Back in the ‘90s, recording your favorite TV shows wasn’t just about hitting “Record”—you had to set the VCR timer just right, or you’d miss the magic. That’s where VCR Plus came in. Launched in 1990 by Gemstar, it flipped the game by letting you punch in a short numerical code from your TV guide instead of navigating clunky menus. The code matched the show’s airtime and channel—boom, done. No more programming headaches. By 1998, they rolled out VCR Plus+ with upgrades like extended guide support and better time-shift accuracy. It was a huge win for folks juggling busy lives who just wanted to catch their shows without becoming tech support for their own VCRs.