The last company to manufacture VCRs is shutting down production, spelling the end of the road for the VHS format.
Japanese company Funai Electric will close its doors after 33 years in the business, citing dwindling sales and difficulty in obtaining parts.
While our younger readers may never have experienced the horrors of untangling tape from video heads, recording the wrong channel by accident, or fiddling with tracking settings to get a decent picture, our hearts were still heavy upon hearing this news.
As we noted in our National VCR Day piece in June, kids growing up in a world of Amazon TV and Netflix will struggle to even remember DVDs, let alone the the VHS (Video Home System) which was first created by JVC in the 1970s.
This was followed by the release of the VCR (Video Cassette Recorder) which enabled people to record their favourite shows straight from the TV, way before we could dream about pausing live TV to make a cup of tea or answer the phone.
Related: Netflix vs Amazon
Despite popularity in decline for the past 20 years, Funai Electric still managed to ship 750,000 units worldwide in 2015.
Goodness knows who bought them but if you think that’s a lot, at its peak, the company was selling more than 15 million units.
Related: What is 4K and Ultra HD?
However, if you still want one, they’re hardly in short supply.
eBay has some old school models being listed for as cheap as £10 ($13). But, if you’re flash with the cash, you can purchase a mint condition model made by Bush for £1,000 ($1,300) — not cheap, considering you can pick up an Amazon Fire TV for £80 and view some content in 4K.
For nostalgic tech fans, after ascending to silicon heaven the VCR can now join the Walkman and the Polaroid camera in your collection.
WATCH: The Refresh
Sad about VHS being laid to rest? Share your eulogies below.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
