Dixons Drops The VCR

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High Street retailer Dixons is to stop selling video cassette recorders due to the increased popularity of DVD players.

The UK's largest chain of electrical retailers expects to sell its remaining stock of VCRs by Christmas.

John Mewett, marketing director at Dixons, said: "We're saying goodbye to one of the most important products in the history of consumer technology.

"The video recorder has been with us for a generation and many of us have grown up with the joys and the occasional frustrations of tape-based recording.

"We are now entering the digital age and the new DVD technology available represents a step change in picture quality and convenience."

gameboy

Yes, but then VCRs are pretty useful for recording programmes!

The majority of DVDs don't - or am I missing something?

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sharpman

yes your missing something, the dvd recorder now 130 pounds or less.
i`ve got one, very good, works the same as a VCR.
worth the money

rolfw

Yes, the DVD recorders are getting cheaper, but also more and more people are opting for PVRs like Sky+, don't think that the video VHS recorder will disappear just yet though.

Another factor is the repeat channels and omnibus editions of series, not so much need to video record any more.

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BGonaSTICK

I was talking about this with my old man earlier this evening. Is there a straight HDD/PVR equivalent of the VCR without DVD/DVD-r or additional Sat/Freeview tuner etc?

And if not, why not?

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jason_ukuk

aiso dvd-r on flash lights break up . aiso now and again go blockeee......
so video still good format not for years as video tape goes bad.
dvd last for 100 years.. hope to play it then lol...

sprog

What about people who got loads of videos? Cant just dump them and get DVD's. It seems to me like clever and free publicity stunt/advert by Dixons- get it on the news during prime time TV just before Crimbo, Curry's are the same company and they are still going to be selling VCRs! Long live Betamax and VC2000!!!!!

gameboy

They did the same with the Gamecube - then started stocking them again - so you may be right!

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PoloMint

I imagine there’s not much profit in selling VCRs these days. Then again there probably isn’t much profit in selling £40 DVD players, but at least they sell by the dozen so it all adds up.

DVD recordables don’t last 100 years, far from it. Pressed DVDs might, but not home recorded ones. Over time the dye in the disc starts to deform, loosing the shape that was burnt onto it, and in doing so loosing the data. It depends greatly on where they are stored and what the quality of the disc is. Poor quality DVD-Rs are only expected to last a couple of years before becoming unreadable in most players. DVD RAM discs might be better, I’m not sure.

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'All you need is duck tape and WD40; if it moves and it shouldn't, use duck tape - if it should move and it doesn't, use WD40'

BGonaSTICK

You're not wrong. Most people seem to have that enduring image of Judith Whats'erface from Tomorrows World spreading some jam on a CD and it still playing.... 'It'll last forever, AND you can have jam on it...'

I treat my discs very well, but I still have some two-year old discs that have gone bad...

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Simba27

Please enlighten me.

DVD recorders: can you keep re-recording on the same disk or are they W.O.R.M. like CD-Rs?

gameboy

DVD-R is write once

DVD-RW is write as many times as it lets you!

Check before you buy

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PoloMint

Also remember DVD RAM discs – these are always rewriteable, but most DVD players won’t play them (normally only ones capable of writing to them can play back the recordings).

There are also DVD+R and +RW discs.

These have the same principle as DVD-R discs, +R being write once and +RW being re writeable.

However a recorder designed to write to only –R or –RW discs wont write to a +R or +RW disc. Likewise a +R/+RW recorder wont write to a –R or –RW disc.

Most recorders now (certainly PC ones) will accept –R/-RW and +R/+RW, if you want one that does RAM you will have to specifically make sure the recorder supports it.

Then there is dual layer, these are DVD-R (or –RW) disks that have two layers and so can hold nearly double the amount of data.

A DVD movie you buy will almost certainly be dual layer, if you want to be able to record to dual layer discs make sure you get a recorder that supports it, most PC ones now do, I’m not sure about stand alone ones. If possible get one that does, it is well worth it.

Confused yet?

Interestingly the +R and +RW format was never fully adopted by the DVD forum, and so is not actually a ‘proper’ DVD format. But just ignore that, it’s a nit pickers point and they are going to be called DVD+R/RW now no matter what anyway.

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gameboy

Excellent post.

Wasn't life simpler with VHS/BETAMAX?

I find no matter what the media speed or my DVD writer speed, burning anything above x2 speed and you risk a failure!

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rolfw

Ah, you forgot Philips 20/20.

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gameboy

The top loaders?

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rolfw

That may have been the earlier one, this one was double sided, you turned it over to play the second side.

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gameboy

The 2020 was the very first V2000 VCR to be sold in the UK. By todays standard the VCR still appears to look high-tech despite its large size ( 54cm x 36.5cm x 15.2cm ) and its great weight ( 17.5kg ). One reason for its great mass was the two large AC mains motor which were used for the tape transport.

Attached Images

v2020bg.jpg (23.7 KB, 2 views)

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BonceChops

Even less profit when Argos are selling DVD player for £25