This Is How 'VHS' Tapes Were Used Before streaming services and DVDs, VHS tapes were the primary way people watched movies and TV shows at home. VHS stands for “Video Home System,” and it refers to a large cassette tape that could store both video and audio. These tapes were popular from the late 1970s through the 1990s, but were mostly replaced by DVDs in the early 2000s. A VHS tape is a rectangular black plastic case containing a reel of magnetic tape inside. The video and audio were recorded