How much is this worth?

Hey guys I just got ahold of the 1990 version of the Secret of NIMH tape and I was wondering how much it's worth. I know it's not worth a lot but I like to know..

Probably about $4 max. I didn't see anything going for more than that on eBay after doing a search for "secret of nimh" and looking for VHS copies.

VHS is absolutely useless in terms of 'collecting' movies, since it tends to degrade badly after 10-15 years (Especially mass-copied ones). DVDs are a bit better, you can reasonably expect a pressed disc to still be playable in 50 years if it's stored properly. Dye-based recordable discs vary widely in quality, the best might last as well as a pressed disc, super cheap no-brand ones might be dead in 10 years.

I've heard that, if treated well, a good quality DVD can theoretically last up to several hundred years. But that is just theory.
Tapes will only last a few years, depending on how much they are played. With constant contact between the data surface and the read system, the more a tape is played the lower the quality gets.

About 2 years ago, I purchased my own copy of NIMH at Half Price Books for only $1.95 (the standard price for anything VHS there). The sell value for any VHS is roughly 56 cents there, and is pretty much the only place that accepts used VHSs other than places like Ebay and Amazon. I have to admit, VHS is really nothing of any worth unless the video itself isn't available on DVD or is extremely hard to find. Now, with the financially dominant Blu-Ray, even regular DVDs are on their way to retirement.

Speaking of which, anyone know when/if we'll expect an NIMH Blu-Ray? Everytime I look at a special edition DVD copy of NIMH, I keep pondering to myself if MGM will modify it. I hate purchasing DVDs that end up being upgraded to better quality afterwards (Purchased a whimpy DVD releases of Pumkinhead last Halloween, and now this year they decided to release one with more features and quality! :evil: )

I wouldn't call BluRay's dominance over DVD a foregone conclusion. Even though it won the format war, it hasn't been making large inroads into DVD sales yet. I know for my part that the value proposition isn't really there, though I don't have a high-def set.

As for NIMH on bluray... I haven't heard anything about it yet. Might ask the man himself: http://www.donbluth.com/contactus.cfm

If you do, let us know what he says. n.n

I don't think DVDs are going to retire any time soon. Blue Ray is just a fancy DVD with a "clear HD picture" but the catch is the dics cost upwards to 40 to 50 bucks and the players are like $200.. and that's why PS3s are $400, becuse of the "Blue Ray.."

I wouldn't call BluRay's dominance over DVD a foregone conclusion. Even though it won the format war, it hasn't been making large inroads into DVD sales yet. I know for my part that the value proposition isn't really there, though I don't have a high-def set.

Having a High-def set makes all the difference. They even tell in ads that although you have a Blu-ray player, you're not going to get the full quality without the HD-TV. From my experience on Blu-Ray so far (as far as the PS3 goes), I think its' a rather entertaining line of DVD.

Blue Ray is just a fancy DVD with a "clear HD picture" but the catch is the dics cost upwards to 40 to 50 bucks and the players are like $200.. and that's why PS3s are $400, becuse of the "Blue Ray.."

You're forgetting other things such as BD Live, more space for 'Special Features', and the upgrade of surround sound. With BD Live, you can literally download more content from online via PS3 or Blu-Ray player such as games, upgraded concept arts, documentaries, gags, and trailers and store them on your DVD. Blu-Ray players, and even the PS3 have their own format upgrading system which can upgrade handfuls regular DVDs(doesn't upgrade all. You may have a problem with old DVD copies) to half the quality of HD. This can get rid of unwated format flaws such as the scenes in the older Star Wars films where you can see the white cut-out area whenever a ship flies through space (the same for Battlestar Galactica). Blu-Ray can literally blend the ships in with outer space, no problem. 8)

Another raise in price is the fact that, with all the extra space they contain, Blu-Rays are often released in the same fashion and price as a 2 disc special edition DVD. They have the same amounts of extras as a normal DVD would, just with the HD picture and sound.

Being that each Blu-Ray player is capable of online access, the price is $200, which is quite reasonable in my opinion. Last year they were all the way up to $400-$600 depending on what brand you got, but now that they've beaten HD/DVD in format and the competition gone, they lowered their price to what they are now.

As for the PS3, its' not just the Blu-Ray for the rise in cost, its' the fact that it gives you instant online access, whilst other consoles such as Wii require you to buy software in order to do so. It also includes the DVD upgrader as mentioned, able to play all formated games from PS, PS2, to the current PS3, and other features as far as online downloading capabilities, movie, song, and file storage, and the fact that you can recieve upgrades from it as well.

As for NIMH on bluray... I haven't heard anything about it yet. Might ask the man himself: http://www.donbluth.com/contactus.cfm

If you do, let us know what he says. n.n

I'll try and give him a note to see what he says. After all, he did put Dragon's Lair on Blu-Ray. ^^

Heh. Thanks for the speil on Blu-Ray. Maybe one of these days I'll get a PS3. Anyway, my point wasn't that the format isn't technically superior (and it is, don't get me wrong), but that it's not superior lienoughli to DVDs to supplant them quickly. A lot of people have already payed a fair amount of money to replace their old VHS collections with DVDs, so Hollywood probably doesn't (and won't) get as much mileage out of releasing older movies to Blu-Ray--at least not without releasing a disc chock-full of extras. That leaves us with just new releases for now, and since every major studio is still releasing their movies to DVD, there isn't much impetus there either. The way I see it, Blu-Ray adoption will be too slow for it to replace DVDs before some other technology supplants Blu-Rays.

There's still a lot of standard def TVs out there, and will be for many years. DVD still looks way better (on most) than VHS. I mean, going from 320x240 (VHS) to 720x480 (DVD) was a really huge jump. Plus the elimination of analog noise. Even a lousy TV will produce a much better picture with that much more quality in the source. The really ironic thing is that Sony could've averted the HD format war, and joined up with the DVD consortium on HD-DVD instead (but apparently decided not to at the last minute). Without the nonsense of a format war to distract early adopters, high-def discs would likely have a lot more traction now. Blu-ray's full capabilities being a moving target till very recently hasn't done the format any favors either. And you certainly don't need an overpriced Blu-ray deck to make DVDs look good when a $60 upscaling DVD player will do it pretty much just as well.

Not that I care, I stick to BitTorrent for my movie releases (after paying to see them in the theater, of course). Maybe I'll care when they stop pushing ridiculous DRM schemes. Or if I ever buy a TV, for that matter.

(Sorry this is a little late x.x)

Heh. Thanks for the speil on Blu-Ray. Maybe one of these days I'll get a PS3. Anyway, my point wasn't that the format isn't technically superior (and it is, don't get me wrong), but that it's not superior lienoughli to DVDs to supplant them quickly. A lot of people have already payed a fair amount of money to replace their old VHS collections with DVDs, so Hollywood probably doesn't (and won't) get as much mileage out of releasing older movies to Blu-Ray--at least not without releasing a disc chock-full of extras. That leaves us with just new releases for now, and since every major studio is still releasing their movies to DVD, there isn't much impetus there either. The way I see it, Blu-Ray adoption will be too slow for it to replace DVDs before some other technology supplants Blu-Rays.

Ah, I see what you mean. I have to admit, I am still working on getting my old VHS collection to DVD also. Now what concerns me is what is coming out to Blu-Ray and what isn't, and which of my DVDs I'll replace with High Def. >.> Its' quite confusing, really.

As for the 'new' and old' video status, some of the studios seem to be starting off with their older hit classics into the Blu-Ray format such as Robocop, Predator, Independence Day, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and even Superman The Movie. All of these films (except Independence Day) have been released as special edition disks in Blu-Ray. Many are even marked down to a very reasonable price (Walmart is selling movies such as Terminator 2 and Halloween for as low as $14.95).

I do agree, Blu-Ray has a ways to go, but I think its' making fair progress so far. They seem to be paying close attention to releasing old and new movies alike onto the format. Still, I'd like to know how far they're willing to go on old, old releases that are either forgotten or don't quite match up to hit classics, like Rescuers Down Under and The Last Star Fighter. Hopefully things will improve. ^^'