The VCR is dead. Long live the VCR.
Japanese company Funai, the last-known manufacturer of VCRs, announced earlier this month it would end production of the VCR later this month, according to reports. Japanese newspaper Nikkei reported on the news earlier this month.
The issue is not so much the advent of newer technology, like DVDs and Blu-Ray, or consumers’ growing preference for watching digital movies. Rather, Funai was having difficulty sourcing parts to make VCRs, according to PC World.
The death knell for VCRs first tolled a decade ago when film studios stopped releasing movies on video tapes, in favor of DVD. The same forces that killed Blockbuster further contributed to making the VCR obsolete. Streaming services like Netflix and on-demand services mean people are no longer willing to fiddle with the tracking knob.
Still, people were still buying VCRs in surprising numbers. Funai reported sales of 750,000 in 2015, Mental Floss reported.
