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Oldest Extant Off-Air VHS/Beta Tape You Have

It's been a long, drawn-out process continuing to look through and digitize my ever-growing backlog of tapes as of late. Here's a backlog of what I found at the Canton Goodwill Outlet a little more than a month ago. I made one more return visit since then and picked up more tapes but haven't looked at those in their entirety yet. Here's what I found the first time though. Some local content from adjacent markets found in addition to Cleveland/Akron/Canton.

TAPE 1: Three hours of blank signal, followed by One Life to Live and General Hospital taped from WEWS on 3/24/2005 with commercials. Kodak T-120 (supposedly originally had Back to the Future).

TAPE 2: 3ABN Presents taped from 3ABN in February 2003 with promos; Revelation Insights and partial broadcast of Revelation of Hope taped from 3ABN on 2/8/2003 with promos; partial broadcast of Everlasting Gospel taped from Safe TV on 2/8/2003 (never heard of this channel before, but evidently it was on Dish Network); 3ABN on Location and start of Earth Talk with Howard Lyman taped from 3ABN in February 2003 with promos; partial broadcast of Abundant Living and partial broadcast of 3ABN Presents taped from 3ABN on 2/7/2003 with promos, then cuts to some surfing on the Dish Network program guide before switching to a partial broadcast of The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) on the Sci-Fi Channel. RCA T-120.

TAPE 3: Army of Darkness (1992) taped from the Sci-Fi Channel in December 1998 minus commercials; Aliens (1986) taped from HBO in December 1998; Alien 3 (1992) taped from HBO in December 1998; partial episode of Arli$$ and partial episode of Sex and the City taped from HBO in December 1998 with promos. JVC T-120.

TAPE 4: Ghostbusters II (1989) taped from HBO on 9/16/1990 with promos; Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) and Batman (1989) taped from HBO on 9/16/1990 with promos--all during HBO's Test Drive free preview weekend hosted by Tom Parks. Scotch T-120.

TAPE 5: Balto (1995) taped from the Disney Channel circa 1997; NBC News coverage of the inauguration of Bill Clinton taped from WKYC on 1/20/1997. Focal T-120.

TAPE 6: Partial broadcast of Fox NFL Sunday pregame show taped from WJW on 9/17/1995 with commercials; NFL on NBC (Cleveland Browns vs. Houston Oilers) taped from WKYC on 9/17/1995 with commercials; Revco Sports Extra taped from WUAB on 9/17/1995 with commercials; partial broadcast of NFL on TNT (Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings) taped from TNT on 9/17/1995 with commercials; partial broadcast of Channel 3 News at 6 taped from WKYC on 9/18/1995 with commercials; partial broadcast of Newscenter 8 at 6:00 taped from WJW on 9/18/1995 with commercials; two episodes of Barney & Friends taped from WVIZ in September 1995 with promos. JVC T-120.

TAPE 7: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Dead Bang (1989) and Road House (1989) taped from HBO on September 14-15, 1990 with promos--also from the Test Drive free preview weekend. Scotch T-120.

TAPE 8: Quigley Down Under (1990) and partial broadcast of Green Card (1990) taped from Showtime in July 1992 with promos; City Slickers (1991) taped from Showtime in July 1992 with promos--all during Showtime's Show-Off free preview weekend hosted by Tommy Davidson. BASF T-160.

TAPE 9: A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994) copied from rental tape; partial episode of Law & Order taped from WKYC on 11/17/1998 with commercials; partial broadcast of Game 2 of the 1998 World Series taped from WJW on 10/18/1998 with commercials. TDK T-120.

TAPE 10: 1997 NFC Championship taped from WJW on 1/12/1997 minus most commercials; partial broadcast of the 1997 AFC Championship taped from WKYC on 1/12/1997 with commercials. Sony T-120 (much of the former was taped in SP speed, hence why the latter is incomplete).

TAPE 11: 1990 World Youth Cup Final and partial broadcast of Aspire Higher taped from ESPN in November 1990 with commercials; NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw taped from WKYC on 11/16/1990 with commercials; The MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour, Washington Week in Review, partial broadcast of Wall Street Week with Louis Rukeyser (has the first five minutes or so then cuts to the end credits) and The McLaughlin Group taped from WNEO/WEAO on 11/16/1990 with promos; partial broadcast of part three of Favorite Son (NBC miniseries) taped from WCMH on 11/1/1988 minus most commercials; Campaign Countdown: Is This Any Way to Elect a President? (NBC News special hosted by Tom Brokaw), Family Ties and partial episode of Day by Day taped from WCMH on 11/6/1988 minus most commercials. Sony T-120.

TAPE 12: Preview syndicated presentation of Invasion U.S.A. (1985) taped from WEWS in May 1988 with commercials. Audiotek T-120.

TAPE 13: Long tape largely containing news coverage of the Persian Gulf Crisis with a lot of channel flipping--partial broadcast of NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw taped from WKYC on 1/14/1991 with commercials; partial broadcast of ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings taped from WEWS on 1/14/1991 minus commercials; clip from Newscenter 8 at 6:00 taped from WJW on 1/14/1991; partial broadcast of Video PM taped from TNN on 1/14/1991 with commercials ("Key Largo" by Bertie Higgins and "I Could Be Persuaded" by the Bellamy Brothers are the two videos shown); CBS Evening News with Dan Rather and start of PM Magazine (one of the show's last broadcasts before rebranding as Cleveland Tonight) taped from WJW on 1/14/1991 minus most commercials; partial broadcast of The MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour taped from WNEO/WEAO on 1/14/1991 (Robert MacNeil talks with Gerald Ford on the Gulf Crisis); A Line in the Sand: War or Peace? (ABC News special hosted by Peter Jennings) taped from WEWS on 1/14/1991 with commercials; partial broadcast of Frontline taped from WOUB/WOUC on 1/14/1991 with promos; partial broadcast of Nightline taped from WEWS on January 14-15, 1991 minus commercials; partial broadcast of America on the Brink taped from WKYC on January 14-15, 1991 with commercials; partial broadcast of America Tonight taped from WTRF on January 14-15, 1991 with commercials; clip from Entertainment Tonight taped from WEWS on 1/15/1991; NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw taped from WKYC on 1/15/1991 with commercials; end of Newscenter 8 at 6:00 and partial broadcast of CBS Evening News with Dan Rather taped from WJW on 1/15/1991 with commercials; Frontline taped from WNEO/WEAO on 1/15/1991 with promos; partial broadcast of America on the Brink taped from WJW on January 15-16, 1991 with commercials; clip from America Tonight taped from WOAC on January 15-16, 1991 (WJW used to dump this show for Newhart, The Jeffersons and Arsenio Hall, so WOAC picked it up, as they did with The Pat Sajak Show when it was on the air); partial broadcast of Nightline and partial broadcast of Entertainment Tonight taped from WEWS on January 15-16, 1991 with commercials. TDK T-120.

TAPE 14: Game 1 of the 1995 American League Division Series (Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox) taped from WKYC on October 3-4, 1995 minus most commercials. Kodak T-120, rough quality throughout.

Few duds in this mix, some of which were millennial-era kids' shows without any commercials included (Rugrats, Little Bear, Blue's Clues, Franklin, VeggieTales Christmas special on DirecTV Freeview). At least the one tape of Nick Jr. shows had several of the Face bumpers included before many of the shows. Also some dubs of demo tapes of movies (Down on the Delta and American Outlaws) that I suspect were recorded by the same individual who gave us Tape #9, as they have the same blue screen after the movie is finished playing on the second VCR.

LOTS more to look through from several sales and one additional Goodwill Outlet trip. At a quick first glance, I've found Johnny Carson's last few Tonight Shows, a WOSU documentary on the history of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team, some movies from Request Pay-Per-View, quite a few Browns games with the oldest dating back to the late '80s (including the dismal start to their 1999 return season against the Steelers), NYPD Blue reruns on FX, Rescue Me, Rush Limbaugh during the first season of his TV show, Schindler's List on WVIZ (yes, PBS did air that movie at one point), Hal Lindsey on TBN, One Stroke Painting with Donna Dewberry and I'm sure quite a few more oddities that I don't yet know about.
 
I love my VHS tapes..


To me anything analogue is beautiful!

RIGHT NOW My oldest OVER THE AIR recording is from KSTW in Seattle in 1986 -- GONE WITH THE WIND.. (Found online)

Although it was taped from CABLE so maybe that doesnt count,,

The oldest OVER THE AIR as in not cable I HAVE FOUND is "ET" - 1982 shown on a local channel in 1991.. There is so much noise in the video,it cant be cable! (I found this at salvation army)

The oldest tape I have of official VHS media is a 1978 release of 'BUS STOP' - 1956 from Magnetic Video...

Interestingly on this release they didnt cut the movie to fit your screen so if you put it on a widescreen CRT,you would see it wider.. On a reg screen you see the same as you would if it was sized... Its interesting how they left it full size!
 
1978 Magnetic...nice. I have a 1978 M*A*S*H and recently sold a 1980 Planet of the Apes. I would like to find "Welcome to Arrow Beach" on Magnetic, as it is one of the more sought-after VHS releases they distributed.

Got back a couple of hours ago from my Montana trip. I found tons of VHS tapes, mostly from one source - a Craigslist lot from an older man in Arlee (just 30 minutes north of Missoula on the south end of the CSKT reservation). One tape from a sale in Victor during the 50 Mile...two more from the Goodwill Outlet Spokane, two more from a thrift store in Deer Lodge on the way back today from Red Lodge and Billings. POURING down rain however! Another update to come later on the finds...
 
Im glad to see im not the only one who loves VHS :)

Have you ever had any 1977 Magnetic releases?? I did have 1 GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS but it was so grainy (Like it was digitalised :() it wasnt pleasant seeing..
 
Here's another set of my latest finds, not nearly as big, from a garage sale in Barberton. One was not your typical VHS tape but it was a great find nonetheless!

TAPE 1: Half Baked (1998) copied from rental tape; Black Sheep (1996) copied from rental tape; then reverts to a partial Radio Shack in-store demo loop video from June 1998! Obviously they reused this prerecorded T-120 tape to copy the two movies, but what was left of the original content of the tape was really cool--mix of music videos, different Radio Shack commercials, sports and movie clips, etc.

TAPE 2: The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson taped from WKYC on May 15, 19, 20, 21 and 22, 1992 with commercials; partial broadcast of Later with Bob Costas (Bob interviews Jay Leno), overnight rebroadcast of Channel 3 News at 11:00 and partial Professional Educational Institute infomercial taped from WKYC on 5/22/1992 (early hours) with commercials. Fuji T-120.

The other three I found from this sale were duds. One had Touched by an Angel episodes without commercials and the other two had retail/rental dubs of hunting videos and gospel music concerts. Kind of ironic finding Half Baked among the mix of movies within this family's collection, as many of the retail tapes spotted were religious and family movies.

I mentioned earlier all the tapes of Browns games I found and still have yet to go through, but what I failed to mention is five of those tapes are Betamax rather than VHS. I find it kind of interesting how many Beta tapes I've been finding as of late because most of the time they're not all that easy to find in the wild.
 
I loved it when I found The Goonies recorded from analogue cable at salvation army! (Recorded from Cinemax)

The official Warner Brothers tape of this movie was DIGITALLY PROCESSED and looks like crap (Its thin as a pancake,etc)

Finslly getting a warm copy (Not digitally processed) from cinemax was pure gold! (I also have THE BREAKFAST CLUB recorded from HBO on center mix (true mono) and man what you can hear in the background is amazing!!)
 


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