Every Awesome (And Terrible) Thing You Remember Growing Up With VHS Tapes

You put in the VHS, sat on the sofa with the remote, and waited for the show to start. Then, seconds in, static lines of "tracking" covered the screen.Tracking.Some VCR remotes had tracking adjustment buttons. Those without forced everyone to get up, walk to the VCR, lean over, and adjust the tracking button until the picture improved. Fixing the bad tracking might need repeat trips.

Ugh! Few things frustrated me more than putting in a movie only to find the person before failed to rewind it.Rewind it.Video stores stuck stickers on tapes saying "Be Kind, Rewind," and they might fine you for returning a non-rewound video. External rewinders appeared in the late '80s, some shaped like racecars or wildcats suggesting speed. Waiting, listening to the magnetic tape whir, spun round and round. It never went as fast as a DVD could skip.

Who recalls breaking down and crying when this happened? The tape's content did not matter, whether it was your sister's wedding or a copy ofLeprechaun 2.The sight of all that.Sleek magnetic tape.vomited out the front of a VCR ruined my mood. I knew it would happen eventually.

You put in the unlabeled tapeyou knew held what your tween heart wanted: the newest New Kids On The Block TV special. You sat by the TV, remote in hand, recording every second. Now was the time toWatch it again.and enjoy every look, every song. But the screen showed an episode ofRen and Stimpy.. You immediately planned your little brother's downfall. This kind of thing happened aLot.

You saved money on rentals by taping movies and shows. You could program your VCR to record them while you were gone. However, all commercials got taped with the show or movie, wasting tape and needing extra fast-forwarding. To get a "commercial-free copy" (a loose term since you always got some commercials), you had to watch the remote and click "stop" to skip the ads.Try.program your VCR to tape the shows and movies in your absence; all commercials get taped with the show or movie, meaning wasted tape and extra fast-forwarding. To make a "commercial-free copy" (a loose term since you always got some commercials), you had to watch the remote and click "stop" to avoid the commercials.

The worst part? The many times youForgot.to push "play" after commercials ended and the program came back. Did a parent ask you to tape the old (and long) Elizabeth Taylor/James Dean movie.,Giant., on a network running commercials every seven minutes? It was a strange kind of hell.

Does your heart speed up when you see aClassic Disney.animated film in its shiny white VHS case? It used to. You recall the excitement when one of yourFavorite Disney movies.The 'Disney Vault' sold well in the '80s and '90s. These cases felt like the newest iPhone; sleek, high-tech entertainment.

Ask your mom; she still has those sweet cases.

Late fees.Video store fees felt much worse than library book fines. If you missed a movie deadline, the fee was huge—$2.00 daily, sometimes! You likely built up a debt and had to pay it before renting again.had.you had to rent again to keep up with Hollywood's newest movies.

Sometimes you rushed, not caring about watching Elle get dumped by Warner just to find Brooke Windham's alibi. In your rush to skip the dull legal talk, you sometimes ended upfast-forwardinginto unknown territory: spoilers. Overzealous fast-forwarding spoils many movie plots or endings. Only worry about spoilers on the Internet.

Is this the tape with last year's Super Bowl? Or is this our new bootleg ofDie Hardtaped on the slowest speed for better quality. Actually, it was your daughter's preschool Halloween show and an exercise program that looked interesting. Blank VHS tapes came withdetailed labeling stickerspeople do not always prepare. This means many family videos become another copy ofDumbo. Oops.

By the late '80s, older VCRs looked like dinosaurs. Newer models were still very clunky.still so clunkyYou pushed the tape in. It dropped into the player, clunked around until it whirred, signaling the movie started. Unless it didn't. If the VCR acted up, it might spit out the tape or just eat it. You never knew. You could count on the clunky parts during the movie.

Whatwasthat smell, though? If Blockbuster bottled it, it would smell like new plastic VHS cases and buttery popcorn. That smell hit you, and you instantly got hyped knowing you would grab the latest releases! You saw tapes peeking from behind the cardboard displays on every shelf. That was exciting!

But then there were days filled with long lines. Impatient, angry people already grabbed all the copies ofTitanic. The smell of frustration, jealousy, and sweat covered the usual Blockbuster scent. You ended up picking some dumb movie nobody wanted to watchthat weekend.something

Do not deny it. If you could get a second VCR with the right cables, you made manybootleg copies of rented movies.Some people returned the bootlegged tape in the rental box. That was embarrassing, but true. Back then, people spent thousands of hours making personal copies. These copies grew into film libraries, needing whole rooms for storage. Watching only network TV made people want personal copies.

You read the VCR instruction book. You followed every step. You left home that day sure all missed shows would be there.Waiting on a newly recorded tape.

You were let down. Every time.