YouTube has added a special VHS mode to its videos in celebration of 57 years of the video cassette.
Head on over to YouTube’s own YouTube video channel and play a video, and you’ll notice a new icon in the bottom right of the screen. There’s currently a little video icon which, when clicked, applies a funky retro filter to the video.
Once activated, the video will take on a grainy appearance that those of a certain pre-DVD age will remember. Similarly, if you pause the video you’ll get a familiar distortion effect.
The reason for this retro mode is that today marks 57 years since the appearance of the first commercial video cassette recorder.
The Ampex VRX-1000 was first shown off on April 14 1956 at the National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters Convention, heralding the availability of (relatively) high quality recording equipment – though it was far removed from the compact, affordable devices that proliferated in the 1980s.
As a picture over on CED Magic shows, the VRX-1000 was the size of a large photocopier, and it cost a cool $50,000.
In order to replicate the VHS experience in a time of crisp Full HD streaming, head on over to the YouTube page and play any one of their spotlighted videos. Then hit the video icon for instant nostalgic bliss/disbelief that the human race ever survived on such low fidelity entertainment.
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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.
