# What does VHS stand for? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 28, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204 "2003-02-28T19:09:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Malaflam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cdc98d/32.png) [@Malaflam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malaflam)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/1 "2003-02-28T19:09:41Z")
What does VHS stand for? As in the tape format…not Vermont Historical Society or Virtual High School. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2003, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/2 "2003-02-28T19:17:01Z")
Video Home Standard ---
**Author:** ![Malaflam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cdc98d/32.png) [@Malaflam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malaflam)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/3 "2003-02-28T19:21:27Z")
Thank you much! ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/4 "2003-02-28T19:30:35Z")
Eight minutes. That some sort of record? ---
**Author:** ![shunt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@shunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shunt)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/5 "2003-02-28T19:30:35Z")
That’s funny. [www.acronymfinder.com](http://www.acronymfinder.com) says: Vertical Helix Scan (video cassette format/technology) ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/6 "2003-02-28T19:40:00Z")
Venice High School! ---
**Author:** ![yawndave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/43a26b/32.png) [@yawndave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yawndave)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/7 "2003-02-28T19:42:39Z")
I thought it was Video Home System. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2003, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/8 "2003-02-28T19:42:39Z")
[VHS](http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHS) My mistake, the S stands for System, not Standard. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/9 "2003-02-28T19:51:08Z")
IIRC it was originally Vertical Helical Scan (because the video head rotates, following a spiral path relative to the moving tape). Later they started calling it Video Home System. Maybe Marketing thought Vertical Helical sounded too technical. Next: What does DVD stand for? ---
**Author:** ![shunt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@shunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shunt)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/10 "2003-02-28T19:52:21Z")
Sorry, it’s vertical helix scan. But you can call it Video Home System all you want. Do a google search. JVC created the technology in 1976. [http://www.jayden12.com/dvd/](http://www.jayden12.com/dvd/) From the link: “The next revolution was the preservation and replication of moving video. The VHS tape (Vertical Helix Scan) was the first form of mass production video media that was available for public use. The next development was the audio Compact Disc that was introduced in 1982 by Sony.” ---
**Author:** ![shunt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@shunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shunt)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/11 "2003-02-28T19:53:50Z")
Thanks for the clarification Usram. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/12 "2003-02-28T20:41:44Z")
I’ll bite - DVD = Digital Video Disc, originally Digital Versatile Disc. ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/13 "2003-02-28T20:48:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Usram \* > \*\*. . .it was originally Vertical Helical Scan. . .Later they started calling it Video Home System. Maybe Marketing thought Vertical Helical sounded too technical. Next: What does DVD stand for? \*\* That would make sense to me, since I don’t think “Video Home System” makes any sense at all. Sounds like they came up with a technical acronym, started using it, and then thought, “No, that’s too geeky, what else could VHS stand for?” Otherwise, I think they would have called it Home Video System, don’t you? By the way, as far as I know, DVD stands for Digital **Versatile** Disc. ---
**Author:** ![racekarl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6bbea6/32.png) [@racekarl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racekarl)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/14 "2003-02-28T20:50:34Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ll bite - DVD = Digital Video Disc, originally Digital Versatile Disc. Close, but you have it backwards, it was Digital Video disk first, then “they” changed it to versatile. ---
**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/15 "2003-02-28T21:11:53Z")
thanks for the link shunt - comes in handy for the stuff i’m working on right now. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/16 "2003-02-28T21:14:03Z")
**V** irtual **H** entai **S** ystem ---
**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:** [March 1, 2003, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/17 "2003-03-01T00:01:10Z")
I emailed JVC to get the Straight Dope. Right from the horse’s mouth: > [@](#): > > And the correct answer is… VIDEO HOME SYSTEM. > > Carly O’Neill > Corporate Communications > JVC Company of America > -----Original Message----- > From: My Name [[mailto:mymail@myisp.net](mailto:mymail@myisp.net)] > Sent: Friday, February 28, 2003 3:22 PM > To: [media@jvc.com](mailto:media@jvc.com) > Subject: VHS? > What does VHS actually stand for? I’ve heard Video Home System, and Vertical Helix Scan. Which is correct? [sub]Some info edited for privacy.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Mikahw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Mikahw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikahw)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/18 "2003-03-01T00:19:35Z")
> [@](#): > > Close, but you have it backwards, it was Digital Video disk first, then “they” changed it to versatile. Not according to [this FAQ (section 1.1.1)](http://www.thedigitalbits.com/officialfaq.html#1.1) that says the official answer is that it doesn’t stand for anything anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/19 "2003-03-01T00:54:47Z")
And IBM does not, contrary to popular myth, stand for International Business Machines, but rather for Inferior Blowup Monsters. Someone from DEC told me so. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204/20 "2003-03-01T00:58:40Z")
While we’re here, I’ll just mention that I’m told the ‘DX’ in DX coding (the standard for the panel of conductive squares on film cansiters) doesn’t stand for anything at all. Don’t ask for a cite; I read this in a photography magazine years ago and I can’t find any support or denial of the idea. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-vhs-stand-for/158204.md?page=2)