[QuadList] VTR introduction anniversaries: 1965

[Ted Langdell]

The March, 1965 NAB convention in Washington had a slew of camera  
offerings in black and white and color, and the introduction of  
several new Quad and Helical tape recorders.

High Band color recording was the big deal in 1965, following Ampex's  
introduction of High Band color with the VR-2000 in 1964.

Visual/Allen introduced the V/A 100G Quad—"The Continental"—which used  
Bosch transport and heads coupled with V/A electronics.  $100,000.



Visual/Allen was already known for converting tube-type Quads to solid  
state using assemblies it manufactured.  "Allenized"
  VR-1000's were seen in a lot of places.

The above April 1966 ad from the Don Norwood collection shows the  
range of "Allenizing" that the company pursued.
(Double-click to open in your software to make larger)

RCA TRT series machines could be High Banded.

I think there's a couple of lines missing from this ad in regard to  
TRTs.  I think it should read "High Band your TRT machines and...  
eliminate those racks of tubes with solid-state Allen Sync-Lock servo  
and All-Band RF systems."  Allen also High Banded TR-22's, introduced  
by RCA in 1961 as the first all solid state Quad VTR.

Allen would rebuild Ampex VR-1000's with solid state electronics— 
eliminating the racks in the process— and would put the VR-1000  
transport into a new cabinet with Allen electronics to create a new  
machine it called the "NB 1000."

This photo of a Visual/Allen V/A 50G at Rev. Gene Scott's KHOF-TV, 30,  
San Bernadino shows how a Bosch transport and head assembly was used  
to create a new Quad.
Bruce Braun is leaning on a VR-1000 transport console.


Although it was a year behind Ampex introducing High Band recorders,  
RCA debuted its TR-70 High Band, which ran $82,500.
It was pitched as the "first fully integrated TV tape recording system  
for high-band color recording and playback."

It also showed a High Band update for the similar looking solid state  
TR-22, introduced in 1961.
The 1966 TR-22HB was $72,000.  For ID purposes, the TR-22 had a VU  
meter in the speaker area on the upper right side of the machine,  
while the TR-70 did not.

On the Helical side of life:

Sony showed its PV-120 2" helical.  This example was among the  
machines that "collected" at WHIZ-TV, Zanesville, Ohio before it was  
sold to QuadList member David Crosthwait in 2007.


This machine has 970 hours on it according to the meter, and a head  
maintenancee record with only 1967 dates.

Here's a look at the processing unit that went with it:


This isn't a comprehensive list of what happened with tape in 1965.

Perhaps worth noting that February 1965—46 years ago—is when it was  
announced that Visual Electronics would market the Phillips/Norelco  
PC-60 color camera in the US, according to Albert Abramson's second  
book about TV. CBS was rumored to get the first units at a cost of  
around $65,000. No indication of whether that was with lens or without.

Ted

Ted Langdell
Secretary
Skype: 	TedLangdell
e-mail:	ted at quadvideotapegroup.com

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