Once upon a time, not long ago, home entertainment was confined to a handful of channels on TV, and movies were confined to the local theater. After the movie’s run was over at the theater, that was it. Maybe it would one day come on TV, on a local ABC, NBC or CBS network station, but chances were slim. The convenience to watch what you wanted to watch when you wanted to watch it was not available.
In the 1970’s and 80’s, new technologies were brought to the market to make home entertainment possible. These technologies spawned brand new industries. Technologies like the LaserDisc and Betamax were short lived and never picked up traction, but the VCR and VHS (video home system) revolutionized the movie and home entertainment industry.
New Business Opportunities
The VCR enabled movie studios to create a new distribution channel direct to their consumer’s home. Before a blink of an eye, mom and pop 
VHS stores were in every small town plaza renting new released and classic movies. Blockbuster video came next. Consumers were flocking to the stores to find hundreds of movie titles at their fingertips.
In addition to the studios finding a new distribution channel, so did the fitness and instructional industries. Jane Fonda’s first workout tape was released in 1982, and was a huge success by creating content that went direct to VHS. Consumers could now workout from their home and play the VHS tapes over and over again.
The Rise and Fall
The VCR’s popularity was at an all time high in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Nothing was going to stop the VCR’s success and popularity, but then it happened. In 1997, a new format was introduced called the DVD and soon consumers were buying and renting DVD’s. The DVD was much more compact than the VHS tape and easier to operate. There was no need to “be kind and rewind”. The DVD was superior.
From that day in 1997 to this month of August in 2016, the VCR has died a slow death. A couple weeks ago, the Funai Electric, a Japanese electronics company, announced that they are manufacturing the last VCR in the world. They have been producing VHS-playing VCRs for 33 years, most recently in China for Sanyo.
The Birth of Custom Home Entertainment
It cannot be understated the impact the VCR had on many industries, including the custom home electronics industry. The advent of the VCR created the desire for homeowners to create the same movie experience they had at a theater in the comforts of their own home. The VCR opened the door for what was possible and to come for home entertainment.
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