# How did the phrase "VHS player" become popular **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 1, 2013, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361 "2013-07-01T16:10:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/21 "2013-07-02T01:02:35Z")
I have Jurassic Park and lots of other great movies on Laserdisc it’s a lot easier to find VHS tapes at flea markets and yard sales tho so I buy more of those. And irregardless of technical stuff VCR is the common name for it ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/22 "2013-07-02T02:30:37Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > And irregardless of technical stuff VCR is the common name for it If people are calling it a “VHS player” player often enough that your sick of hearing it, then isn’t “VHS player” also a common name for it? > [@Living Well](#): > > 1985 called. It wants its OP back. Did you warn them about 9/11? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/23 "2013-07-02T02:59:55Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > And irregardless of technical stuff VCR is the common name for it And regardless of common usage, “irregardless” is typically considered incorrect. Yet you feel fine using it. Although this is probably a poor attempt at a joke. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/24 "2013-07-02T04:12:00Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Although this is probably a poor attempt at a joke. As is the thread. It’s what the guy does. I don’t know why so many people take him seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/25 "2013-07-02T04:14:06Z")
I just think its cool that in 10 years he will be asking us questions about DVD’s, then the next decade about Blu-Ray and maybe 30 years from now he’ll have some questions about downloading a video to an iPod or maybe a Nook. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/26 "2013-07-02T04:21:24Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I used to call mine a “video”. > > Just wanted to add something to the conversation. [The Young Ones]Have we got a video?[/The Young Ones] ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/27 "2013-07-02T11:36:43Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > As is the thread. It’s what the guy does. Yes, but we all understand what he’s doing in his threads. “Irregardless” could either be a subtle joke or just a mistake; his posting history isn’t as clear on this point. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/28 "2013-07-02T19:22:16Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > [The Young Ones]Have we got a video?[/The Young Ones] _Rips out window, frame and all, and slams it over Thudlow’s head._ ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/29 "2013-07-02T19:39:29Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I used to call mine a “video”. > > Just wanted to add something to the conversation. “Video” or “video recorder” was the standard name in the UK. “VCR” was only used as an affected Americanism, if at all. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/30 "2013-07-02T20:02:53Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > It is dumb and I am tired of hearing it > > The device is called a VCR Before it was common to own a VCR my family rented VHS players from the local gas station or grocery store quite often. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/31 "2013-07-02T20:31:20Z")
How’s trying to dictate common parlance been working out for you so far? Smartassery aside, it’s pretty easy to see how the convention arose: Blu-ray player DVD player CD player VHS player VHS players (along with LASER lights, VIN numbers, LCD displays, ATM machines, and PIN numbers) are here to stay. You may as well resign yourself to the new NWO of English, my friend. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/32 "2013-07-02T21:38:01Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > You may as well resign yourself to the new NWO of English, my friend. :eek: I think you mean the new NWO order. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/33 "2013-07-02T23:22:06Z")
Curses! ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/34 "2013-07-03T01:18:31Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > Smartassery aside, it’s pretty easy to see how the convention arose: > Blu-ray player > DVD player > CD player > VHS player And record player before any of them. ---
**Author:** ![D-bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@D-bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D-bear)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/35 "2013-07-03T07:59:52Z")
Interestingly, in this day and age of the DVR, my husband and i will still ask one another to “tape” a show. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/36 "2013-07-04T18:18:09Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Did you warn them about 9/11? Forget that…did you warn them about Justin Bieber???:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/37 "2013-07-04T18:38:33Z")
I can honestly say that this thread is the first place I have ever encountered the phrase “VHS player”. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/38 "2013-07-04T19:04:09Z")
a player unit could be a smaller unit. you could eliminate a lot of size, circuitry, controls and display. it could also be a tv/player package. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/39 "2013-07-04T20:03:27Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > … > So… > With both VHS and BetaCam, you could record programming off the air or cable. > With both VHS and BetaCam, you could watch recent releases. > With ONLY VHS, you could watch old movies. > > Which pretty much killed off BetaMax. Until ENG (Electronic News Gathering) came around. > … I think that you overlooked the fact that Sony tightly held on to the licensing of the format and would not release it to other manufacturers. While you could buy a number of VHS units from different manufacturers you were pretty much stuck with Sony. The result was that competition between manufacturers, higher quantities of units being produced by multiple players, and improved manufacturing techniques brought on by this competition between VHS manufacturers essentially flooded the market and brought retail prices down. Sony was squeezed on price. Most VCR buyers weren’t targeting old movies. They wanted a recording device to time-shift network programs and snag movies off of HBO/Cinemax. The Betamax format, while better, cost more and most buyers didn’t care about the quality difference. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361/40 "2013-07-04T22:03:29Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > I think that you overlooked the fact that Sony tightly held on to the licensing of the format and would not release it to other manufacturers. While you could buy a number of VHS units from different manufacturers you were pretty much stuck with Sony. Betamax was also sold by Toshiba, Pioneer, Murphy, Aiwa and NEC. > [@](#): > > The result was that competition between manufacturers, higher quantities of units being produced by multiple players, and improved manufacturing techniques brought on by this competition between VHS manufacturers essentially flooded the market and brought retail prices down. > > Sony was squeezed on price. Most VCR buyers weren’t targeting old movies. They wanted a recording device to time-shift network programs and snag movies off of HBO/Cinemax. > > The Betamax format, while better, cost more and most buyers didn’t care about the quality difference. I was a starving college student during the Beta/VHS rivalry, but my dad ended up owning a couple of each type. The Beta recorders were lower priced and higher quality at every price point, at least on the ones he bought. Technology improvement came a little quicker for Beta as well. Beta Hi-Fi came out about a year before JVC developed VHS Hi-Fi. Super Beta came out two years before SVHS. The thing that hurt Beta was the maximum record times were higher on VHS tapes. You could fit three average length movies on VHS compared to two on Beta, which made the cost of blank tapes a little less for VHS. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-phrase-vhs-player-become-popular/662361.md?page=3)