# Your oldest season pass?



## jeffshoaf (Jun 17, 2006)

What's your oldest season pass? Or, perhaps more clear ly, what TV show have you been recording regularly for the longest time, maybe across a series of DVRs and VCRs?

I think mine must be Formula One racing - I remember setting my VCR to record early morning races shortly after changing my DirecTV package specifically to get the SpeedChannel and I've been recording it ever since. Definitely more than ten years!


----------



## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

"NASCAR Racing"


----------



## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

AALL Nascar racing NNot practice qualifying


----------



## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Simpsons


----------



## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Saturday Night Live. It was what got me to get my first VCR. Don't recall the date, but it was a long time ago!


----------



## Scott Kocourek (Jun 13, 2009)

It either has to be CSI or Survivor here. I wonder which will die first.


----------



## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

The longest running show in which we still have an active Series Link would have to be NASCAR on FOX. A close second would be Bill O'Reilly..


----------



## Jimmy 440 (Nov 17, 2007)

CSI : Crime Scene Investigations


----------



## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

jeffshoaf said:


> What's your oldest season pass? Or, perhaps more clearly, what TV show have you been recording regularly for the longest time, maybe _*across a series of DVRs and VCRs*_?


 "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (first season 2000) and "NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service" (first season 2003) are the only two shows I'm still regularly recording that I started regularly recording when we bought our two Dish PVR508's in 2003.

Those two shows are the only shows I regularly record now that were airing in 2003. Before that, I only occasionally recorded shows on a VCR.


----------



## oldschoolecw (Jan 25, 2007)

The Office
Deadliest Catch


----------



## strack (Nov 23, 2005)

I have been recording MotorWeek on PBS since 1985. Basically it has been almost every Saturday or Sunday (depending on where I was living).


----------



## Supramom2000 (Jun 21, 2007)

General Hospital since VCR's were invented!!


----------



## Nighthawk68 (Oct 14, 2004)

Current show still on the air would have to be Two and a Half Men, been recording since season 3.


----------



## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

I'd guess that SUV would be the longest SL. 

Rich


----------



## JACKIEGAGA (Dec 11, 2006)

Me Survivor My wife One Life to Live


----------



## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Laxguy said:


> Saturday Night Live. It was what got me to get my first VCR. Don't recall the date, but it was a long time ago!


If I remember correctly, Saturday night used to loaded with good shows and I was always out on Saturday nights, so that weighed heavily on getting my first VCR, a Beta-Max. Probably ~ '82 or '83.

Rich


----------



## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Supramom2000 said:


> General Hospital since VCR's were invented!!


Cool. What year did you acquire your first VCR?


----------



## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Rich said:


> If I remember correctly, Saturday night used to loaded with good shows and I was always out on Saturday nights, so that weighed heavily on getting my first VCR, a Beta-Max. Probably ~ '82 or '83.
> 
> Rich


Yes, that's the time frame I am in. It was a toss up then between the two formats, and I chose VCR, and not long thereafter, Macintosh. Lucky!


----------



## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

Law & Order. Began using a VCR until I upgraded to DVR.


----------



## Indiana627 (Nov 18, 2005)

I think Survivor (though it has to be a new season pass for each season).


----------



## TheRatPatrol (Oct 1, 2003)

Going back all the way to when it started, I'd have to say Cops.


----------



## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

When I first saw this message thread I was thinking on your current DVR not going back VCR days. 

None Of the stuff I used to record has been around for quite a while. I never got the whole Simpsons thing. Nor most of the Fox lineup for that matter.

I bought my first VHS VCR when they came out with a 2/4 hour 24 hour/1 timer model. You set the timer then you pressed the Piano keys on top so it could record when it turned on. I recall around $800 for the VCR and around $20 for a 2 hour tape.


----------



## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

TBoneit said:


> When I first saw this message thread I was thinking on your current DVR not going back VCR days.


A good time shifter will always remember the nightmare of multiple VCRs....:lol:



> None Of the stuff I used to record has been around for quite a while. I never got the whole Simpsons thing. Nor most of the Fox lineup for that matter.


I'll probably get flamed for saying this (and I'll blame you), but I'm proud to say I've never watched one episode of the _Simpsons_.



> I bought my first VHS VCR when they came out with a 2/4 hour 24 hour/1 timer model. You set the timer then you pressed the Piano keys on top so it could record when it turned on. I recall around *$800* for the VCR and around $20 for a 2 hour tape.


What did you buy???

Rich


----------



## David Ortiz (Aug 21, 2006)

Rich said:


> A good time shifter will always remember the *blessing* of multiple VCRs....:lol:


FYP

When the 2 hour finale for Star Trek:TNG was aired, I couldn't be home when it started, so I recorded it on 2 VCRs. Once I got home, I stopped one recording and started to watch it. Once I finished that tape, the other one was finished recording and I just had to rewind to where I had left off.


----------



## Church AV Guy (Jul 9, 2007)

I have two that are very old indeed.

Believe it on not, I have been recording episodes of NOVA on PBS since the early 80s, and I have one or two from the late 70s. I got my first VCR when I was in college in 1977 or 1978, and I STILL have a few of the recordings made with that machine. According to EPGUIDES, the very first episode of NOVA aired 03/Mar/74. The funniest thing is, I recently converted my tapes to DVDs, and in a few months, I got to see the evolution of NOVA over a quarter century. Originally, the tagline was "for a transcript of tonights episode, please send $ and a self addressed stampled envelope to..." the it was, for a copy of this episode on Beta video tape cassette..." Then the offer was for VHS or Beta tapes, then VHS only, and finally DVDs. Currently, they might be offerring DVD or BluRay.

The other series I have been recording since college has been Doctor Who. I have seen every episode from season seven to present. The oldest episode I have seen had an original air date of 3 Jan 70, though I didn't see it until much later.


----------



## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

David Ortiz said:


> FYP
> 
> When the 2 hour finale for Star Trek:TNG was aired, I couldn't be home when it started, so I recorded it on 2 VCRs. Once I got home, I stopped one recording and started to watch it. Once I finished that tape, the other one was finished recording and I just had to rewind to where I had left off.


When I found the DVRs and decided to do my recordings on them I had twelve VCRs running. That number seems to follow me around....:lol:

Rich


----------



## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

David Ortiz said:


> FYP
> 
> When the 2 hour finale for Star Trek:TNG was aired, I couldn't be home when it started, so I recorded it on 2 VCRs. Once I got home, I stopped one recording and started to watch it. Once I finished that tape, the other one was finished recording and I just had to rewind to where I had left off.


David, you are aware that The Next Generation is coming out in BluRay soon?

I plan to watch that whole series over. The best of the Star Treks by far, I think.

Rich


----------



## David Ortiz (Aug 21, 2006)

Rich said:


> David, you are aware that The Next Generation is coming out in BluRay soon?
> 
> I plan to watch that whole series over. The best of the Star Treks by far, I think.
> 
> Rich


I have the original season sets on DVD for TNG. I haven't decided if the Blu-ray's will be a purchase or a Netflix rental.


----------



## TheRatPatrol (Oct 1, 2003)

"Rich" said:


> When I found the DVRs and decided to do my recordings on them I had twelve VCRs running. That number seems to follow me around....:lol:
> 
> Rich


I had five at one time.


----------



## djlong (Jul 8, 2002)

A friend once described me on his website saying that I "had more VCRs than the Pope has pointy hats!"


----------



## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

David Ortiz said:


> I have the original season sets on DVD for TNG. I haven't decided if the Blu-ray's will be a purchase or a Netflix rental.


I've got the original sets too. I'll be watching them using NF, I don't (well, rarely) buy any recorded content.

Rich


----------



## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

djlong said:


> A friend once described me on his website saying that I "had more VCRs than the Pope has pointy hats!"


I'm finally on my last one. My wife collected a bunch of Disney flix on VHS and she thinks my granddaughter is gonna watch them. Hasn't worked out well so far.

Rich


----------



## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

djlong said:


> A friend once described me on his website saying that I "had more VCRs than the *Pope has pointy hats!*"


OK, that begs the question: How many pointy hats does the Pope have?

Rich


----------



## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

Rich said:


> A good time shifter will always remember the nightmare of multiple VCRs....:lol:
> 
> I'll probably get flamed for saying this (and I'll blame you), but I'm proud to say I've never watched one episode of the _Simpsons_.
> 
> ...


I never understood the attraction of the Simpsons.

Would you believe I do not remember the particular RCA model. 
However this does fit my recollection.
http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=250124

List price. Check
Piano key controls, Check
Turret type tuner, Check
Top loading, Check
Wired pause, Check
There was a hardware hack for that so you could see the paused content.

At that time you had to decide between Beta (1st VCR), Sanyo V-Cord, Magnavox Great Time machine and VHS.

Cheers
Roger


----------



## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

TBoneit said:


> I never understood the attraction of the Simpsons.


Totally escapes me, too.



> Would you believe I do not remember the particular RCA model.
> However this does fit my recollection.
> http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=250124
> 
> ...


Wow. That's a lot of money. Must have been around '81 or '82, no? I saw my first VCR in one of those years and it was a JVC. Fell off a truck and the guy that ended up with it didn't have the manual for it. We never did figure out how to use it.

My first VCR was a Beta-Max bought in 1983 I think. Sold that to a friend of mine in a moment of great stupidity and bought a Panny VCR. That Panny VCR was a piece of junk.

Rich


----------



## Supramom2000 (Jun 21, 2007)

Laxguy said:


> Cool. What year did you acquire your first VCR?


I think it was 1983. Obviously not the first year they existed, but it was the first one of any one I knew.

And I also am proud to say I have never watched an episode of the Simpsons, nor any of the Fox animated line up.


----------



## webby_s (Jan 11, 2008)

Star Trek: (any kind)

ducks :grin:


----------



## djlong (Jul 8, 2002)

Our first VCR was an RCA Select-a-Vision VDT-600 that we bought near the end of 1979 - I only remember that because the date of the oldest videotape I have is of a recording made in 1980. I remember wanting the 'new features' in the VET-650 that came out afterwards.

Oh - and to really date the experience.. That show I recorded? I stayed up late to tape "Burt Sugarman's Midnight Special" because my favorite group ("Yes") was on with a couple of videos promoting their new album ("Drama"). The other musical guest was The Vapors promoting "Turning Japanese" and the show was hosted by Billy Crystal.


----------



## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

TBoneit said:


> I never understood the attraction of the Simpsons.
> 
> Would you believe I do not remember the particular RCA model.
> However this does fit my recollection.
> ...


From Wikipedia: _ The two major standards were Sony's Betamax (also known as Betacord or just Beta), and JVC's VHS [Video Home System], which competed for sales in what became known as the format war.
Betamax was first to market in November 1975, and was argued by many to be technically more sophisticated in recording quality,[12] although many users did not perceive a visual difference. The first machines required an external timer, and could only record one hour. The timer was later incorporated within the machine as a standard feature.
The rival VHS format, introduced in Japan by JVC in September 1976 (and introduced in the United States in July 1977 by RCA) boasted a longer two-hour recording time with a T-120 tape, with four hours using a "long play" mode (RCA SelectaVision models, introduced in September 1977)._

Could that model in your link be that old? I think I paid a bit over $200 for my first and only Betamax, and the Panny VCR I purchased after I sold the Betamax cost about the same. I bought them in 1982, I think. Your VCR must have been much older.

Rich


----------



## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

Rich said:


> Totally escapes me, too.


How would you know if you've never watched an episode.


----------



## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

Longest series for me is Survivor with CSI a close second (they both started the same year). The only Survivor episode I have missed over the years is the very first episode.


----------



## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Doug Brott said:


> How would you know if you've never watched an episode.


I guess I should have said I've never completed an episode. For the rest of the animated FOX shows, I've never watched even a portion of an episode.

Rich


----------



## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

Rich said:


> From Wikipedia: _ The two major standards were Sony's Betamax (also known as Betacord or just Beta), and JVC's VHS [Video Home System], which competed for sales in what became known as the format war.
> Betamax was first to market in November 1975, and was argued by many to be technically more sophisticated in recording quality,[12] although many users did not perceive a visual difference. The first machines required an external timer, and could only record one hour. The timer was later incorporated within the machine as a standard feature.
> The rival VHS format, introduced in Japan by JVC in September 1976 (and introduced in the United States in July 1977 by RCA) boasted a longer two-hour recording time with a T-120 tape, with four hours using a "long play" mode (RCA SelectaVision models, introduced in September 1977)._
> 
> ...


Could have been that old. It was either first gen or 2nd gen of vcr. 
I remember I passed on the first Betamax VCRs due to the one hour limitation.


----------



## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

TBoneit said:


> Could have been that old. It was either first gen or 2nd gen of vcr.
> I remember I passed on the first Betamax VCRs due to the one hour limitation.


My Betamax had a two hour limit, I think. But the difference between the Betamax and the VCR was vast as far as PQ goes.

Problem I had was finding a video store that had Beta rentals.

Rich


----------



## veschler (May 15, 2011)

CSI for me.


----------

