Video cassette revolution: the VCR in Australia

This thesis is to serve as a history of the Video Cassette Recorder (VCR) in Australia. It has been done because while there are numerous histories relating to other aspects of Australian media, the history of the VCR itself remains little more than an aspect of narratives focused on other phenomena. This was done through extensive examination of discursive sources, such as popular magazines, newspapers and trade journals. By reading these publications over the course of several years, I have been able to identify several trends unfolding over time, noting how popular conceptions of the technology have changed. By comparing these with work done on the history of home video in other countries, it allows for a greater understanding of what is unique to Australia’s history with the VCR. Perhaps the most significant finding is that the idea of what a VCR can offer is perpetually changing. What began as a simple means to record and playback programmes from television broadcasts quickly became a key part of commercial film distribution fundamentally altered the way in which people experience their television sets. As such, a struggle for position by producers, distributors and consumers erupted, as it irrevocably changed media in Australia.