It is a terrible thing to realize you have become An Old.
Lately, I’ve acquired several DVDs, Blu-ray discs, and 4K films; for a project I’m working on, I require the special features that aren’t accessible via streaming or online platforms. Consequently, my TV area is getting quite cluttered with numerous small black and blue plastic cases. When my youngest child noticed them stacked up recently, she inquired, “What are those objects?
“Movies,” I said.
She responded with a puzzled tone, implying ‘Are there any films in there?'” (Hinting at her voice mimicking Christine Taylor’s line to Owen Wilson about the files being on the computer in Zoolander)
In the past decade, it would be hard to find a child puzzled by physical media as they once were. During my childhood in the ’80s and ’90s, it was common to see a TV stand adorned with various movie formats. However, times have changed, and nowadays, many households lean towards streaming services and cloud storage for their home entertainment. I too have switched to this trend, though I still possess numerous Blu-rays and 4K discs which are tucked away in closets and cabinets. As a result, my daughter has never even heard of DVDs.
The digital age has discarded a great deal of functional technology, leaving it in the past. It’s amazing to consider how many different formats have emerged and then disappeared. In honor of those once-popular home video formats (Rest in Peace), and to avoid having to explain these outdated technologies to my daughter when she finds my old VHS tape of Gymkata, here is a list of ten notable formats that have become obsolete.
(R.I.P.)
Once-Popular Home Video Formats That No Longer Exist
VHS
As a movie enthusiast from the 80s, I can’t forget the impact that VHS tapes had on our cinematic landscape. Originally launched in the mid-70s as Video Home System (VHS), these tapes revolutionized Hollywood by the early 80s, introducing a secondary market for films that was previously unheard of.
In a fierce battle with their main competitor (more on them shortly), VHS emerged victorious and ruled the home video scene for years. Even when more advanced (but costlier) alternatives graced store shelves, VHS continued to thrive. In fact, VHS tapes and Video Cassette Recorders (VCRs) were still widely sold in retail outlets well into the late 90s.
You might stumble upon a VHS player attached to an old TV or hidden away in a basement today. However, it’s been a long time since new titles have been released on VHS, with occasional exceptions for nostalgic limited editions aimed at retro collectors.
S-VHS
Did you realize that there was an advanced version of the VHS format called S-VHS? Introduced in the late 1980s, it offered superior picture quality and resolution compared to standard VHS. However, while S-VHS players could handle regular VHS tapes, traditional VHS players couldn’t play S-VHS tapes. Although it provided a better viewing experience, S-VHS failed to entirely replace the original VHS format, and in just a few years, the market shifted to other products. (Hope that clears things up a bit!)
Betamax
In its initial stages, Betamax, a Sony-produced analog tape system similar to VHS, served as the primary rival to VHS. Despite being the first on the market and offering technically superior image quality, it was VHS that gained broader adoption and popularity over time. Opinions among experts differ regarding this shift, but one widely held view suggests that the easy accessibility of adult content on VHS was the key factor behind its success.
VideoDisc
Although VHS tapes were convenient for home use due to their portability and ease of operation, they fell short when compared to the cinema’s sound and visual quality. As consumers grew fond of watching movies at home, companies started exploring ways to replicate the theater experience in domestic settings. One early attempt was the RCA-marketed “VideoDisc,” a capacitance electronic disc that functioned more like a vinyl record, using a stylus to read the disc instead of the later optical formats. RCA launched several titles on VideoDiscs during the early and mid-1980s, but the format had storage limitations, only allowing for 60 minutes per side. This meant frequent flipping of discs during playback, and if a movie was longer than 120 minutes, it would need to be spread across multiple discs. Despite an extensive marketing campaign, VideoDisc failed to gain mainstream popularity, with RCA ceasing production by 1986 due to its inability to compete with the simplicity and compactness of VHS tapes.
LaserDisc
As a passionate cinephile, I recall the era of LaserDiscs, a format that, much like its predecessor VideoDisc, necessitated flipping during play and was more expensive and less accessible than VHS. However, it found favor among a select group of movie enthusiasts. In an age where most VHS tapes delivered low-resolution images and “pan-and-scanned” edits that trimmed the widescreen frame to fit older television sets, LaserDiscs shone with superior picture quality and usually preserved films’ original aspect ratios.
Though LaserDiscs persisted longer than other disc formats, it failed to rival video tapes, and when DVDs entered the scene, offering a comparable experience on a more compact and space-efficient format, it was all over for LaserDiscs. Today, you may still find remnants of LaserDiscs in second-hand record stores or online marketplaces like eBay, but by the end of the 2000s, manufacturers had ceased production of players, effectively marking the end of this format’s existence.
DIVX
The emergence of the home video market gave birth to the movie rental industry, with companies like Blockbuster and Hollywood Video thriving on lending out tapes (later discs) for a small fee. This was a cheaper option compared to buying movies outright, but it had its drawbacks; chief among them was the requirement to return your rental on time or risk accumulating late fees.
In the late 1990s, DIVX emerged as an alternative, primarily through Circuit City retail stores. Instead of renting and returning a disc, you purchased a DIVX disc for roughly the price of a rental. This disc could only be played for a limited time with a DIVX player. If more viewing time was needed, additional fees could be paid or the film could be kept forever.
Although not the worst idea, it had its flaws. It was wasteful because the discs became useless once their time limit expired, and it was far more complicated to use than a regular DVD, which was becoming increasingly popular and widely available at retail and rental stores during the same period. Within a few short years, DIVX ceased to exist, and soon after, Circuit City faced decline due in part to the financial losses from the failed disc.
DV
Back in the late ’90s and early 2000s, if you were a movie or show enthusiast like me, you probably had hands-on experience with those mini digital video tapes (DV or MiniDV) that ruled camcorders during that era. Compared to VHS, they were smaller and offered much higher resolution; some were even used in professional TV production for quite a while. However, just like many other things on this list, the relentless march of digital technology led to these once-common tapes becoming as extinct as the dodo by the late 2010s, with smaller and smaller memory cards taking over their place.
VideoNow
In the years before smartphones and tablets became common, there were efforts to create a market for compact, portable video players in various forms. One such device was VideoNow, sold by Tiger Electronics, which used “Personal Video Discs.” Due to their size, these discs had limited storage capacity, usually holding just one TV episode. Since it was targeted at children, the lack of extensive content wasn’t a major issue because Tiger collaborated with networks like Nickelodeon and Disney to provide popular kids’ shows such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Hannah Montana.
The original VideoNow player launched in 2003 with a black-and-white screen, but a color model was introduced the following year. However, it was challenging to compete with home video formats when discs couldn’t accommodate full-length movies. By the late 2000s, as the iPod and iPhone gained popularity, consumers seeking portable videos found better options elsewhere.
HD-DVD
The competition for the next generation of optical disc formats mirrored the battle between VHS and Beta tapes. Sony introduced Blu-ray while Toshiba developed HD DVD. From 2006 onwards, devices and content for both formats were abundant in retail stores. Although the two systems offered similar quality, they weren’t cross-compatible, leaving high-end enthusiasts to choose between the two separate players.
Initially, Hollywood studios were divided; Warner Bros., Paramount, and Universal backed HD DVD, while Disney, Fox, and Sony supported Blu-rays. This meant that if you wanted a high-definition disc of movies like ‘The Matrix’ and ‘Snow White’, you needed two distinct (and rather pricey) players. However, Sony had an advantage with its new PlayStation 3 console, which included a Blu-ray player, thereby placing millions of Blu-ray players in homes worldwide within just a few years.
Warner Bros. switched to Blu-rays in early 2008, followed by Walmart abandoning HD DVD. Within weeks, Toshiba officially ended the HD DVD format.
UMD
In their endeavor to introduce a new video format through gaming systems, not all of Sony’s attempts were successful. For instance, the PlayStation Portable (PSP) utilized “Universal Media Discs” (UMD). These discs were quite large and could store feature films. Over the PSP’s lifespan, it is reported that more than 650 titles were released on UMD.
The PSP was popular during its ten-year run, but when Sony introduced the PlayStation Vita, they transitioned from UMDs to memory cards. However, if you’re interested in purchasing a UMD copy of “The Dark Knight”, you can still find one on eBay!
DVDs That Sold For Shocking Amounts of Money
The Flim-Flam Man
The Mondo Cane Collection
The goal here is to maintain the original meaning while making the text more natural and easier to read.
Friday the 13th: The Ultimate Collection
The Girls Next Door: The Complete Series
Inspector Gadget Megaset
Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad: Volume 1
I, Robot (With Robot Bust)
Alakazam the Great
High DVD prices often reflect scarcity, as no one wants to pay a hefty sum for widely available titles like Titanic, which are abundant on the market. However, rare movies that were never released in America on DVD and can only be found on foreign discs can command high prices. For instance, this 1960 Japanese anime, believed to have influenced the Bowser character from the Super Mario game series, has not been distributed in the U.S. on DVD, making the Japanese version particularly valuable at auctions.
Power Rangers: Seasons 4-7
National Treasure: Book of Secrets
Making Fiends: Season One
This version maintains the original’s information while making the language more conversational and easier to read.
ChalkZone
The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway
Although the original HBO special of “The Pee-wee Herman Show,” a live recording from the initial stage production, can be found on Max, the 2010 Broadway revival recording is not easily accessible online. This DVD was already considered a rare find before Paul Reubens’ passing in the summer of 2023. Regrettably, his death increased the demand for this DVD even more.
The current price on eBay for this item is $299.99. While the original HBO special of “The Pee-wee Herman Show,” which is a live recording from the initial stage production, can be found on Max, the 2010 Broadway revival DVD is not widely available online. Before Paul Reubens’ passing in the summer of 2023, this DVD was already considered valuable. However, his death increased the demand for it even further.)
Hellraiser (With Pinhead Bust)
Spider-Man Trilogy (With Busts)
Genesis: The Movie Box
As a passionate collector of music and movies, I’ve come to realize that the realm of physical media isn’t always straightforward. Essentially, if an item is scarce or highly desired, its value tends to soar. It’s as simple (yet complex) as that. Let me clarify: Music enthusiasts are known for their readiness to splurge on rare and exceptional items like this Genesis box set, filled with concert films that were never before available on DVD. Admittedly, $320 might seem like a significant amount, but consider it an investment in uninterrupted viewing pleasure. No more hunting for bootlegs; just pop this treasure trove into your player whenever the mood strikes!
Futurama: The Complete Collection (With Bender Head)
Emmanuelle in Space: The Complete Collection
Current eBay Listing Price for “Emmanuelle” Collection: $330.00
For half a century, “Emmanuelle” has been synonymous with softcore cinema’s most prominent brand. With numerous official “Emmanuelle” films available, as well as countless unauthorized spinoffs and imitations, it’s evident that there is a significant fan base for this series. So much so, that the DVD box set containing all seven episodes of the “Emmanuelle in Space” series now fetches a premium price online.
Evil Dead and Evil Dead II Limited Edition Gift Set
Urotsukidoji: Perfect Collection 2
Cadaverella
Originally sold on eBay for $353.65…
I found this Amazon review amusing about that low-budget horror film: “My daughter bought this movie from eBay for around $300-$400, instantly regretting her purchase and running to me for help. She really wanted it, I guess. Before she told me what she’d bought, I said ‘it’s your money…if you really want something, get it.’ Once she revealed the title, I was shocked! After our discussion about the high price, she asked for a refund. Later on, I found the movie here at a more reasonable cost.”
If you prefer to own this movie instead of streaming it online, you’ll need to find that copy on eBay priced in the hundreds of dollars (but don’t forget to keep it secret from your mom!).
Rebecca (2020)
Recent EBay Auction Pricing: $399.99
Content: Each year, film critics receive numerous “previews” of movies that studios hope they’ll consider for their annual awards. These previews are not sold in stores and it is against the rules of every critics organization to resell them. Somehow, a few manage to end up on the secondary market. Although these preview versions are rare and hard to obtain if you’re not a journalist, they’re just DVDs of movies readily available elsewhere. However, in recent times, Netflix has started sending out previews for their award nominees – and often, these are the only physical copies ever distributed. (Remember, Netflix primarily deals with streaming, not DVD or Blu-ray sales.) You can find some of these Netflix DVD previews on eBay that have fetched a high price in recent years – such as this copy of the 2020 remake of “Rebecca”, which, based on its cover, seems unlikely to be released officially on home video.
The Norm Show: The Complete Series
The Real Ghostbusters: Complete Collection
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Division 2:
This version maintains the original meaning but presents it in a more natural and easy-to-read manner by using synonyms like “set” instead of “collection,” and rephrasing some sentences for clarity and flow.
AK 100: 25 Films By Akira Kurosawa
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2025-01-24 23:55