I’m speaking in terms of movies. For some weird reason i barely noticed VHS movies in stores/rental stores the mid 2000s but apparently a ton were released.

I stopped caring for them and seeing them in major stores past 2002-2003. You can leave 2003 out if you want.

But apparently they were made all the way into 2006-2007.

How often did you purchase or rent movies during the mid 2000s?

Quite a lot. My Mum and I would often go to our local video store and rent out a few shows/movies at least once a week, usually on a Friday or Saturday night. I can distinctively remember when half of the kids movies that were available to rent were on VHS. The majority of them weren't new releases though, apart from the odd one or two direct-to-video movies such as "The Lion King 1½". They were definitely still around during the Mid 2000s.

Quite a lot. My Mum and I would often go to our local video store and rent out a few shows/movies at least once a week, usually on a Friday or Saturday night. I can distinctively remember when half of the kids movies that were available to rent were on VHS. The majority of them weren't new releases though, apart from the odd one or two direct-to-video movies such as "The Lion King 1½". They were definitely still around during the Mid 2000s.


It’s weird because I remember VHS being severely dated or dead by 2004.

Even the Star Wars 2 and 3, Cars and loads of big blockbuster movies of 2005 and 2006 were available on VHS but I never saw this in stores back then.

What kind of stores carried them back then ?

It’s weird because I remember VHS being severely dated or dead by 2004.

Even the Star Wars 2 and 3, Cars and loads of big blockbuster movies of 2005 and 2006 were available on VHS but I never saw this in stores back then.

What kind of stores carried them back then ?


Mainly just the video rental stores like Blockbuster, mind you i'm from Australia so my experiences may be slightly different to yours. The mid 2000s in general were a transitional time in the popularity and relevancy of the technology. You're right about how DVDs had essentially made videos obsolete by 2004, but like you mentioned in your earlier post, many movies (especially direct-to-video kids films) were still released onto VHS up until as late as 2007. They still had a use. I personally received a new LG VCR for my bedroom when I was 5 (this was back in 2004) because a lot of the shows and movies I had were on tape.

I think they were still selling these VHS tapes in my local Blockbuster around 2004-05, but DVDs became the preferred video format for movies back then.

Mainly just the video rental stores like Blockbuster, mind you i'm from Australia so my experiences may be slightly different to yours. The mid 2000s in general were a transitional time in the popularity and relevancy of the technology. You're right about how DVDs had essentially made videos obsolete by 2004, but like you mentioned in your earlier post, many movies (especially direct-to-video kids films) were still released onto VHS up until as late as 2007. They still had a use. I personally received a new LG VCR for my bedroom when I was 5 (this was back in 2004) because a lot of the shows and movies I had were on tape.


Yes thing is a lot of really big films were released. Good for vhs collectors actually

I think they were still selling these VHS tapes in my local Blockbuster around 2004-05, but DVDs became the preferred video format for movies back then.


Interesting who you could then technically get dvds/blu ray and vhs and hd dvd at the same time in 2006-2007

2000-2002 were dominated in VHS more so than DVD’s. I remember in 2001-2002 there were tons of commercials for the DVD releases of certain movies (especially disney movies). In 2003-2004 it was appropriate for DVD’s and VHS to coexist together, it was always usually “which ever version is cheaper, we’ll buy” with my family. DVD’s were usually around $3-5 more expensive than VHS. But buy 2003 DVD’s outsold VHS in sales (by a small percentage) however they were both still relevant. By 2005 it went kind of downhill from there and VHS tapes were typically only used if your family didn’t have the DVD version yet.

Weren't you around then?  ???

The last movie to come out on VHS was The History of Violence in March 2006. There were some releases in 2005 without VHS editions however: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_in_home_video

Weren't you around then?  ???

The last movie to come out on VHS was The History of Violence in March 2006. There were some releases in 2005 without VHS editions however: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_in_home_video


I the last time I remember seeing VHS everywhere in was in 2003. I switched to DVD full around 2002.

I’m probably forgetting that I might have come across a few instances of VHS in some stores.

Everyone I knew was fully dvd by 2003

Also I would go mostly go specialized movie stores for rent with indie films which were all dvd.

Can’t recall noticing new Vhs from 2004-2006 from the other rental store or chain places.

Weren't you around then?  ???

The last movie to come out on VHS was The History of Violence in March 2006. There were some releases in 2005 without VHS editions however: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_in_home_video
I do not recall the last time I brought a VHS tape, but I can recall the first DVD I purchased ("A Clockwork Orange") and on the packaging it has copyright 2001, that sound about the right time of purchase. From then on it was DVD for me all the time.

I can remember back during the mid 1980's when Blockbuster was a place to rent video tapes and went there to search for my favorite genres but I can't remember if renting a video tape was still popular during the mid 2000's.

It’s weird because I remember VHS being severely dated or dead by 2004.

Even the Star Wars 2 and 3, Cars and loads of big blockbuster movies of 2005 and 2006 were available on VHS but I never saw this in stores back then.

What kind of stores carried them back then ?



My guess is the dollar stores.

My guess is the dollar stores.

Woolworths?

I do not recall the last time I brought a VHS tape, but I can recall the first DVD I purchased ("A Clockwork Orange") and on the packaging it has copyright 2001, that sound about the right time of purchase. From then on it was DVD for me all the time.


I think the Uk was same as North America in terms of VHS movie lifespan after looking into it.

Wish those early dvds had a longer lifespan. So many I hear suffer from disc rot like laserdiscs.

I can remember back during the mid 1980's when Blockbuster was a place to rent video tapes and went there to search for my favorite genres but I can't remember if renting a video tape was still popular during the mid 2000's.


I heard in the mid or early 80s buying a VHS tape could cost up anywhere from $50 dollars or more. Renting wasn’t cheaper either.

I don’t think a lot of the smaller rental stores were bringing the latest VHS tapes in the mid 2000s which I’m why I’m having trouble remembering.

I heard in the mid or early 80s buying a VHS tape could cost up anywhere from $50 dollars or more. Renting wasn’t cheaper either.

Extraordinary to read that, here is the UK, VHS tapes were cheap, I can remember buying "The Muppet Movie" in around 1982/3 for £1 from a shop I would visit once a week.

I do not recall the last time I brought a VHS tape, but I can recall the first DVD I purchased ("A Clockwork Orange") and on the packaging it has copyright 2001, that sound about the right time of purchase. From then on it was DVD for me all the time.
After doing some online homework, I have discovered that the DVD of " A Clockwork Orange" was released together with VHS tape version in 2000, after the sad demise of the director Stanley Kubrick in March 1999. For Kubrick had withdrawn the film from total distribution in 1973.

So purchasing a DVD of this film, sounds to be the right time as stated as purchased.

After doing some online homework, I have discovered that the DVD of " A Clockwork Orange" was released together with VHS tape version in 2000, after the sad demise of the director Stanley Kubrick in March 1999. For Kubrick had withdrawn the film from total distribution in 1973.

So purchasing a DVD of this film, sounds to be the right time as stated as purchased.


Kubrick was still working on the film "Eyes Wide Shut" at the time of his demise. Who knows how it would have ended up if he remained alive? It is a much maligned film, but I like it. Every time I watch it something new reveals itself. I'm still not sure what he was trying to say but definitely something about the "Illuminati" and the elite classes.

Kubrick was still working on the film "Eyes Wide Shut" at the time of his demise. Who knows how it would have ended up if he remained alive? It is a much maligned film, but I like it. Every time I watch it something new reveals itself. I'm still not sure what he was trying to say but definitely something about the "Illuminati" and the elite classes.
The book Kubrick was reading at that time was "Supertoys Last All Summer Long" by Brian Aldiss, in readiness for his next film due to be "A.I. Artificial Intelligence", which Steven Spielberg took over the production of the film, with some scenes paying homage to Stanley Kubrick.

We still used our VCR in the mid 2000s, and the latest VHS tape we bought was in 2005 or 2006 if I remember correctly. I have a video with a Discovery Channel documentary recorded on it from 2005; it was about Concorde.

Interesting who you could then technically get dvds/blu ray and vhs and hd dvd at the same time in 2006-2007


Oh, yeah, the DVD format war between HD DVD vs. Blu-ray (Blu-ray won thanks to most retailers supplying their box sets). I heard a lot about Blu-ray back in 2007 and how the formats were competing against each other. What an exciting time.

Oh, yeah, the DVD format war between HD DVD vs. Blu-ray (Blu-ray won thanks to most retailers supplying their box sets). I heard a lot about Blu-ray back in 2007 and how the formats were competing against each other. What an exciting time.
At the time of it all, we had Betamax at first, then with colleagues and family we had to get VHS so that we were all compatible with each other, the like of other formats just sounded confusing so we stuck to the basics. Of course, VHS progressed to DVD, and was never interested in Blu-Ray.

Wow, Cars is supposedly the last VHS filmed ever released, which was in 2007, and is currently going for over a $1000! Seems ridiculous.. :o

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Factory-Sealed-Disney-Pixar-CARS-VHS-Tape-EXTREMELY-RARE-Never-Opened/133228519777?hash=item1f0509e161:g:PSQAAOSw4sNcEst8

I heard in the mid or early 80s buying a VHS tape could cost up anywhere from $50 dollars or more. Renting wasn’t cheaper either.

I don’t think a lot of the smaller rental stores were bringing the latest VHS tapes in the mid 2000s which I’m why I’m having trouble remembering.


I thought renting one was cheaper.

We still used our VCR in the mid 2000s, and the latest VHS tape we bought was in 2005 or 2006 if I remember correctly. I have a video with a Discovery Channel documentary recorded on it from 2005; it was about Concorde.


In The mid 2000's I still recorded some shows off of TV.

I thought renting one was cheaper.


Ah I meant not that much cheaper. I just heard about this, didn’t rent at that time.

I’m guessing it was the earlier 80s when it that high.

Probably by your time they were more affordable to rent.

Ah I meant not that much cheaper. I just heard about this, didn’t rent at that time.

I’m guessing it was the earlier 80s when it that high.

Probably by your time they were more affordable to rent.


The first day of rental would cost $2.99 for new releases and $1.99 for the older films.

It’s weird because I remember VHS being severely dated or dead by 2004.

Even the Star Wars 2 and 3, Cars and loads of big blockbuster movies of 2005 and 2006 were available on VHS but I never saw this in stores back then.

What kind of stores carried them back then ?


Usually video/ movie stores like Blockbusters, Target sold dvd’s and VHS, Tower records, Best Buy sold VHS until around late 2005 I believe but the isle was very small compared to DVD’s. I wouldn’t say VHS was dated in 2004 although it was rapidly decreasing in sales by late 2003-2004. In 2003 they were still up there in popularity with DVD’s despite DVD’s outselling them. I’d say 2005 was the year most stores announced replacing VHS tapes completely. By 2006 they were not in stores much anymore.

We still had our VHS player in the mid 2000s, but DVDs had already overtaken tapes in sales by 2002. I think most people used both.

Ah I meant not that much cheaper. I just heard about this, didn’t rent at that time.

I’m guessing it was the earlier 80s when it that high.

Probably by your time they were more affordable to rent.


Yes when movie tickets were cheap.

I still have several vhs players because I have a lot of tapes I like watching. And tapes are next to nothing at resales. I’ll be glad when those places reopen.

Yes when movie tickets were cheap.

I still have several vhs players because I have a lot of tapes I like watching. And tapes are next to nothing at resales. I’ll be glad when those places reopen.


I still have a decent amount of them nothing like watching an actual movie.

They always felt like more of an experience than dvds and streaming.

Yes when movie tickets were cheap.

I still have several vhs players because I have a lot of tapes I like watching. And tapes are next to nothing at resales. I’ll be glad when those places reopen.
Currently it is all digital downloads for films.

We still had our VHS player in the mid 2000s, but DVDs had already overtaken tapes in sales by 2002. I think most people used both.



Weren't VHS players being phased out?

Weren't VHS players being phased out?


July 22 2016 the last vhs player was produced. I remember my housemate at the time telling me about that.

I wouldn’t be surprised if someone starts making them again years down the road.

July 22 2016 the last vhs player was produced. I remember my housemate at the time telling me about that.

I wouldn’t be surprised if someone starts making them again years down the road.
There must be VHS players still around, even for professional services?

There must be VHS players still around, even for professional services?


Probably for VHS to digital for sure. Last VHS players made were from 2016:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brittanyhodak/2016/07/23/rip-vhs-worlds-last-vcr-to-be-made-this-month/#34cd663f23da

Mid 2000's was completely DVD era, maybe even the peak of the DVD era TBH. VHS was almost obsolete by the mid 2000's and I'm not gonna even talk about it. If you were alive during the mid 2000's, you'd know. I mean Blu-Ray debuted in 2006 which was influenced from right in the middle of the DVD era. I can remember when my family stopped buying VHS and stuck to DVD's only. This was around 2002. However, we still used a DVD and VCR duo player, just for the old VHS tapes we bought from 2001 & earlier and the DVD's we bought from 2002 & later, and in America, 2003 was the year DVD's surpassed VHS in sales.

July 22 2016 the last vhs player was produced. I remember my housemate at the time telling me about that.

I wouldn’t be surprised if someone starts making them again years down the road.


I think they could be used down the road someday but for right now it should stay in the past.

There must be VHS players still around, even for professional services?


You can buy one on Ebay.

Mid 2000's was completely DVD era, maybe even the peak of the DVD era TBH. VHS was almost obsolete by the mid 2000's and I'm not gonna even talk about it. If you were alive during the mid 2000's, you'd know. I mean Blu-Ray debuted in 2006 which was influenced from right in the middle of the DVD era. I can remember when my family stopped buying VHS and stuck to DVD's only. This was around 2002. However, we still used a DVD and VCR duo player, just for the old VHS tapes we bought from 2001 & earlier and the DVD's we bought from 2002 & later, and in America, 2003 was the year DVD's surpassed VHS in sales.


I wouldn’t say the mid 2000’s was the peak or “completely” a DVD era. Blu-ray didn’t rack up sales much until the late 2000’s to early 10’s. Most DVD players were not compatible with Blu-ray format back in 2006 which is what your average household contained. There were some movies in 2002 that still had not been released into Digital video format. There was a rapid decline in VHS sales from late 2003 onwards tho, but the mid 2000’s was the era when CRT tv’s were being built in with DVD’s and VCR’s combined. You either had Tivo or a VCR to record your favorite shows back in that day as well. By 2005 VHS sales rapidly decline faster than ever tho. Some UK video stores stopped selling VHS by 2004. But I’d say it was common for VHS and DVD to co exist in the mid 2000’s. I remember VHS’s were way more cheaper than DVD’s and sometimes that was a benefit for home entertainment.

You can buy one on Ebay.
Will you still get a refund if the VHS Player is broken or not working properly?

Will you still get a refund if the VHS Player is broken or not working properly?


In 2016 you could when you would purchase a new player.

Will you still get a refund if the VHS Player is broken or not working properly?


You could send it back if you wanted to.

You could send it back if you wanted to.
Even if the package came from abroad with an expensive cost?

I wouldn’t say the mid 2000’s was the peak or “completely” a DVD era. Blu-ray didn’t rack up sales much until the late 2000’s to early 10’s. Most DVD players were not compatible with Blu-ray format back in 2006 which is what your average household contained. There were some movies in 2002 that still had not been released into Digital video format. There was a rapid decline in VHS sales from late 2003 onwards tho......


No, VHS started declining in 2002. DVD's surpassed VHS in sales in 2003 as the whole year in general. Put it like this, 2001 was the last full year VHS was the dominant form of home distribution in the US. 2002 was the transition, 2002 was the bridge year between VHS and DVD. It was dead even in 2002. By 2003, DVD's took over VHS and VHS was on huge decline, and became completely obsolete by 2006.

No, VHS started declining in 2002. DVD's surpassed VHS in sales in 2003 as the whole year in general. Put it like this, 2001 was the last full year VHS was the dominant form of home distribution in the US. 2002 was the transition, 2002 was the bridge year between VHS and DVD. It was dead even in 2002. By 2003, DVD's took over VHS and VHS was on huge decline, and became completely obsolete by 2006.


You’re intertwining sales or in this case rental statistics with Home distribution statistics. VHS wasn’t dead in 2002 at all, heck even the betamax was still being sold up until 2002. VHS sales started to decline (very slowly) in 1999-2000 (especially after the PS2 release). VHS was still dominant in 2002 and sold neck in neck with DVD’s that year, it was still the most dominant form of home entertainment that year as well (VCR’s also had the ability to record television channels which was not yet replaced with DVR’s at that time). Many movies in 2002 were still only available on Video cassette format. Sales had nothing to do with VHS usage/ownership. In fact In the US it wasn’t until 2008 that DVD had replaced VHS as the preferred low-end method of distribution. 94.5 million Americans still owned VHS format and VCRs in 2005. DVD’s outsold VHS by 3.3 percent in June of 2003 which is a pretty small percentage, they were still commonly bought/used but definitely declining rapidly compared to DVD sales. By 2004 the percentage dropped another 3.2 percent. The mid 2000’s was the era when TV manufacturers such as JVC began producing televisions with built in DVD’s and VCR’s hence it’s interchangeable usage throughout that era. Again these statistics are only based off of rentals not sales but in this case we are using them in the same context.

D theatre were HD VHS tapes released only throughout the early to mid 2000s.

They were the only HD format at that time, better than DVDs and probably the best home format at their time.

Here is sample of Glengarry Glen Ross from the 2003 DVHS release:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EPeiDv8c1k&app=desktop

In series 8, episode 4 of "Friends" the episode entitled "The One with the Videotape", a VHS tape, player and camera are featured and for the record this episode was first broadcast on October 18th 2001 and there were no hints of DVDs then.

I’m speaking in terms of movies.

In my opinion quite!!!!!!

I love VHS!!

We got our first DVD player in 2002 or 2003. I got my own VCR/DVD player for my bedroom in 2004. My last VHS tapes were Freddy vs Jason and Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Once I had a player, I switched to DVD. We got our first HDTV in 2007 and I got my first Blu-ray player in 2010.

I remember still seeing commercial VHS in stores up to about 2004 or so. Blank tapes were still around for a while longer.

A History of Violence was the last official VHS release. However, certain movies have gotten special retro/novelty releases, usually movies like House of the Devil and V/H/S.

I think I got a DVD player in 2003 because I have tons of 2003 movies on DVD but no 2002 ones.

My local and tons of other video rental stores went bust in 2004. I don't think there was much VHS and VHS renting at that point.

I think I got a DVD player in 2003 because I have tons of 2003 movies on DVD but no 2002 ones.

My local and tons of other video rental stores went bust in 2004. I don't think there was much VHS and VHS renting at that point.


That’s why I had trouble remembering.

I’m convinced VHS is worth collecting ,even if you aren’t a collector, for older cartoons, it just feels more authentic that way and for movies that haven’t been released on Netflix/streaming, DVD or Blu-ray.

That’s why I had trouble remembering.

I’m convinced VHS is worth collecting ,even if you aren’t a collector, for older cartoons, it just feels more authentic that way and for movies that haven’t been released on Netflix/streaming, DVD or Blu-ray.


I still have VHS tapes of shows I taped from television many years ago and maybe one day I plan to see what's on them.

I still have VHS tapes of shows I taped from television many years ago and maybe one day I plan to see what's on them.


That’s another reason. That’s exactly another reason why YouTube and video streaming got so big.

People recording news, concerts, ads, hard to find shows etc and other clips and segments on vhs and uploading them.

That’s another reason. That’s exactly another reason why YouTube and video streaming got so big.

People recording news, concerts, ads, hard to find shows etc and other clips and segments on vhs and uploading them.


I'm glad for YouTube. Without it, I don't think I would've discovered multiple VHS recordings of channels like Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, MTV, ABC, etc.

There are tons of recording videos now.

This is the last VHS tape I remember buying: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Watch-My-Chops-1-VHS/dp/B000296GUW

Watch my Chops is a French cartoon so you might not recognise it if you’re not French/British/European in general (and of a certain age).

Like a lot of older technology, I think VHS lasted a little longer in Europe than North America - just like internet adoption here was about 5 years behind the US (didn’t reach 50% until 2005).

That’s another reason. That’s exactly another reason why YouTube and video streaming got so big.

People recording news, concerts, ads, hard to find shows etc and other clips and segments on vhs and uploading them.


People recording just about everything you can imagine and that's a good thing about YouTube and the internet itself.