The Time-Lapse VCR

[@TechnologyConnections]

It is surprisingly hard to keep a T-shirt from bunching up under a tweed jacket. Speaking of T-shirts, I got the one I'm wearing in the video here: www.redbubble.com/people/flemishdog/works/10491601-betamax?p=t-shirt This isn't my design and I'm not making any money here; someone I follow on Twitter ( @FlemishDog ) made this design and frankly I could not resist the urge to buy it immediately because it's flippin' great. Check it out along with some of their other designs!

[@blink4t2]

I'd buy a t-shirt that you'd put time and effort into

[@artistwithouttalent]

Thank you for posting the link.

[@OAleathaO]

Guess you'll have to learn how to perform the "Picard Maneuver". ;)

[@Vodhin]

You could just wear the tweed jacket... er, tee shirt...

[@Brillemeister]

I paused as soon as the video started because I just had to know!

[@MoonLiteNite]

your VCR recording is better than 99% of digital gasstation security cameras

[@theblackwidower]

I think because the gas station used shitty as hell cameras.

[@doltBmB]

Well it is in a well lit studio and not a dark street.

[@StrokeMahEgo]

Better than bank footage

[@justanotheryoutubechannel]

Fun fact, most CCTV cameras still use analogue video rather than digital video for some reason. Even black and white cameras use composite video cables, which annoyingly means you get chroma artefacts on modern displays even though there’s no colour signal.

[@charlescampuz5812]

Just Another KZbin Channel Pretty sure it’s to avoid the “Digital Cliff”, which the signal cuts off completely if the strength is too weak. Analog signal looks bad when weak, but it’s still viewable. That’s probably why it’s used for security cameras.

[@sebastianelytron8450]

Can't believe that with so much quality content, this channel is still relatively obscure. This guy deserves millions of subs.

[@khulhucthulhu9952]

I think the problem is the amount of people still interested in the pearls of this kind of technology and their inner working. Definitely not the quality, indeed!

[@Justin.Franks]

It's still pretty niche subject matter, most people aren't like us and don't really care about this sort of stuff.

[@mistermatix8241]

Absolutely love this channel

[@codeman99-dev]

If he wants more subs, all he needs do is start reviewing products. Retro or new, it doesn't matter. See the Techmoan channel.

[@Scolio]

Same reason most good retro game KZbinrs are obscure its only a small (though very dedicated) fanbase.

[@SplicesAndCelluloid]

"Violently Smooth Jazz" 10/10 Closed Captions

[@NJRoadfan]

There was also another application for VCRs that could "write" one frame at a time outside of surveillance. Back in the early days of CGI, people using Lightwave 3D and other 3D graphics packages needed them to copy their completed animations to tape! Why? Because the computers at the time were too slow to playback the rendered animations at a smooth 30fps (at least until the Amiga 4000 came out in 1992 in the case of Lightwave users). So a common setup was to use a single frame step VCR and a GPIO output on the computer to trigger the VCR to record the output...one......frame....at.....a.....time.

[@martinum4]

That's a pretty neat idea

[@CantankerousDave]

I was just about to make that same comment. Imagine the precision required to fire up the VCR, cue it up to a precise frame, pause it in record mode, load the completed video frame in the output buffer, take the VCR out of pause and "stamp" that one single frame onto the tape at precisely the right spot on the tape, and then put the deck back to sleep until the next frame is done rendering (which could take hours - trust me, I was there). Repeat ad nauseam, praying that it doesn't glitch out two days into the process. Imagine the wear and tear on that VCR's guts, to say nothing of your own. The company DPS had a card called the Personal Animation Recorder that let you play back videos from a dedicated hard drive, but I think they were individual images played "flipbook" style rather than a wrapped movie file. I always wanted one of those. Video tech was such a kludge back then as the Video Toaster helped lead the industry away from dedicated analog "Big Iron" switchers and effects boxes to multi-purpose digital cards, and things got even weirder as the industry transitioned over to digital video. I remember one hybrid editing system that had an analog video capture card as well as a mini-DV tape deck that fit into a 5.25" drive bay. Crazy times, man.

[@LaserShowsManaus]

Oh boy... the memories of recording frame by frame to beta... then later real time with "Parception"...

[@seangentry2943]

They could also be used for shooting stop motion animation

[@markpenrice6253]

Those were different beasts from the surveillance machines as far as I was aware (as they needed to be tuned for very high quality, and often using professional Betacam instead), but I wonder if deep down they were actually using the same techniques and technology? And having seen a thing about the Video Toaster recently I had been wondering how the more complex material was prepared for recording, because until seeing you mention that I'd forgotten the technique existed. Thought maybe you had to make use of a lot of RAM and/or a large hard drive (certainly I've seen the former mentioned for some seminal Amiga animations, with one well known figure thanking friends for lending him a load of extra memory from their own machines!), and pre-render it all into a framebuffer which you then pageflip through at 30fps...

[@FnordOok]

Nice T-shirt, very appropriate to the subject matter. I kind of want one now

[@BilisNegra]

He's put a link to that on top of the comment section, but I'll paste that here again. www.redbubble.com/es/people/flemishdog/works/10491601-betamax?p=t-shirt I also want one of those, btw. Have a good day!

[@FnordOok]

@@BilisNegra ah, nice. When I made the comment that wasn't there

[@mattcintosh2]

I bought one with a bunch of polaroid vhs tapes on the front from TJ-Max for like $8 or something

[@konatadesuka]

That switcher simulation was awesome. You taking the time to simulate the CRT resync, it's a level of detail that makes my inner nerd feel so good.

[@markpenrice6253]

I wonder if a dedication to accuracy and professionalism is why there's no multiplexer "simulation"... on the one hand it would be an absolute pain to set up in a video editor unless there was a plugin available to do it automatically, but also you couldn't be sure of getting it right unless you had the original equipment to test it against. (I suppose there's also the issue that it could trigger off photosensitive epilepsy unless each frame was fairly well balanced against the others...)

[@weeardguy]

@@markpenrice6253 My video-editing software offers a 'TV-simulation' which can be pre-programmed to do the shitload of errors/effects you could face in analog-TV. It includes the sync-problems you would find. It can simulate fps-barr-rolls like you were filming CRT's and the effect is completely customizable. Never used it so far, only fiddled with it, but it's there ;) (Software used: Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 14)

[@100percentSNAFU]

The fact that there is someone out there that loves VCRs and old tech as much as you do makes me happy.

[@cartoonistaaronhazouri]

"Are we... bitter... about something, Sony?" Literally LOLed

[@therealvbw]

Betamax! Betamax! Betamax!

[@MajestyWilliams]

I hope he does the story about the video wars.

[@xhighalert]

He's so goddamn hilarious. Even when you aren't even watching the videos - a stray thumbnail appears. Nobody: Technology Connections: More Space Heater Nonsense!!

[@paulf1071]

You beta not go there!

[@JonasDAtlas]

@@MajestyWilliams Didn't he do that already? I think the video was called "Why Beta Failed" or something along those lines.

[@GDJason]

I spent a long time working in retail years ago and we had similar equipment. I think our's were set to run for 24 hours on one tape because changing the tape was on the opening list. We had one for each day of the week with and A and B set, so 2 weeks of video. Our stores usually had 16 cameras running through a multiplexer into the time lapse VCR. I always wondered how they worked, but lacked the motivation to find out at the time. I hated having to review footage, there was no motion detection so you just had to fast forward until you saw something. I was so happy when our stores started converting to digital recorders. Those things were beasts back in the early 2000s, we still used analog cameras so these things had massive capture cards in them with a coax wire for each camera plugged into the back. We had a rack of equipment for like 20 cameras. I remember the software being a bit slow and it was a bit difficult for some of the less tech-abled managers, but was so much better than tape. Great video. I'm glad you reminded me that I wanted to know how these worked!

[@putrid.p]

As interesting as all these videos are now, it shouldn’t be underestimated how important this type of video will increasingly become in future decades. Important historical work, thank you!

[@blink4t2]

Man you're genuinely and intellectually entertaining.

[@Yora21]

I don't even have the slightest interest in tape recording technology.

[@blink4t2]

@@Yora21 Then why did you watch a video on it?

[@liyifenn]

@@blink4t2 I think what they meant was - he doesn't have an interest in it, but because Alec is so entertaining, he watched it anyway

[@chrisakaschulbus4903]

@@blink4t2 "Then why did you watch a video on it?" because it's entertaining? you don't have to find something really that interesting to enjoy it... or do you think the thousands of people that watched tc's dishwasher videos are soooo interested in dish cleaning?

[@BBayjay]

The level of professionalism that these videos exude and the planning that shows through is mind boggling. It's almost like a fully funded TV segment.

[@JohnDlugosz]

2:30 same reasons PCs were beige. In some countries in Europe, office equipment had to be a neutral color like that, and big companies made one case to use in all markets. Even in other places, it became a signifier that it was "professional" or business equipment, as opposed to toys.

[@SuperFunkmachine]

The Germans started it some advisory thing about glare.

[@Soitisisit]

@@SuperFunkmachine Well if the cases had been white before that, I actually buy that. Especially with harsh fluorescent lighting. Besides that, from an aging point of view, grey and beige become "vintage", white becomes "aged". Yellowed plastic is really nauseating to look at. So I actually prefer the beige-tronics. Of course, modern matte black plastic has none of those problems, afaik.

[@schilling3003]

@@Soitisisit exactly. Most of the higher end equipment was white or grey and just has not aged well. The older plastics were not as UV stable as modern plastics.

[@TheRealColBosch]

They didn't just turn brown from age and UV exposure. Don't forget that smoking in offices and labs was very common up until the late 80s/early 90s.

[@electrictroy2010]

Not all personal computers were beige. Atari, Commodore sold varying colors over the years: Black, silver, dark tan, etc

[@TopSpot123]

I still have a time-lapse VCR (maybe a couple) in storage at work. Before we switched to digital we used it with a quad with multiple image options and up until the mid 90's we had another box in addition to the quad that interfaced with our cash registers. It would produce a text overlay of the transaction data in real time over the quad output. When we upgraded the cash registers, we lost this functionality and haven't had it since. This video brought back a lot of memories, in fact I still have multiple security tapes from the late 90's. I'm just a nostalgic pack rat I guess.

[@theenzoferrari458]

Wtf? Wut? Cash register paired to camera? I'm confused. Is that even real?

[@Meepswonder]

@@theenzoferrari458 Yes, but how is the more interesting question here

[@zappawench6048]

I remember when I amazed my husband by dropping open the little door on the front of the VCR and revealing loads of buttons. Why is this remarkable? He was an electronic engineer.

[@faizanrana2998]

He was a shit engineer then

[@Nonzerotonin]

Well there you go. Thats a mechanical engineering job

[@makatron]

I remember back in the 90s an uncle had a dozen cameras with just a couple tapes and always wondered what kind of sorcery it was used. This one hit me right in the nostalgia.

[@acidhelm]

Here's a topic idea: There were VCRs that could write data to a special label that went on the end of the cassette. The VCR would write the current tape position every time a recording started, so you didn't have to search for recordings; the VCR could wind the tape to the right position itself. It would be neat to see how that worked.

[@raydunakin]

This was pretty interesting. It never occurred to me that time-lapse security videos required a special VCR to record.

[@Real_Retrophilia]

We used a time lapse VCR in our store not to dissimilar from that one. We used the same seven tapes for years. One tape for one day. Switched them out every morning. Four camera's on screen. Needless to say, that CCTV was mostly for show ;)

[@giin97]

Could always just zoom and enhance ;)

[@Real_Retrophilia]

@@giin97 (•_•) ( •_•)>⌐■-■ (⌐■_■)

[@ViviSectia]

A lot of the ghost videos caught on CCTV cameras exist due to this exact same situation. Tapes reused for years eventually have some ghosting of things they recorded earlier and it ends up looking like a transparent person walking through objects.

[@theblackwidower]

@@ViviSectia I must have a source on this. An expert explaining the phenomena and actually attempting to duplicate it, and managing to do a proper demonstration. Mainly so I can rub it in the face of idiots!

[@Real_Retrophilia]

@@ViviSectia Very true, especially behind the register, and a spot close to the camera where the software sales were and a lot of people stood still to look at sales. I always figured it was monitor burn-in, but it could also be the tape.

[@waynenocton]

Most excellent video once again. I made my living as a vcr repairman from the early to mid-late 90’s and rarely got into their workings as deeply as this because of doing so made repairs uneconomical but it’s great to see it even now.

[@rsk47reviews59]

the pause at the 'are we bitter about something, Sony?' was perfect, so much sass

[@LawrenceJohnYoung]

The game Night Trap initially was initially designed for a VHS based game system that used similar tech as a multiplexer. The company making it was started by Nolan Bushnell and Steve Wozniak, so it almost became a legit thing, but the NES crushed it and the tech was too expensive to complete

[@jenesisjones6706]

I'm a 63 year old Aussie grandma, and for the life of me I don't know why I love watching your videos! But I do, so thanks for an interesting channel! :D

[@linkinpark9812]

I was hoping you would say multiplexers next! Speaking of suggestions, car tech is always a favorite of mine. Many people fail to realize just how much is going on. I know you've done a couple before in the past, and with your thorough research, some may be surprised at how many hidden things are going on! Great video as usual!

[@nixietubes]

I'd also be interested in some specialized car tech, could you point me in the direction of his previous videos you mentioned?

[@gooseknack]

@@nixietubes I can't remember the names of the videos. But he featured on one on rear light assemblies in the usa. Another on safety sensors in seats and how the addition of them in the drivers seat, would've saved someones life. He also featured a couple of videos on the electric cars he drives and the charging systems used. Best advice, is to either:- search through his playlist list or video list on his channel. Or search for "technology connections cars" on youtube itself. If he has tagged them correctly, they should show!

[@nixietubes]

Brett Ison Gooseknack thank you

[@quadrplax]

[artists impression]

[@Nilumbra]

Speaking of car tech I owned a 1999 Volvo S80 and it was one of the first cars to use multiplexing in the wiring, for instance to control the ECU, seats, windows, etc. It was advertised in the owners manual as a way to use less wiring in the vehicle and for 1999 auto tech I think that's pretty impressive. The designer of the system even said in 1998 that in the future such a system could be used to remotely contact the manufacturer for updates to the software etc. Something we finally started seeing a few years ago.

[@piers389]

I really love your dedication to taking the time to show off each item you use and integrating it perfectly into the video in order to demonstrate the point you're making.

[@MrPhilobersuchtie]

2:14 yes, they are actually trying to do so. The channel "vwestlife" has a great video that explains it nicely and is called "why are old computers beige"

[@hectorcorona9536]

I was thinking about security of the device itself. If it doesn't look like a VCR with the big SONY logo, it is more unlikely that it got stolen thinking that it's a full featured VCR

[@samgeekman]

This is why the internet is amazing. A guy with in depth knowledge and enthusiasm makes something seemingly boring interesting as hell. Love this channel.

[@Nimmo1492]

I can't stop hearing "forehead VCR".

[@denelson83]

No wonder you had to sometimes give it a _smack_ to get it to work.

[@wtfcomments2585]

im high asf I thought we had the same profile pic

[@RSpudieD]

exactly!! I knew what he was saying yet still could not stop from hearing "forehead VCR"

[@medes5597]

Fun fact: "forehead" sounding like "four head" is actually a mispronounciation. It's supposed to be more like "foh-red" rhyming with the word "horrid". Hence the poem "there was a little girl, who had a little girl, right in the middle of her forehead.." which uses that rhyme. Because of jokes like "five head" and similar, the mistake is now the more commonly heard pronunciation despite being incorrect and through common usage its become accepted by the OED (as in English, usage trumps all) Isn't that interesting.

[@KairuHakubi]

dude only brits say fore'ed on the other hand I never picked up on the significance of that song before. I mean, every version I heard went "when she was good she was very very good, and when she was bad she was terrific" which I just took as an amusing surprise... not a subverted rhyme. Neat!

[@bazzie85]

10:41 "you cant get more detail out of an image than was already there" You mean "ZOOM, ENHANCE, ZOOM ENHANCE" is not real?

[@glasslinger]

You missed it slightly: "ZOOM, ENHANCE, PHOTOSHOP, ZOOM, ENHANCE, PHOTOSHOP!" All kinds of stuff can magically appear!

[@charlie_nolan]

AI upscaling does exist but is rarely as good as ZOOM ENHANCE ZOOM ENHANCE shown in movies

[@play005517]

@@charlie_nolan And you are not "get more detail out of" the image you are adding fake detail back in the image. Neural network based AIs are just talented photo-realistic painters. Their task is not to restore any lost data but faking convincing enough so that the loss function we defined is pleased.

[@kosie1991]

かっ True, but it's in theory possible to extract very high detail stills from a much lower resolution video, by making use of the fact that stuff move subtly between frames. So the pixels encode slightly different information about the world between one frame and the next. Though thinking about it this would mean you could upscale video without making up fake information, but it's definitely harder as you would have to feed backward and forwards information in time to handle up scaling the start of a scene, rather than having a pop in effect, like you have with games loading higher quality textures. Man it's really cool all the opportunities that still exist.

[@ananthropomorphictalkinggo6641]

Oh please. TV taught me that you can easily read the digits on someone's debit card from a grainy black and white security camera, as long as you have a quirky young person who doesn't conform to your societal norms to press a couple keys to zoom in then enhance it

[@YowLife]

3:36 But I don't want to take apart a VHS to check it out, it takes forever. Can't I just insert a cheap movie to to test and see if the VCR works properly?

[@ingenjelly5480]

Well if the VCR doesn't work properly and you loose a tape, it's a lot harder to get the tape back out and you have to take apart the VCR anyway. This is what Alec was trying to say, it is a lot easier in the long run.

[@thisaccountisntreal107]

@@ingenjelly5480 not to mention eating the first tape doesn't necessarily fox the issue

[@madkirk7431]

@@ingenjelly5480 that's why they said *cheap*

[@madkirk7431]

@@thisaccountisntreal107 yes, and neither will feeding it to a *fox*

[@ingenjelly5480]

@@madkirk7431 doesn't matter if it's cheap or not. You still have to deal with a tape stuck in a VCR.

[@Narwhil]

The is channel is my one stop shop for finding useless av information. I love this

[@PhotonicEmission]

Your presentation and delivery has gotten so good, keep it up!

[@rkirk]

This channel never disappoints. I've only been a subscriber for a few months now, but I absolutely never let a new video slip past me in my notifications. Informative, entertaining, and well-shot/edited. Quality content in every sense of the word.

[@RetroGameSpacko]

I binge watched your channel in the last 2 days. Time to give something back.

[@SreenikethanI]

You have already received it: knowledge and information

[@AnnaVannieuwenhuyse]

You're a godsent for resurrecting complicated guides and forum posts on how these things work. You standardize the data into one format, and I admire that.

[@AD-hq2uz]

Nice editing work!

[@hazelpedemonte4464]

Please don't ever have sponsored content. I love this channel the way it is, and I'd hate for you to "sell out" to a company or something.

[@L0j1k]

Very interesting. Thank you for the edutainment! I would like one of these T-shirts now as well. To rep my decade when we leave San Junipero.

[@jazzman92478]

Fun fact: These particular time lapse VCR's have a characteristic sound when they're in use. Each frame generates a characteristic "whup" when the tape moves and the head flies. In 24 hour mode, the "whups" should be around 3 per second, or 180 bpm. Very useful at a music conservatory where the VCR is, by default, a metronome.

"With Faroudja Laboratories... ...wait, is it Laboratories or Technologies?... ...IT'S BOTH."

[@Fuzy2K]

Laboranologies

[@SacrificedSin87]

I really wish your channel existed during my college and University years. From one media nerd to another, I really love your videos.

[@weker01]

I think the reason for the color is the same reason why old PC's had this awful gray color. Something something... Office regulations. Thats why the black Thinkpads where so revolutionary.

[@TobiasTimpe]

Weker Old German workplace regulations.

[@theblackwidower]

That's great. On a related note, do you know why wood grain was so popular for a long time? And why it's still popular at furniture stores outside IKEA?

[@weker01]

Some people genuinly like it. Just ask Clint from Lazy Game Reviews. As to why they like it, some prefer the warm feel of wood over plastic and metal. edit: Why not just use wood? It's expensive, unpredictable and sometimes has difficult properties.

[@PainterVierax]

wood grain was used to match the furniture made of plain wood in a living room. At first, they started to reduce costs by using the marquetry technique or grain painting then boring printed patterns kinda ruins some wood like oak.

[@Insightfill]

Exactly. All of the PCs at the time were this "beige on beige" thing. I don't quite get the technicolor buttons though. Those seemed out of place.

[@Errorcode95]

Me and some friends were shooting a short film in school and we needed a vhs player, one of the teachers told us there were some old ones in a storage room. When we looked I found a timelaps vcr and the first thing I thought of when I saw it was this video

[@KylesDigitalLab]

Please do a video on Video8 or Hi8, or DV.

[@vwestlife]

You're thinking of Techmoan.

[@KylesDigitalLab]

@@vwestlife TC mentioned Video8 at the end of his Betamovie video

[@giragama]

Yes, I want a comparison between Video 8 and Hi8, or between Digital 8 and MiniDV

[@lkskun]

@@vwestlife both would be great

[@ksamos]

Great video. I have been in the electronic security business for going on 30 years. We installed a bunch of those time lapse VCR systems. Ah, memories. Glad we have all the HD NVR's and cloud options that are available today. Those VCR's were in the shop quite a bit as those heads did burn out. Most businesses would have at least 4 weeks or more of VHS tapes stacked up and rotate them as needed. Multiplexors worked pretty good, just another bulky item to have as part of your system. They were about the size of a rack-mount 24-port switch. Great job on your channel, really enjoy your videos. Most people have little to no interest in old tech. Glad you do your research. Keep it up.

[@TheMr77469]

Nice shirt, very appropriate. Can i suggest that any future tech you talk about wear a t-shirt with its logo on it?

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

Isn't 750 a Betamax format and he talked about VHS recordings?

[@roboftherock]

@@Ugly_German_Truths … but he was reviewing a Sony machine, so why not? And it was cool as well.

[@psychoboyaw]

I don’t know how easily you can find the bits and pieces to use for a video, but I’ve gotten a fun tech history lesson with audio tape from my father...who was (basically) San Antonio’s Napster in the mid 60s, before 8 track tapes and independent FM top40 brought modern music to the kids in their cars.

[@joeydurant6267]

That specific kind of plastic has to be recycled differently.... Idk all the ins and outs of it, but I think that was the most high impact or heat resistant material.... It had specific characteristics that made it particularly well suited for electronics. The material itself was expensive so if they bothered using it it was to protect your equipment. That's probably why you see it on all the higher end, or even just things that want to look higher end, electronic goods of the era.

[@aigledemasyaf]

Showing that row of buttons at about 2:30 brought back a memory of my childhood VCR that I forgot I had. Nice!

[@sarinhighwind]

the amount of equipment used just to film this episode is nuts. haha. Honestly though, the older taped footage was nice. I forgot how nice the softer edges are on your eyes vs the new super sharp everything we look at now days.

[@Kabensis1]

(from Google automatic translation) This reminds me of a surveillance video recorder I used in a high school in China 20 years ago. The model is SANYO DTL-4800P. It's a time lapse VCR that uses VHS tape to record digital video signals and provides 24-hour high-density video (using E-240 video tape). I think it is the basis of later D-VHS. The whole machine is beige, which is very similar to the appearance of the machine introduced in your video. Its tape operation mode is "walk for a few seconds and stop for a few seconds". In a few seconds of operation, the analog video signal will be compressed into MPG format and recorded on normal VHS tape. When playing, it will also stop for a few seconds, but the image is continuous. I once disassembled it and observed that the mechanical part is very simple. There are only 2 head drums and basic drives, eliminating the Full Erase Head and Audio/CTL Head. But the circuit is very complex and relies on a very large Ni-Mh battery as the data cache. This kind of video recorder has very high requirements for the quality of VHS tape. If the tape is scratched, mosaic will appear during playback... Resulting in the need to frequently replace the new blank tape in daily use. At that time, I was very surprised at the design of this machine. Since the manufacturer sold very few, I haven't seen it again. Praise your video, It's great!

[@EposVox]

Super interesting, thanks :)

[@jamespfp]

I dunno what it is exactly which sets this video apart, but your breakdown of the chassis is truly exceptional in this instance. Thanks for your work!

[@jamespfp]

FOLLOW UP: Have you ever thought of trying a collaboration video with Red Letter Media??

[@tarwin42]

A video about CRT Projectors please! =D

[@markpenrice6253]

Yeah ... I've always wondered how those work. You take something which inherently projects onto the inside of a glass tube and ... somehow make it project onto a different screen outside of it?!

[@IDoNotLikeHandlesOnYT]

Knowing his thoroughness, he will cover the Scheimpflug adjustment and liquid-cooled CRTs for sure!

[@SkyCharger001]

@@markpenrice6253 the electron beam is projected inside the tube, but it projects onto an emissive surface, so it's not that unbelievable if you really think about it. (and I've heard that RCA demonstration units from the 1950's had the tube aimed at a mirror assembly that allowed the image to be large enough to be comfortably viewed by a hundred people at once)

[@AronIanchiciFilm]

This video helped me realize that I’ll watch your videos front to back no matter the quality, topic, or blazer.

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

5:28 “Precisely” ... now there’s a word you didn’t hear much in connection with consumer-quality analog video formats ...

[@frederickevans4113]

@Technology Connections, I have been installing surveillance systems for almost two decades. A couple of things which were hell for me were the years I was fighting a phobia of heights (running cables and installing cameras on top of a ladder) and dealing with underlings who ran cables for me but never labeled them. On the phobia of heights thing, I don't think it was a severe phobia because I could actually get up the ladder and work - but I was fighting back an anxiety attack the whole time. For the first few years, I installed and configured all of that: surveillance cameras, time lapse VCR, and (depending on the client's budget) either a 4:1 (or 8:1) splitter, switcher, or multiplexer. I almost never let clients pick the switcher because while one camera was recording, the other cameras wouldn't be recording at all. Depending on the number of cameras, the time each camera wasn't being recorded could be alarmingly long. For example, with eight cameras and a two second dwell, while one camera is being shown and recorded for two seconds, the other seven cameras would be "off" for up to fourteen seconds. I also hated the DIY X10 brand cameras for this same reason, plus flaky signal reception (wireless and power switched). For clients on a serious budget, a 4:1 (or 8:1) splitter was the preferred method. Four cameras would be recorded in a split-screen (just as shown in this video) and recorded. The resolution was 1/4 the total VCR recording resolution, but all the cameras (in a 4:1 system) would be recorded simultaneously. The 8:1 worked similarly, but switched back-and-forth between two sets of four cameras both for display and recording. As for the multiplexer, that was the bees' knees! All the cameras were recorded full-frame, all the time. And, yes, the extra wire had to be connected between the VCR and the multiplexer to have the frames triggered at the right time. Both the record-in and playback-out on the VCR were wired through the multiplexer so that both recording and playback worked correctly. On playback, a single camera could be shown full-screen, in full resolution, and any camera could be selected. Playback of the tape on a standard home VCR was unwatchable (all the cameras could be seen, but they switched too quickly to be of any use). As technology advanced, I moved to a hard drive based single-channel analog recorder with a separate multiplexer (same setup as with the time-lapse VCR, but recording to a hard disk drive instead). Eventually this was replaced by multi-channel analog recorders utilizing a computer hard disk drive. This was eventually superseded by digital systems utilizing IP cameras, SDI cameras, HD-TVI cameras, and various other technologies squeezing 1MP (megapixel), 2MP, 4MP, and even 8MP images onto the disk drive and over the Internet. Approximately, analog NTSC video is 0.3MP, 720p is 1MP and 1080p is 2MP. Approximately.

[@AnalogueKid2112]

Are you accusing Carl Sagan of stealing your stuff?

[@AD-hq2uz]

He's a shifty one, that Carl Sagan...

[@that_teegor]

Billions and billions stolen ;)

[@namewarvergeben]

I think there is a pale blue dot missing from that pale blue lavalamp!

[@markpenrice6253]

Or at least, committing the crime of wanton telecine, just to get a gratuitous location shot without overcranking.

[@djla2276]

I love your frequent use of footage from Cosmos. That show pretty much *is* what I picture when I think about TV from the late 70s/early 80s.

[@redpheonix1000]

16:58 "Is it "laboratories" or "technologies"? Yes.

[@grene1955]

I am a retired security video field engineer. I started my career as the tech support manager for a major manufacturer of multiplexers. I had customers who wanted to store a months worth of video on a single VHS tape, which meant a snapshot from each camera about every 22 minutes. We used to ask them for their address and tell them we could rob them blind between shots. And there were casinos in Vegas which had entire staff whose job was to switch tapes every hour....for 850 time lapse recorders. It was an interesting time...

[@virtusetglorie]

"Are we bitter about something, Sony?" *Betamax flashbacks intensify*

[@amitcohen2269]

The use of digital video parallel to the analog box is superb and cool!

[@tihzho]

3:57 Thank you for saving TIPS instead of HACKS. A pet peeve of mine now is seems everything is being called HACKS!

[@Stubbertville]

"you wouldn't steal a car" The 2fps reminds me of that

[@MoeAji]

Love that reveal @2:30. Sure, you can probably use the remote for all these functions, but it always felt better pressing the buttons on the actual unit.

[@mikewolf78]

Play timelapse recording on a regular VCR please! (and vice-versa)

[@DarkSo6]

17:18

[@mikewolf78]

@@DarkSo6 Thanks! how come is that at the very end?!

[@TechnologyConnections]

Because I like to make the Patreon credits more interesting, and it hopefully encourages people to watch all the way through so people get the credit they deserve

[@mikewolf78]

@@TechnologyConnections fair enough. Great content!

[@TopSpot123]

@@TechnologyConnections You may have covered this in earlier videos, but how does a VCR know what playback speed to use? Are VHS players the first consumer analogue media playback device without a user playback speed selection? Actually, I believe older machines have physical switches...hmmm, was this for playback and recording? And finally, what playback speed did the VCR choose when playing back the time-lapse tape?

[@jeflarremore7170]

It's amazing how you took me back in time, #1 with the tshirt. We had a few of those Beta tapes at home, #2 when you had the video in "old" mode, it was like I was watching movies at my friend's house on a Friday night. And then you popped me back to hi def. It's so funny to see things in such low quality and think, "Yeah, back then, that was some high technology."

[@EnygmaRecords]

I need to make more accounts so I can like this more than once!

[@aitchpea6011]

Pewdiepie wants to know your location

[@ShokaLion]

I used to work somewhere years ago that had a timelapse VCR with multiplexer CCTV system. That place had 16 cameras, split down to four per VCR, and two monitors. The multiplexers let you view the output in real time from each camera, which was just a straight passthrough because it was at full frame rate, it let you view a grid of I think 8 cameras per monitor, at a reduced frame rate. The coolest thing was being able to put an old tape into the system, and then use the multiplexer controls to scroll back through the cameras and stuff, at the lower frame rate as expected when playing back. It was clever tech that was for sure.

[@edwardatnardellaca]

Please do a video on data being stored on VHS!

[@crashbandicoot4everr]

I think LGR did one.

[@stonedsavage7814]

@@crashbandicoot4everr yes they did and it was pretty good too

[@edwardatnardellaca]

@@crashbandicoot4everr you're right, I've seen it, but I enjoy seeing different takes on the same topic.

[@lostindixie]

Isosonics - the first digital audio recorder - on VHS tape.

[@chrisa2735-h3z]

It’s such a beautiful VCR!!😍 I wish computers from these days were still this color!

[@kei_2535]

topic suggestion: what is that small disk in Sony PSP, how is it worked, what kind of standard was used.

[@Crestline_Ryan]

Wow, that's a nostalgic throwback for me. I know they're called "UMD". That's about the extent of my knowledge of them. Would love a video on these as well.

[@ixionn563]

I remember when sony put movies on those "UMD" discs.

[@ΑΡΗΣΚΟΡΝΑΡΑΚΗΣ]

its called Universal Media Disc, it works like any other optical disk format, and uses Sony proprietary standard.

[@robertatkinson6864]

@@ΑΡΗΣΚΟΡΝΑΡΑΚΗΣ UMD disc used the same ISO9660 file system standard as regular CD/DVD disc, just in a smaller packaging.

[@MokTheMagicMan1]

Another great vid! I used to work at a site that had 6 time laps vhs. They were pretty useful for a time then the site went digital. I can’t believe we used to use all that analog.

[@anchorbait6662]

What happens to each feeds audio in a 4 way split screen??

[@SeanBZA]

There is no audio in that application, just video, and often just mono video as well, as this needed less memory. Most switchers used a 2k RAM chip and a video flash ADC to sample the video, using 4 sample and holds to drive the ADC, and using the sync signal to determine where in the RAM to do the write. Output was a simple scan of the entire RAM to a DAC to generate video. The one I have somewhere used a Z80 and a 6116 SRAM for memory, with the control program being in a 2716 EPROM, plus the flash converter and a quad SH chip, along with some simple sync detection. Unused inputs would be set to a blank screen, and it could either do 2 or 4 on a single output, or switch in sequence, genlocking the output so the TV would not twitch during the switching.

[@anchorbait6662]

@@SeanBZA that's way over my head but I'll definitely you word for it. I know some security recordings don't bother with sound at all. I was just wondering. Thanks for explaining that

[@jessemilligan]

I wish 12 year old me who was intensely curious about the ins and outs of VCRs could have seen your channel 🙃 Thank you for all of this!

[@JvnCrtl]

Great content as usual ! Do you have any plans on making a video on the european SCART connector ? (for your european fanbase ^^) Given that is was created in 1976 and only removed for even HD TVs in 2015, I bet there are a lot of things to talk about ! ;)

[@hindler]

I found a SCART to HDMI connector in a drawer the other day. I presume it came with my last TV but it got me thinking that there must be a lot of conversion going on in a forgotten, never unwrapped piece of plastic.

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@hindler A lot of compute in some respects, but they're usually pretty poor (yet fast) video converters overall. Obviously not always, but usually.

[@patrickfutato6555]

Jovan Courteille I’d like to see this too. I’ve heard of these connectors and maybe seen one once or twice, but I know nothing about them (I’m in the US obviously). I thing that would be very interesting.

[@patrickfutato6555]

I’d love to see a video about the old still video cameras like the canon RC 701. This time lapse VCR reminds me of one, and actually made me understand the concept of a still video camera a little better (I think).

[@ElectroDFW]

So, only recently (~5 years) did the SCART go? [chuckles] {sorrynotsorry}

[@Dithermaster]

It's cool to see how these worked. Somewhere around 1990 I used to work on Architectural CAD software, and we could control a time lapse VCR using a serial port to lay down one field of video at a time from a Matrox EVGA card that could output S-Video. We'd render a frame, and then trigger the VCR to record it, and then do it again, over and over. Many hours later you'd have a video you could playback in realtime on your VCR. It was a low-cost alternative to professional editing decks run by expensive controllers, but the quality was not as high. I did have a short animation of a flying vCR go to air in our local marker as part of an advertisement for a local TV store.

[@vodkariots]

Cosmos!!

[@TheHermitHacker]

Every video you release, i want download it to preserve it in case it one day vanishes from KZbin. Such great content good enough for a digital museum. I very much appreciate all the effort put into these videos.

[@agoodm]

The reason so much equipment was made in that grey plastic is because that colour is one of; if not the cheapest colour.

[@tookitogo]

Very, very unlikely.

[@over00lordunknown12]

I’ve watched this video 3 or 4 times already, but I’m watching it again because I find it fascinating.

[@raghavsrivastava2910]

Does 96kHz produce better waveform than Nyquist sampling frequency for the frequencies till 20kHz.Also is 24bit better than 16 in audio quality??

[@raghavsrivastava2910]

@Zcooger Second Channel thanks

[@vladg5216]

Yes and yes

[@rasz]

yes, if you are a dolphin

[@SeanBZA]

@@rasz Yes, because the low pass filtering needed for the sampling is so much better behaved, with a nice gentle roll off from 30kHz or so, instead of having to use convolution and have a filter that has very sharp phase shifts with frequency, meaning the reconstituted audio does sound different. 44.1kHz needs a good filter, and a single order filter will not do, it has to have multiple stages and a wild phase shift. 96kHz a simple RC works. 24 bit is better than 16 just for the dynamic range, and that you can get better correction from the master as well without having large audible quantisation noise in the recording after gain adjustment.

[@gormster]

1. No the waveforms are identical. 96kHz is useful for *manipulating* samples, but if you don’t process them, then after a brick wall filter at 20kHz the two will be completely indistinguishable. 2. Yes, 24 bit has 144 dB or dynamic range (far in excess of human hearing) while 16 bit has 96dB (just a tiny bit smaller than human hearing but definitely in excess of any home HiFi’s capability to reproduce it). Again, 24 bit is mostly useful when recording, as your ability to boost levels later is greatly increased. Boost a 24 bit signal 30dB and the noise floor is still inaudible to human ears; do that to a 16 bit signal and you can suddenly hear the digital equivalent of tape hiss.

[@Mrcaffinebean]

I appreciate the level of complexity that went into editing this video!

[@JanusCycle]

Unusual tape transport mechanism close-ups and analysis always welcome, thanks.

[@edgeeffect]

We were always on the lookout for something like this in the 90s because we wanted to record computer animation to video and in those days 10 frames a minute would have been a miracle. I love your T shirt.

[@mitchgordon8199]

Lov your show, I'm a tv, vcr repair guy and wow I haven't seen one of those in years.

[@Rainbow__cookie]

Okay

[@brianheinz8938]

I worked for Circuit City from 1995-1998 doing internal tech support for stores, DC's, and repair centers. Around 1997 or so, they rolled out a crazy security camera system that required 8 standard VHS VCR's as well as a custom multiplexer that connected to their POS system. It would record video of a transaction at a POS terminal, and overlay the data display from the terminal onto the video recording, which was completely insane for that time. They were a complete pain in the rear to install and maintain.

[@NicholasTesluk]

I get a big kick out of your sense of humor! Thanks for the great series of videos for tech geeks like me. Watching your great jukebox videos with all the cams and the cam following mechanical micro switches that inevitably go bad reminded me of when I worked for IBM in the 70s and serviced their behemoth IBM Copier II (when they tried to compete with XEROX) which had a stack of about 30 cams to time the paper feed, timing, cutting, etc. The schematics with the relays showing the coil on one page and the contacts on another would confuse the best of us. I doubt that any of those machines still exist, but it would be fun to see your take on them.

[@aemerox5773]

Love the VHS bloopers/outtakes it kinda gives the 90's vibes.

[@SchardtCinematic]

When I started at Lowe's in 2001. They were still using this VCR or a very similar model for security. They switched to digital recording around 2007 or 2008. They were just going to throw away the VCR. So I asked if I could have it. I used it like a regular player for about 4 years till it stopped working. I wish I had kept it. Just like I wish I had kept my Window's 98 PC back in 2004 when I upgraded. Geez I was stupid not to hang onto the old tech. I do have my Dad's Window 98 PC. But it needs some work done to it. Love your channel. Keep making these Awesome Video's.

[@MrOzzy15]

One of the best channels on KZbin. Such high quality and informative content.

[@Shamsithaca]

I never thought id find another VCR lover. I love VCRs.

[@williambrennan5701]

i bought a multiplexer and time lapse VCR for 50 dollars on e bay about 15 years ago . I hooked up four old b@w cctv cameras ($5 each on ebay) and used it as a home surveillance system. i set it up to record all four screens at the same time as a quad display. what was really neat was I could pause the image then using the multiplexer I could select just one camera and it would fill the screen but reduce the quality ,I could even zoom in after that( horrible quality) . but it was useable . I had it in a semi trailer detached from the house i use as a shed/workshop . it ran great for a year then the temperature actually unexpectedly got below freezing (Florida) and it killed the VCR . I never found another cheap one so I went digital after that .It was an awesome sub 100 dollar security system, and I never changed the tape ,it lasted all year .

[@MichiganPeatMoss]

I'd drool going to a relative's house. They had a "4-head" VCR with exceptional clarity on he pause! Superb in comparison to the budget VCRs my dad would buy. Great 80s geek moment.

[@collectingonthecheap56353]

I don't know why your channel doesn't get as many subscribers as you deserve. You are almost always ahead of the curve for presenting old technology as compared to other presenters, and you don't require puppets to keep my attention.

[@armanelgtron4533]

If you're referring to Techmoan, I'm pretty sure the puppets are considered "extra". The videos without puppets are still enjoyable.

[@collectingonthecheap56353]

I was doing that in jest. I Love Techmoan too. Just seems like his videos are all short now, leaving more time for his outros. I watch for the technology.

[@TravisTev]

Haha, yep, as soon as you mentioned puppets, Techmoan immediately came to mind.

[@KuntaKinteToby]

I forget the model number right now but I know it was built in 1989. I have a Toshiba VCR that could do playback in slow motion, slow motion in reverse, it could pause with a clear image, and you could do a visual search (fast forward) and actually see clear images. It has dozens and dozens of audio and video control feature which I never even used too. Its amazing what they were doing with electronics back then, because it wasn't ubiquitous like it is now. It required significant research and development for each new generation of product.

[@lztx]

The first VCR I owned had BNC connectors instead of RCA for video in/out. I didn't think it was particularly high-end, but it was old. My uncle gave it to me in the 1990s when I was about 16. I got a simple adaptor and used my original Playstation through it: my TV at the time did not have composite-in so this VCR was effectively an oversized RF modulator. Even the light-guns for Point Blank worked through it. (For audio I routed them direct into the aux inputs of an old hi-fi stereo)

[@Squirrelses]

Those board stand-up brackets are just brilliant!