<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>While poking around NHK's history site for a post on OldVTR's, I ran across this link, which shows a Japanese flatbed Quad developed in 1958 by NHK's "STRL"—its research lab.</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.nhk.or.jp/strl/aboutstrl/evolution-of-tv-en/p15col_4.html">http://www.nhk.or.jp/strl/aboutstrl/evolution-of-tv-en/p15col_4.html</a></div><div><br></div><div>In the second picture, note what look like AVR-2s beyond the Sony BVH-machines.</div><div><br></div><div>The Sony's look like BVH-1000/1100 series machines. Can anyone opine as to how to tell the differences in a photo that small?</div><div><div id="contents" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-align: left; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 16px; font-size: small; "><div id="left" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 50px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 50px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: auto; float: none; text-align: justify; "><div class="column_gray" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237); padding-top: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; clear: both; position: static; z-index: auto; "><h4 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: small; color: rgb(204, 0, 0); text-align: center; ">VTR</h4><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">The first domestic VTR system in Japan was a 4-head VTR using 2-inch tape reels, test manufactured in 1958. Developments were later made on a frame converter and a slow-motion VTR system , with the aim of implementation for the Rome and Tokyo Olympics. In 1964, NHK obtained a basic patent for a 1.5-head helical-scan VTR system. This system was later implemented on a 1-inch helical-scan VTR.</div><div class="img_box_column" style="margin-top: 30px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-align: center; "><table width="500" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; "><tbody><tr><td width="200"><img alt="2-inch VTR by STRL in 1958
A 4-head VTR using 2-inch magnetic tape - extremely expensive at the time of introduction." width="200" height="140" src="cid:BDD9E1BA-8320-426A-90C4-BC8AFCCC9BFD"></td><td width="15"></td><td valign="top"><div style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-align: left; line-height: 15px; text-indent: 0px; ">2-inch VTR by STRL in 1958<br>A 4-head VTR using 2-inch magnetic tape - extremely expensive at the time of introduction.</div></td></tr></tbody></table><table width="500" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="4"><div align="left"><strong>Video tape: price and recording area per bit (square micrometer)</strong></div></td></tr><tr><td><div align="left">2-inch (Ampex)</div></td><td><div align="center">90 min.</div></td><td><div align="right">1,000,000 yen</div></td><td><div align="right">100μm2/bit</div></td></tr><tr><td><div align="left">1-inch (Sony Type C)</div></td><td><div align="center">60 min.</div></td><td><div align="right">120,000 yen</div></td><td><div align="right">10μm2/bit<br></div></td></tr><tr><td><div align="left">1/2-inch (Matsushita D-3)</div></td><td><div align="center">60 min.</div></td><td><div align="right">20,000 yen</div></td><td><div align="right">2μm2/bit</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="img_box" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-align: center; clear: both; "><table width="500" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td width="200"><img alt="1- inch VTR in 1978
The analog VTR helical-scan system using a 1-inch open reel tape was called the Type C format. This 1-inch tape was smaller and cheaper than 2-inch tape. It later became the basis for the 1-inch HDTV analog VTR and the 1-inch HDTV digital VTR." width="200" height="179" src="cid:350A9494-A2A0-444A-9DDC-37D7F3D54D30"></td><td width="15"></td><td valign="top"><div style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-align: left; line-height: 15px; text-indent: 0px; ">1- inch VTR in 1978<br>The analog VTR helical-scan system using a 1-inch open reel tape was called the Type C format. This 1-inch tape was smaller and cheaper than 2-inch tape. It later became the basis for the 1-inch HDTV analog VTR and the 1-inch HDTV digital VTR.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="img_box" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-align: center; "><table width="500" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td width="200"><img alt="D-3 VCR in 1991
A 1/2-inch small cassette digital VCR was introduced in 1991. It allowed repeated taping without deterioration of picture quality. This technology was succeeded by the HDTV digital VCR, the HD-D5." width="200" height="126" src="cid:FFDB29B7-EA34-442F-B298-FE44DFC43C1C"></td><td width="15"> </td><td valign="top"><div style="margin-top: 0.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-align: left; line-height: 15px; text-indent: 0px; ">D-3 VCR in 1991<br>A 1/2-inch small cassette digital VCR was introduced in 1991. It allowed repeated taping without deterioration of picture quality. This technology was succeeded by the HDTV digital VCR, the HD-D5.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div></div><div id="to_top" style="margin-top: 2em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: x-small; clear: both; text-align: center; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 16px; "></div></div><div><br></div>Ted<br><div apple-content-edited="true"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; "><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">Ted Langdell</span></font></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; ">Secretary</span></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; ">Skype: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>TedLangdell</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; ">e-mail:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span><a href="mailto:ted@quadvideotapegroup.com">ted@quadvideotapegroup.com</a></span></font></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span> </div><br></body></html>