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Before we convert VHS to DVD for you, it is
interesting to note how the VHS format began. Believe it or not,
videotape technology has actually been around for a very long
time, long before Timeless DVD began recording VHS to DVD!
As far back as 1951, manufacturers such as RCA and Ampex
were working on designs for tape recorder systems, including
experiments to develop a rotating head that would read and write
video information. These experiments directly led to the
technology that exists in today’s VCRs, as well as the technology
to transfer VHS video to DVD.
Throughout the
1950s, further developments included a
deck with fixed video heads, a recorder with FM recording, and
a recorder that used ½-inch tape.
In 1958, the Los Angeles Rams began using
a tape recorder to review the team’s performance
during halftime.
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Copying
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But how did we get as far as VHS to DVD transfer,
really? Here is the most important development: in 1965, Sony introduced
the first consumer video tape recorder. It was a reel-to-reel machine
that used ½-inch wide tape on reels that were approximately
7 inches in diameter, and could record up to one hour of black
and white video.
While other manufacturers developed their own versions of Sony’s
machine, there was no interchangeability between decks. Finally,
in 1968, a consortium set mechanical and electrical specifications
for video tape recorders, to which most manufacturers began to
adhere.
The first VHS copy machine
that used cartridges rather than reels was designed in 1969
by Ampex. But it wasn't until 1971, when Sony introduced
the U-matic ¾-inch tape
format, that a commercial cassette machine became available to
the public. A U-matic tape looks like a large VHS tape and can
record 60–90
minutes.
Even
after the rise of VHS, U-matic remained a format that was widely
used throughout the 1980s and 1990s by industry, education, and
government. However, the large size and cost of U-matic decks
hindered the format's widespread consumer acceptance. (A U-matic
deck in today’s dollars would be
approximately $7,000; they are so rare that Timeless DVD does not
even have one for video
transfer.) |
VHS
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The consumer market for VCRS began in earnest
in 1974, when Sony developed the Betamax. The format was released
to the American public in 1976. The first Betamax tapes only
had one hour of running time – which became an essential sticking
point in the format war. Betas became available in the United
States via Zenith, Sony, Sears, and Toshiba, and are part of
Timeless DVD's video
tape to DVD offerings.
Despite Sony’s
lobbying efforts, JVC continued
to design its own proprietary system, which it called “Video
Home System,” or VHS. The format received excellent publicity
and was more widely accepted by video manufacturers than Betamax.
Plus, it possessed a 2-hour running time, which was the most obvious
difference for the average user, and enables
easy VHS digital transfer for us.
VCR sales
in Japan grew rapidly and soon VHS machines were available in
the U.S. from Panasonic, RCA, and JVC. Although today video
on DVD technology has eclipsed VHS, many homes still have
VCRs. Transferring from VHS to computer has become a popular hobby
in many countries. |
VHS
to DVD Transfer |
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Copying VHS is easy
with Timeless DVD! |
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