I would've considered this big news in 1963 but instead of making the front page it gets a couple of paragraphs towards the back.

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo283/tzgames/cd422ab5-54b6-4caf-a3b7-cc58968ed843_zpsbaa37c36.jpg

IIRC, the first VCRs were the "Cartravison" units of the early 1970s. They didn't last long. The Batamax made its debut in the mid 1970s, followed by VHS. The first Betamax VCRs went for $2,500.00 :eek: , and Hollywood hated them with a passion and filed suit in Federal Court, claiming they violated copyright laws. :angryfire. The case went all the way to the US Supreme Court, which declared Taping Shows for personal use did not violate copyright laws. :lol: Thus began the Home Video Boom. Believe it or not, several Ads I saw in the Newspapers during the Mid 1970s to Mid 1980s touted the ability to skip commercials by fast-forwarding through them. If I were to travel back 30 years and tell my 1984 self that I'd own over 40,000 hours of TV Shows, Movies, Serials and Documentaries My 1984 self would most likely :rofl: :rotflmao: :brent :D

I was thinking U-Matic tapes came before beta. I have an U-matic player but the cord is long-gone. I found one online a few years ago but the guy wanted $200 for it. :rolleyes:

With the networks' appalling past practices of "wiping" their videotapes, it's so fortunate that some early home videotaping efforts have preserved footage that would be long gone otherwise. This applies to soap operas, game shows, sports, you name it.

I remember the fast-forwarding claims regarding commercial breaks -- that really was a selling point that was emphasized.

Young people may be surprised to learn that some of the older machines had corded remotes -- in other words, wires ran from the machine to the hand-held remote.

Young people may be surprised to learn that some of the older machines had corded remotes -- in other words, wires ran from the machine to the hand-held remote.

My first VHS had that, it was a Sylvania top-loader. :lol:

Ours was a top-loading Beta machine. A Sony Betamax if I recall right. You do realize that a LOT of people have no clue as to what a top-loader was...! LOL

Ours was a top-loading Beta machine. A Sony Betamax if I recall right. You do realize that a LOT of people have no clue as to what a top-loader was...! LOL


I've got a Sears top-loading beta sitting in a cabinet and I bet it weighs at least 40 pounds. No remote but it has the plug in the back for a wired-one.

I would like to go back to the 60's and bring my VCR with me and tape every Johnny Carson episode...I'd bring tapes too.

IIRC, the first VCRs were the "Cartravison" units of the early 1970s. They didn't last long. The Batamax made its debut in the mid 1970s, followed by VHS. The first Betamax VCRs went for $2,500.00 :eek: , and Hollywood hated them with a passion and filed suit in Federal Court, claiming they violated copyright laws. :angryfire. The case went all the way to the US Supreme Court, which declared Taping Shows for personal use did not violate copyright laws. :lol: Thus began the Home Video Boom. Believe it or not, several Ads I saw in the Newspapers during the Mid 1970s to Mid 1980s touted the ability to skip commercials by fast-forwarding through them. If I were to travel back 30 years and tell my 1984 self that I'd own over 40,000 hours of TV Shows, Movies, Serials and Documentaries My 1984 self would most likely :rofl: :rotflmao: :brent :DI don't remember it but my mother told me that we had one of the cartavison units when I was little I sure wish now that she had saved some of the stuff from it

I would like to go back to the 60's and bring my VCR with me and tape every Johnny Carson episode...I'd bring tapes too.would you have taped some of the eps with guest hosts too or just eps with johnny?

would you have taped some of the eps with guest hosts too or just eps with johnny?

Both!

Even if someone has those tapes in their stash at home...they should be valuable!

Someone should have burned that molasses recipe. Just reading it makes me lose my appetite! :lol:

Both!

Even if someone has those tapes in their stash at home...they should be valuable!at one time there was a full ep on youtube with jerry lewis filling in for johnny I don't know if its still there but it was a good ep

at one time there was a full ep on youtube with jerry lewis filling in for johnny I don't know if its still there but it was a good ep


I'm not sure what episode you are talking about, but there are still clips on YouTube of Jerry Lewis hosting the Tonight Show and you can find them here:

Jerry Lewis on the Tonight Show (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tonight+show+jerry+lewis+)