VCR players or video cassette recording players offer a tinge of nostalgia whenever they are brought up. If you miss the old classics and are thinking whether to ditch the old VCR player, you may want to give it a second thought.

Although it is true that DVD and Blu-ray players outmatch them, there are still a couple of tricks VCR players offer that make them a gem worth keeping. If you’ve always wondered whether keeping a VCR player is worth it or not, you’re at the right place. Here are the top four benefits of using VCR players and also why we recommend keeping them.

Super Cheap VCR Tapes
You can literally buy VCR tapes for a measly $1 in the market these days. There are tons of movies you can watch with VCR players and if you’re a binge watcher, getting a VCR player can save you a lot of money. Plus, you get to watch more for less. Imagine buying hundreds of movies for a fraction of the price of a DVD or a Blu-ray disc. That’s what you can get with VCR tapes. It’s true that the quality may not always be as good as blu-ray but who cares when you can watch so many shows. It’s good enough to watch at least.

Works With Older Televisions
Most DVD players and Blu-ray players don’t work with older models of televisions. If you like going old school and firmly believe in the saying old is gold, then get a VCR player. VCR players are mostly compatible with older TV’s and they run smoothly with them.

Safe For Children
If you’ve got a kid in the household who is the daredevil of disc breaking, you’d find comfort in knowing VCR tapes can’t be broken that easily. No matter if they bite, chew, or scratch them out, VCR tapes will stay intact and playable. It’s the ultimate indestructible media container for most binge watchers out there. Plus, since you get so much for cheap, it’s totally worth it.

Longer Shelf Life
VCR tapes in general have a longer shelf life with respect to DVDs. Even if you bury away your tapes for 15 years, they’d still work after such a long time. The best part is that VCR players can record shows and movies too. So, you get the best of both worlds – long shelf life and recording after a long time too. How great is that? Their recording ability does not deteriorate with time so you can feel safe to know that they’ll work after ages too.

A VCR will also still play all the old family videos you have too. If you got married before the 1990’s, chances are your special day is recorded on video cassette.