Betamax Video Cassettes Will Finally Stop Shipping March 2016

I didn't even know they were still making them!

[engine]

I was more than surprised to read that Sony has said it'll stop selling Betamax video cassettes in March 2016 as i didn't realise they were still making them.

I wonder how many they actually sell in today's market? Perhaps, as I did, used video tapes to back-up my computer. They were cheap, easy to use, and readily available. Why on earth I still have a few of those tapes, I don't know! hehehe

I owned a Betamax recorder way back in the early days, along with a VHS recorder (crazy guy, eh!) and did like the Betamax format.

I can't remember what happened to my Betamax machine, but it is long gone. I still own a VHS machine, but haven't bought a VHS tape for longer than I can remember.

[telegraph.co.uk...]

[piatkow]

My late mother had a huge collection of classic films on VHS. I still have a totally unused VHS recorder which she bought in a clearance sale as a back up which was never needed. I used to be able to buy movies on VHS for pennies from charity shops until about 18 months ago.

I am going to have to buy a turntable to play these new fangled vinyl records that the youngsters are all bringing out now!

[engine]

I remember the charity shops saying that they don't want any videotapes. Unfortunately, the videotapes aren't recycled nearby us.

[LifeinAsia]

Still have a DVD/VHS player, although haven't watched anything on it in many months. I may have become too jaded and not sure I could stand the low quality- we rarely watch any TV on non-HD channels, and when we do (usually because Tivo decided it might be something we were interested in but recorded it from a non-HD channel), it's painful :)

[3zero]

I remember pirating between betamax and vhs as it avoided the protection way back when I was a kid. Betamax was superior to vhs but didn't have the film companies on board. Strange they fought so hard against video that people paid for and now you can just go online and download/stream films for nothing.

[lucy24]

I am going to have to buy a turntable to play these new fangled vinyl records that the youngsters are all bringing out now!

Are they making turntables again? I may be able to find out what my old Led Zeppelin bootlegs sound like ...

[engine]

I keep finding VHS video tapes in the house - no betamax tapes.

My vinyl record collection from many years ago is now back in fashion and youngsters are amazed that I have hundreds of albums. No sure about some of the music, but, heigh-ho, it was good once, and it may not be to everyone's taste. hehehe
I acquired a new turntable in the last year or so to convert the tracks to digital so that I could enjoy them on the move. It's turning into a very slow process and has currently stalled.

My VHS video recordings are progressing a little faster and i only have about 150 left to do.

[graeme_p]

@engine, publicly admitting to planning to pirate your vinyl, and @3zero possibly admitting to have done the same with video (no country indicator). Tut, tut. :)

[lawman]

Get a rope.

[engine]

For clarification, i'd never ever hear the music again if I didn't digitize it before the vinyl degrades further. It probably won't exisit as a vinyl recording much longer as some of the vinyl has already degraded to be unplayable, sadly. Almost all of my vinyl collection has been repurchased as CDs, and therefore is already digital and in no need of digitizing, but the rare ones are just not published in digital format and cannot be repurchased, even in digital format.

The "industry" and law turns a blind eye to those ripping CDs to their music players for personal use, and, as far as the information I have is concerned, that's the case for vinyl, too. It would be impossible for the music industry to turn that tide back, and it would not go down well at all. There have been moves to take it from technically illegal, to make it technically legal to rip a CD, but that has faltered recently. It's a change in the law that's required. However, what is very clear is that if anyone sells their CD after digitizing it, they should delete the digital format from their player at the same time. Somehow, I don't think that happens very often, judging by the number of used CDs that can be bought not long after a new release.

Even major businesses (no names mentioned) allow you a digital version of the music if you buy the CD.

Oh, and just to confirm, it's for my own use. Copying from a commercial point of view is strictly illegal, unless you hold the relevant licences (copyright holders).

As far as the videos are concerned, they are my own recordings, and not commercial, and therefore, I can do what I wish with those.

I hope that's cleared it up from my standpoint. :)

[graeme_p]

Copying from a commercial point of view is strictly illegal, unless you hold the relevant licences (copyright holders).

In the UK copying for personal use is also illegal. I agree the law badly needs to be changed, and it is unenforceable, and everyone does it, but it is still the law. I have not objection to your doing it, but the copyright industries did manage to get the law allowing private copying overturned by the courts so they are not happy about it even if they do not actively prosecute it.

Then again, everyone does it also goes for a lot of pirating. The really funny thing is when someone who says how evil it is when their stuff gets pirated gets caught. This is the only example I could find [techdirt.com ] and the MPAA or RIAA was caught with a pirated theme or CMS on their website (cannot find a link for that one) and so on.

Also, copying a DVD, or otherwise breaking DRM, even for personal use is illegal and is likely to remain so.

[engine]

I agree, it's a crazy situation, and copying probably started in great numbersd as soon as re-recordable media turned up, such as the VHS/Betamax predecessor for audio, the compact cassette. It was a little tougher to make copies then, of course, because it had to be recorded in real time. Tedious and lossy, too. Digital changed all that. Now, copying a digital music file takes next to no time, and is lossless.

I'm really surprised about the technicality of the law remaining unchanged. What's the point - they should have updated it. It's not going to change the vast majority's ripping habits whether it remains so or not. Those are not the problem people, imho, it's the folks that illegally copy and redistribute it are the real problems (the dealer), and anyone the buys a pirate copy is no better, imho.

If you like the band, buy the album, and go to their gigs.

The thread has gone off topic, and it's probably my fault, sorry. :(

Added - Here's a link to the story about UK law [arstechnica.co.uk...]

[graeme_p]

My fault at least as much. Anyway, do foo threads really need to stay on topic?

[engine]

hehehe, it's not the law, unless lawman says it's so! hehehehe

FYI, this is hot off the press UK Copyright Law on Digital Music "No Longer Fit For The Digital Age" [webmasterworld.com]

I'd better stop doing what i've been doing since the relaxation of the law in transferring from one format to another!