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Ampex VPR6 Studio C Format Video Tape Recorder.
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In the beginning (say 1979), while rather known as 'a format without a tape', the Ampex
and Sony one inch C standard rapidly became THE workhorse video tape format of the broadcaster.
While a great improvement in terms of cost of ownership and tape storage requirements
over the earlier 2 inch Quadruplex recorders, these newer video tape machines were still formidable, complex and costly electro-mechanical devices. There is a serious amount of 'guts' inside one of these beasts, which may be seen in the various linked images.
Video tape recorders like these were quite tricky to lace up, required the regular attention
of skilled maintenance engineers and consumed video heads about every 1500 hours or so. These heads, which cost perhaps the equivalent of £2,000 a set in modern money, might need replacing every couple of months if the machine was in heavy daily use. (Which of course how they were to earn their living.)
Fortunately, unlike domestic and professional video cassette machines, changing a video
head was quite easily done in one of these beasts. I imagine it could be done in about 5 minutes, and no 'tuning up' of the electronics was needed either.
In the picture below the transport cover has been hinged down, and the scanner cover
removed. |
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Remember that the circular set of electronic and video heads on the left rotate at 3,000
RPM when the machine is working. One might like to ponder that when playing a tape the machine has to accurately line up a diagonal track of less than 1mm width on a tape moving at several inches per second with a rotating magnetic head of similar thickness running diagonally across the tape at just under 1,000 inches per second. The video head is also vibrating at 400 times a second while bieng steered to produce the best output signal.
Easy!
Click on the image for further pictures.
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