VHS vs DVD

pokeplayer984 · **on:** July 09, 2009, 12:15:53 AM

Which is better? VHS or DVD?

I know we have quite comfortably moved on to DVD, and for the longest time, I saw it as the overall better choice than VHS. However, a few things I have noticed in recent years have made me think differently.

First off, there's the fact of graphic differences. I do not see this as being better at all. In fact, let me show you an example:

Here are two pictures of a familiar scene from LBT 4. The one on the left is VHS, while the one on the right is DVD.

If you ask me, I like the lighter version that VHS offered far better than what DVD is giving out.

Not to mention one video I found pretty much sums up all the problems with DVD:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsdzaEVeFEE

We didn't know it at the time, but if you ask me, we were better off with VHS.

DarkHououmon · **Reply #1 on:** July 09, 2009, 12:20:00 AM

I prefer DVD. They typically last longer, I don't need to rewind so I can record, etc.

As for VHS having better quality, I must disagree. When I see a comparison of a VHS to a DVD, to me, there's no contest; often the DVD version looks better.

Cancerian Tiger · **Reply #2 on:** July 09, 2009, 12:22:56 AM

I only picked DVD 'cuz VHS tapes tend to get snagged in the VCR and ya end up destroying the tape to get it out <_<.

DarkHououmon · **Reply #3 on:** July 09, 2009, 12:29:04 AM

Ah yes. I had that problem with VHS as well. Another reason I don't like them. In my opinion, the only thing VHS had going for it was the ability to stop and start recording instantly (while in DVDs you have to wait for the disc to write the data after stopping recording) and, far as I know, they don't skip.

I've seen that clip on Youtube before, and there is one thing James had gotten wrong, from what I remember: not able to skip commerials to get to the main menu. I have been able to do this many times in the past. It's simple: you use the skip button (used to skip from one scene to another) and it will skip past the current commercial, keep pressing it and you'll get to the main menu quickly.

Kor · **Reply #4 on:** July 09, 2009, 12:43:13 AM

I prefer dvd's since they likely will last longer then vhs tapes. Tapes, as someone mentioned, can be snagged or eaten by a vcr. The picture quality can be better, though it depends on the source material used to make the master dvd.

pokeplayer984 · **Reply #5 on:** July 09, 2009, 12:44:05 AM

Quote from: DarkHououmon,Jul 8 2009 on 10:29 PM

Ah yes. I had that problem with VHS as well. Another reason I don't like them. In my opinion, the only thing VHS had going for it was the ability to stop and start recording instantly (while in DVDs you have to wait for the disc to write the data after stopping recording) and, far as I know, they don't skip.

I've seen that clip on Youtube before, and there is one thing James had gotten wrong, from what I remember: not able to skip commerials to get to the main menu. I have been able to do this many times in the past. It's simple: you use the skip button (used to skip from one scene to another) and it will skip past the current commercial, keep pressing it and you'll get to the main menu quickly.

Actually, I have a few DVDs that have been conveniently programmed to make the MENU, SKIP and FFWD buttons not work. Yes, there are those that are like that.

Oh, and as for the VHS getting caught, my Dad has taught me how to get it out WITHOUT breaking the VHS itself. You just need to use a screwdriver to open up the VCR, and from there, the rest is easy.

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #6 on:** July 09, 2009, 01:07:57 AM

I'm sorry Pokeplayer but you can't compare a low quality DVD rip .avi file to a VHS.

There's no way that photo was taken using a full quality DVD. Sorry. This is a snapshot taken from a full quality DVD:

VHS had terrible quality and the tapes lasted only a few years. You can easily put DVD onto the computer, it's better quality, and it lasts longer than a VHS cassette. I admit that I do like VHS better than DVD, but DVD was a huge step forward and is much more practical than VHS tapes. I find DVD's to be annoying and for just watching movies on the TV I prefer VHS.....but my life with computers has made me switch entirely to DVD and DVD rips. I can never go back to VHS.

pokeplayer984 · **Reply #7 on:** July 09, 2009, 01:52:59 AM

If anyone wants to have a lasting contest, I dare you to beat my VHS copy of the original Land Before Time, which has lasted for 20 years. I must have watched that tape well over 100 times by now and it STILL looks good. I highly doubt a DVD could beat that.

To be honest, I haven't seen a DVD last past only a few years. By then you have stuttering scenes, and it's just terrible when that happens. Heck, one DVD I own didn't even last one year before having that happen and me and the family only watched it a few times.

And I happen to have the equipment to put a VHS copy onto my computer. Sure, I have to let the tape run the whole length of the movie to do so, but after a few hours, I have a nice VHS movie in Top Quality .avi format. Maybe I'll show you guys all I use to pull it off sometime.

Sorry guys, but I still say that, watching wise, we were better off with VHS.

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #8 on:** July 09, 2009, 02:24:05 AM

You can't be serious. It's true that the quality of older movies is identical on VHS and DVD (such as the first 6 LBT movies), but newer movies come in MUCH better on DVD than any of the old VHS cassettes did. You can't directly compare a VHS and DVD because when a VHS is turned into a DVD, the quality remains the same because it was originally taken from a VHS source.

If you watch Terminator the movie on a VHS and compare it to Meet The Fonkers on DVD, Meet The Fonkers will be in much higher quality than Terminator. HOWEVER, if you watch Terminator on a VHS and then on a DVD the quality will be the same because it was taken from a VHS source.

This is one of the reasons why GOF's background is so bad and blurry. I took the image myself from a full quality DVD.....but it was taken from LBT 2 so the quality is the same as a VHS cassette tape. If I were to take a new leaf picture from say LBT 10 it would be of much higher quality.

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As for the lasting of DVD's, I've noticed that DVD's die quickly when played in a cheap-o player. I don't buy the very best in DVD players but if you get a Sony, Philips, or other name brand DVD player your DVD's will last longer. The only time I've had a DVD die on me was when I bought some cheap crap Chinese copy DVD's. I've never had a problem with an American bought DVD disk.

And VHS loses quality over time. A DVD does not. I've looked at my old LBT VHS tapes (I just got them from Washington) and their quality has been drastically reduced.

____________________________

DVD's are like Bose speakers and VHS cassettes are like $5 walmart brand headphones. There's just no comparison. I miss VHS but I can't stand the low quality.
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I found this online:

Quote

There are many reasons why DVD is better than VHS. These include:

* No need to rewind a DVD
* DVD has twice the resolution and clarity of VHS
* DVD can store multiple audio tracks including Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound
* DVD can store up to 8 hours of video on one disc. DVD has the capability to use multiple camera angles, multiple subtitles, interactive menus and other interactive features (for games, quizzes, etc.)
* DVD has the capability to store DVD-ROM features for your PC as well, including games, video, web links, etc.
* VHS deteriorates slightly each time it is viewed.

All of these are 100% true except for the bit about the resolution. A DVD's resolution is stretched. It's not truly the full resolution it claims to be. But it's still better quality.

Tyrannosaur · **Reply #9 on:** July 09, 2009, 04:02:24 AM

I must back DVDs here.

while some stuff about VHS is superior to DVD; like much faster recording, as you dont have to wait for the DVD to finish doing whatever it is doing after you hit "stop" lol. also the almost complete lack of ads on the tape. but to be honest, thats about the only thing VHS has going for it.

But technology moves on, and despite minor flaws, DVD is the superior format hands down for all the reasons mentioned here.

another note on movies looking the same on VHS vs DVD. this will be true if the movie in question is much older and was shot in "analog" format. hence both a DVD and VHS version will look pretty much identical.

i havent bought a VHS tape in years, so i dont know if the quality of them went up during their final years as movies started to go digital, i would assume not though.

however. people now see VHS as an archaic form of storage media. i wonder what it will be like in 5-10 years time when Blu-ray becomes mainstream, DVD releases start to drop and DVDs are seen in the same way that VHS is.

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #10 on:** July 09, 2009, 04:07:50 AM

Quote

however. people now see VHS as an archaic form of storage media. i wonder what it will be like in 5-10 years time when Blu-ray becomes mainstream, DVD releases start to drop and DVDs are seen in the same way that VHS is.

Sorry but that'll never happen. Bluray is a joke. We're getting out of the age of removable media anyway. In 5-10 years we'll be able to buy videos right from our TV's and store them on devices like a DVR. We'll get HD without having to deal with stupid disks and such. And if you want to play the movie at a friends house, you can connect to your DVR at home. You'll have like your own video server. It'll be great.

I can't wait for disks to die. They're well past due. I don't deal with DVD's or CD's anymore anyways. It's been ages since I've touched any disk besides an XP/Vista/7 OS disk.

EDIT: BTW, I don't even know if the optical disk drive in my new master computer even works.

I'll know in about a year when I eventually get around to using it.

Malte279 · **Reply #11 on:** July 09, 2009, 04:22:47 AM

Did you take the two pictures above yourself pokeplayer? And apart from the significantly lower resolution in case of the DvD picture, were they taken under the same conditions (e.g. from the same screen with the same lighting and with the DvD being an original rather than anything burned etc.?).
The DvD picture you posted really looks like some poor quality youtube video screenshot and I have never ever seen anything like that from a DvD.
Videos can last quite long if handled with care, kept out of any magnets range, and kept out of some kind of video recorder which has the habbit of ripping out the tape. Still I see a number of advantages to the DvD which I wouldn't want to miss. Apart from the bonus material and other advantages that have been named already I consider it quite a benefit to have more than one language version on the DvD. And as for the two pictures you posted I really have my doubts that they were taken under the same preconditions.

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #12 on:** July 09, 2009, 04:42:53 AM

Another good thing about DVD's is the space they take up. I have a 60 VHS shelf but it can hold 120 DVD's. There really aren't any advantages to VHS anymore besides the fact that you can skip the commercials 100% of the time. Any other reason for liking VHS over DVD is just a matter of preference.

Littlefoot1616 · **Reply #13 on:** July 09, 2009, 05:41:20 AM

Gotta side with the masses on this debate. I've got LBT movies 1-11 on VHS and 1-13 on DVD and without a doubt, the DVD copies are far superior in terms of audio and visual quality. I too have a 20 year copy of LBT 1 on VHS and to be honest, I'm afraid of putting it back into a VHS player coz I'm worried the tape's gonna break. It skips and jumps in place and the audio distorts at certain points (that's down to wear and tear). I also know that some of my other LBT VHS's that aren't even half the age of my first LBT movie have started to deteriorate and gaining similar problems with sound and visuals.

The whole "can't skips certain commercials" spiel with DVDs is down to the coding placed on the DVD at time of print. Obviously these companies can anchor down functionality of viewer control at this point in the hope that you'll pay attention and be tempted to buy more of their products. It's a marketing ploy effectively; another way of advertising.

Anyway, given the choice; call it an ignorant grunt of the digital age but I'd go with DVD any day of the week. As another plus, scratched DVD can be resurfaced and repaired whereas if that tape goes, you've had it.

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #14 on:** July 09, 2009, 06:05:30 AM

I remember as a kid rewinding the tape and watching the song "Always There" in LBT 5 over and over again. That part of the tape is messed up now because of it.

The sound sucks and the video jumps a bit and has a line going through the screen throughout most of the song.

DarkHououmon · **Reply #15 on:** July 09, 2009, 08:14:36 AM

I have always heard that DVDs will typically last longer than VHS. VHS will start to deteriorate even if you put them into a nice, clean little room in a plastic bag and shut them off from the elements. I have some pretty old VHS, some likely 20 years or older, and while they likely still play, the quality is so bad it's not even worth it.

And I had wondered about those screenshots as well. I never seen quality that bad on a DVD before. It doesn't look like those two screenshots were taken under the same circumstances, with the same program.

As for blu-rays, I do think that blu-rays would, one day, take the place of DVDs, but not for a while due to pricing. DVDs, I think, were quite expensive when they first came out, and so were VHS, weren't they? Once blu-ray becomes mainstream, the price will likely drop. Not everyone may be comfortable, or able, to use something like a DVR, so blu-ray may stick around for those who'd rather use discs. But I don't think there'll be anything after blu-ray. I think blu-ray may be the last disc they'll make before moving onto something else.

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #16 on:** July 09, 2009, 08:40:16 AM

I don't care if Bluray disks became the same price as DVD's I still don't think people would go for it with the state the economy is in right now. Seriously.....Bluray has so little advantages over DVD it's just despicable. They're trying to rip us off by offering us old crap technology that's already been invented just before they come out with the next big thing. And the DVR thing is already becoming a reality. Anyone have Comcast? If you do visit the "On Demand" section and you'll see what I'm talking about. All they gotta do is add a hard drive to the Comcast box and poof! No more disks. Then later they'll add network capabilities so you can access the device from other places and using other devices (like cell phones).

DarkHououmon · **Reply #17 on:** July 09, 2009, 08:55:05 AM

Only thing I like about blu-rays is the larger quantity available for saving data. Sometimes I like to burn discs, so blu-rays would become handy for me, once I get a blu-ray burner on a computer, for saving a lot of data I have stored on the computer, probably mostly just my mvs and videos. However, as I said, I seriously doubt they'll come out with a disc past blu-ray because I cannot imagine how much more space they could give and what quality they could offer. Even with blu-ray, I question the high quality thing. Is it really that much better than DVD? And with all that extra space, what the heck could they add to official blu-rays to fill up that space that hasn't already been done?

I'll likely stick to DVDs, using blu-rays for data backing only, and only if I can get a blu-ray player/burner (which likely will never happen).

I think I have a DVR, but I'm not entirely sure. We have digital cable and the remote does offer a recording option, but I don't even know how it works. But when it comes to DVR or DVD/Blu-ray, I'd have to go with DVD mainly because you can finalize them and prevent the data from being removed (not counting scratching, breaking, etc), while on DVR, I can't help but think that anyone can remove any of it at any time, and since I do not live alone, this is my main concern.

My aunt has Comcast, but she says it's horrible, raising their price all the time. We use Blue Ridge, which, according to my aunt, is better than Comcast.

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #18 on:** July 09, 2009, 09:00:38 AM

Why would you bother spending $25 per disk to store files and spending $250 on a Bluray burner for your computer? Just spend $80 and get a 500gb external hard drive. Disks can get scratched and you'll be paying SO much more for archaic technology. I will never use a disk for data backup again. It's just too unreliable and too much of a pain in the butt. External hard drives and flash drives are the way to go nowadays.

Dash The Longneck · **Reply #19 on:** July 09, 2009, 09:11:41 AM

I prefer DVD. I really don't know why I prefer them I just do for some reason.