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Vintage Television and Video Vintage television and video equipment, programmes, VCRs etc.

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Old 3rd Feb 2020, 8:51 pm   #1
KatrinaC
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Default VCR featured in "Joker"

Hello everyone ! I read the rules and I hope the section I posted this in is appropriate.

A bit of a peculiar request: not sure how many of you have seen the multiple award winning movie "Joker", but I am quite curious about a specific bit of trivia. The movie is set in 1981. Arthur (the main character) has a VCR at home.
I attach to this post some screenshots I took.

I tried some rudimentary searches, but I could not identify the device - of course I have zero knowledge about vintage equipment so I just googled and ebay'd it some with guesswork, but alas, nothing.

Is any of you able to help me identify the model of VCR used? Thank you very much!
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Old 3rd Feb 2020, 10:44 pm   #2
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Default Re: VCR featured in "Joker"

Hi Katrina,

Looks a bit like this one.
https://www.curtis-mathes.com/curtismathesvcr.htm

https://curtismathes.webs.com/topload7.JPG

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Old 3rd Feb 2020, 11:46 pm   #3
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Default Re: VCR featured in "Joker"

Parts of that look a bit Hitachi/Toshiba-ish.
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Old 4th Feb 2020, 12:30 am   #4
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Default Re: VCR featured in "Joker"

1981 is very early for a domestic VHS VCR, though not impossible. Maybe a bit of artistic license was used in the movie.
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Old 4th Feb 2020, 12:43 am   #5
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Default Re: VCR featured in "Joker"

Haha, yes, it is quite early especially considering that he is living in poverty and that thing must have costed a fortune back then.
I am blown away by the first answer, that looks super-close! The one used in the movie does not have that little 'square' on the top left which should be the remote control sensor, so perhaps it's an earlier model? The rest seems rather spot-on but of course I don't know anything about the subject and it is based on similar components, I just look at the photos.
Thank you so much to everyone who answered so far, and of course if anyone else can contribute and would be able to locate the precise model (I doubt they'd customize one with such minor alterations, but i have seen stranger things happen!), I'd be grateful, but meanwhile again big props for the responses!
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Old 4th Feb 2020, 8:17 am   #6
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Default Re: VCR featured in "Joker"

Quote:
Parts of that look a bit Hitachi/Toshiba-ish.
I would agree with Ben, looks like a second generation top loader, so period correct.
It would most likely have a wired remote, IR remote was to come later.


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Old 4th Feb 2020, 8:50 am   #7
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Default Re: VCR featured in "Joker"

Quote:
Originally Posted by paulsherwin View Post
1981 is very early for a domestic VHS VCR, though not impossible.
Earlyish but not at all unlikely IMHO. The first domestic VHS machines came out in the late 1970s, though many would of course have been rented.

We seemed to be one of the last families in my state primary school to get a video, and my parents finally bought a Hitachi VT-11E in late 1982 / early 1983.

Last edited by Nickthedentist; 4th Feb 2020 at 8:57 am.
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Old 4th Feb 2020, 9:01 am   #8
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Default Re: VCR featured in "Joker"

Quote:
Originally Posted by ben View Post
Parts of that look a bit Hitachi/Toshiba-ish.
I would say Panasonic (National). The controls reminded me of the NV7000 which I used to have: https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/panaso...r_nv_7000.html
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Old 4th Feb 2020, 9:06 am   #9
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Default Re: VCR featured in "Joker"

Quote:
Originally Posted by mark pirate View Post
IR remote was to come later.
But some of the posher, very early 1980s models did have it, while the lesser ones had wired remotes. On some, it was an optional extra which could be fitted by the dealer.
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Old 4th Feb 2020, 10:15 am   #10
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Default Re: VCR featured in "Joker"

It does have a Nat-Pan look about it, but signs of perhaps NEC or Fisher?

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Old 4th Feb 2020, 11:35 am   #11
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Default Re: VCR featured in "Joker"

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nickthedentist View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by mark pirate View Post
IR remote was to come later.
But some of the posher, very early 1980s models did have it, while the lesser ones had wired remotes. On some, it was an optional extra which could be fitted by the dealer.
Quite. The 3v23 front loader and some of those silver top load Hitachis being just two cases. I also have a Grundig Vs180 with a clumsy IR module stuck on the back, with a power cable that disappears into the machine on the bottom!
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Old 4th Feb 2020, 11:42 am   #12
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Default Re: VCR featured in "Joker"

Hi,
the Colour Television looks rather nice as well !
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Old 4th Feb 2020, 1:25 pm   #13
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Default Re: VCR featured in "Joker"

The linked Curtis-Mathes model looks a bit Sanyo to me, in which case Fisher would apply as well.
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Old 4th Feb 2020, 2:15 pm   #14
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Default Re: VCR featured in "Joker"

It's basically this one:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vtg-1982-...-/283284785788

(sorry for the eBay link but it has good clear images).

But probably the PV-1480 with more buttons!

I'm surprised nobody could read the words 'Panasonic' on the top left corner.
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Old 4th Feb 2020, 2:16 pm   #15
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Default Re: VCR featured in "Joker"

NEC/Sanyo?Fisher? Just look at this and the Panasonic NV-7000 side-by-side. Get rid of the faux wood and they're twins!

[Panasonic pic borrowed from the excellent Radiomuseum site, for the avoidance of doubt.]


EDIT: Crossed posts. Well done Dountty! I knew it was a Pansonic. Obviously, the Yanks had different styling and model numbers to us, but it looks like it's very similar to the NV-7000 we knew and loved in the UK.
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Old 4th Feb 2020, 3:21 pm   #16
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Default Re: VCR featured in "Joker"

Ah yes, that's quite clear.

Maybe I was confused by the US styling.
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Old 4th Feb 2020, 3:25 pm   #17
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Default Re: VCR featured in "Joker"

Yes, it really makes a difference, and disguises an otherwise familiar machine.
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Old 4th Feb 2020, 11:39 pm   #18
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Default Re: VCR featured in "Joker"

The Americans really seemed to go in for that faux-woodgrain styling that made even cutting edge technology in the mid 80s look like something from 1963! I have one such Sanyo betamax with the woodgrain sides. Has a certain charm - unmistakably vintage! I don't think I'd have been seen dead with it when it was new though.
That and huge sideboard-style radiogams with TVs in them seemingly stayed popular long after such things had been dropped in the UK market as too fuddy-duddy.
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Old 5th Feb 2020, 12:00 am   #19
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Default Re: VCR featured in "Joker"

The first VHS machines appeared in UK shops late 1978. They were the Ferguson/JVC piano key models and cost around £480, equivalent to £2700 in today's money.
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Old 5th Feb 2020, 10:44 am   #20
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Default Re: VCR featured in "Joker"

Of course you need to remember that this was filmed in Gotham City where they would have had slightly different styling to the usual American domestic product.
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