retrospec | (no subject)

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Tatsuo Kihara shared a photo.
5/2 near Tisse

Guys. I need some help. Does anyone still have a VCR? If I must, I will go dig in a thift store or get one off eBay, but if I could just borrow one, that would be great.

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what the fuck is that

[Guess who's too young for this age verification image.]

it's a VHS. it's what we put video on before DVDs. there's a plastic tape inside that the data is stored on. the top part of the cartridge flips up to expose the tape when you insert it into the player.

[it's okay. just make him feel old. that's been the pattern the last couple of days]

REALLY? Oh my god, this is Retrospec's worst crime yet!

In all seriousness, you mean the crime lab doesn't have anything?

it's from 1995. i'm never going to see what's on this.

[hyperbole, but srsly]

There might be one way, waaaaay in the back of storage. But I'd prefer to not watch this at work or have it anywhere near work. Don't need someone mistaking it for some stray bit of evidence.

Pretty sure my parents have on in the basement. Should I grab it after work?

You know, somehow I'm not surprised they still have one. But yes, please, that'd be great. Grab the cables too, b/c I'm pretty sure it doesn't use HDMI, so we might need to find an adapter as well.

OK, this is what I found. Do we need an adapter?

Yeah. We need an adapter. My tv doesn't use either of those types of cables. I'll stop by the electronics store tomorrow, see what I can find.

Yeah, just let me know when you have it, and I can bring the VCR over.

Thanks. I appreciate this Derek.

Jesus. I might be an older model of android, but I ain't THAT old. Sounds like you're going thrifting.

This from the Wiffle Waffle, or is Zee gonna start sending laserdiscs next?

1995 was not that long ago!

But yeah. I got it from the mailbox.

1995 was 24 years ago, dude. That's a long-ass time for most of the people here, myself included. Hell, only reason I recognize this is because my parents raised me on VHS tapes.

It's not like I'm asking for an eight track player or an 8mm film projector. I knew it was a long shot, but it wasn't an impossible long shot.

Yeah, I guess if it came out on HDDVD you'd be turbofucked. Anyway, here's hoping it's worth all the effort you're taking to actually watch the damn thing. Could just be a home video of people you don't know.

Or laser disc. At least VCRs were pretty common. I only ever saw laser discs when I was in elementary and middle school.

[Tatsuo, you're dating yourself again]

I'm not entirely sure what's on it tbh. But it's dated, so it might be related to something that happened later that month.

Important month for the dude you're remembering? Or is it as much a shot in the dark as anything else?

Important month my past life, yes. Something happened about five days after this video is dated, and if it's not related, I will be very surprised.

Hollllyy crap, people STILL USE THESE!? I thought it was only the orphanages that used them!

To their credit that is where I found out about Pinky and the brain and other cartoons.

Al. It's from 1995 in my past life.

Glad to see we weren't the only ones who'd tape the episodes off the TV.

Oh, okay, fair enough.

I know! It was basically piracy for poor people!

[Figures you would frame it like that Al.]

Actually, it was perfectly legal for people to record programs from television for their own personal use.

[it was just if you turned around and sold those tapes...]

Really? Hmmm, I guess it was more "poor PVR" then.

Back before everything switched to cable, satellite, and streaming, as long as you had a television antenna you could get your local channels for free. Technically, I think you still can do that.

Seriously? Something tells me something like that might be "technically" be illegal since your not paying part of a cable package or something.

It's not a legality thing. It's more a whether you have the equipment fo for it thing. This is television transmitted over radio waves. You can't charge for that, just like you can't charge for listening to the radio. As long as you have the right equipment, you can tune in. Stick up an antenna, get your old TV a digital-to-analog converter if it can't process the digital signal on its own, and you can catch your local stations. You won't get anything fancy, but it's still essentially free once you're set up.

Oh, I didn't know that.

That's super sweet though!

I'll try to keep an eye out for a VCR for you, I think I remember seeing one a while ago...can't put my finger on WHEN or WHERE I saw it, but I know I saw one.

Maybe at home? Derek says your parents still have one somewhere.

Maybe? Might be in the basement somewhere. Let me take a look for ya

Don't worry about it. Derek's already going to look after work.

Oh, okay then, have fun with the tape.

Hopefully it's just a recording of your favourite show in your other life

Hopefully. But I have a feeling it's not. The date on it is a few days before something really unfortunate happened. Which, could be a coincidence, but I doubt it is.

ouch...yeah, I guess those two would be connected :(

Good luck

Edited (changed icon) 2019-05-12 16:04 (UTC)

Thanks. I probably need it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Tatsuo Kihara shared a photo. 5/2 near Tisse
Guys. I need some help. Does anyone still have a VCR? If I must, I will go dig in a thift store or get one off eBay, but if I could just borrow one, that would be great.