Business screen magazine (1946)

February, 1971 The Cassettes Are Coming During the next 18 months, cassettes will be coming . . . fast. Here's how Business Screen found potential industrial users to be awaiting them. The cassettes are coming! Videocassettes, that is. Ever since the first news -leak" about the CBS EVR system, the industry has been deluged with announcements of new systems. The term videocassette is not really accurate to cover many of the systems being developed and discussed, but for lack of a better term, we will use it. Small, lightweight and economical, they appear to promise the ultimate .A-\' magic . . individual usage through any ordinary TV receiver. There are no less than 20 different announced systems presently at various stages of development. Only one (EVR) has reached the market as of this writing. They range in system type from film variations (EVR) to vinyl tape (Selcctavision) to magnetic tape (Ampex, Sony, Panasonic and many others) to the newest entry by Telefunken which is a plastic foil disc similar to an ordinary phonograph record. The technique for recording and duplicating programs on the systems also differs. In terms of sheer numbers, the majority of the announced systems are videotape, differing mainly in the size, shape and volume of the cartridge, although there are some differences in the tape itself in some systems. How many of the systems ultimately reach the market remains to be seen, and undoubtedly many of them will be marketed in a slightly altered format and design. While most of the publicity surrounding the various systems has been about the consumer market with predictions ranging from $1 billion to $12 billion by 'l 980, little serious attention has been paid the industrial market where the systems will most certainly be used first. It is no real secret that it is here in industrial usage that new audiovisual products are really tested. It is here where the ultimate success or failure of a product is often determined. And. in light of the fact that videocassettes are really the outgrowth of the ever smaller (physical tape size) format videotape market, it is a natural. In order to get a real feel for the industrial user's thinking in terms of videocassettes. Business Screen surveyed several hundred of its readers who are in charge of leading industrial or government VTR installations. The results of the study were diverse and enlightening, particularly in terms of prevailing attitudes about the concept of videocassettes themselves. We asked respondents whether they were presently using EVR or had any cassette system ordered in quantity. We also asked if cassettes Acre or would be under consideration for future use by them. And, we asked them to describe their current feelings about them and how much of an effect playback vs. recording origination system capability had on their consideration. Surprisingly, we found only three cases of companies making a sizable commitment to any cassette format (EVR in each case). The predominant attitude was "wait and see" for a variety of reasons. We found that several companies have already ordered one each of two or three systems in order to make their own comparisons based on their particular needs. The big questions The hesitancN on the part of industrial users to commit themselves to any of the videocassette systems hinges upon two basic factors, cost and stdiuhirdization (or lack of it). At the time of our survey, there was no standard. Now, however, one appears to be emerging at least for the tape cartridges themselves (see chart footnote). And, industrial users already in the midst of the Super 8 cartridge standardization hassle are not at all anxious to rush into another. Thus, the hesitancy or "wait and see" attitude expressed by many. The cost factor runs deeper in the minds of industrial users than just the consideration of the cost of the unit. Most of those queried feel certain that ultimate mass production and sale of videocassettes will bring the cost of the unit itself well within reasonable ranges. The big question mark was in the cost and time factors of duplication and cartridge loading. Some feel quantity limitations and time needed for mass duplication are serious drawbacks to manv of the proposed systems. Despite manufacturers approach to the contrary, business users do want solid standardization, which offers system compatibility or interchangeability of cartridges. While none of our correspondents felt they needed a recording capability with each unit, 85 '^r said recording origination capability was vital in their ultimate selection. Future is bright. Despite the expressed hesitancy and questions raised, nearly every* person surveyed agreed that the cassette concept is great, adding that they are at least interested in learning and seeing more about them. AT&T's Willis H. Pratt. Jr., best summed up the feelings of those we surveyed when he commented. "Videocassette systems have a great potential. The speed of their development (and utilization) will depend on the manufacturers" ability to standardize and reduce costs to a point where large numbers of devices can be made available and programs will be interchangeable. Until this is done, industry will go slow to avoid investing in hardware that may be soon outmoded." FEBRUARY, 1971 23