the same movie in different forms, prefer to watch.
Posted by Johnny Roarke is reckless (Member # 9826) on :
Personally i prefer dvds and blu-rays.
I absolutely adore VHS, but at a certain point i just had to make the decision to get rid of my old tapes. Like i said before, i have lots and lots of vinyl records, and collecting movies on dvd and blu-ray has gotten waaaaaaay out of hand.. There's simply not enough storage space available for all my stuff.
If you're going to watch movies on VHS, i think it may be better to hook up your VCR to an older TV set instead of an HD flatscreen.
Posted by the young warrior (Member # 9554) on :
Definitely vhs,DVD or blu ray before digital,the few experiences I've had with streaming so far have been terrible,last one I watched - odd Thomas which is actually a pretty cool film it kept buffering up to the point I nearly gave up with it.
Some of my vhs, my video cover of - kid looks like it's been through the wars, c Thomas Howell's head has completely disappeared!
I've still got quite a few rare and deleted vhs titles,I've got an old vcr connected to a 37" flat screen in my bedroom and if I'm lying back watching it at a distance it's absolutely fine but if you get up really close to the screen then that's a different story!
Here's my trusty old vhs player,2nd unit from the bottom as the player underneath it gave up the ghost long ago!
This is the picture quality playing a vhs through it stood about just under 2 feet away so not a bad picture! Anyone guess the movie?
I'd go for it Gordon as I think vhs picture quality is more than perfectly watchable!
[ 03. March 2016, 09:29: Message edited by: the young warrior ]
Posted by aTomiK (Member # 6575) on :
Itīs Charlie in the excellent Cadence.
Nice tower of power you have there. So itīs the Mitsubishi that fell apart? Maybe itīs my bad memory but i donīt think iīve ever seen Mitsubishi vcr before...
Posted by the young warrior (Member # 9554) on :
Yep! You've got it atomik - cadence or stockade as it's known over here,the Mitsubishi was a really great player and lasted me several years and your right about them being pretty scarce as other than my one I can't recollect seeing many if any - others!
Posted by kevdugp73 (Member # 5978) on :
As a collector, I like playing movies or music on their original format....ie any music from the 70's (I prefer albums), any music from the 80's (I prefer cassette). I have some old jazz albums and like playing them on an old suitcase record player I have. Thus, I like the look of 80's movies playing on an old tv via an old VCR...maintains that nice gritty feel that I still enjoy. That all being said, I primarily listen to digital music and also watch mostly DVD/Blu-ray. I just don't have the time to explore all formats. So, when feeling nostalgic, I will dig out my suitcase record player or one of my ghetto blasters. My older TV and VHS player are in my 80's room, which is not really set up for lounging...but when I'm in the basement, I'll put on a movie or 80's music videos for background noise...and love the gritty picture with the occasional blip/jump...just like the old days....
Posted by the young warrior (Member # 9554) on :
quote:Originally posted by kevdugp73: I will dig out my suitcase record player
Kevdug what are those suitcase record players like,they any good?
I know they've got built in speakers,does your one sound pretty decent?
Posted by kevdugp73 (Member # 5978) on :
The sound on mine isn't awesome warrior...but I'm sure you could get better quality ones. Mine's pretty rough (I even have to give the record a little push to get going ). I only use it for my jazz records...and, my LPs aren't perfect either....they mostly have that distinct crackle....but that's what I love to hear! Kinda just brings me back to the era (though I wasn't alive then)...a decent little escape.
*I also have one of those retro radio/cd players that are made to look vintage....I use this only to play my jazz cds...and keeping with the era, I house all my jazz cds in an old suitcase from the 50's. I believe my past life was filled with great music and travel...and I likely only wore pin striped suits! *Bless my wife for putting up with me!
Posted by Nostalgic for the '80's (Member # 37454) on :
I haven't had a VCR for 20 years. Though I am obviously "Nostalgic for the '80's", I am not at all nostalgic for VHS tapes. I hated the format even when that was the only way to watch films, i.e. in the '80's & '90's (I didn't get my first DVD player until 2003). The VHS format "blew chunks" for many reasons:
1) The VHS picture is typically pan & scan, and if you're watching a film, this means half of the movie is cut off, so you will only get half (or less than half) of the picture. No thanks - I want to see the entire picture when watching a movie.
Even widescreen VHS movies are not Anamorphic widescreen - i.e., at least one side is slightly cut off.
Conversely, most DVD's & all the Blu's I've seen are anamorphic widescreen.
2) VHS picture quality sucked, as did the sound, color, etc.
3) The bulkiness of the tapes themselves & the shelf space they would take up, the need to rewind, the possibility that the tape would get tangled up in the machine, etc. were all huge hassles. Going along with this, VCR's had a lot of moving parts & as such were much more prone to breaking than DVD/Blu-ray players.
DVD's, Blu-rays, and streaming (if something isn't available on DVD/Blu) are the only three ways I watch anything these days.
[ 02. November 2016, 09:51: Message edited by: Nostalgic for the '80's ]
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
). I only use it for my jazz records...and, my LPs aren't perfect either....they mostly have that distinct crackle....but that's what I love to hear! Kinda just brings me back to the era (though I wasn't alive then)...a decent little escape.