From: Yahoo! Tech Guide —

The standalone VHS VCR is quietly fading from the consumer electronics scene. Combination DVD/VCRs are still available from the usual big-box and department store outlets, but major makers are preparing to phase-out tape once and for all.

As Yahoo!’s Ben Patterson reports, “…JVC, the last major manufacturer that was still churning out VCRs for world markets, has finally halted production. While some smaller, no-name manufacturers are probably still cranking out VCRs on the cheap (and plenty of big-name DVD/VHS decks are [still] on sale), the days of finding a standalone VCR at Best Buy are long gone. Indeed, only about 280,000 VCRs were shipped in Japan last year, compared to more than six million in 2000, according to TradingMarkets[.com].”

So… If you have own a big collection of VHS tapes, now might be a good time to consider its future. Even if you have a serviceable VCR deck, you might want to keep an eye on the marketplace and get a brand new combo deck before they, too, go the way of the standalone VHS player. Or start saving, now, to repurchase your tape collection — if the titles are available — on DVD.

And think about transferring your personal VHS memories to DVD, ASAP!