Indeed it was a big deal when a movie had its TV premier. It was also usually years after the theatrical run. Alien was the first VHS release I ever bought, but I don't remember the cost. That was around 1982. Just the blank VHS tapes were about $25.00 back then. That's if I could find them at the high end audio\video equipment stores.

It wasn't long after that and I made the switch to my Pioneer laserdisc player. First movies were Alien, Star Wars, Blade Runner, and Apocalypse Now. That started me on my road to full-film audio rips (onto cassettes back then), which eventually led me to this board, years after VHS and Laserdisc were no longer part of my world.

I was going to dispute the halcyon descriptor, but if I had to be honest about it, it was a very big deal back then. Alien, Star Wars, Blade Runner, and Apocalypse Now - all on my crazy-huge 26" screen and sound out of my 5-foot-tall Magneplanar speakers. No telling how terrible those things really sounded, but I thought they were really something in 1980. ;-)

Welcome aboard Anti.