Oddity Archive: Episode 265 - The Quasar Great Time Machine (VX Video Format) 

Initially they hadn't the goal to establish a consumer format for time shifting TV. So the running time was about 30 to a maximum of 60 minutes, so it was good for teachers, who recorded educational content for school. Few people with higher income purchased 2 video recorders to record shows and movies in 2 parts onto two video tapes. The majority waited till the end of the 1970's, when videotapes could run 2 hours and some waited to the point, when a video recorder had the same price as a low budget reel tape deck.

It could certainly use a new head drum and AFT button.

More like 4-5 weeks.

The montage was compiled from 13 different tapes.

@@OddityArchive cold reality ruining things again I see haha

That is 100% Dennis. Coincidentally, Dennis himself is believed to have owned a VX VCR as well as a V-Cord II.

Also used to host Cerebral Palsy telethon.

And as it also had a 12 hour analog clock ~ an unusual looking timepiece - I could easily see that being far from the VCR or the telly, but on its own as a clock ~ on the mantle piece above the fire, next to a lamp/low wattage heater to automate them, under the Christmas tree for the fairy lights, and even a [stereotypical 🇺🇸] top-load washer hot fill with no heater

@@samuelfellows6923 I think the reason for the separate clock was to get the time precise, down to the second using the seconds hand, since for TV recordings being a minute or so off when starting/stopping the recording can be really bad, vs. more conventional timed outlets where if the Christmas Tree comes on at 7:01 instead of 7:00, it's not that big of a deal.

*1978. The ad breaks from that tape are currently Patreon-only.

@@OddityArchive Except...Jean-Paul Jarier (#10) wasn't in the 1978 race. The 1974 race is the only one that featured all five of the racers shown on the screen AND Lauda leading at some point (all five were in the '75 race, too, but Lauda never led). Maybe listing Jarier was a mistake? Maybe they were re-running the 1974 race in 1978 for some reason?

My bad. The tape is public and I forgot all about it. Perhaps a callback to the '74 race? I spent that entire transfer constantly changing the setup trying to get the least worst result possible. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6VrbA3BPN-w.html

I wish it were a vacation.

Listerine.

Seems kinda weird to cut to a stadium for a performance of "I Will Survive" (with cheerleaders) just to pad out an episode of the Dinah Shore Show.

More than likely, it was the 1980 Golden Globe Awards ceremony. If you pay close attention during the Awards show clips, Adrienne Barbeau announces Dolly Parton's name as Entertainer of the year... there was only one major movie in 1980 that she not only starred in, but sang the catchy theme song for: "9 to 5." And to drive it home: IMDb states that not only did Adrienne Barbeau and Dolly Parton appear at the ceremony, but so did Marilu Henner and Henry Mancini, both of which are also featured in this compilation. And to put the cherry on top: there was a series of outdoor performances with musical numbers at a stadium.

The Barbeau clip is from the 1978 Academy of Country Music Awards--I threw it in because (given how Kenny Rogers swept the ACM's that year) I thought it'd be a nice curveball. The Marilu Henner stuff is from a totally different tape.

There was something similar to an 8 track loop for video. In the ‘70s the Sony CV2100 ace half inch reel to reel machine was the standard video recorder used in schools here in London, England. There was a colour version, the CV5600 p, but I never saw one. These machines were similar to the half inch EIAJ format but ran the tape at a higher speed of about 11 1/2 inches per second. While these machines normally ran reel to reel Sony did make an endless loop cartridge for them. It was basically a square plastic box which sat over one of the reel spindles but was not driven by it. The tape was pulled out from the centre and wound up on the outside as on an 8 track. I don’t remember how long the tape ran for but it was only a few minutes. The lubricant from the back of the tape found its way onto the heads which had to be cleaned frequently, and the only one of these things which I ever saw lasted only a few playings before jamming and the tape getting totally screwed up. There was another endless loop product which was announced but never came to market, a LVR (Linear Video Recorder) from Toshiba. BASF and Toshiba both announced plans for LVR formats to remove the mechanical complexity of helical scanning. Due to the speed that the tape had to run the tape would only last for a few minutes at most. The BASF version would reverse the tape when it reached the end, I don’t remember how they covered the gaps each time the tape reversed, while the Toshiba one would use an endless loop(with the tape running at video writing speeds!). Needless to say, neither system was actually launched, but I did see a demonstration of a prototype of one of them, I think it was the BASF one, but it’s a long time to think back now. The Toshiba endless loop version sounds even less practical.

I think I can safely say you're the first to refer to my perpetually scratched, veiny hands as "incredibly manicured".

In addition to this I’ll-fated format, Quasar also made the VH-5000 as the first ever VHS VCR in late 1977, and then Panasonic jumped in with the Omnivision VHS VCR a year later in 1978. Both Panasonic and Quasar used the Omnivision name on all VHS VCR models during the 1980’s and 1990’s. The recent VHS VCR I have is my Panasonic PV-950H Omnivision VHS VCR, and it looks a lot similar to Quasar VCR. Both Panasonic and Quasar were siblings of Matsushita.

Yup. Alas, he didn't sing anything.

@@OddityArchive A shame, I like "Don't Give Up on Us". Too poppy for the country audience I guess.

From what I read, it looks like they shipped in December of '76, with the street date being January 1st-3rd, 1977 (depending if the store was open on New Year's and/or Sunday). The cynic in me says the last machines were manufactured by the end of '77, but obviously I can't confirm that.

Isn’t that an unfortunate effect of the “circular breathing” that wind musicians do to sustain a note 🎵 ?

Three or four. None complete.

Do you remember the others? I know you have the 1977 Indy 500 and the 1978 British Grand Prix since I’ve seen them in episodes. It’s okay if you don’t remember

I think I have part of the 1982 Indianapolis 500 (if memory serves).

Not complete, but here ya go. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lO3yFR_NLvE.html

Bought it off of LabGuy.

5:14 Was that Cornjob?

@ViegasSilva Alas, too hot for YT.

@@OddityArchive are you telling me there's not a couple of seconds at all capable of showing?

The few seconds of the head clogging comes from one of the Japanese tapes.