Deliberate mistake: The 'Life' magazine with Woody on the cover displays a smaller headline promising pictures of Sputnik, a clever reference to the fact that interest in space travel doomed the "Woody's Roundup" show. The only problem is the magazine's cover date is Jan. 12, 1957, and Sputnik didn't launch until October. Given the Soviet penchant for secrecy (no-one outside Russia knew about it until it launched), it's doubtful any photos of Sputnik of any kind would have been available to the American press nine months prior to the launch. This is a deliberate error on the part of the filmmakers - January 12 is director John Lasseter's birthday. (00:23:25)
Deliberate mistake: Even though Hamm is flicking through the channels at the same speed, the side with Al's advert on it is visible for longer.
Answer: It isn't Woody's holster that's blurred, it's his hand. And yes, the blurred effect is due to the video tape's degeneration.