The kicker with recording shows was that the TV had to be on and you couldn't change the channel! We used to rent a VCR once in a while but you had to pay $100 deposit.
Another thing todays generation could never fathom is the phone cord. If you want privacy you better have a very long cord so you can go in another room. Also when you weren't at home...no one could talk to you...period! You could go hours with no one knowing where you were, oh the freedom. I remember when cordless phones came out and even still you couldn't go all the far with them. We Gen X'ers really are the pioneers of all things cool. Your Welcome.