The Y2K VCR Conspiracy
Netlore Archive: Will the Y2K bug kill your VCR in 2000?
Email example contributed by Dianne Gholden, March 25, 1999:
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Subject: Y2K and Your VCR
Here is something I bet you hadn't thought would be an issue for Y2K. Some VCR's won't be able to use the programmed advanced recording feature. Do not throw away your VCR in the year 2000. Set the year on 1972 because the calendar days of the week and month will be the same as the year 2000. Please pass this on because you know the manufacturer will not share this information. They will want you to buy a new one that is Y2K compliant. |
Analysis: As if the world coming to an end wasn't enough of a bother, now we have to worry about whether or not we'll be able to tape The Simpsons while surviving on Spam and Cheez Whiz in our underground bunkers. Thank heaven millennia only come along once every thousand years!
It's also theoretically true that if your VCR should come down with the Y2K bug, resetting the clock to 1972 might make it possible to program it - however, I'm told that the majority of machines are not likely to accept a date earlier than 1980.
At any rate, there's no conspiracy to hide this Y2K "solution" from the public. Specious or not, it has even been touted on CNN. If manufacturers aren't trumpeting it, that may be because the proposed fix simply won't work in most cases.
If you're unsure what the status of your own VCR's Y2K readiness is or what to do about it, call the manufacturer. That's what customer service departments are for.
For general information, including instructions on how to test various home appliances for Y2K compliance, see the following:
- ABC News - 'Will the 2000 Bug Eat Your VCR?'
- Y2K Compliance Database - Home Electronics
And for more Y2K nuttiness:
- Thirty Days Hath February 2000?
Rumor has it that the year 2000 is a "double leap year"
