Why tapes lost to DVD
This used to be a tape that would (eventually, after all the ads) play Wakko's Wish. Then my VCR decided it was hungry after I played some of it back and snapped the tape when it ejected it. So, I got a demonstrations of why DVD ate VHS's lunch in one bite:
- Tape is sequential, so you have to fast-forward past all the trash at the beginning
- The tape mechanism is temperamental no matter how often you clean the inside of it (if at all)
Studios are trying their best to make DVD suck, though. Even though it's random-access, most mainstream DVDs have UOPs which make you sit through the crap until it's done playing (unless you either have a DVD player which won't honor UOPs or you have cut the crap out with a DVD ripping tool) whereas at least you were guaranteed to be able to get past all the ads and "Duh, I KNOW distributing copyrighted videos is a crime; this is my home; shut up already" FBI bumpers.
All things considered, DVD will be pretty much impossible to displace, especially the way the "next generation" formats are going. The "boot time" on the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players can be measured in minutes, whether it be actually powering the player on or loading a disc. The TV sets needed to get the proper picture are expensive, too.
Speaking of TV sets, I think it may be time for me to get a new TV. I've had my 20" Panasonic since 1989, and the speaker switch is giving up. Of course, I can just buy a decent set of computer speakers and wait for something more catastrophic to happen to the TV. I may just do that if I can't find a TV that would be the right size and price.
- Tape is sequential, so you have to fast-forward past all the trash at the beginning
- The tape mechanism is temperamental no matter how often you clean the inside of it (if at all)
Studios are trying their best to make DVD suck, though. Even though it's random-access, most mainstream DVDs have UOPs which make you sit through the crap until it's done playing (unless you either have a DVD player which won't honor UOPs or you have cut the crap out with a DVD ripping tool) whereas at least you were guaranteed to be able to get past all the ads and "Duh, I KNOW distributing copyrighted videos is a crime; this is my home; shut up already" FBI bumpers.
All things considered, DVD will be pretty much impossible to displace, especially the way the "next generation" formats are going. The "boot time" on the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players can be measured in minutes, whether it be actually powering the player on or loading a disc. The TV sets needed to get the proper picture are expensive, too.
Speaking of TV sets, I think it may be time for me to get a new TV. I've had my 20" Panasonic since 1989, and the speaker switch is giving up. Of course, I can just buy a decent set of computer speakers and wait for something more catastrophic to happen to the TV. I may just do that if I can't find a TV that would be the right size and price.