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YouTube ‘Tape Mode’ Gives Videos that Old School VHS Feel

YouTube is celebrating the 57th anniversary of the VCR with a fun new clickable inside the YouTube player. It’s called “tape mode,” and it turns the video you’re watching into ...
YouTube ‘Tape Mode’ Gives Videos that Old School VHS Feel
Written by Josh Wolford
  • YouTube is celebrating the 57th anniversary of the VCR with a fun new clickable inside the YouTube player.

    It’s called “tape mode,” and it turns the video you’re watching into an old, crappy-looking VHS video.

    You’ll notice a little VHS icon on the bottom of the player, right next to the settings and cc icons. This tape mode is only appearing on select videos, so you may have to search around to find one. Or, you could watch this latest Facebook Home ad in tape mode.

    “Not too long ago, the video tape was the media of choice for living rooms around the world. In celebration of the 57th birthday of the first commercial video cassette recorder, check out a fun VHS mode for the YouTube player to relive the magic feel of vintage video tapes. On select videos, you’ll find a VHS button in the bottom right of the player–just click to turn back the clock and enjoy the static and fuzzy motion of the VHS era,” says YouTube.

    And any time you pause or skip ahead in the video, you’ll see this familiar sight:

    Cute, YouTube. Hopefully, tape mode not only expands to more videos, but also sticks around for a while. It’s a nice hit of nostalgia on a Monday afternoon. Now, excuse me while I go find my sweet Land Before Time VHS collection.

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