Blog #4 The VCR

The video cassette recorder, better known as the VCR, was first introduced by Charles Paulson Ginsburg in 1951. Ginsburg was considered to be the ‘father of the video cassette recorder”. However, it wasn’t until 1956 when Ampex created the first official VCR that cost $50,000, which was not very affordable for the average customer. Following in 1965 Sony introduced the CV-2000 which worked better with customers due to its more affordable price. The VCR was also introduced in Japan in 1965. In 1976 all three of the VCRs entered the market.

Previously, television could not be recorded, the VCR reinvented the way that TV is watched today. You used to have to wait for your favorite television show to be aired to watch it, the VCR allowed you record a show or movie on the video recorder and then later replay it on the tape. Live TV was just a memory of that generation as VCR changed and monumental televised moments could now be replayed over and over again. Finally, viewers were able to control their watching experience, and that is why VCR changed the watching experience for society.  VCR was the introduction to people controlling what they watch on TV. Without the VCR we wouldn’t have our favorite streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, Peacock and more. The VCR solved the problem of not being able to watch TV at your own convenience. However, the VCR was extremely short lived. Modern improvements in technology eventually lead to the expiration of the VCR. Within the first 10-25 years of the VCR existing, it was already quickly dying out due to faster improvement in technology.

In 2012, Panasonic stopped producing VCRs. Citizens were watching VCRs being up to $50,000 when first debuted, to being seen at a garage sale for a few bucks 30 years later. VCR gave us the freedom of choice we had never been able to experience, watching anything we wanted, whenever we wanted. The way technology continued to develop from the VCR has lead to a revolutionary way to view entertainment. After the peak of the VCR, DVDs were released which led to the death of the VCR. Then followed video rental chains in 1985. 

In less than half of the time that VCRs were on the market, 1976-2007, DVD players quickly caught up to their popularity due to the DVD players faster advancement in technology.

I personally believe VCR left a more positive impact on society than a negative. VCR completely reinvented the way we watch television today. Without VCR we wouldn’t be able to download our favorite shows, stream television, and watch movies at our own convenience. However, with the VCR being able to record anything was taken advantage of and led to the exploitation of porn on the VCR, With VCR being dead there are no longer any negative effects with the VCR.