Before there was 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, there was the Video Home System (VHS). It appears, however, that the clunky black tape cassettes of yesteryear will soon be no more than a dusty relic.

The last company that still makes VCRs will reportedly end production of the outdated technology at the end of the month. According to Nikkei, Japan's Funai is retiring from the VHS business since sourcing components for the video players became too difficult.

Funai manufactured the units in China, selling them under the Sanyo brand, among others, in North America.

The company did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment.

Funai Electric launched in 1961 with a slate of transistor radios; in the '80s, the company diversified its business, expanding into areas like video and communications equipment and household appliances. Now it focuses on LCD TVs, DVD/Blu-ray players, and printers for Philips, Magnavox, Sanyo, Kodak, and more.

The first consumer video recorder, the Telcan, debuted in 1963. But the device, produced by the Nottingham Electronic Valve Company, was sold only in kit form, and required a certain level of technical expertise. VHS tapes emerged commercially in 1977 as a competitor to Sony's Betamax tape—a war similar to Blu-ray vs. HD DVD.

By 2008, DVD had replaced VHS as the preferred home media format, as reported by Mental Floss, which tipped a reported 750,000 VCR sales worldwide in 2015.

Related Sony Says Farewell to Betamax Cassettes

But the demise of video recorders has been a long time coming: The last major Hollywood VHS release, A History of Violence, hit stores in March 2006. Now, some rare VHS editions can fetch nearly $2,000 among hoarders collectors.

If you're feeling a little nostalgic, the VHS Camcorder app can turn your smartphone videos into retro footage, complete with low-res imagery and tracking fuzz.

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