Only true '90s kids will remember VCRs. Funai Corporation of Japan, which claims to be the last remaining manufacturer of the device, said that it will stop producing VCRs due to “difficulty acquiring parts,” The New York Times reports. Japanese newspaper Nikkei reported on the VCR’s death rattle earlier this month, but Nikkei officially announced the move Thursday.
Last year, the company sold only 750,000 VCRs, which is shockingly high. Who still buys videotapes besides gutter punks or people that are weirdly committed to their Patrick Bateman impression?
The VCR was invented in the 1950s, made its way into the first homes in the 1960s, and gained popularity in the 1970s. The device became truly mainstream during the VHS-Betamax product war. To buy a VCR in the early 1980s, you’d be plunking down between $600 and $1,200. The introduction of the DVD in 1995 was the beginning of the end for the VCR. The DVD was superior in every way except that it didn’t come in satisfyingly large shapes. Now, it too has fallen by the wayside.
Watch a video demonstration of the first professional video recorder below.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Instagram Debuts A Genius Tool To End Online Harassment