# What does the word "video" mean to you?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-video-mean-to-you/466675>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 6, 2008, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-video-mean-to-you/466675 "2008-10-06T14:34:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-video-mean-to-you/466675/41 "2008-10-07T16:01:21Z")

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For me video is a generic term for a home viewable format of a recorded presentation: be it on tape, disc, or computer file. Even in a video store, I’d expect it to remain generic. And if I wanted to know if something were on a specific format, I’d specify which format.

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**Author:** ![Joey\_Tightlips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@Joey\_Tightlips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_Tightlips)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-video-mean-to-you/466675/42 "2008-10-07T16:51:24Z")

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I guess I’m the only one who though of “music video” having read nothing but the subject line. I suppose that’s the natural result of having been raised on MTV. I agree with the others though, it depends on the context of the sentence.

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**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-video-mean-to-you/466675/43 "2008-10-07T19:52:27Z")

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Since this isn’t 1985, when I hear “video” as used in the original thread, I think “DVD”. But then, I still talk about the new Magnetic Fields record even though I haven’t owned any LPs since the late 80s, either.

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**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-video-mean-to-you/466675/44 "2008-10-09T06:33:46Z")

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I always assume a VHS tape. My elderly mother uses the term frequently and I know she isn’t talking of a DVD (she calls them CD’s ).

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**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-video-mean-to-you/466675/45 "2008-10-09T07:16:48Z")

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The tape you put into the video machine.

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**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-word-video-mean-to-you/466675/46 "2008-10-09T18:44:22Z")

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> [@Cicero](#):
>
> I always assume a VHS tape. My elderly mother uses the term frequently and I know she isn’t talking of a DVD (she calls them CD’s ).

My dad refers to DVDs as CDs too.

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