Mainly because it may confirm their fears and suspicions of technology.

It’s no secret that old people are a little backward, technologically speaking, so the Philips DVD/VCR Combo makes a great gift for those stubborn old goats who refuse to update their VHS collection and home movies onto DVD. It handles even scuffed DVDs pretty well, meaning it could be great for someone entertaining little ones, and again, the VHS compatibility means Granny can bust out everything from your old Barney tapes to the hottest new Dora the Explorer disc to make sure the kiddies are occupied. She can even spite the future itself and copy her DVDs over to VHS! The sound and video quality are solid, and hey, they’re old anyway, what do they care? It’s not like they’re watching Perry Mason on Blu-Ray. They’re probably going to be taping it from re-runs using the VHS anyway.

Of course, they might not be watching Perry Mason at all unless they’ve got a converter, as this baby’s got no tuner and is therefore not cable ready. But hey, once you get your Mee-Maw the necessary equipment you’re good to go! She can even tape her favorite shows…assuming she’s there to hit RECORD when they’re starting. Sure, this thing’s got a timer, but it’s more of a suggestion than a set-in-stone itinerary. Luckily though, old people tend not to like many TV shows nowadays, and your ol’ pappy will be A-Okay with not being able to watch a different channel while he records something. Seniors tend to need remotes and phones with large, easy to read buttons in a simplistic layout to ensure they can navigate their own electronics. The included remote does not offer that, but you’ll get to prove your usefulness time and time again as they call you over to help them change the channel without ejecting the DVD tray. Also, not to be too blunt here, but old people tend not to last terribly long. Hopefully your grandparents have had a long, happy life, and will pass peacefully in their sleep. There is an off chance that they will outlast this particular unit, but the important thing is that they had a really good run. Up until their golden years were filled with frustrating electronics. But hey, maybe the refurbishing policy irons out all those kinks. Maybe you get lucky and whatever’s going to happen happens within the 90 day warranty. Old people like to gamble, right?

But really, what better satisfaction is there for a sexagenarian than to be constantly foiled by malfunctioning technology from the future? Think of how smugly happy your elders have looked as they chide you for your foolish devotion to your iPot or whatever the hell kids are sticking in their ears these days. Give them the satisfaction of knowing in their sunset years that yes, the world is going to hell in a hand basket, and gadgets today are too complicated to even do what they’re supposed to do.

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