[opendtv] VHS Rides Off Into The Sunset
- From: Monty Solomon <monty@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: undisclosed-recipient:;
- Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:51:06 -0500
http://news.digitaltrends.com/news-article/18730/vhs-rides-off-into-the-sunset
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 dinosaurŠat 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
businessŠalthough 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.
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