# \*#^($^! My VCR just died! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 6, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265 "2005-09-06T00:05:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265/1 "2005-09-06T00:05:51Z")
Yes I have a VCR. No, I don’t have a DVD player. Why not? I’m effin’ broke, that’s why not. Yes I know they’re only a hundred bucks – no, I really don’t have a hundred bucks. Thanks for rubbing it in. So I just went to eject the tape that’s in the VCR so I can watch a movie – and it was kind of hesitating – so I pushed it all the way back in to try again – nope, puppy ain’t coming out. So now I don’t have a DVD player _or_ a VCR. Or $100 to buy one. Reffa freakin’ shneffa. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265/2 "2005-09-06T00:09:10Z")
Too bad you don’t live closer to me - I’ve got 3 that the previous owners left me… Actually, just 2 now - I’m giving one to a coworker in the process of divorce whose soon to be ex took their VCR when he left. If you want to split the cost of shipping, I’ll mail one to you. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265/3 "2005-09-06T00:10:26Z")
I can get you a DVD player through a friend of a friend from a New Orleans Wal-Mart cheap. Never been played, either. Course, I have no idea what you’ll watch on it, since you can’t afford DVDs. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265/4 "2005-09-06T00:16:09Z")
I had a VCR that was quite reluctant to eject tapes. Here’s what worked for me: Before you press the “eject” button, use your fingers to open the little door into the tape compartment. Now press the “eject” button, while holding the door open. You should hear some noises as the VCR attempts to first raise the tape to the level of the door, and then push it out. As soon as those noises start, the tape should begin to rise up. You can reach in with your fingers and kind of coax it up, give it a little help. You may not be able to actually get any kind of grip on the tape, but if you can nudge it a little bit, that sometimes makes all the difference. If this doesn’t work the first time you try it, I suggest making a few more attempts. It took me about ten minutes of fiddling and cussing before I was able to get my old VCR to disgorge its tape. Once you get the tape out, you may want to get another VCR. These days they are so absurdly cheap that the old ones aren’t worth fixing. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265/5 "2005-09-06T00:22:41Z")
**FCM** – you are the coolest. I could probably do the whole shipping thing – parcel post would be not that much, would it? I wonder what one weighs. I’ll email you. **Pink Freud** – it’s just a “junk” tape – whatever I used to tape whatever the last thing I taped. Not worth fussing with, since clearly the ejector has died, and, as you say, more trouble than it’s worth to get this thing fixed. The machine is at least five years old, probably older. **askia** – 😛 ---
**Author:** ![sj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@sj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sj2)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265/6 "2005-09-06T00:28:50Z")
Search craigslist…lots of stuff close…no postage… [http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cgi-bin/search?areaID=17&subAreaID=0&query=VCR&cat=sss&minAsk=min&maxAsk=max](http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cgi-bin/search?areaID=17&subAreaID=0&query=VCR&cat=sss&minAsk=min&maxAsk=max) ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265/7 "2005-09-06T00:42:17Z")
Ooh, another good idea. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265/8 "2005-09-06T01:05:11Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Too bad you don’t live closer to me - I’ve got 3 that the previous owners left me… Actually, just 2 now - I’m giving one to a coworker in the process of divorce whose soon to be ex took their VCR when he left. > > If you want to split the cost of shipping, I’ll mail one to you. Yeah, and the cool thing about **FCM** ’s VCR’s is that they each have a small sticker affixed to them, stating the date they were first put into service. Now THAT’S efficient !!! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265/9 "2005-09-06T01:05:19Z")
Well, you say you don’t have $100…do you have $40? I’ve seen DVD players that cheap. But then, you’d need to rebuy all your movies in DVD format, so…but _in theory_, you will have to buy one eventually if you want to continue to buy new movies. But if your content with what you have and recording from the TV, more power to you. I say check eBay and the like. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265/10 "2005-09-06T01:23:15Z")
I’ve got a spare DVD player and a VCR you can have (individual units) , and a universal remote that controls both. I’ll cover shipping. Do you also need an AV switch box to connect both to one set of AV inputs on your TV , or do you have more than one set of AV line inputs on your TV? If so I’ll also include the AV switch box. I’ve also got a spare AV receiver if you need one of those and want to hook the units to a set of speakers. The AV receiver also acts as an AV switch. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265/11 "2005-09-06T01:35:20Z")
**astro** honey, that is incredibly sweet, it really is. Makes that whole ugly divorce seem like a bad dream. Actually, someone else has made a similar offer (well, VCR and DVD player, no description of the remotes), and I’ve taken him or her up on it. I am truly verklempt here, folks. Would it be totally out of character for me to suggest a group hug? ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265/12 "2005-09-06T01:41:16Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Well, you say you don’t have $100…do you have $40? I’ve seen DVD players that cheap. But then, you’d need to rebuy all your movies in DVD format, so…but _in theory_, you will have to buy one eventually if you want to continue to buy new movies. But if your content with what you have and recording from the TV, more power to you. I say check eBay and the like. The Walmart near me is selling VCR’s for $19.97. I thought they had quit selling them. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265/13 "2005-09-06T01:53:47Z")
Yeah, actually the last couple of movies I’ve gotten have been on DVD, because I saw the handwriting on the wall. (Well, the last couple of movies other than a bunch of 2 for $5 tapes from my video store, where they’re selling off their stock.) I was just hoping to not have to deal with this right at this exact moment. And, thanks to my Doper pals, I don’t have to. (I can’t communicate how overwhelmed I am by this. You guys are amazing. I really just started the thread to bitch.) ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265/14 "2005-09-06T01:58:32Z")
You might also check out [FreeCycle.org](http://FreeCycle.org). Especially when it comes to “outdated” computer and a/v equipment, there’s quite a few people like me who feel bad about throwing out working stuff yet want it out of the house, and quite a few people like you who would gladly take it off our hands. Freecycle hooks us up! ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265/15 "2005-09-06T02:16:05Z")
Looks like you’re taken care of on the hardware front, I’d donate some of my old hookups, too, if we didn’t throw them out (we just finished our end of summer cleaning). If you’re really living in ancient history, I could have sworn I found a coaxial cable you could have. Don’t quote me on it, though, hubby just threw out a few boxes of junk this morning… I’ll look if you need it, though. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265/16 "2005-09-06T02:39:12Z")
Thanks, **Anastaeseon** – won’t know what I need until the care package arrives. Well, given my techno-ignorance, I probably won’t know then, either. 😉 I’m going to have to figure out which of my guy friends will have the honor of coming over and helping me hook this all up – I was able to figure out the setup the last time I bought a VCR, but this will be a wee bit more complicated, I think. Don’t think I’ll need coaxial – I don’t have cable, just an antenna. I’ve heard great things about freecycle, though I haven’t used them yet – I love when the internet is used to, yanno, circumvent the whole capitalism thing. Power to the people, man! ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265/17 "2005-09-06T02:42:31Z")
Another option for getting something for free (incuding VCRs) is [http://www.freecycle.org/](http://www.freecycle.org/). Lot of good stuff to be had there. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265/18 "2005-09-06T02:44:05Z")
Oh, someone already mentioned it. Sheesh, I’m off tonight. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2005, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-vcr-just-died/320265/19 "2005-09-06T12:48:06Z")
I’ve seen VCRs selling new for forty bucks, too, if you have that much. I have an old one that’s been on the verge of dying for, oh, a year and a half, but it keeps chugging along somehow. I almost wish it would die so I could replace it. Yes, I have a DVD player as well, but for taping stuff off TV a VCR is the cheapest way for me to do it. DVDs are awesome, though.