CBS Experience with Small Format Videotape and the Implications for the Future

From the introduction of videotape in 1956, through the beginning of this decade, the broadcast industry has seen relative order in videotape technology. In 1958, two inch quadruplex recording characteristics were quickly standardized to allow tape interchange. Later, the U–Matic tape format became a de facto standard for newsgathering because it was the only small cassette format available. Similarly, the one inch type C system rapidly became a de facto standard by providing important new features, improved performance and lower costs to broadcasters. Today, however, videotape technology sees increasing disorder – bordering on chaos. — As the broadcast industry has grown, and broadcast technology has become more sophisticated, requirements for videotape formats have diversified. Production, post production, field production and newsgathering all demand unique characteristics and features of a recording system. As these demands increase, improved signal quality and lower costs remain of paramount importance. In an effort to meet the needs of broadcasters, manufacturers have introduced numerous new and incompatible videotape formats during the past five years. Most recently, improved versions of existing formats have been introduced with varying degrees of compatibility with their predecessors. As a result, during the 1980's, broadcasters have been forced to evaluate and choose from among ten different recording systems. — In 1985 CBS introduced a one half inch videotape system in its new Hard News Center. More recently, CBS has evaluated combination camera/recorders for network newsgathering. In this paper the author will report on the CBS experience with small format videotape systems and examine the implications of this experience for the ability of present videotape technology to meet current and anticipated broadcast requirements.

Published

1987-02

Content type

Original Research

DOI

10.5594/M00879

ISBN

978-1-61482-916-4