When Did the First VCR Come Out?
Do you love studying the history of technology and have you ever wondered when did the first VCR come out? The videocassette recorder was one of the biggest technology breakthroughs in the last couple of decades. It meant that individuals didn’t have to miss TV, they could simply tape it when they left the house. Yet, what’s the story behind the development of this great technology? How and when did the first VCR come out?
The development of the VCR paralleled the development of the videotape in general. In 1956, Amphex introduced the Amphex VRX-1000 which was the first commercially successful videotape recorder.
This recorder used the two inch Quadruplex format, which required a two inch tape. However, the recorder was incredibly expensive. It cost fifty thousand dollars in the United States, and thus only television networks and individual stations could afford the recorder.
Following this, Phillips introduced the EL3400 one inch helical scan recorder in 1963. Then Sony began a mass marketing for their two inch PV-100. It was Sony’s first reel-to-reel VCR. Again, this was not yet intended for personal use, and Sony intended the machine to be used for businesses, hospitals, or airlines.
Home Video Recorders
In 1963, Nottingham Electronic Valve Company produced the Telecan, which was the first home video recorder. It was cheaper than previous models. Yet, this model was a work in progress.
For example, although the price was reduced, it was still considered extremely expensive in 1963. Furthermore, it was difficult to put together and it could only record about twenty minutes of video at a time.
In 1965, Sony came out with the CV-200 which was intended for home use and it used a half inch tape. Not wanting to be left behind, Ampex and RCA soon followed with their own models. These models were priced at about one thousand dollars for the United States markets.
Videocassette Prototypes
In 1969, Sony developed a videocassette prototype. Sony joined forces with seven fellow manufacturers to develop an industry standard for this prototype, and aimed for it to be released in 1970. Released in September of 1971, the Sony U-matic system was released in Tokyo first.
It was officially the world’s first commercial videocassette format. It used three- fourth inch tape, and had a maximum playing time of sixty minutes. These sixty minutes was soon extended to ninety minutes. However, it was extremely expensive. The model cost over one thousand dollars—today, that would be roughly seven thousand dollars if adjusted for inflation. Thus, the majority of Americans were unable to afford this.
When Did the First VCR Come Out?
In 1970, Phillips named their videocassette format “VCR.” It used square cassettes, and a half-inch tape. The recording time for this device was also sixty minutes. The first official model was available in 1972, in the United Kingdom. This model had a timer to begin recording.
It cost approximately two thousand dollars, and was thus too expensive for the private market. The cost, along with the short recording time and the bulkiness of the product, were all problems that kept it from translating to private homes.
Finally, in the late 1970s, European and Japanese companies were able to develop more technologically advanced machines. These machines had electronic timers which were more accurate, longer tape duration, and a sleeker machine. These machines were more popular in the private market, and by 1980 there were three competing technical standards with three different types of tapes.
The two major competing tapes were Sony’s Betamax, and JVC’s VHS. Betamax was first released to the market in 1975, and was believed to be technologically sophisticated. However, the VHS system had a longer recorder time (double the time of the Sony machine). Thus, this began the first format war in technology.
So, the answer to when did the first VCR come out is an interesting and complicated answer. Although it first came out in the fifties, it did not become commercially popular until the late seventies.