vcrs

[Boto]

To settle an argument - when were the first VCRs widely available? Thanks a lot.

[sqad617]

Mid 1970,s I think. there were 4 main competitors. Betamax, VHS, Philips and Grundig. The last 2 were non starters and the real fight was between VHS and Beramax and we all know who the winner was.

[wendilla]

If you type into Google (when was the first vcr available) you will get all the info there.

[Ethel]

If you specifically mean VHS VCR they first went on sale in the UK in 1976 but were hugely expensive - in today's money well over �3000.

[sprayer]

I got my first VCR in 1976 it was a Baird VHS I only got it because I was an ast. manager in a holiday camp and did a deal with Radio Rentals to hire over 600 TV sets for the chalets ( the VCR was free for as long as the TVs were on hire) I do remember having to buy my first tape it was a BAIRD E180 and cost �9.99 which in 1976 was half a weeks wages....

[sprayer]

Sorry I should have said a THORN E180 Baird was the make of the VCR

[pug100]

To answer your question fully the first commercially available vcrs in Europe were made by Philips in 1970. The 1500's cost a lot of money and were not widely bought.

As stated earlier the VHS and Betamax were the two formats introduced in 1977 in the UK and these competed head to head until the early 1980's when VHS proved the most popular.

The Grundig / Philips V2000 vcr came late to the market in 1978 and really was a non starter even though it gave better picture quality and features than the Betamax.
More info here ( the dates given are for the US relreases )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VCR#Early_machine s_and_formats

[Boto]

Thanks everyone, you've been very helpful.