The "Good 'Ole Days"

 EOTO Technology: VHS 

    For some of us who remember those "good 'ole days," we can reminisce on those big, plastic storage containers and entertainment centers that populated many homes throughout the nation. As a little girl, I will never forget the excitement I got when I was able to stay overnight with my grandparents and cousins. All twelve of us would stay up almost all night watching movies, eating popcorn and snacks, and most of the time arguing with one another on which movie we wanted to watch (we still loved each other, though). So, what was in these plastic, large containers? The answer is simple: VHS tapes. These rewindable tapes gave us not only so much joy, but truly was a way for all of us to feel that "cousinly bond." A way for us to catch up and have fun, especially when we would go long periods of time without seeing one another. The VHS tape, though no longer used as much in modern times, has changed the way the world has developed in entertainment and technology. 

    The VHS tape... a concept, in modern times, that most people who are typically 20 years or younger, are extremely unfamiliar with (which is so sad). The Video Home System was first introduced in North America in 1977 during a press conference at the CES in Chicago by two Japanese companies, SONY and the Japanese Victor Company. When the tape was first released, people swarmed their local stores to get their hands on this new technology. The idea and creation behind the Video Home System was the way it allowed us to consumed entertainment — to be viewed from the comfort of our own homes. The VHS also had smaller counterparts to be released: VHS-C, MiniDV, Hi8, and much more. Even in the high rise of the known DVD, the Video Home System remained the victor in American homes. As of 2005, there were roughly 95 million Americans who continued to own a VHS-format VCR. The "Be Kind, Rewind" era slowly began to decline as Hollywood stopped releasing movies on the VHS, but still, even to this day, remains to be an iconic piece of American homes. 

    To this day, I am baffled by the amount of young Americans who do not know what a VHS tape is. I mean, quite literally, I had almost every Disney move on tape: Toy Story, The Lion King, Haunted Mansion, every Disney Princess series, etc. Because I do have a sentimental love for these tapes, here are some fun facts on VHS (click here to preview):

• First film ever released on VHS was The Young Teacher
• Titanic was the only movie to ever be released on VHS while still playing at the theater
• Certain VHS tapes are worth a pretty penny. Frankenstein’s Castle of Freaks (approx. value: $1,700), 101 Dalmatians: Black Diamond Edition (approx. value $750) 
• The first American shows/films released on VHS were The Sound of Music, Patton and M*A*S*H*
• Last major motion picture released on VHS was A History of Violence in 2006

References: 

https://kodakdigitizing.com/blogs/news/history-of-the-vhs-tape

https://southtree.com/blogs/artifact/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-vhs