VHS Rides Off Into The Sunset

December 23, 2008 By Geoff Duncan

The venerable VHS tape is finally vanishing in the rear-view mirror as the last major supplier stop distribution.

VHS tape, the format that for better—and worse—brought video into untold millions of households around the world is finally going the way of the dinosaur…at least in the United States. After the 2008 holiday season, Distribution Audio Video—the last major distributor of VHS tapes in the United States—is finally calling it quits, and will stop distributing VHS tapes. Although Hollywood hasn’t released a movie in VHS format since 2006, a number of bargain retailers were still stocking the format, and it’s also lived on in a number of isolated markets like cruise ships, public libraries, military bases, and care facilities.

"It’s dead, this is it, this is the last Christmas, without a doubt," said Distribution Video Audio president Ryan J. Kugler, to the L.A. Times. "I was the last one buying VHS and the last one selling it, and I’m done. Anything left in warehouse we’ll just give away or throw away."

Consumers have long since indicated their preference for DVD over VHS tapes, and Distribution Audio Video is now in the DVD distribution business…although it predicts DVDs are also on their way out, to be replaced by Blu-ray.

Nonetheless, the shutdown of the last major VHS distributor in the United States doesn’t mean the world has finally embraced digital video. Countless titles and content that have been available on VHS has yet to be released on DVD, whether it be classic films from pre-war Hollywood or simply performances by under-appreciated bands and artists, the amount of material available on DVD has yet to encompass everything that was available on VHS. And, of course, VHS will continue to live for some time in developing markets around the world.

Showing 4 comments

CINEMASEWERDOLL at 7:22am 11th January 2009 To some of us, VHS will never die. I'm a film collector and a lot of films aren't on DVD yet, and if they are, some of those that are aren't always the best releases. I own a copy of Maniac, but it's the Elite VHS with a 10 minute promo of the Sequel. You'd be hard press to find that material on the Anchor Bay release!
projectionist at 2:23pm 6th January 2009 Rewinding a tape isn't hard. Unluss you are doing it by hand crank. Dvds are unfortunately used a lot for presentations and they are lots of trouble. New formats are coming out all the time and not all players are compatible. Even worse is marginal compatibility - it'll play when u test then freeze in middle of show. They are susceptible to dirt and scratches...even if they play, the functions of some buttions can vary from one player to another...they have menus and a lot of other ******** sometimes making it complicated to get to the part u want...many players won't stay in pause mode for long and shut off, go to stop mode or even start playing by themselves! Not to mention region coding....need I say more?
Maitresinh at 1:28am 26th December 2008 well, i felle a bit nostalgic...but i won't regret rewinding a tape....

Anyway, you're right: they can put their B-ray (and even DVD) where you know. they can make any "new format" they want, the internet and the numeric age as killed all this consumerist madness.

and that's the good news.

After all, VHS will be reminded as the last real, usefull, necessary "format", before the age of un-material media.
Anne at 12:00pm 24th December 2008 Comment on the article? What's to comment? You are just reporting the sad fact of our throw-away society. The Hollywood eco-terrorists are so green "for the environment" when it comes to everything else, they cannot even see they are green for GREED when it comes to murduring another audio/video format! The new formats, DVD and Blue Ray, may provide something of an upgrade for clarity, but they are NOT necessary improvements! Want to save the earth and keep stuff out of the landfill... how about not forcing customers to purchase every album and movie 4 different times when the "format" changes just so you Money Grubber "entertainers" can reline your mink pockets! Do I seem angry? You betcha, I'm angry. To make it worse, under the pretense of protecting the "art", it is a crime to reformat something a private person ALREADY OWNS for your own use!! We have bought and bought and bought. We will not buy again. All of the movies we purchased in VHS and have repurchased in DVD format will NOT be repurchased in Blue Ray. All of the LP albums that were bought on cassett and then on CD will NOT be repurchased in the new format that is just waiting in the wings! Hear us and hear us loud and clear, "Entertainers"... the public is FED UP with your GREED and your arrogant self-importance!!