Do you have any old tech gathering dust at home?

I have been with SKY for many years and I currently have SKY Q with a dish. I do not stream programmes via my computer because it is not convenient either for me or my family. If the option is to view programmes on the computer I will simply cancel my subscription to SKY. There is too much of companies trying to force us to use all the new technology which we do not want. My wife and I have bog-standard phones – none of the Iphone, smart phone, tablet etc. They seem to think that we are all ‘tech savvie’ but forget that there are some people who are quite happy with what we already have. Change for change sake is rubbish haven’t they heard of the expression ‘if it’s not broke don’t fix it’? What are those customers who don’t have a computer, or these phones, and therefore no router etc supposed to do – there are a lot of elderly people who rely on the current service every day for their enjoyment and entertainment. I still use my VHS/DVD combi with great success and won’t get rid of them until they are ready to give up.

I work as a volunteer with several local archives and use most popular technologies from 19th century lantern slide projectors and still and film and video cameras to modern A2 printers, scanners and dvd reader writers. We digitise these now historic and ephemeral technologies before they are lost. The collection includes a full photographic darkroom and several sound and vision recording and playing systems from 78s to various tape systems. It comes under the grand title of Media Archaeology.

I have 1/4 inch magnetic tape, reels and reels of it, and the earliest recording I have dates from 1963 and still plays today. I replaced my first recorder with a Sony machine in eraly 1971 and then in the 1980s replaced that with a Teac which still works perfectly today. I can still produce CDs from the Teac source via a computer running Windows 7. As for pictures, I have both reels of Standard 8 cine, Super 8 cine, and VHS videotapes from two full size cameras, one of which still works perfectly, but in 4:3 format. My “modern” 16:9 small Sony video camera can only record on a mini DV tape for one hour whereas the older ones could take up to a four hour VHS full sized tape which was ideal for recording long performances. I now use a Toshiba machine which can cope with VHS, DVD, and also has a hard drive which I use most of all to record TV programmes, but only in standard definition and that Toshiba is no longer being made – so what price progress? At least I can still replay my 1963 1/4 inch magnetic sound tapes. Oh.. and my minidisc has now been superceded by a Tascam recorder which uses an SD Memory card and records the most perfect sound quality.

I have a Technics/Sony full-sized stacking system of separates (purchased in 1982) which I use every day. This comprises a linear tracking turntable for my prized collection of classical music vinyl LPs (of about 150); a tuner, double tape deck and CD player (though no graphic equaliser!). I also play music from my extensive collection of both audio tape cassettes (!) and CDs.
I feel sorry for those fully committed to the digital storage of music. I know of two people who have sold their entire collection of CDs and vinyls for a few pounds only to regret it later. I, personally, derive real pleasure in sifting through the collection, selecting an item, pulling out the LP from its sleeve and placing it on the turntable – with the option of catching up on the information given on the sleeve’s reverse or reading the leaflet inside. This also applies, of course, to most CDs. The quality of full sound given from a vinyl LP from through a pair of good quality free-standing loudspeakers is unbeatable – particularly for classical music. It is the total experience which, in my opinion, is far superior compared to just finger-stabbing an item displayed on an illuminated screen.

I have a combined DVD and VHS player. I took lots of videos a few years ago and put them on VHS tapes and recently to save space I transferred all the VHS’s on my combo to DVD,s with little loss of quality. I did the same with VHS film recordings taken from TV.

Now I can just slip a disc in and still look at many happy times from the videos I took, etc.

I have a new record player inc. 78 rpm and approp. stylus plus of course 33 & 45 rpm; hi-fi cassette player, very little used (for retail display). It has twin tracks, with Dolby x 2 (old deck failed); audio graphic equalizer, 30yrs old (unobtainable now); 30 yrs old amp (60W RMS plus into 8 ohms); 30 yrs old tuner; 30 yrs old CD player (6 disc); DVD(2); PVR(2); mini-disc recorder/ player, 3 pairs of speakers (seperates); surround sound from two front and two rear speakers; two TV’s; mini-hifi (FM/Dab, CD, separate speakers). Everything 30yrs old is Pioneer, only the cassette player failed! The oldest items I have are the 78’s which are pre-war.

I think old tech has a place: not least, because it can keep down the cost of entertainment at home. For instance, My collection of CDs and DVDs is still growing (mainly fuelled by 2nd hand or charity shop buys) and I’m happy to keep it that way, for one very good reason: I won’t be able to afford a subscription streaming service when I retire, which is not far off. The occasional download or purchase of some new music or a film will cost a lot less than a subscription to Spotify, or Amazon Prime. This is part of a bigger issue: subscriptions are a fantastic option for many people, but until there is a ‘senior discount’, then many people who don’t have great pensions might need to avoid them.