Fuck all to do with breadmakers
I had a VCR that was programmable to the extent that you could set the start time for a program, but not the end time or record duration.

Once the timer had sent it's magic start signal you were recording, and you were commited to recording everything on the tape from the designated start point until, well, that was the problem.

It wouldn't have been so bad if it reached the end of the tape and stopped there, but rather than stopping the recording session, the VCR would rewind the bastard tape to the start and then continue recording from the start until human interaction stopped the process.

There was nothing more irritating than setting it to record a late night film that you really didn't want to stay up for, only to find that the whole tape was filled full of ceefax transmissions and 45 minutes of pre-school childrens television.
( Muns, Tue 4 Oct 2011, 12:38, 2 replies)

Tell me more...
I am an international expert on early video recorders*, but I've never heard of one which rewinds and continues recording! Can you remember anything about it: make, model etc? Was it perhaps a "security" one, designed for CCTV?



* sadly this is true
(moon monkey is busy making memories worth repressing, Tue 4 Oct 2011, 13:41, closed)

It was purchased in 1994
It wasn't a brand I'd ever actually heard of or can recall, but then again that's representative of most of the electronic equipment my parents purchased, who seemed averse to buying anything more recognisable than Kenwood, unless it was a kitchen appliance, then they'd go lower down the food chain. Definitely not a security recorder, I've a fair bit of experience of them myself.

It was dark grey with a squiggle of yellowish text along the fascia, although that may have been nicotine staining. It had an LED display that was sans backlight and was purchased from a small privately owned shop that mainly refurbished TVs and fitted aerials. The remote control, although functional, did not match the one inside the manual or even look remotely like the VCR itself. Despite the above, it wasn't an Amstrad. :-)
( Muns, Tue 4 Oct 2011, 14:11, closed)