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#SHOWBIZ: VHS tapes making a comeback

For the first time in a long time, a number of movies are set to be released on videocassette in the United States, satisfying some nostalgic fans and sparking curiosity among younger ones.

And when a giant like Disney gets involved, it may be the start of a new trend.

After the successful comeback of vinyl and the more discreet return of the audio cassette, another multimedia medium of yesteryear could be poised to return in the form of the video home system (VHS).

So reports Gizmodo, with the scheduled release of certain titles in limited editions and only in the US for the time being.

With DVD and Blu-ray sales plummeting worldwide in recent years, and these formats undermined by the rise of video-on-demand and streaming platforms, some publishers are banking on reviving videotapes to attract users with a taste for all things retro.

After all, it worked for the music industry, with the triumphant return of  vinyl.

Disney led the way this year with the release of a limited VHS edition of 'Alien: Romulus'. It's already making a splash.

Other studios are already promising the release of certain titles on videotape early next  year, such as the sci-fi feature 'Y2K' and  horror film 'Stream'.

It should be noted that these VHS movies are being offered in the 4:3 format, which is now completely outdated, but which will be remembered by the older generation.

For the time being, these releases are limited to collector's editions for the nostalgic few who would  have to dig out their old videocassette recorders to be able to watch them.

However, it's hard to imagine that releasing films on VHS will become the norm again, as this format suffers from a real quality deficit compared to more modern formats, and is not suited to today's ultra-high-definition TV sets.

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