When did you last use a video or audio cassette?

[letsgomaths]

You remember them, the objects with two spools which some of our children may never have seen, along with those objects which one Mumsnetter's DC described as "like CDs, but big and black".

Although I don't use cassettes very often, with my dislike of built-in obsolescence which seems to be designed into many things these days, I have kept many of my old video cassettes, and the technology to play them; sometimes I use it if I fancy watching an old show. There's something quite satisfying about loading an actual cassette, and hearing the video player whirr into action; and having to wind the tape back.

Many years, I rather think DVDs and CDs are dying out now what with Spitify and similar and Netflix and the like for films.

I think the last time I played a cassette was almost 20 years when my car only had a cassette player. I can't even remember the last time I played a CD or DVD and don't have the means to do so - even my laptop doesn't have a DVD player. Still have hundreds of them though!

I'm 31 and we never owned a VHS player - my parents were totally against it so I've only ever seen them used at friends houses or at school

I haven't used a cassette for maybe 20 years? My dad used to have a player in his car and I had one in my bedroom too, but I was using CD's by the time I turned 10.

I haven't used a CD for about five years either though, and we only use DVD's if the internet is down these days!

A couple of months ago. I found my walkman and put in a cassette although that one had warped a bit.

It's not that long since I listened to a mix tape from '96 featuring songs recorded off the radio

A couple of months back in 1998 😉

In 2016 I found a portable stereo in the loft with a Five Star cassette inside it and played it. Last video played in about 2014 when my Ferguson Videostar gave up the ghost - that crinkling sound as the tape chews up and refusal to eject.

In 2006 I had a peculiar experience: a street salesman asking me if I had a video recorder. He was doing some survey where people would take a cassette home and watch an advert on it, to see if we noticed a certain detail. It had to be a cassette, because it would somehow erase itself after only one viewing. He said then that not many people have VCRs nowadays.

Also, one reason I like to cling to the old technologies is because the media companies don't like the public owning physical copies of programmes, and they're trying to discourage this in any way they can. I still haven't seen "Bird Box", because I won't get Netflix.

Cassette? Not this century. Did watch some old He-Man and She-ra videos a couple of years ago. Was a faff to set up though.

All the time. My mother’s car is a 1999 and I drive it a lot. I have a whole selection of cassette tapes that I listen to. I also still have my stereo in our shed with boxes of tapes.
Even better is listening to old vinyl with all the crackles on them.

I have boxes of video tapes too that I can’t bear to get rid of.

My husband used two tapes and recorders for his PIP assessment, one recording for them and one for him.

Didn't make a difference as what was said was ignored on the report.

My car still has a cassette player in it. I have to use it with an adapter cassette thing to play music from ipod. Still have a few cassettes I could actually listen to if I'm in a nostalgic mood for INXS Kick or Dire Straits Brothers in arms.

2004, when I sold the last car I had with a tape player. Now I feel old...

My car takes cassettes.
UB40 lolii is still amazing