Type C videotape

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Type C videotape
SONY BVH 2000.jpg
Sony BVH-2000 1 inch VTR
Media typeMagnetic Tape
EncodingNTSC, PAL
Read mechanismHelical scan
Write mechanismHelical scan
Developed bySony
UsageTelevision production

1 inch Type C (designated Type C by SMPTE) is a professional reel-to-reel analog recording helical scan videotape format co-developed and introduced by Ampex and Sony in 1976. It became the replacement in the professional video and broadcast television industries for the then-incumbent 2 inch quadruplex videotape (2 inch Quad for short) open-reel format.

Technical detail[edit]

Compared to Quad, Type C had a smaller size, comparative ease of operation (vs. 2 inch) and slightly higher video quality. 1 inch Type C is also capable of "trick-play" functions such as still, shuttle, and variable-speed playback, including slow motion. 2 inch quadruplex videotape machines lacked these capabilities, due to the segmented manner in which it recorded video tracks onto the magnetic tape. Also, 1 inch Type C VTRs required much less maintenance (and used less power and space) than did 2 inch machines.

1 inch Type C records composite video at a very high video quality that is superior to contemporary color-under formats such as U-matic, and of comparable quality to analog component video formats like Betacam and MII. Both analog component formats were notoriously fussy and trouble-prone, so in practice Type C gave a stable, more reliable picture than the broadcast quality analog cassette-based videotape formats. Because television was broadcast as a composite signal, there was no real downside to Type C in television broadcasting and distribution.

Usage[edit]

1 inch tape gained numerous uses in television production including outside broadcasts where it was used for instant replays and creating programme titles. 1 inch machines were considerable smaller and more reliable than preceding two inch versions and were seen by operators as a major technological breakthrough. Due to this smaller size, it was possible for OB crews to transport and use multiple machines, allowing for much more complex editing to be done on site for use within the programme.[1]. The quality and reliability of 1 inch Type C made it a mainstay in television and video production in television studios for almost 20 years, before being supplanted by more reliable digital videocassette formats like DVCAM, D-1, D-2, and DVCPro. 1 inch Type C was also widely used for the mastering of early LaserDisc titles. It was replaced in that role by the digital D-2 videocassette format in the late 1980s.

Ampex models[edit]

Models include:

  • VPR-2 1976, studio model
  • VPR-20 1977, Portable[2]
  • VPR-2A studio model
  • VPR-2B studio model[3]
  • VPR-80 studio model
  • VPR-6 studio model
  • SMC-60 slow Motion system
  • VPR-3 studio model, with air system like AVR-1
  • XVR-80 wideband VTR
  • VPR-5 portable made in jointly with Nagra

Marconi models[edit]

Models include:

  • MR2 studio model

Sony models[edit]

Models include:

Sony BVH-500 portable VTR
  • BVH-1000 1979 studio model
  • BVH-1100 with Dynamic head Tracking- DT, with digital TBC Model BVT-2000
  • BVH-500 portable
  • BVH-2000 studio model
  • BVH-2180 3-hour record / play capability
  • BVH-2500 Delta Time VTR
  • BVH-2800/2 VTR With PCM Audio
  • BVH-2830 VTR with PCM Audio and 3-hour record / play capability
  • BVH-3000 Studio model
  • BVH-3100 Studio model without sync channel record / play capability

Hitachi, Ltd. – Shibaden models[edit]

Models include:

1976 Hitachi portable VTR, for Sony 1" type C
  • HR-200 Studio model
  • HR-230 2 and 3 hour Record/Play Studio model
  • HR-100 portable model, 42 pounds[4]

NEC models[edit]

Models include:

  • TT-7000 Studio VTR ($38,000 new in 1987)

RCA models[edit]

Models include:

  • TH-100 was a re-badged Sony BVH-1000.
  • TH-200A was a re-badged Sony BVH-1100A.
  • TH-50 was re-badged Sony portable.
  • TR-800 was an RCA engineered and built VTR, likely why it has the "TR-" designation, as all the RCA Quad recorders did. While the TR-800 was developed by RCA, the scanner assembly and upper drum could be replaced with Sony BVH-1100A parts.

In 1983, RCA turned to Ampex for supply of Helical VTRs.

  • TH-400 was a re-badged Ampex VPR-80
  • TH-900 was a re-badged Ampex VPR-3
  • TH-700 was a re-badged Ampex VPR-6

3M models[edit]

Models include:

  • TT-7000 (built by NEC)[5]

Kometa models (Soviet Union)[edit]

Models include:

  • Кадр-103СЦ ( Kadr-103STs ), 1985 studio model with DSP[6]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Ellis, John; Hall, Nick (2017): ADAPT. figshare. Collection.https://doi.org/10.17637/rh.c.3925603.v1
  2. ^ adsausage.com VPR-20 Ad
  3. ^ sausage.com VPR-2B studio model ad
  4. ^ adsausage.com HR-100 portable ad
  5. ^ adsausage.com 3M TT-7000 VTR ad
  6. ^ [1] Начало видеозаписи в СССР (rus)

External links[edit]