A quick note about CRT/VCR combo televisions - What to know if you've been looking to own one

Comments · 165

• TR

  @TruthSword7 · 9 months ago

  I have one of these combo units. It ate my VHS copy of Speed, and I think it's still in there.

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• VI

  @vibri_ · 9 months ago

  Anyone regularly watching VHS tapes today knows that a VCR you can't easily open up and unjam is a red flag

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• NO

  @nocturnaldreamzz · 9 months ago

  I turned 17 recently, and I’ve always had a fascination with retro stuff like this. I have tons of DVDs and VHS tapes. I got a silver Sylvania 13” VCR combo for $45. Got it from my favorite local thrift store. They tested it for me and couldn’t figure out why it wouldn’t play any tapes, but then it worked perfectly fine. I went back to get it after a few days and was so excited to watch Batman 89. Well, it played and rewound. Then I tried playing Batman Forever, and it wouldn’t rewind correctly. There was no pause button on the tv and I didn’t have batteries in the remote so I couldn’t pause and rewind. But that’s how it was working. I knew it wasn’t supposed to rewind like this. Then I took it out, tried Batman 89 again, it got hungry and decided to eat it. This was all around a year ago. Took it to my grandpa and his friend fixed it up for me. Haven’t had any problems since! Now I have a whole setup on my nightstand so I can watch it before falling asleep. I have a Funai DVD/VCR combo (I know Sylvania is owned by Funai) that I’ve worked on a bit hooked up to it, along with another dvd player. It’s been an interesting ride since I started collecting tapes.

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• JA

  @jaystephens3115 · 9 months ago (edited)

  A moment of silence for all the VHS combos going to the landfill after the "influenced" moms decide they're not worth fixing once they eat a tape. 🙏 Thanks Martha!

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• JU

  @judyemmstoyradio3064 · 8 months ago

  I was lucky to stumble upon one of these for free almost a decade ago. It's why I started collecting physical media in the first place. Only a few months ago did it start eating tapes but luckily I have plenty other uses for it

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• RO

  @Rob-Cat67 · 9 months ago

  I love how you encourage passion for this hobby but balance that with honest information to minimize fomo & disappointment. (I was born in.....67!, so I witnessed everything you talked about with combo units & you're 💯 in all you said.)

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• BE

  @Berdlyknowsitall · 6 months ago

  My warehouse job has a break room with one of these combo units in it. Christmas was giving us extra over time so I figured I’ll make the most of it and watch some of my tapes during lunch. Every time I played a tape the whole unit would power down. The next day I just brought an n64.

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• 99

  @992turboS · 1 month ago

  For me these have ALWAYS been my favorite type of CRT. When I was little, I used to take one of these under a furniture/blankets fort with some snacks, maybe a few books or something, and i had my own little private space with a fully functional tv setup. Back then, it was magical. Kind of still is now, these 2-in-1 units are still sort of compact for being able to use an old VCR and have it with a usable CRT that is pretty easy to just pick up, take anywhere, and plug in and play. I also love the look of some of them, big buttons, really nice 80’s aesthetic designs.

• EN

  @ENIGMA_766 · 9 months ago

  I’ve had a small 9 inch Samsung for a few years now and it’s a great addition to my set up. I mainly play old cg renderings on loop for the vibes

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• IN

  @InternalCombustionGarage · 5 months ago

  It’s so crazy, because I had wanted one for years, and then as soon as I actually got one, everyone wanted one. Crazy coincidence but I’m glad I got mine.

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• CH

  @ChadBrenton · 9 months ago

  So cool to see the GOAT on camera! Love what you do man!

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• RU

  @RustyBeardGarage · 6 months ago

  I’ve been into all kinds of physical media—film cameras, record players, and hi-fi setups. When I moved into my apartment, I ended up getting rid of most of it. Recently, though, I picked up the same combo unit you have. The tape player didn’t work at first, but after taking it apart a few times—cleaning, lubricating, and soldering two connections—I got it running again. Now I’m looking into getting a larger standalone unit and a VCR.

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