Throw another movie on the turntable
Although I typically resist the temptation to fill my home with vintage electronics, I can’t help but be fascinated with home video devices of the past. Total Rewind, The Virtual Museum of Vintage VCRs has information on just about any device that’s ever been used to watch pre-recorded video on your TV. Their thorough history goes back to some large reel-to-reel units, some very obscure disc-based systems, and all the way through the VHS vs. BetaMAX days until now. Included are photos, technical explanations of how each format works and the backstory on what went wrong. The site is extremely entertaining if you’re at all interested in old-timey gadgetry.