REWIND

A VHS TRIBUTE

THE RISE AND FALL OF VHS

1976

THE BIRTH OF VHS

JVC introduces the Video Home System format, revolutionizing home entertainment and launching the home video era.

First VHS player
1977

THE FORMAT WAR BEGINS

VHS enters a fierce competition with Sony's Betamax format, starting the first major home video format war.

1980s

THE GOLDEN AGE

VHS becomes the dominant format for home video rental and purchase. Movie studios embrace the format, and rental stores flourish across America.

1980s video rental store
1987

VHS DOMINANCE

VHS captures 90% of the US home video market, effectively ending the format war with Betamax.

1997

DVD EMERGES

DVD technology is introduced to the market, beginning the slow decline of VHS as the preferred home video format.

Early DVD player
2003

THE BEGINNING OF THE END

DVD sales surpass VHS sales for the first time, signaling the format's decline.

2006

THE FINAL MAJOR RELEASE

"A History of Violence" becomes the last major Hollywood film to be released on VHS in the United States.

2016

THE LAST VCR

Funai Electric, the last known manufacturer of VCRs, announces it will cease production.

Final VCR model
TODAY

NOSTALGIC REVIVAL

VHS finds new life as a collectible format and aesthetic inspiration, embraced by enthusiasts, collectors, and artists.

VHS BY THE NUMBERS

8,928,000,000+
Pre-recorded VHS tapes sold in the US (1976-2005)
$976.7 MILLION
VHS rental revenue at its peak (1988)
T-120
Standard tape length (120 minutes at SP speed)
15,000+
Blockbuster stores worldwide at its peak