Chapter 5:

1. Chapter 5: Videotape & Recorders

2. Vocabulary: • ½” Tape: Reel format videotape found only in low-end, industrial equipment. • ¾” Tape: Videotape format that has been surpassed by current technology. Also called U-Matic. • 1” Tape: Reel format videotape available in three formats: Type A, Type B, and Type C. Type C was the most common format. • 2” Tape: Reel format videotape used on older machines called quadruplex recorders. • 8mm: Videotape format designed for consumer camcorders and is named for the width of the tape. • Artifacts: Rectangular distortions that are seen screen on digital video formats. • Betacam: A ½” format, broadcast-quality videotape. Analog format. • Betacam SP: A ½” videotape format that used to be the best format for professional television use, but digital video formats are challenging this format in professional markets. Analog format.

3. Vocabulary (Continued): • Betamax: A ½” videotape format developed as a consumer medium. It is, for the most part, extinct. • Beta SX: A ½” videotape that uses digital MPEG compression. Digital format. • Control Track: Series of inaudible pulses recorded onto a tape that regulates the speed of the tape in playback. • D-9: See Digital S. • Digital Betacam (Digi-Beta): A ½” videotape with higher quality than Betacam SP and the capability of recording of digital signals instead of analog signals. • Digital S: A ½” digital videotape format that is broadcast quality. Also known as D-9. • Dropout: Tiny white dot seen on the television screen when the medium has fallen off an analog videotape hand the video head passes over an “empty spot” on the stage.

4. Vocabulary (Continued): • Dubbing: Process of copying the recorded material on videotape. • DVCam: A 6mm digital format that is proprietary for Sony Corporation. • DVCPRO: A 6mm, metal particle tape used as a professional digital video format. • DVCPRO50: A 6mm digital format with even higher quality than DVCPRO. • Head: A 15-second “lead in” recorded onto tape at the beginning of every take. • Helical Scan: Pattern in which a video signal is placed onto videotape. The videotape is wrapped around the video head and, because the head is slanted, the video signal is recorded diagonally on the tape. Also called Slant Track. • Hi8: An 8mm videotape that is higher in quality and uses a different recording system than 8mm. Analog format. • Input: Port or connection on a VCR through which a signal enters the VCR, such as the “audio in”.

5. Vocabulary (Continued): • Mini-DV: Metal evaporated tape, 6mm digital video format used by many industrial video producers. • Monitor: Television set that can receive only pure video and audio signals. • Monitor/Receiver: Hybrid television that can receive pure video and audio signals, as well as RF signals. • Output: Port or connection on a VCR through which the signal leaves the deck and travels to another piece of equipment such as the “video out”. • Quadruplex (Quad): Very large, older videotape recorder that uses 2” tape. • Receiver: Television set that can receive only RF signals. • RF: Radio frequency signal that is a combination of both audio and video. • RF Converter: Small module inside the VCR that combines pure video and audio into one radio frequency. • Slant Track: See Helical Scan.

6. Vocabulary (Continued): • Super VHS (S-VHS): A low-end, industrial ½” videotape format that is superior to VHS. Analog format. • Tail: A 10-second “lead-out” recorded onto videotape at the end of each scene. • Test Record: Process of using the VTR to record audio and video signals before the session taping begins to ensure the equipment is functioning properly and to indicate any necessary adjustments to make sure that the audio and visual signals are being recorded properly. • Tracking Control: Knob on a professional VCR that is used to manually adjust the tape tracking speed. • U-Matic: A ¾” videotape format that has been surpassed by current technology. Also knows as ¾” tape. Analog format. • VHS (Video Home System): A ½” videotape format that emerged as the preferred standard for consumer VCRs. Analog format.

7. Vocabulary (Continued): • VHS-C: A ½” videotape format that is shorter than regular VHS and is, therefore, packaged in a compact cassette. Analog format. • Video Heads: Components inside a VCR that lay down the video signal onto a tape when in record mode. In playback mode, the video heads pick up the video signal from a tape. • Video Noise: Black and white dots seen on a screen if the videotape is blank or if the heads are dirty. • VTR Interchange: Ability of a tape that was recorded on one machine to be played back on another machine. • Y/C Signal: Signal placed onto S-VHS videotape.

8. Other Notes: • Dirty video heads are caused by dropout and dirty video heads, which can be caused by smoking near the machine, using poor quality videotape, pet hair and dander falling into the VCR, and touching the videotape itself. • Video head cleaning fluid, wood alcohol, denatured alcohol, foam swabs, and chamois-tipped swabs should be the only things used to clean dirty video heads. • Video heads should only be cleaned when dirty to avoid damage by over cleaning. • As video heads spin, they place a video signal on the videotape in a slanted pattern. • Lower-end videotape may be played in a higher-end machine, this is known as upwardly compatible videotape.

9. Other Notes (Continued): • Higher-end tape will not always play in a lower end-machine. • The control track pulse is placed on the tape every 1/30th of a second, without regard to how fast the tape moves while recording. • When the VCR is in playback mode, the same circuit that placed the pulse on the tape now “listens” for the pulses. • The tape is sped up or slowed down to time the pulses 1/30th of a second apart. • During the 15-second lead-in (head), the slate and countdown are displayed. • The lead-out for each scene, or the tail, should be at least 10 seconds. Performers continue their actions without dialog.

10. Other Notes (Continued): • The tail is a safety feature that ensures no part of the actual scene footage is recorded over due to tape retraction or automatic backspacing. • Most common factor that affects videotape quality is the grade of adhesive used on the tape. • The audio levels for an analog recording should fluctuate between -3 and +3. • ½” is a common videotape width/size.