YouTube celebrates anniversary of VTR with VHS video filter

As YouTube honors the release of the first commercial video recorder, the site will add an option to some videos that will let users view them in VHS mode, according to CNET.

The videos with this feature will feature the static of the old days -- a nostalgic trip by comparison to today's ever-sharper HD videos. CNET cites a clip from the Pixar film "Ratatouille" as one of the best to watch in VHS mode. To see it, click the "Enable Tape" mode, complete with jumpy pause feature.

The first recorder was unveiled in 1956 as the Ampex VRX-1000, which used reel-to-reel tape rather than cassettes. On Nov. 30, 1956, CBS aired the first videotaped broadcast using the camera, which enabled TV news to have tape-delayed broadcasts.