- and there's really no reason why you should own a VCD player, haha. Now that you can play VCD's (i.e. video-cd's) on most new DVD players it kinda renders the VCD player void. There's no reason to own one, at least not in the West. In some territories in Asia and Turkey it may still be an option for low income people. Films on VCD are definitely much cheaper but the picture quality is also equally crappy (unfortunately, a lot of HK films are only released on VCD, not DVD).
So why did I buy one? Because of the novelty of it! I've bought VCD's for years on end but I've never actually seen a real video-cd player before. I was a VCD virgin! And so when I found this player second-hand at an indoor market I knew I had to have it - if the price was right. I offered the man the equivalent of 8 bucks US and he went for it.
The player seems to be in working order (it turns on and I've tested it with a CD but I haven't had it collected to a TV set yet). The brand name is Sunny and I'm told it's a Turkish brand. There are many Turks in the area where I bought it and I would assume it probably came from an immigrant family. They still use the VCD format in Turkey.
A couple of days earlier I also bought two second-hand Panasonic Superdrive VCR's but they're certainly not just for the novelty but for BACK-UP! LOL. They were also $8 each and both have perfect playback.
Regardless of if it's needed or not, I would have bought it too. I so nearly bought one in Hong Kong for the novelty value, but ultimately didn't because I had too many dvds to cram into my luggage!
ReplyDeleteOh I know THAT feeling. LOL. I remember coming back from Australia one time and my backpack was cramped full of old video tapes. xD
ReplyDeleteYou've gone all posh now !!! ;) LOL
ReplyDeleteHahaha.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if there were ever any VCD steelbox releases. LOL.
Wow!! Nice find, Jack. ;)
ReplyDeleteI never even knew anyone actually ever made a VCD player. I've always assumed that VCD's got played on various gaming consoles in places like India and SE Asia where VCD's still get made in large numbers.
These have got to be just about extinct seeing as how cheap DVD players have become....
See.... you can learn something neat every day.... ;)
Oh yes, imagine that rarity a VCD Steelbook edition ... Wolf Devil Woman !!!. I sense you salivating right about now. No need to video for YouTube Jack ... Jack ... seriously ... nooooooooo !!!! LOL
ReplyDelete@Paul, hahaha. A WOLF DEVIL WOMAN VCD steelbook edition!! Yeah, that would certainly create major drool!!!
ReplyDelete@Miss Nekoneko, I knew they made them but I've never before SEEN one for real. And yes you're quite right they're pretty obsolete now that you can watch your VCD's on a computer or DVD player. I've even got VCD's that have the player for the computer ON the disc!!