The NYTimes has an article on the rise of DVDs.

Revolt in the Den: DVD Sends the VCR Packing to the Attic. Digital videodiscs and their players, which five years ago were not much more than the toys of gadget-lust sufferers, have now taken full wing as a true pop-culture phenomenon. By Rick Lyman. [New York Times: Technology]

The final nail in the coffin of the VCR will be when DVD recorders come down to a reasonable price. We've already got the TiVo, but it still hasn't gotten as much market penetration. And, if I want to archive something on the TiVo I still need my VCR. The question now is just how fast that will happen.