Messing Around with the Sony J-30SDI (Menu, Play, Pause, Jog, Shuttle, Forward, Rewind)

[@PajamaFrix]

betacam is such an interesting format

[@pmc1000]

So that’s where all those strange VHS closings come from.

[@wigwagstudios2474]

I hope someday there's some sort of betacam effect simulator that can turn your video file into a virtual betacam, and you have all the jog/shuttle features and what not, and you can do them live so you can record yourself "fast forwarding" or "rewinding" a video with the gray lines and all

[@ffbsoffa]

Hi, I saw your comment and felt like I should reply. I’ve attempted to code a program that mimics a similar functionality. It’s not perfect now, but I hope it aligns with what you’re looking for.

[@wigwagstudios2474]

​@@ffbsoffa DAMN, this is ABSOLUTELY what I'm looking for! This is super cool, love seeing things I imagine come true, I don't have the knowledge to code so I'd never expect this stuff! This is very accurate even if it isn't currently perfect

[@moelester7527]

I guess this is the exact device that some TV stations and channels used for tape playback, I say that because I've seen different cases where a TV channel would accidentally rewind a tape on air and the gray lines would come up. Some channels may have used other models though.

[@excuseyou77]

There were a couple of instances where this happened in my area with Jeopardy episodes lol.

[@TheVintageTVArchive]

TV stations would've most likely had recorders instead of players, but I'm sure some probably had a unit like this. The J-30SDI can only play Betacam formats. It can't record to them.

[@Omega-Is-Usc]

VHS gonna be real quiet after this

[@VectraQS]

Do commercials comprise the bulk of content available on used BetaCam tapes for sale? I know that the bulk of 2" programs were transferred to DigiBeta in the 90s, but I doubt companies like Fremantle and Sony are dumping their archives anytime soon.

[@TheVintageTVArchive]

I can only speak for recent listings on eBay since I've only actively been searching for Betacam tapes since April. I do believe that most used Betacam tapes you see on eBay have commercials, but there's a mixture of different content. In April, I purchased a lot of 43 tapes, all having infomercials from 2008-2012. The second lot, purchased in May, contained 67 tapes, a mixture of commercials and PSAs from 2006-2012. There's a lot of new old stock of every Betacam variant on eBay, from standard Betacam to HDCAM.

[@excuseyou77]

@@TheVintageTVArchive You should do this with some of your other videos, haha.

[@LETVReturns]

betacam is better than vhs

[@andyrose5616]

Betacam is not the same as Betamax. Betamax and VHS are consumer formats. Betacam is a professional format that was used by TV stations.