Old man messes with stuff
Added 2025-08-14 13:43:30 +0000 UTCThe delivery of a ‘new’ VHS tape provided the catalyst for twenty three minutes of loosely connected video nonsense.
My videos often require a lot of stuff taking place off the screen to enable me to make the segments that get edited together. Videos like this one are especially weighted to the off-screen side of things. Driving to and from my storage facility, schlepping a variety of electronics around, rooting through boxes in the attic to find interconnecting cables I haven’t seen in years, charging batteries, ordering new stuff to make the old stuff work, messing with software downloads and updates - all for just a few seconds of onscreen footage.
The next time anyone asks what I do for a living, it would be more accurate to say that it’s Logistics or Admin rather than 'Global Internet Phenomena'.
Have a good one and take care.
Comments
Last purchased NEW/CURRENT VHS tape? Possibly The Phantom Menace, around 2000. Had to wrack my brains for that one.
Arthur Robillard
2025-10-31 02:40:34 +0000 UTCGreat vid! The found footage sent me right back to the craziest album that John Peel ever played on his show (and that takes some effort) - https://parcevp.bandcamp.com/album/the-ghost-orchid-an-introduction-to-evp Personally (and I think I'm with Peel here) I 100% believe that the 'phenomenon' having a spiritual origin is bobbins and rathermore is clearly some super flukey analogue mixing of existing broadcasts / RF breakthrough but it IS still fascinating.
Lord Brannigan-7
2025-08-27 13:28:43 +0000 UTCAmstrad made a twin deck side loader VCR - best avoided. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/384421133149
Techmoan
2025-08-25 15:12:56 +0000 UTCLoved this video Mat. Just ran into this weird side loading VCR thought it might pique your interest. https://www.kenyaembassyireland.net/?k=31599881 It's a zenith VR-2300 I have never seen anything quite like it
TOOLMAN TIM'S WORKSHOP
2025-08-25 15:01:47 +0000 UTCA bit unrelated, but these guys have repurposed retro tech in an artful way: https://youtu.be/vaG5tVnpkwc
Grace Robbins
2025-08-18 05:23:49 +0000 UTCFor thousands of years smart people have been observing the same thing, along the general lines of, "amateurs think about tactics, but professionals think about logistics", so I think your focus is right (and yes, Mat, I do think of you as the Sun Tzu of retro tech :-D). Numerous people have identified the tape's original recording, but I still contend that the first parts of the audio, particularly around where the MiniDisc is revolving, are the sounds of a giant space sausage trying to contact humpback whales.
Drew Tavendale
2025-08-17 21:21:36 +0000 UTCI still have a Hitachi multi-format "worldwide" VCR that can play back and *record* in PAL, NTSC and SECAM. Also has both PAL and NTSC tuners. Unfortunately something's broken where it tries to load a tape but then ejects it again. It was expensive to get it repaired and my limited attempts to troubleshoot failed, so I left it - as it was right around the time that we got our first TiVo, so day-to-day recording to tape for time-shift viewing wasn't as necessary.
Paul P-W (PPW-007)
2025-08-15 16:41:34 +0000 UTCI actually found the Phillips Discoverer TV and the 2 portable VCR/TVs a lot more interesting than the fact that someone has put out a VHS re-release of Escape from NY. I remember portable DVD players being popular for a few years in the 00s, but I hadn't realized the concept had been done with VHS. Good job using this as an opportunity to show off some unusual old tech. I hope people don't overlook this video, thinking it's just about another novelty release on an old media format.
Jeremy Taylor
2025-08-15 16:34:44 +0000 UTCJust Another Excellent Video, by the way. Left the audience with a bit of suspense!..... that is, until now....
Stephen Hamme
2025-08-14 14:36:07 +0000 UTCSir, that is the theme music for Green Acres, TV show from the 60's. Specifically, the ending credits theme. You did get the speed right! At the very end you hear "This has been a Filmways presentation" - was the dead giveaway for me.
Stephen Hamme
2025-08-14 14:33:47 +0000 UTC
