> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.unknowndivide.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # VHS Is the New Vinyl: Inside the Tape Collector Revival and How to Start - URL: https://www.unknowndivide.com/vhs-is-the-new-vinyl-collector-revival-how-to-start/ - Published: 2026-10-14T20:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-14T21:12:33.000Z - Description: Boutique labels are pressing brand new VHS tapes in tiny numbered runs. Here is what is out now and how to build a setup, from a used VCR and head cleaner to upscalers for modern TVs and a proper tube set. - Author: unknowndivide staff - Tags: Culture Somewhere between the vinyl boom and the cassette comeback, the Video Home System (VHS) tape walked back into the room. Boutique labels are pressing brand new tapes in tiny numbered runs, they sell out, and collectors are digging their old videocassette recorders (VCRs) out of closets to play them. Here is why the format has a pull again, what is actually coming out on tape right now, and how to build a setup that looks good on a modern TV or on a proper tube set. ## Why collectors want tapes again Vinyl came back because people wanted an object, not a file. Tape follows the same logic, with a few twists of its own. A VHS release is a physical thing with a sleeve you can hold, art you can display and a run size that makes it scarce. It also cannot vanish from a streaming library overnight. Then there is the look. Tape has soft edges, warm color bleed and a bit of grain that many people grew up with. For some films, that texture is not a flaw. A whole genre of shot on video (SOV) horror and cult cinema was made, edited and first seen on tape, so watching it on tape is about as close to the original experience as you can get. Finally, it is fun. The hunt through thrift bins and flea markets, the clamshell cases, the rewinding. It slows movie night down in a way a menu screen never will. ## What is being released on VHS right now This is not just old stock changing hands. Labels are making new tapes. [Vinegar Syndrome](https://vinegarsyndrome.com/collections/vhs?ref=unknowndivide.com), the restoration label, runs an imprint called Degausser Video built around shot on video and tape edited genre films. Per the label, Degausser works only from original analog tape materials and aims to keep the look of each video format intact. Its Limited Edition Deluxe LED (light-emitting diode) VHS releases come in a light case with new artwork and a custom molded clear shell tape, sold only on the label's site and at select independent shops. The [Ghostkeeper edition](https://vinegarsyndrome.com/products/ghostkeeper-limited-edition-deluxe-led-vhs?ref=unknowndivide.com), currently on pre-order, is limited to 250 units, and the Satan War edition to 200\. Recent and upcoming titles in the line include Night Train to Terror, Night of the Vamp-Friars, New York Ninja and The Beastmaster. In the UK, [Vice Press Home Video](https://vice-press.com/blogs/news/vice-press-home-video-presents-john-carpenters-the-fog-on-vhs-poster?ref=unknowndivide.com) opened pre-orders for John Carpenter's The Fog on tape on August 6 as part of its Carpenter collection. There is a slipcase edition of 300 with art by Creepy Duck Design and a special clear tape, plus a collector's edition with a reversible sleeve. Note that both are in the Phase Alternating Line (PAL) format, which Vice Press says will only play on European players, so a standard North American deck will not run them. Indie distributors are in too. [Oscilloscope Laboratories](https://store.oscilloscope.net/products/vhyes-limited-edition-vhs?ref=unknowndivide.com) has a very limited VHS of VHYes, Jack Henry Robbins's retro sci-fi comedy that was practically built for the format. ## How to start a collection **Get a reliable deck.** New VCRs are hard to find, so most collectors buy used. Look for a deck that comes with its remote, test the play, rewind and eject functions before you pay, and listen for grinding. A model with an S-Video output gives a cleaner signal than the basic yellow composite jack. Most North American players and tapes use the National Television System Committee (NTSC) standard, so check the region of anything imported. **Clean the heads.** Dirty heads cause snowy or striped pictures and can chew tapes. A head cleaning cassette is the easy fix. Use it sparingly and follow its instructions. **Store tapes right.** Keep them upright like books, away from heat, sunlight and magnets such as speakers. Rewind fully before shelving. Clamshell cases protect loose tapes better than cardboard sleeves. ## Upscaling VHS for a modern TV Plug a VCR straight into a new 4K TV and the picture often looks muddy, laggy or oddly processed, because flat screens are not tuned for an interlaced standard definition signal. A dedicated scaler takes over that job. The [RetroTINK-4K](https://www.retrotink.com/product-page/retrotink-4k?ref=unknowndivide.com) is the high end option. RetroTINK lists a composite and S-Video decoder with multi-region support, motion adaptive deinterlacing with film modes, output up to 4K (about 3840 by 2160 pixels) at 60 frames per second over High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), and optional CRT simulation if you miss the glow. It is built mainly for retro game consoles, but those video inputs are exactly what a VCR puts out. A word of warning on the popular [Open Source Scan Converter (OSSC)](https://videogameperfection.com/products/open-source-scan-converter/?ref=unknowndivide.com). Its seller says plainly that it does not take composite or S-Video without an adapter and is strongly not recommended for VHS players. It is a great gaming tool, just not a tape tool. If you want to save tapes as files, a capture device is the route. [Hauppauge's USB-Live2](https://www.hauppauge.com/pages/products/data%5Fusblive2.html?ref=unknowndivide.com) has S-Video and composite inputs plus stereo audio and brings video from a VCR into a Windows PC over Universal Serial Bus (USB). Copy your home movies first, since those are the tapes you cannot replace. ## Watching on an old CRT TV The purist move is a cathode-ray tube (CRT) television. VHS was made for these sets. A tube draws the picture line by line, so an interlaced tape signal displays natively, with no scaling, no added lag and a soft glow that hides tape noise instead of magnifying it. On a big flat screen, every flaw gets blown up. On a 20 inch tube, the same tape looks the way you remember. When buying used, ask to see it powered on. Check for burn-in, a picture that bends at the edges, color blotches and a high pitched whine. Look at the back for inputs: composite at minimum, S-Video if you can get it. Bring a friend, because tube sets are heavy, and never open one up, since they can hold a dangerous charge long after unplugging. Into physical media already? Our [gifts for record collectors](https://www.unknowndivide.com/best-gifts-for-record-collectors-2026/) guide pairs well with a tape shelf, and if you are hunting releases this fall, see our [Record Store Day Black Friday list](https://www.unknowndivide.com/record-store-day-black-friday-2026-list-what-to-chase/) and the [V/H/S/MIXTAPE premiere](https://www.unknowndivide.com/vhs-mixtape-shudder-premiere-flying-lotus-rza-gwar/). **Shop the setup** [VHS players and VCRs](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=vhs+vcr+player&tag=unknowndivi02-20&ref=unknowndivide.com) [VHS head cleaning cassettes](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=vhs+head+cleaner+cassette&tag=unknowndivi02-20&ref=unknowndivide.com) [VHS clamshell storage cases](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=vhs+clamshell+storage+cases&tag=unknowndivi02-20&ref=unknowndivide.com) [S-Video cables](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=s-video+cable&tag=unknowndivi02-20&ref=unknowndivide.com) [Hauppauge USB-Live2 capture](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=hauppauge+usb-live2&tag=unknowndivi02-20&ref=unknowndivide.com) [CRT TVs](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=crt+tv&tag=unknowndivi02-20&ref=unknowndivide.com) [Degausser Video VHS](https://vinegarsyndrome.com/collections/vhs?ref=unknowndivide.com) · [RetroTINK-4K](https://www.retrotink.com/product-page/retrotink-4k?ref=unknowndivide.com) · [USB-Live2](https://www.hauppauge.com/pages/products/data%5Fusblive2.html?ref=unknowndivide.com) *As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.*