Programming the video recorder
Discussion
I was born in 1970, and am not sure if it was also under a wandering star.
As such, I bore witness to the explosion of technology from the 70's right through to the present day.
And as any self respecting youth, was all over any and all technology.
Sat on the toilet just now, I was thinking about both my grandparents and parents complete disinterest, and in particular that of programming the video recorder.
We started off with one that looked like this..
Which felt like it was from outer space at the time. Over the years, we got more and more complicated ones.
Every time there was a power cut and the clock needed setting or when something needed to be recorded, I was there, like a shot, delightfully doing the necessary.
But now, I'm at the point where I both understand my elders mindset and complete lack of interest in such things. I now realise that using a lot of technology is a frustrating time wasting faff and I shall not be wasting any more time on it, if I can avoid it.
I cannot be the only one who is like this?
As such, I bore witness to the explosion of technology from the 70's right through to the present day.
And as any self respecting youth, was all over any and all technology.
Sat on the toilet just now, I was thinking about both my grandparents and parents complete disinterest, and in particular that of programming the video recorder.
We started off with one that looked like this..
Which felt like it was from outer space at the time. Over the years, we got more and more complicated ones.
Every time there was a power cut and the clock needed setting or when something needed to be recorded, I was there, like a shot, delightfully doing the necessary.
But now, I'm at the point where I both understand my elders mindset and complete lack of interest in such things. I now realise that using a lot of technology is a frustrating time wasting faff and I shall not be wasting any more time on it, if I can avoid it.
I cannot be the only one who is like this?
My parents now both deceased for over a decade were both in their mid 80s and completely tech savvy.
They'd pretty much eschewed cash and were also happy to buy stuff on line.
It is having an active mindset and not being fearful of new technology.
Betamax still exited when I was in my late teens and I went through the ZX80, 81, Spectrum thing before the Amstrad 1512 + self installed hard card. The NUC I recently built is just 15 x 10 x 7.4 and the Raspberry Pi even smaller but amazing computing power. We have come a very long way in 50 odd years.
They'd pretty much eschewed cash and were also happy to buy stuff on line.
It is having an active mindset and not being fearful of new technology.
Betamax still exited when I was in my late teens and I went through the ZX80, 81, Spectrum thing before the Amstrad 1512 + self installed hard card. The NUC I recently built is just 15 x 10 x 7.4 and the Raspberry Pi even smaller but amazing computing power. We have come a very long way in 50 odd years.
Mr Happy said:
VideoPlus codes were an absolute revelation back in the day.
Setting the thing to record was never the same, even the good old +10min feature in case the program ran over! Good times!
We inherited one, was magicSetting the thing to record was never the same, even the good old +10min feature in case the program ran over! Good times!
My uncle had a Sony unit, you could scan little barcodes in the radio times
Can’t recall how long the codes were printed and if they really worked
I recognise the OP...
I too was the go-to for the tech (such as it was) in those days.
Now... I can't be bothered, I ask my teenage daughter.
Don't get me wrong I'm technically capable, but for instance, connecting the washing machine to the network which then resisted. Back in the day, I'd have won that battle. now I just can't be arsed...
Technology is a pain. Currently, it's the smart lock that beeps every time it rains, which seems to be a lot.
I too was the go-to for the tech (such as it was) in those days.
Now... I can't be bothered, I ask my teenage daughter.
Don't get me wrong I'm technically capable, but for instance, connecting the washing machine to the network which then resisted. Back in the day, I'd have won that battle. now I just can't be arsed...
Technology is a pain. Currently, it's the smart lock that beeps every time it rains, which seems to be a lot.
Spare tyre said:
We inherited one, was magic
My uncle had a Sony unit, you could scan little barcodes in the radio times
Can’t recall how long the codes were printed and if they really worked
The barcodes worked, we had a Panasonic VCR with the little scanner in the end of the remote. My uncle had a Sony unit, you could scan little barcodes in the radio times
Can’t recall how long the codes were printed and if they really worked
I have to say although I’m a geek and have worked in tech all my career, when I read up on Generative AI, I can suddenly understand how my grandparents felt about programming their VCR
My dad was responsible for training and writing the in house service manuals for the technicians at Rumbelows back in the day, so i grew up with every new piece of tech being played with then dismantled on the living room table. The one that always sticks in the mind was the Philips LaserVision player which was well ahead of it's time.
I've always been into using modern tech, there are so many different apps now though that i just cant be arsed learning about them, any new apps i use are usually forced on me, such as smartphone only ticket apps. I'd hate to be unable to deal with all that crap.
I've always been into using modern tech, there are so many different apps now though that i just cant be arsed learning about them, any new apps i use are usually forced on me, such as smartphone only ticket apps. I'd hate to be unable to deal with all that crap.
colin_p said:
But now, I'm at the point where I both understand my elders mindset and complete lack of interest in such things. I now realise that using a lot of technology is a frustrating time wasting faff and I shall not be wasting any more time on it, if I can avoid it.
I cannot be the only one who is like this?
I still love tech (at 46), but, as a tech nerd working in the tech industry I also am easily the most frustrated by it in our household and will quickly get into a strop because it should “just work”…. and yet there I am, once again, spending hours of time fixing or reconfiguring the damn thing. It doesn’t matter what the thing is, all tech is generally a bit sI cannot be the only one who is like this?
t.I also grew up with tech becoming a household item, and subscribed fully to the dream that tech will make things better/faster/more convenient.
So when it doesn’t (and mostly, it absolutely doesn’t), it royally pisses me off.
Therefore, I am becoming more a believer of the ‘less is more’ ethos when it comes to technology… but this continually conflicts with my desire to try out the latest and greatest!
Spare tyre said:
Mr Happy said:
VideoPlus codes were an absolute revelation back in the day.
Setting the thing to record was never the same, even the good old +10min feature in case the program ran over! Good times!
We inherited one, was magicSetting the thing to record was never the same, even the good old +10min feature in case the program ran over! Good times!
My uncle had a Sony unit, you could scan little barcodes in the radio times
Can’t recall how long the codes were printed and if they really worked
I love modern tech. Can even find stuff on the Sky Go app on my phone and tell it to record to the Sky box
surveyor said:
I recognise the OP...
I too was the go-to for the tech (such as it was) in those days.
Now... I can't be bothered, I ask my teenage daughter.
Don't get me wrong I'm technically capable, but for instance, connecting the washing machine to the network which then resisted. Back in the day, I'd have won that battle. now I just can't be arsed...
Technology is a pain. Currently, it's the smart lock that beeps every time it rains, which seems to be a lot.
I see the point when it has a point, too many beeps and bongs. And why should my washing machine be networked with the refrigerator?I too was the go-to for the tech (such as it was) in those days.
Now... I can't be bothered, I ask my teenage daughter.
Don't get me wrong I'm technically capable, but for instance, connecting the washing machine to the network which then resisted. Back in the day, I'd have won that battle. now I just can't be arsed...
Technology is a pain. Currently, it's the smart lock that beeps every time it rains, which seems to be a lot.
colin_p said:
I was born in 1970, and am not sure if it was also under a wandering star.
As such, I bore witness to the explosion of technology from the 70's right through to the present day.
And as any self respecting youth, was all over any and all technology.
Sat on the toilet just now, I was thinking about both my grandparents and parents complete disinterest, and in particular that of programming the video recorder.
We started off with one that looked like this..
Which felt like it was from outer space at the time. Over the years, we got more and more complicated ones.
Every time there was a power cut and the clock needed setting or when something needed to be recorded, I was there, like a shot, delightfully doing the necessary.
But now, I'm at the point where I both understand my elders mindset and complete lack of interest in such things. I now realise that using a lot of technology is a frustrating time wasting faff and I shall not be wasting any more time on it, if I can avoid it.
I cannot be the only one who is like this?
I had one of these when they first came out around 1976, £525 with WIRED remote control, or £575 with Infa red.As such, I bore witness to the explosion of technology from the 70's right through to the present day.
And as any self respecting youth, was all over any and all technology.
Sat on the toilet just now, I was thinking about both my grandparents and parents complete disinterest, and in particular that of programming the video recorder.
We started off with one that looked like this..
Which felt like it was from outer space at the time. Over the years, we got more and more complicated ones.
Every time there was a power cut and the clock needed setting or when something needed to be recorded, I was there, like a shot, delightfully doing the necessary.
But now, I'm at the point where I both understand my elders mindset and complete lack of interest in such things. I now realise that using a lot of technology is a frustrating time wasting faff and I shall not be wasting any more time on it, if I can avoid it.
I cannot be the only one who is like this?
(Around £2500 in today's money)
Asda were knocking out new VHS recorders for £40 about twenty five years ago.
My dad was okish with some basic tech when younger, my mother on the other hand couldn't work out how to use a cassette deck, never mind anything more complex.
Meant I had to do EVERYTHING technical from aged 7 when they split up.
I tried to teach her the basics but she would argue and scream for an hour rather than spend 30 seconds learning how to do something that toddlers can work out for themselves.
Oh, she's also an aggressive feminist too!
Meant I had to do EVERYTHING technical from aged 7 when they split up.
I tried to teach her the basics but she would argue and scream for an hour rather than spend 30 seconds learning how to do something that toddlers can work out for themselves.
Oh, she's also an aggressive feminist too!
Wacky Racer said:
I had one of these when they first came out around 1976, £525 with WIRED remote control,
You can’t begin to understand the excitement i felt when young me discovered that our VHS recorder also had a wired remote! It must have been a couple of years before I enquired as to why it had a ‘remote’ socket on the front and what did it do. Dad went and got it out from the back of a drawer somewhere. I felt we’d just moved forward in technology by about a decade. 
mike9009 said:
Video plus was great.
On another aligned subject, I was banned from using Ceefax as a child at my grandparents because it was deemed too complicated and I might break it. At the same age, I had started programming my ZX81 (with 16k ram pack) and thought they were being absurd.....
I had a similar experience at home; when it was installed on our TV my mum tried to keep it a secret from me and my sister, as she thought we'd somehow break it.On another aligned subject, I was banned from using Ceefax as a child at my grandparents because it was deemed too complicated and I might break it. At the same age, I had started programming my ZX81 (with 16k ram pack) and thought they were being absurd.....
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