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

Metadata

Publisher: SMPTE — White Plains, NY
Doc Type: Conference Paper
Content Type: Original Research
Volume: 1987, No. 31, pp. 59–65
Abstract: 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.
Publication Date: 1987-02-01
DOI: 10.5594/M00879
Link: https://doi.org/10.5594/M00879
Author(s): Bernard L. DickensCBS Engineering and Development Department New York, New York
bio
Bernard L. Dickens is currently employed by CBS Operations and Engineering as senior staff scientist television technology, Engineering and Development Department. Prior to this assignment, he spent eight years at the CBS Technology Center, where he was responsible for studies and developments related to television recording. Before joining CBS, Mr. Dickens was employed by RCA Corp. in a variety of engineering positions in the design and development of magnetic recording equipment for consumer, industrial and military affiliates. Mr. Dickens is a Fellow of the SMPTE and currently holds the position of chairman of the SMPTE Committee on Video Recording and Reproduction Technology. He is chairman of the IEC Sub-committee on Broadcast Video Recording, and is the U.S. delegate for the CCIR Joint Interim Working Party on Digital Television Recording. Mr. Dickens has a BSEE degree from Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute and a MSEE degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Copyright: © 1987 Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Inc.

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Bernard L. Dickens; CBS Experience with Small Format Videotape and the Implications for the Future, SMPTE Meetings and Conferences ( February 1987); SMPTE, 1987. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/M00879

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Bernard L. Dickens; CBS Experience with Small Format Videotape and the Implications for the Future, SMPTE Meetings and Conferences ( February 1987); SMPTE, 1987. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/M00879

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<span class="citation">Bernard L. Dickens; <cite>CBS Experience with Small Format Videotape and the Implications for the Future</cite>, SMPTE Meetings and Conferences ( February 1987); SMPTE, 1987. Available at <a href="https://doi.org/10.5594/M00879" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://doi.org/10.5594/M00879</a></span>

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Bernard L. Dickens; CBS Experience with Small Format Videotape and the Implications for the Future, SMPTE Meetings and Conferences ( February 1987); SMPTE, 1987
doi: 10.5594/M00879
url: https://doi.org/10.5594/M00879

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Bernard L. Dickens; <cite id="bib-10-5594-m00879">CBS Experience with Small Format Videotape and the Implications for the Future</cite>, SMPTE Meetings and Conferences ( February 1987); SMPTE, 1987
<span class="doi">10.5594/M00879</span>
</li>