DVD vs. VHS

As newer generations are born, the more distant people become toward previous pieces of technological advancements like DVDs and VHS tapes. The two played a crucial role in the advancement of film, television, and home videos.

When you look at an individual’s house during the 1990s and early 2000s, just about every family or household had a collection of VHS tapes and later on, DVDs to select from. Today, it’s more of a nostalgic appeal, but nostalgia is always a great element to look back on.

With the subject of nostalgia, comparing DVDs and VHS tapes is fun, considering they came right after one another. Although DVDs certainly eliminated VHS tapes from the mainstream, you can certainly still find them somewhere if you search hard enough.

The internet is a fantastic place for various reasons, but going back in time and buying a few DVDs and VHS tapes is always a fun and exciting thing to do. Plus, it's still good to start up a collection of your favourite films or television shows in either format. Nonetheless, let's compare the two:

What’s a DVD?

DVDs were invented in 1995 and released in 1996 as a digital optical storage format geared as a way to store any digital data. It originally started out as a way to store software and computer files. However, it eventually met a path with watching video programs on DVD players.

Once DVDs became mainstream, we saw them become more compatible with a variety of technologies such as gaming consoles, TVs, and much more. However, once the birth of streaming platforms arrived, DVDs lost their mainstream popularity for watching television and film programs.

However, they're still used to download software and files for people who don't have access to the web. On top of niche audiences who always enjoy the physical property that comes with a DVD.

What’s a VHS?

A VHS is an analogue video recording a tape cassette. Thus, why the name is often referred to as a VHS tape. They first came out in the 1970s but didn't meet mainstream popularity until the 1980s. Once DVDs were brought to life in the 1990s, VHS tapes began to see a massive decline in demand.

Like DVDs, they still had a niche audience for their overall aesthetic and ability for home video recording, but they completely discontinued it in 2016. Essentially calling an end to the VHS world.

Similarities

The two are similar in that they serve the public as a format for watching videos or creating home videos with a cam recorder. In today's sense, they're generally thought of as a niche nostalgic market since they're not as popular as they once were.

Differences

The main differences between the two have to do with their overall look and quality. Obviously, a DVD is a disc, whereas a VHS tape is a rectangle block shape. Quality-wise, a VHS tape is roughly 333 by 480 pixels, whereas a standard DVD is 720p by 480p.

If you have a nostalgic DVD collection and need help organising it, try reading our blog here for some ideas.