RetroTech: Sony's bizarre Ruvi camcorder

I love a good bad idea - and this was one of the best.
Sony's 1998's Ruvi was a one-off camcorder experiment. In the video you can find out what made this a unique failure.
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Guessed Potential Questions or Comments (Q=Question, C=Comment)
Q) Is the tape a loop?
A) No it runs from one reel to the other then you rewind it.
Q) Will you do a video about that MicroMV camcorder?
A) Yes I plan to, one day
Q) Would the video have looked sharper with a brand new video cartridge?
A) Worn out tape will usually show drop-outs (small white lines) but this tape didn't have any which indicates the tape was still fine. If this was my camera I doubt I'd have recorded on it 'hundreds of times' - I'd probably have used it a few times over a year or two then upgraded to a different camera.
Q) If the camera only has an analog output how did you capture the video?
A) With a video capture device hooked up to the composite output from the camera.
Q) Did you change the video title?
A) Yes, I couldn't decide on a suitable word, but the Quarrymen did all right after a name change, so what's in a name.
Q) Why are there no muppets in this video?
A) They don't appear in every video - they just come out when something 'amusing' comes to mind for them to express. Today - I have nothing. Writer's block.
C) Actually I think you'll find that those pentalobe screws were....
A) ....
C) That shirt needed ironing
A) Yes it did - I wore a creased shirt to demonstrate the lack of shadow-definition on the Ruvi (this is not true).
Q) I really need to see what MiniDV video looked like from that JVC camcorder (for some unfathomable reason)
A) Well here's some indoors footage I took with it in 1998 • ECTS 1998 London Video...
Q) What's this New York in 1993 in HD thing you mentioned?
A) So you're the person who hasn't seen it... more info here www.techmoan.co...
Q)Where do you get the old magazines from?
A) books.google.com/
C) You said that the footage 'might have looked like it came from 20 years earlier than 1998, that's 1978, video in 1978 wouldn't have looked like that.
A) en.wikipedia.o...
C) In those magazines there is a camcorder for $23,000
A) Typo
Q) Do you have downloadable full size photos of the interior of that video cartridge
A) Why yes, yes I do - www.techmoan.co...
C) So I noticed that at the beginning of the video in a totally unscripted bit when you spoke to the camera uninterrupted for three minutes that you referred to 8 years as as few...however I don't think 8 is a few...I think it's more than that.
A) Is this really what you wanted to do with your life, trying to pick apart videos on youtube? Have a try at making something...it's a lot harder than sitting watching a phone on the toilet while eating Cheetos and complaining about everything, however it can be a lot more rewarding too. You never know you might become a youtube megastar and experience things from the other side.
C) Hey dude I would have just spooled new tape inside that cartridge from a Hi8 cassette
A) Cool story bro.
C) I saw some white chewing gum stuck to the camera
A) It was white-tac used to hold the camera on it's end in one of the size comparison photos - I neglected to remove it and it now has completely ruined the entire internet for everyone...sorry about that.

[@Musical_Museum]

Not sure how we have not commented on this before now! Thank you so much to Matt for downloading and donating the footage shown at 6:10 (there was more) which is a rare glimpse of our original Museum in St. George's Church, Brentford before we moved to our new purpose-built location over 15 years ago. We really appreciated the time you took to do this for our tiny charity, as we have no video records from this time. The footage is now on our channel (MusicalMuseumLive), and safely backed up in our archive on several different digital media. Thanks also to Sam (from YT channel ThisMuseumIsNotObsolete) who introduced us to Matt!

[@KahlessTheUnforgettable]

It’s amazing to ponder what various people have tucked away on videotapes collecting dust in their attics! Interesting story!

[@zeos386sx]

that cartridge is quite possibly the most sony thing ever.

[@richardemms3050]

Indeed, elaborate and impractical. But solves a minor issue. Does anyone remember the Sony Mavica digital camera? Storing photos on a floppy disk was brilliant when nobody was using USB sockets.

[@BigMack2020]

That is very sony of sony

[@IDoNotLikeHandlesOnYT]

@@richardemms3050 Don't forget proprietary

[@stevenlenkowsky6879]

zeos386sx My two still work, so there’s that!

[@straightpipediesel]

Just like Minidisc, It wasn't Sony's idea. They just copied and shrunk the airborne recorders used by the military. Those systems were almost the same. By eliminating the removable tape, it was smaller, more rugged, and could be environmentally sealed.

[@nscantling]

I'm not sure the grey and bleak video is the camera's fault. I thought that was just London? ;)

[@patd4u2]

That is what I thought to. lol

[@markpenrice6253]

I've got some early digital camera photos from a trip down there to go to the millennium dome (quite possibly what the Ruvi tape was meant for?) and, well, it looks very similar :D Though that IS down to the the CCDs of the time being uniformly hopeless. £700, that thing cost the school my mum taught at, all 1.3 megapixels of it, but you'd throw away a webcam or phone that produced images of that quality nowadays. Just, like, straight in the bin. It was a poor contender even against my 110-format film camera, the only benefit really being the ability to delete and re-shoot, as well as to insert pictures into Word documents without having to develop and scan them (which is what I borrowed it for, and what I bought my own first digital camera for about 3 years later ... £200, 2mpx, and general image quality that stomped all over the earlier model... probably saved me £300 in 35mm film and processing alone, plus the time that would have been spent waiting for the development and then putting them in a scanner) As in washed out but muddy at the same time, poorly focussed at the edges no matter what you did (because the electronics cost so much they ended up skimping on the optics... oh dear), and really, really, REALLY bad colour reproduction. All that and tiny memory cards plus deathly slow serial interfacing. No wonder we were skeptical of the idea at first...

[@justinholmes5614]

True story I hate going to London

[@SketchTurnerZero]

Everything Log2 in London :D

[@filminginportland1654]

He said *in the video* that it's not just the "October weather". Pay attention!

[@The8BitGuy]

I've never heard of this before. However, I must say I would have probably liked it back in 2000. Even as far back as that, I was using a Hi-8 camcorder and as soon as I would record some footage, I would use a video capture card and pull it into my computer. That's how I kept all of my home movies back then. And then, I would simply re-use the same cassette over and over again until it wore out. And since I would have captured it straight to my PC, it wouldn't have had as much degradation as going to VHS. Honestly, I think the video quality looks pretty good compared to the Hi-8 camera I was using at the time. So I guess I would give this device a thumbs up. But I know my usage case would have not been the norm in 2000.

[@hideouslyhilarious]

The 8-Bit Guy u

[@KarlBaron]

@ropersonline Even if they were to make a HDD for it, I bet it would still be analog rather than digital. There were analog disc formats before - look up "Video Floppy" or "Mavipak".

[@marrieddyke]

That's still how I do things. 1080p video the way my phone records it is a bit much for my wee SD card, so I get out my Canon ZR-200, set it to 16:9 and LP mode and have fun whenever I need to record something longer than ten minutes. I've only got three tapes though, so I'll do an SP-speed dub to a videotape for safety, and then dub the footage to a PC and reuse the MiniDV tape.

[@lunarmodule6419]

You're always to ahead of the parade. Come IN the parade, its fun! 😃 Low tech and all LOL.

[@TheDzhoel]

yo 8bit bro, If you stick a paperclip in the tape mechanism you can improve the quality and fix any faults that they have

[@billymonkey111]

"Those aren't pentalope screws...WE DON'T CARE!". I work with someone exactly like that.

[@Milnoc]

It's as if they tried to reproduce a hard drive, but with Hi-8 tape. I'm surprised it went beyond the R&D stage.

[@James2t3]

Sony has always loved their proprietary storage solutions.

[@whitestriderable]

James2t3 yes, and many people still hate Sony for this reason!

[@claudiobizama5603]

I'm looking at you PSvita

[@Clay3613]

I think you mean PSP, which was very easy to get around the piracy protection.

[@claudiobizama5603]

At least you can buy adaptors for the Memory Stick, like one that gives you 2 microSD slots. But the Vita is a bigger offender because is expensive and smaller than a microSD

[@RevRaptor898]

Damn straight bloody stupid vita. I have one, still haven't gotten around to buying a memory card for it. I'm gona end up spending more on the card than I did buying the vita :(

[@Nostalgianerd]

I did not expect tape to be in the cartridge! Fascinating stuff.

[@Bug110]

Wow I am the first one to like and comment.This comment was made 3 years ago!

[@coolguy-xd1bg]

@@Bug110 You're a real archeologist ^_^

[@johannesschneider8928]

They basically put a whole VCR in the cartridge. Yeah, have to agree with the others: That's probably the most Sony piece of engineering ever.

[@irfanchaudhri]

You are like the Wikipedia of old items and videos. Its amazing to see old tech and how it compares with today. Keep it up - enjoying every single video you throw at us.

[@Pandan3D]

you with the hand up in the back, we dont want to hear your boring facts!

[@Troublingarcher7]

I love when he does a video on something and then all of a sudden a Wikipedia page pops up for it

[@mikekz4489]

That is some bullshit there with that cartridge. I was expecting some oddball early digital memory storage.

[@MetalheadAndNerd]

I expected a small hard disk.

[@justletmelistthese]

"washed out colours in London, in October" No way!

[@RajithaSeneviratne]

that cartridge is so awesome. they've somehow built an entire video head mechanism into such a small area. what a brilliant piece of engineering

[@MaxKoschuh]

That cartridge is awesome and stupid at the same time.

[@Spacekriek]

I just watched the video (mostly scrubbing really) but it does strike me as about the best thing Sony could do in the pre-flash era.

[@Radi0he4d1]

A perfect example of overengineering.

[@Oldbmwr100rs]

The best part is, that if they had just made it all into the unit and used a new format of tape it could have been smaller. The extra case and parts to make the cartridge was a waste of space.

[@danijel-ch2gk]

Agreee, just switching to miniDV tape would likely make the camera a bit smaller. Also, that amount of tape would likely last at least 45, if not 60 minutes.

[@BillAnt]

Well yes, but without experimentation there's no future progress... and we can see the current solid state flash drives packaged in a similar cartridge like form factor (sans the crazy tape system ; )

[@Damien.D]

The one and only "awkward audio and video formats channel" now presents : the tape cartridge with a head inside. Brilliant.

[@georgeplagianos6487]

@@electrictroy2010 yes I bought my first mini camcorder back in 1988 it was a Magnavox VHS -c model. Back then it was $400 at "nobody beats the The wiz"electronic store in New York City. BTW: brought one of these RUVIs for $135 around 2000 at PC Richards store. Cuz all those other small camcorders were like he said hundreds of dollars more. I got it right before 911 and recorded all these ash covered people walking looking pretty exhausted and stressed along the waterfront highway coming from from downtown where the disaster happened

[@ahelpinghand8340]

I've still got my sony ruvi ,when I purchased it back in the 90's ,I thought it was amazing and much more pocket friendly than all other camcorders, never went out of focus unlike all the other cameras I had, picture quality was very good on my unit in good light , the Sony cartridges cost £75 each and yes I did buy one , I never thought I would see another one let alone a review. thanks tech moan.

[@wtfindestries09]

Hey, during the footage it shows Gloucester quays before the gentrification. The red brick warehouses in the background and the boats are all familiar, and all the stills are around Gloucester and Cheltenham too.

[@stevebrown1974]

Yeah I recognised the Docks too!

[@JimFortune]

If you'd stuck with the earlier camera you wouldn't have to worry about wrinkled shirts!

[@Techmoan]

I don't worry about them...that's the job of the internet.

[@Techmoan]

I try to prevent unnecessarily repeated comments...it doesn't work...like the time I got hundreds of comments about soldering techniques on the SX-64 video..after I said I didn't want any tips.

[@JimFortune]

Techmoan I wasn't complaining about your wrinkled shirt. God knows I'm the last man to harp on that! Just trying to point out that even when it seems to be progress it ain't necessarily so. ;->

[@Techmoan]

No i understand, it's like the problemsTV presenters had with the introduction of HD where their old caked on orange makeup was no longer suitable and then again more recently with 4K where set designers have to make a bit more effort, as every scene can be paused and examined in detail - an old Gillette razor will no longer cut it as a communicator vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/f/f9/QuiGon_hush98.jpg

[@JimFortune]

Techmoan Witness the movie stars whose careers ended with the talkies, due to their horrible speaking voices. ;->

[@TuneStunnaMusic]

That was awesome! Tiny little play head and reels inside a lil case. I love these obscure technologies

[@Immashift]

I remember my dad and my uncle back in the day both warred over camera gear, and both ended up getting this $1200 Sony Hi-8 model. The most interesting thing about those cameras was they had infrared video transmission via a receiver connected to the TV. I remember my dad building a special little shelf for the camcorder to sit on above the couch so he didn't have to have it on his lap while playing home videos. Then I bought a Mini DV model from Panasonic off eBay a few years later which blew those two cameras out of the water, and both my uncle and my dad weren't very happy with their cameras any more. Shortly thereafter though solid state cameras became a thing and we all got 3 megapixel point and shoots that also did VGA video and we thought that was awesome.

[@dogsbody49]

Interesting footage at 6:10. it is of the Music Museum at Brentford. Before they moved into the purpose built museum it was situated in the old St Andrew's church in Brentford High Street.

[@DJChalky85]

Ah you beat me to it!

[@dogsbody49]

A fascinating museum. Not the same atmosphere since they moved it to the new building. I see that they are converting the church into apartments.

[@Graham_Langley]

Spotted it immediately even though I've only been there once, back in the mid-70s.

[@Pianomagicdude]

Sannesthesia Poor Wandering One from Pirates of Penzance!

[@Musical_Museum]

Hi Chris, you are correct. If anyone would like to see what we look like now, we're publishing a series of concerts and other videos on our KZbin channel, MusicalMuseumLive - hope to see you all there! Many thanks to Mat, who kindly provided us with a digital copy of the footage for our archives.

[@bobfl42]

Wheres the Muppets? I wanted to know what they have to say about it.

[@theoldaccidontuseanymore696]

RTFD

[@randomsanwhich2]

Robert Fletcher the muppets were on 8 bit guy channel !!

[@power-max]

Q) Why are there no muppets in this video? A) They don't appear in every video - they just come out when something 'amusing' comes to mind for them to express. Today - I have nothing. Writer's block. --techmoan description

[@Kalidor99]

+Power Max, That's a lie, they are on vacation in the US, hanging around with the 8-bit guy.

[@power-max]

It was in the description.

[@rennaaa6667]

I actually wanted to see the '93 HD NY video and lo behold it's in your FAQ. Nice :D

[@dasdasdus]

Amazing aren't they.

[@skakdosmer]

Nice to see all about the equipment I couldn't afford, and learn that I hardly missed anything.

[@ChoobChoob]

Can you do a review of that Sony digital camera that used Floppy Disks?

[@rzeka]

Oh shit, I have that. It records video at like 10 fps with no sound.

[@LGR]

The Sony Mavica! I have one I plan to review myself :)

[@shoraz]

Lazy Game Reviews did you find it from one of your thrifting adventures?

[@cebruthius]

I still have mine. 640x480 jpegs yay. I still remember the beeper going tee-dee ... breeep with every shot.

[@daliberal]

small KZbin world, watch your videos too.

[@mrpositronia]

Does Ruvi stand for Really useless video idea? Thank you! I'll get my coat.

[@jennoscura2381]

It was going to be Ruby because they thought they had a real gem on their hands. But then they realized it sucked and had to rebrand it. LOL.

[@mrpositronia]

^ nice with gravy, peas and mashed potatoes! ;^P

[@rexsexson5349]

Blackout! (See: King of the Hill)

[@tonivoul1971]

One day a guy who worked for garmin found out about that camera and when he heard her name ruvi he had the idea to make gps nuvi machines

[@mrpositronia]

@John Huffington good to film on? 😏

[@Chuywaka]

Oh Sony. How many b̶e̶e̶r̶s̶ sake bottles your engineers have made each other hold.

[@MultiCheeseLouise]

the japanese make and drink quite a lot of different beers... sake is not the japanese equivalent of beer....

[@lunarmodule6419]

For Pete's SAKÉ!

[@lunarmodule6419]

@@MultiCheeseLouise Biru!

[@curiousottman]

Absolutely fascinating. I was shouting "what's in the video cartridge?!!" out loud until you opened it! Great review.

[@andrewpowney6405]

I bought one from Heathrow on the way to Cape Town for a 3 year work placement. Loved it. Sent VHS tapes home to my parents. In one I was hanging off a ledge half way up table mountain on the Camps Bay side. It was great to be able to stick the camera in your jeans pocket. Clearing out the attic... have just found it & it still works. I'm keeping it along with my 1980 Minolta XGM film canera that I used last Summer. Aperture priority & manual focus. Happy days.

[@yusdiy]

there's a VCR in the cartridge. :)

[@Elifesound]

Hey! That's my old camera! I put it on ebay and forgot to delete the footage of my trip to London!! I want it back!! LOL 😂 😂 😂 Love your videos man!

[@muh1h1]

Are you serious? :D

[@Elifesound]

LOL No...just playin.

[@muh1h1]

***** Haha, OK, you never know :D

[@Elifesound]

LOL That's true...

[@1blisslife]

+Rex amillion I was about to say.... "You know where he lives then". lol

[@MegaFPVFlyer]

At 6:17 you can see a rather peculiar looking wooden cabinet with some upside down violins inside it. For anyone wondering, that is actually an extremely old self playing violin (one instrument for each string, thus why it contains 4). You can find an in depth video on the "Wintergatan" KZbin channel - interesting stuff. I like to think that the machine in the home video is the one in Wintergatan's video before it was restored.

[@MattGamesYT]

Just been reminded of an early digital camera I had that recorded directly to floppy disk. What an absolute beast that was.

[@DanScram946]

I really admire the level of research in your videos, nice to see the history as well as the tech!

[@tdcattech]

This idea is a fine example of where innovation crosses into blind stupidity.

[@_JoeMomma]

Gotta make sure the consumer cant use aftermarket storage so sony can make more money!

[@onthemoverealestatephotogr9655]

Classic Sony...

[@itbestuk]

Love seeing old footage, especially when just uncovered from an old camera. 2000 seems like a lifetime ago, when I was 21 😢

[@antiqueperfection]

6:13 A 1947 Seeburg trashcan Jukebox! I used to have one of those, wish I never would have sold it. Loved the thing, super cool and unique. Nice little find on that 20 year old home video :-)

[@ddanny3108]

My hi8 Sony camcorder of 1993 was able to fit in a bum bag, was hifi stereo and would record 180 minutes on lp. The quality was excellent. Lovely machine. I don't think full size VHS was still rented out in the late nineties. We recoded my degree ceremony on one in 1986.

[@Techmoan]

Those people who had rented VHS camcorders on their shoulders in Disney in Florida in 1996 must have just been in my imagination. I suppose this was when the hallucinations started.

[@ddanny3108]

Techmoan lol. I love the tone... just my pedantic nature.

[@ddanny3108]

Techmoan BTW the vhs c camcorder was shown in Back to the Future in 1985. I suspect the Americans you remember were using very old tech... I visited Florida in 1993 and 1994 and never saw an old school full size vhs camcorder... I hope you take this with a smile as I love your videos and suspect you may be sensitive rather than humorously sarcastic.

[@Techmoan]

Honestly the idea was that people who did not own a camcorder who made a trip to Disney and wanted to video it could rent a camcorder for the day - they recorded on full size VHS tapes - at the end of the day the tape went in a nice "My day at Disney" type VHS box, they took it home and played it on their VHS machines. If the rental places had given them a VHS-C camera or a Video 8 or a Hi-8 or a SVHS-C they couldn't have played it at home. They could of course have used a VHS-C adaptor, but then they'd have to buy that as well. This is why they used full size VHS machines as rentals. I remember it vividly as I hadn't seen these full size VHS camcorders since the early 1980s so I had to ask one of these people about their camera and they explained the whole rental process to me. I then later saw the rental shop near the exit.

[@ddanny3108]

Techmoan I see. And again, sorry if you think I'm being awkward. I'm a huge fan. Thanks for bothering to reply. :-)

[@Mickice]

SONY is probably king for one off unique designs.

[@CommodoreFan64]

Got that right, and for use of expensive propriety formats that rarely catch on(Blu-ray, and CD being exceptions).

[@Clay3613]

They made the U-matic which was used by nearly every news station in the world till the late 90s.

[@CommodoreFan64]

Clay3613 Well we are talking consumer market not professional market, but yes beta, and BetaMax was very popular in the pro market for it's better broadcast resolution when compared to something like VHS.

[@NotATube]

+Commodorefan64 ; Pedantry time, but that's a common misconception. Betamax might have been slightly better than VHS, but it wasn't popular in (or good enough for) the pro market. The pros used Betacam, the first versions of which *did* use the same physical tape as Betamax, but with a completely incompatible recording format and much faster tape speed. I'm betting that the recorders were also far more expensive. I'm a green muppet and I don't care :-P

[@jimbo1531]

I do hope no one paid $22,990 for that sony in the advert!

[@jimbo1531]

Daniel of course, it was just so glaringly obvious it made me laugh to myself.

[@BgT1990]

That leapt out at me too lol @7:20 how on earth could a consumer camera cost so much?!

[@Tom-Lahaye]

It's a mini DV camera, and Googled it, turns out the MSRP was $2699.- for this camera, so the price in the advert must be most likely $2299.- and the shown price is a typo (noticed the single small digit 9 where other prices all end at 99 cents) I was wondering initially about this price as well, camcorders weren't cheap back then and would you set back a fair part of a months income or more, but for $22,000.- you would get professional kit.

[@Nolroa]

@@BgT1990 It cost a lot because not only were they buying the camcorder, it was a complete package with a professional tripod, filters, a video tape box, a carrying case, a cleaning kit and five years warranty that included repairs and maintenance. And of course the price of $ 22,990 is a typo ... The only video cameras that had that price range at that time were the professional Betacam broadcasting camcorders.

[@kevinr.3542]

It's not a typo, in the small print it says "includes one-on-one filmmaking class with Steven Spielberg, and a free pre-screening of AI:Artificial Intelligence

[@leisergeist]

hah, I thought that JVC one looked familiar fuck I miss Stargate

[@Techmoan]

I had to buy & download episode 1 from Amazon in HD to grab that pic. It holds up well (from what I watched)

[@avamander.]

I miss it too.

[@davepusey]

It was shot on film, so in theory they could rescan it to HD one day.

[@Techmoan]

They already did.

[@avamander.]

Dave Pusey Assuming they haven't auctioned the films off like they did with everything else. A lot has been lost to god knows where unfortunately.

[@kirankankipati-thelinuxcha689]

wow. Amazing. Initially I thought it got some kind of HDD in it and platters. It looked like a miniature harddisk :) Enjoyed watching this video LOL !

[@veggiet2009]

I was hoping you'd show footage from your camera from two years prior... I agree this is bizarre... it possibly was stuck in development for years. being development concurrently with formats like MiniDV and then when MiniDV came out it got stuck in development, and then eventually rather than shelving the work they had done someone said "oh well, let's just release it"

[@Techmoan]

Video Description Text Box

[@ShapeyFiend]

I think my favourite part of these Techmoan videos is fast becoming the part where he tries to preempt the complaints in the KZbin comments.

[@Gannett2011]

at 5:59, my hometown of Gloucester! The Docks are totally transformed now, shops, pubs, cafes, actually rather nice compared to what it was like 10 or 20 years ago.

[@izzieb]

I'm so glad we no longer use MiniDV. No need to capture the footage over FireWire and less chance of losing sound/video due to bad heads or tape.

[@Milnoc]

I've had that happen to me. Very annoying It's too bad though. Even at 1440x1080 MPEG2, my old Canon camcorder produced excellent video.

[@izzieb]

François Caron A few friends and i used to use a Canon XL2. it was a LOVELY camera to work with, but the MiniDV ruined it. We had so many issues with audio it's unbelievable.

[@chartle1]

oh yes FireWire. I used that for my panasonic mini DV camcorder. Last tape based unit. I then used a panasonic (i think) sd card camcorder that is what I would use unless I use my phone.

[@genericgreensquid6669]

I disagree. I love magnetic tape formats.

[@latinoladino1048]

Generic Green Squid I agree with you also. Minidv is awesome. I actually still wicked they made hybrid. Record to HD and minidv

[@helmet098]

That cartridge is the memory stick of the 90s

[@dvogonen]

Your reviews of obsolete and obscure technology are simply brilliant. Here are a few photo-related not-so-well-thought-throug products that would make for good videos: Any of the ill fated APS system cameras (especially Minolta), The APS system as a whole, the first Pentax autofokus system camera(me-f), the Yashica Samurai, Olympus L-3, the Pentax auto 110 system.

[@tcr4x4]

Wow, Gloucester docks at 6.00. Wasn't expecting to see that!

[@amcluesent]

No wonder Sony never saw the iPod coming

[@Clay3613]

iPod did nothing new.

[@MixelsLab]

Clay3613 It's main selling points were the UI and pocketability.(good for a 5GB device at the time)

[@biolinkstudios]

My phone was better, Sony Ericsson W580i then the ipod by miles

[@MixelsLab]

G-Metric the w580i came out 5 years after the original iPod so that's hardly surprising?

[@markpenrice6253]

The point they're making is valid however, mp3 players, including HDD and flash based ones, were old news, and you could already get phones with the capability baked in before either the iPhone or iPod. And indeed the Sony K-series (never mind the tacky Ws) were pretty good as converged feature phones and PMPs. I'm pretty annoyed, for one thing, that smartphones have bloated out so much and so you can't get a touchscreen device about the size of a K750 or 810 (...i think those are the right numbers?) which can play your tunes, take photos & videos, make calls, send/receive messages / use IM apps, or browse the web... even if full smartphone functionality was restricted as a result... ...even though those phones could do all those things to varying degrees, albeit with a keypad and a somewhat low-rez screen. I think you can still get some featurephones that follow the same plan but they're chunky, cheap and functional rather than sleek, powerful and well-made. The 750 (570?) I had in late 2004 when my existing Siemens C65 (itself decent but very lacking in internal storage and devoid of card slot) got broken, and a couple years later I inherited a k810 when a relative upgraded from it... Not sure where that sits vs the iPod timeline, but certainly I *already* had a 20gb mp3 player using a 1.8" HDD (same as the iPod Mini, when the Apple devices were still using 2.5s) before the phone came along.

[@martyslackjaw]

Woah, that footage of London was from 16 years ago today, the day i'm watching the video.

[@markpenrice6253]

Ditto, I guess?

[@TheKingOfFunk1]

Ditto, I guess?

[@AnnSvensson]

Aww, man. Was there any more Pirates of Penzance on that Sony video cartridge? ;- P Nice video, as always!

[@michaelmartin9022]

I swear I remember Tomorrow's World magazine (one of the very first issues) talking about this. I remember some article about a "smallest video camera" that used an "inkjet cartridge sized tape", anyway.

[@LukeInnes]

"Threw out the baby with the bath water" Now there's a phrase people should use more often

[@Xanthopteryx]

Just use a Babycutor (BigClive)

[@mclaine33]

Sony using stupid proprietary storage options once again... it never fails. People complained about the Vita and PSP using odd Memory card formats... this just serves as proof that Sony has been doing this for ages now!

[@mclaine33]

haha very funny... so what I put a cap M instead of a lowercase by accident. Don't make it a big deal bro.

[@mclaine33]

Maxx Fordham It was a typo. My phone auto capitalized it for some reason.

[@SketchTurnerZero]

Maxx Fordham so you are one of this annoying muppets character at the end of the video))

[@moneyprofessional]

Just have to say I'm loving watching your videos. This one was particularly funny, loved the rant at the end. You are so entertaining and witty especially when reviewing some "bad" tech. What on earth do you do with all the stuff you get on ebay and the new equipment that isnt even very good? Surely you dont keep it all, do you just sell it again or give it/throw some of it away eventually?

[@jeffcook3747]

Hi there James! (Sorry if that's not your name. I thought I heard you mention it in an earlier video.) Just wanted to say that I really enjoy all your videos. I really like to see all the older tech equipment. You do a great job of narrating and wouldn't be surprised if you were ever offered a job doing a retro tech segment on a consumer affairs TV show. Thanks for making all these cool shows!

[@btracing]

Great video, always getting the odd ones! Don't stop doing that, it's fantastic.

[@coolbeans2045]

doh! you just reminded me I have a Ruvi stashed away in a drawer. I'm going to dig it out right now and try and see what's on it.

[@stevenbrown5693]

I was shocked when you opened that cartridge! I did not expect little spools of High8 video tape. I used High8 back in the 90's. I always said I would have the tapes transferred to some better storage option in the future. I thought VHS looked awful back then.

[@andreabonamini5166]

I finally discovered what is that strange-looking thing that briefly appears in the credit section of Techmoan videos and that was haunting me since the last few months!

[@sprklfaz]

was that footage of gloucester docks?! haha

[@iamdarkyoshi]

Yeah I can see why this idea never caught on... it is stupid. *ahem* torx

[@the-bizzy-bee]

'dems fightin words here on the yourtubes

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

your videos are simply awesome and inspiring. I feel like I should get some of my old equipment out and get to making some retro reviews.. thanks for sharing

[@zachw2906]

fascinating "solution" to the miniaturization problem. I actually love solutions that come about when somebody asks the question that everyone's overlooked up to then (in this case "why do we need all that extra junk to load and eject tapes?").

[@ASilentS]

Hupfeld Phonoliszt-Violina cameo @6:10. Maybe something for a future review..........

[@thewanderingalbatross1061]

Talking about tech that never made it: did you ever do a minidisk video? Man I thought that was going to be hot. Paid $430 for something my phone now does. They even had new music coming out on them for a short time.

[@M6GOF]

Minidisc was a good format but there was two problems: (1) Thick morons/bad marketing where for some stupid reason people thought it was going to replace CD. I was talking about Minidisc earlier to my missus and she didn't know it recorded. Point proven. (2) Steve Jobs and the evil iPod. It was gaining reasonable traction in the late 1990s, cost of recorders fell (my MDS JE-510 was only £200) and the cost of blanks became quite reasonable. But, then CD recorders came out and the blanks were even cheaper again. Then, there was DCC. I could mention DAT, but that was out of reach for most people and more for professional recording purposes. I nearly bought a DAT, but decided that saving up forever wasn't worth it so got a Minidisc. Most people paid no attention to CD recorders, DCC or Minidisc and continued using tape until mp3 took over.

[@wisteela]

Sounds a cool odd item

[@38911bytefree]

I thought the same too. I bought my MZ37R and I was telling me, hey, my FIRST DIGITAL audio recorder. Two week after I was using my old trusty Toshiba Walkman and tape. Minidisc (in my case) was insane battery hungry. Only 3hr or palyback and 40min recording. It was useless. After comparing it against tape, good recorded ones sounded a bit better in highs, so I gave up. What killed Minidisk was MP3, Internet just took off and very little material were released on Minidisk. It look like a CD, it was digital, .... but it was compressed. Portable MP3 players just were far superior in every posible aspect. By the end Sony allowed MP3 and up to 1GB x disc .... but .... too late.

[@38911bytefree]

They had the MAVICA CD. It was a camera that stored photos on little CDR. It was slow as h3ll and once you pressed the shotter, a message appeared on the viewfinder, instructing you about NOT MOVING the camera too much since it was recording to the CD. Earlier MAvica used 3 1/2 FLOPPY disks .... Its a Sony.

[@RobertSzasz]

The minidisc was a great format once the USB enabled ones came out. And the magnetic/optic discs could survive just about anything. Certainly more trouncing than the compact flash microdrive could which I think was the only competition in the size/storage class for removable media.

[@desmo750f1]

Good to see the mechanical music museum by Kew bridge in the crumbling church it used to be in. It now has a purpose designed building. Well worth a visit.

[@Nash1a]

This reminds me of a gadget I saw at the thrift store a few days ago. I picked it up to look it over because it looked like a camcorder and even had a post-it marked "camcorder" stuck to it. It was not however a camcorder at all. After failing to find where the tape goes in for several minutes, I finally opened up the film compartment. Yes is was a 35 mm film camera that was shaped like a mid 90s camcorder. And just for anyone who is interested, NO, there was no memory card slot of any kind. That didn't start until the second generation of digital still cameras.

[@Bleats_Sinodai]

Sony's Bizarre Adventure into the world of camcorders

[@cerealata9035]

Do we have to *POSE* while using the Ruvi?

[@Crlarl]

Can you do a video on the PXL-2000? It's a toy camera that recorded monochrome video to audio cassettes. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PXL-2000

[@rjhelms]

Even now, almost 20 years later, the look of Hi8 video is unmistakable. I never would have expected that thing to have Hi8 tape inside it, but when I saw the footage from it I couldn't help but think "yeah, that's just what home videos looked like"

[@rjhelms]

Yeah, it's strange. I vaguely recall Hi8 cameras with only composite outputs being common in the early 90s, before S-video was widespread - my dad had one, for sure. But certainly I'd expect one on a camcorder made in 1998, especially an $800 one.

[@trublgrl]

I actually love the ideas in this little gadget. Sony in the late eighties through the early 2000's was a very innovative company, and they released products with a lot of new ideas. Probably after the success of the walkman, they kept looking for the next thing that would solve a problem that no one knew they had. The idea of this video cartridge actually solves a real problem, though. In the days of VHS, the number one problem with video transports was the loading of the tapes. The release mechanisms, tape lifters, complex swing arms used to wrap the tape around a movable head, these were where most transports failed. By eliminating the tape mounting, Sony was betting that the transport would last a lot longer, and be hassle-free. In retrospect, the problems you mention about the immediate downgrade of quality in the dubbing, and the limited record time made this something less than a powerhouse product, but it was a cool idea that they chose to test out in the real world with real consumers. Bravo to them, this is how innovation happens. Anyway, a very enjoyable video. subbed and upvoted!

[@youpie]

it would be cooler if you posted this vid 3 days later! (4:47) XD

[@narutohokage20]

that little stargate fact made me happier than it should have

[@suppengroove]

reasons why i like this channel: videos like this video and audio formats/recording devices that i never heard before. i feel so enlightened every time :D

[@j0emang0]

Love the channel! Your expositions on old odd Consumer Electronics raise nostalgic memories of my grandfather, who loved to tinker with video and audio stuff all through my childhood. We grabbed a Philco v1100 VHS VCR/Tank the week they came out which I think still works, and I am sitting here in front of a sony MDP 700 Laserdisc multi format player which he owned. I've got an older Sansui Receiver in the bedroom and a closet full of live Minidisc recordings. I feel ya. This Ruvi thing is just the kind of Sony headscratcher that made me fall in love with them so early on. Every once in a while they hit a home run and sometimes they release a still-born product like this. Anyway, kudos from across the pond.

[@IAmNotAFunguy]

Do a video about the Sony MicroMV.

[@HobertMcFarlandtechandcargeek]

IAmNotAFunguy If you would read the description, you would know the answer to your question. cheers!

[@ens0246]

Where do you get your old magazine sources?

[@Techmoan]

Books.google.com

[@ens0246]

Thanks! I had no idea they had archived magazines.

[@life5161]

EVERYTHING looks GREAT to us people who grew up on VHS and sub 480p tv's. I'm 40 and how far we've come is mind blowing. 1080P STILL blows my socks off.

[@thedeepsfix]

Dear Techmoan. Pls dont worry about your shirt or your fingers or any of that stuff. we watch you because you are awesome, clever and well spoken. we are all people too, with lives and broken bits about us. thank you for all the time you spend making videos.

[@solidamber]

sony knew what they where doing, their aim was to make the most miniature camcorder possible, which they achieved, they realised they recording format was a dead duck but just wantead the kudos of being the smallest on the market.

[@markpenrice6253]

It is kinda their thing. Or at least it was until Motorola and then Apple started pulling the rug out from them here and there. I think they still have the record for the smallest usable cassette, CD, and vinyl players, for example. Back from when they actually made desirable, high quality gear, rather than relying on the badge alone to make sales :/ (to be fair, though, the Xperia Z phones are pretty slick too... however there's not much else the company makes that causes me to sit up and pay attention, and I've either had or seen enough issues with CD and Minidisc players/recorders of theirs, as well as boomboxes, portable radios, and TVs for the spell to have been broken)

[@ssss-df5qz]

Yeah but whether the recording drum is in the camera, or in a cartridge, it's still the same volume either way? There literally is no rational reason to have this how it was.

[@solidamber]

If you look inside a sony 8mm camcorder most of the space is taken up by the tape loading mechanism not the head

[@ssss-df5qz]

Yeah that makes sense.

[@PolesAreEverywhere]

12:03 I didnt watch the whole wideo yet, let me guess, inside there is a tape

[@PolesAreEverywhere]

Fucking knew it right from the start

[@rochr4]

Dzien Dybry

[@PolesAreEverywhere]

rochr4 Posdrawiam wszystkich Polakuff!

[@my3dviews]

No. Inside there is a full size LaserDisc. :-)

[@PolesAreEverywhere]

My3dviews either this or 8track tape :D

[@sionjones1675]

I love mad design ideas like this. One thing though, just because the Ruvi recorded mono audio, doesn't mean you have to put it coming out of just the left channel in your video.

[@fsfs555]

I just want to point out that one of those ads lists a DCR-TRV900 bundle for $22990. That is a large number. You could have roughly 30 Ruvis for that price. Or (in 1998) a new compact car and a Ruvi. Or a new economy car, a new average-spec PC, and a Ruvi. Or a used executive car, some second-hand formerly-upscale A/V equipment, a refurbished modern-ish PC, maybe some new shoes or a coat, and a Ruvi.

[@ChrisD4335]

why cant u replace the cartridge yourself? it pops right out

[@AlRoderick]

I think the idea was that the authorized dealer would send the old cartridge back to Sony, it'd replace the five cents worth of tape in the unit and sell it back to you as a reconditioned replacement part.

[@-DeScruff]

I imagined the price of those carts was a lot because the whole mechanism is inside it. At $80 no wonder they didn't advertise it as user replaceable (despite looking very user accessible), any potential buyer would have saw how much you would have to pay per 30 min, and start looking at the other brand's camcorders. Too bad Sony didn't remember that expensive storage never looks good, when it came to the Vita...

[@MrXavierRose]

Sounds like Sony to me...

[@Spritetm]

Just looked it up, you can still get the cartridges at about E5/pop... now I'm tempted to experiment with them, see if I can get any storage onto them...

[@kbbbb7]

You should, do a hack of it and then post back here :)

[@kakureru]

The world was a scary place before cheap flash.

[@paulhicks9399]

The big giveaway was the picture tearing at the bottom of screen caused by the head switching on analogue recorders.

[@bsadewitz]

Wait, is that what that is? It makes sense, but I never knew. Did this happen with 4-headed recorders? Were there any other mitigation techniques? It makes sense. Could improper tracking cause the same phenomenon?

[@thewatcher1491]

The contents of that cartridge...unbelievable! I was absolutely expecting it to be a tiny little hard drive in there 😆🤦‍♂️

[@Frisenette]

That wrinkled shirt spoiled the whole video for me. Next time do a test shot.

[@TheNinToaster]

Helge Frisenette check the description box, he mentions this and why he did it

[@Frisenette]

Nikki Babaii This is getting confusing. ;-)

[@peterrafeiner9461]

You are kidding, aren't you? You MUST be kidding! I mean I had to go back to see if he was even wearing a shirt. Than again, I watch for the (excellent) info, not for the fashion show :-)

[@Frisenette]

How he presents himself is an important part of the show. I enjoy his understated style. I can't be the only one who notices his dapper and smart attire.

[@evilutionltd]

Helge Frisenette no KZbinr deserves a viewer like this.

[@maxwillson]

Ahahaha! That's stupid! Might as well buy a camera with a super 8 tape and re-use the 2 hour tape over and over again! No wonder Sony didn't want you to take it apart, they were ripping you off ahahaha!

[@Wazoox]

I think bizarre engineering prototypes going to production is some Sony speciality :)

[@seandonton8219]

that cartridge is absolutely certified insanity absolutely hilarious

[@CaalamusTube]

Guh! No Puppets!? :[ ( ...cool old Tech though√ )

[@CaalamusTube]

Maxx Fordham I'm sorry, I don't understand your comment.

[@bazahaza]

Please , lease , lease iron your shirt before making videos. It's vet disrespectful.

[@Techmoan]

next you'll say I have to wear pants.

[@bazahaza]

No, I'm ok with that. I'm not either !

[@Estlib]

i expect you to wear atleast underpants

[@SergeantOvK]

Bazahaza Please, please, please read your comment BEFORE posting it.

[@bazahaza]

hy? hat as rong ith t? LOL!

[@VPWedding]

I remember this thing. The marketing implied that the cartridge was digital RAM memory! I was suspicious of this because of the picture quality, and the noise bars during fast scan confirmed to me that it wasn't digital at all.

[@jeremiefaucher-goulet3365]

Wow, trivia info from my favorite TV show... If I remember correctly, that's a seen from the Stargate SG1's pilot "Children of the Gods"

[@Deathbynature89]

That video cartridge is Fascinating! It's like a precursor to SD cards but rather than Solid State drives or Hard Disk drives is like a stand alone Tape Drive.

[@Yapostadodat]

Love vintage electronics and these videos are a dream. Thanks for posting these, I'm haven't donated to patreon yet but I am watching the adds the whole way through and clicking on them. Thanks for your work. Love the framed, obscure non English laser discs in the background of Westworld, Back to The Future and TRON.

[@danware8141]

At the exact moment when the JVC camera came up, I immediately thought to myself "whoa, that's the one they used in stargate SG-1" and then baam, it's right there on the screen.

[@mookie714]

I enjoyed this quite a lot. I love learning about qwirky one offs that were intended to solve a problem but instead turned out to be bad ideas.