VCR Simulator

A nostalgic web-based VHS Video Cassette Recorder simulator that recreates the authentic 80s/90s VCR experience.

Features

Display Panel

• Clock Display - Classic blinking 12:00 that needs to be set (just like the real thing!)
• Tape Counter - Tracks playback position in HH:MM:SS format
• Mode Indicator - Shows current operation (PLAY, STOP, REC, FF, REW, PAUSE)

LED Indicators

• POWER - Green LED when VCR is on
• TAPE - Indicates tape is inserted
• REC - Blinking red LED during recording
• TIMER - Shows when timer recording is programmed

Transport Controls

• POWER - Turn the VCR on/off
• EJECT - Eject the tape (click tape slot to re-insert)
• REW - Rewind tape
• PLAY - Play tape
• FF - Fast forward
• STOP - Stop playback
• PAUSE - Pause playback or recording
• REC - Record (requires tape)

Advanced Features

• Settable Clock - Set the time using CLOCK SET and CH up/down buttons
• Timer Recording - Program start and end times for scheduled recording
• Tracking Control - Adjust tracking with the slider (affects playback quality)
• Channel Selector - Change channels with CH up/down

Keyboard Shortcuts

Key	Action
P	Power on/off
E	Eject tape
Space	Play/Pause toggle
S	Stop
R	Rewind
F	Fast Forward
Shift+R	Record
C	Clock Set mode
Shift+T	Timer Set mode
Arrow Up	Channel up / Increment value
Arrow Down	Channel down / Decrement value

How to Use

Basic Operation

1. Press P or click POWER to turn on the VCR
2. Press E or click EJECT to open the tape door
3. Click on the tape slot to insert the tape
4. Press Space or click PLAY to start playback

Setting the Clock

1. Press C or click CLOCK SET to enter clock setting mode
2. Use CH up/down buttons or Arrow keys to adjust the hour
3. Press C again to move to minutes
4. Press C again to set AM/PM
5. Press C one more time to confirm and exit

Programming Timer Recording

1. First, set the clock (see above)
2. Press Shift+T to enter timer setting mode
3. Set the start time (hour, minute, AM/PM) using CH buttons
4. Set the end time (hour, minute, AM/PM)
5. The TIMER LED will light up when programmed
6. The VCR will automatically start and stop recording at the set times

Running Locally

Simply open index.html in a web browser, or serve with any static file server:

# Python 3
python -m http.server 8080

# Then open http://localhost:8080

Browser Compatibility

Works in all modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge).

License

MIT