DVDs: have they ruined family viewing?
We all know the dvds are technically superior than VHS tapes, with regards to sound and picture quality. However what really sets dvds and VHS apart is the interactiveness. I am going to argue that this is the one downfall of the dvd.
With a dvd you can pause and replay your favourite parts of your favourite film and be oblivious to what anyone else in the room. My sister does this alot. She will sit down with a metre between her and the TV and continuely replay her favourite parts of a comedy she had watched the night before.
What is more annoying than how my sister uses dvds? Is how my chain smoking mother uses dvds. After about the forth "smoko break" I normally retreat to my bedroom or frantically text my friends asking them if anyones going out that night.
Does anyone else miss VHS?
With a dvd you can pause and replay your favourite parts of your favourite film and be oblivious to what anyone else in the room. My sister does this alot. She will sit down with a metre between her and the TV and continuely replay her favourite parts of a comedy she had watched the night before.
What is more annoying than how my sister uses dvds? Is how my chain smoking mother uses dvds. After about the forth "smoko break" I normally retreat to my bedroom or frantically text my friends asking them if anyones going out that night.
Does anyone else miss VHS?
posted by calum at 8:15 AM
2 Comments:
Yeah, that's an interesting question. I don't personally miss VHS at all. But I do remember that continual rewinding and replaying was a common feature of some people's viewing habits back in the days of VHS. And whilst skipping between chapters is super-easy, I think DVD is pretty non-user friendly when it comes to more precise navigation. At least VHS had a certain simplicity and control to it. (There, now I've already slipped into nostalgia-speak: maybe I do miss it after all!). But one thing I think may be a more powerful factor in terms of undermining family viewing is the proliferation of DVD playing devices in many households. Of course, this is something that only applies in better-off households. But the fact that DVDs can be played on computers (or even ripped onto iPods), combined with the proliferation of multiple TV sets and low-cost DVD players, means that mum and sister's annoying viewing habits are much more easily avoided these days. Is that a good thing or not? I'm not sure.
i have both DVD and VHS at home, but i would love to convert everything to a purely DVD recording thing. (a friend of mine just got his DVD recorder, something along the lines of NZ$800 for the whole machine) and it does save time, space and so on. but the VHS has its pros. i like the simplicity of it. only 4 buttons. play, stop, rec and rew. plus, i survive on recording my TV shows every night. (drawbacks of working in hospitality)
have you ever noticed that DVD's always skip or are badly scratched? (especially when you borrow them from video stores?) and its annoying as hell! but im sure your sister and mum's eccentricities would be pretty frustrating (if not more)
Joanne C
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