Video8 - Sony's forgotten ambitions & the crazy Walkman Compo

The small tape that was supposed to become the next big thing.
Here's a video about the forgotten history of the format and a demonstration of a rare Sony Video 8 machine called the Walkman Compo.
FAQs
Q) What's that thing at the beginning displaying the Eye of Sauron?
A) This: • What in the world is t...
Q) Hey you "forgot" to mention (Insert thing I didn't forget here).
A) Nope - this is just a video about the things in the video. Anything not in the video is not there because it wasn't part of this video. e.g. Digital8 and 8mm data backup tapes are not in the video on purpose.
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---------Outro Music----------
Over Time - Vibe Tracks • Over Time - Vibe Track...
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ThatSFXGuy - • Six Million Dollar man...

[@binaryguru]

MEGA BASS, most essential feature ever.

[@Gooberpatrol66]

Davie504?

[@xyanide1986]

They still put this on their car stereos.

[@NicolaiSyvertsen]

That is one of the signature features of every Sony product ever. The other being the standard video out cluster of RCA and RFU DC out (which you see on the original Playstation as well). Sony has been very consistent with their design features across many product lines.

[@grahamlive]

True about the car stereos. My son had been using my car. I got in it later, turned on the radio and the car just about vibrated off the road!!

[@darrencafferty]

I liked the Pioneer SuperPBass as it was called, 6db boost to 32khz and 64khz, add a nice Subby and.......:)

[@videovoidtv]

Hey. I used to be an editor for an airline inflight Entertainment company and while we didn’t get nice box art like your examples, I can guaranty that we were using Hi8 tapes until about 2017. By that point it was only for our smaller clients that used older airplanes. Mostly in Central and South America. Changing the media system on a perfectly fine airplane would cost up to $100,000 so most airlines waited until the planes were retired and bought newer planes. Also there was a fire during the Japanese earthquake that destroyed the last factory that still produced Hi8 tapes. I spent years chasing down the last available tapes to use for commercial purposes. Any brand any level of quality... it was insane. Amazing video. So great to see this old tech. Well done.

[@jamesgreer7615]

The US Navy used Hi8 throughout the early 2000s. We got all the latest blockbuster titles sent out to the deployed fleet. They used Sony EVO-9500 and EVO-9850 decks.

[@Linuxpunk81]

yes lol burn a flick! they switched to special dvds before I got out.

[@johnjacobs4280]

Thank you for your service. Also, that’s dope. Where were you deployed? And do you know if that applied to all bases or just that particular one?

[@jamesgreer7615]

@@johnjacobs4280 Hi8 tapes were shipped all over the world.

[@ondrejsedlak4935]

Hi-8s were also used on airline video systems, thanks to their compact size.

[@MySpottyGirlfriend]

​@@ondrejsedlak4935apparently they were used in airlines until 2015. At least that's what I've heard 😂

[@heedmywarning2792]

in the submarine community, we had 8mm decks for playing back movies. Every so often a company would send us new movies on 8mm format. One of the most popular movies was Highlander.

[@AaronOfMpls]

There can be only one ... video format?

[@suhandatanker]

​​@@AaronOfMplsi guess to save space on a submarine? He's probably military. Sorry for the kate reply.

[@smokeydapot]

It was a reference to the movie. Not a comment on the lack of format diversity. It’s a quote from Highlander

[@aeonjoey3d]

being a former radio shack manager - I’ve been yelled at, screamed at, had customers try to physically attack me, throw things at me, knock over store displays, and even break a window - over the fact that there has never. ever. been an 8mm/hi8 to VHS tape adapter, it’s never existed, no matter how we explained it, no matter if we just said “oh sorry we don’t have that” no matter if we showed them a web article or a video of people explaining it - customers believed that they HAD SEEN it with their own eyes, and it was *not* VHS-C it was 8! of course - they were wrong, but it never mattered - they’d freak out no matter how calm we stayed. we had to be lying, we had to be doing this TO them (literally a woman burst into tears accusing us of trying to keep her wedding video from her for an unknown reason demanding to know why!) we were always just a bunch of idiots. *sigh*. so glad I left that life and will never deal with the frontline public again - just creative directors and art directors and maybe a product manager here and there. thank god.

[@superbmediacontentcreator]

Reasons why Radio Shack is bankrupted and gone...

[@MrTonaluv]

Um did you explain that you plug a camcorder into a VHS recorder and press play on one and record on the other? Pretty much gets Video 8 onto VHS that does.

[@big8news]

Kyle Butler unfortunately most of those RadioShack workers are not too bright on electronics I figure it out and I'll hunt for a cord for a friend at one it look like a bomb went off in the store ( it likely got looten are something )

[@izzyblum]

Worked for the Shack from 98-05, and I had the same exact convo with countless customers. I would usually feign ignorance/astonishment, and ask them politely to show it to me when they tracked one down. Also had the same convo regarding F to Phono plug adapters when DVD players had RF modulators flying off the shelves.

[@mandarin1257]

What can I say, people are stubborn.

[@RegularCars]

You rolled around in a Mk1 MR2 back in the day? BADASS!

[@Techmoan]

+RegularCars yes and it was probably the best value for money car I had. It was only my second car after a MG Midget and cost me £4500. It was perhaps 5 years old. When I rolled up in it to work one day, I heard someone say...."how does he afford a car like that?" Their car was something normal like a Fiesta that probably cost more than mine...but that MR2 just looked like it 'should' be expensive. Nowadays cars that look expensive are totally unaffordable even when they probably don't cost all that much to make.

[@Blustride]

RegularCars Do all my favorite channels watch each other?

[@Kacpa2]

Techmoan Now your MR2 would be as expensive as it should. First gen is already getting kind of expensive in good state.

[@SaveThePurpleRhino]

Welp you two are among my favorite youtube channel. Perhaps collaboration project next, review a long lost audio deck with your patented sarcastic tone. And the puppets sings the mandatory theme songs.

[@xalataf3365]

Techmoan Perhaps get another AW11.

[@nonenoneexistant1206]

Wow Techmoan was a hottie in the 90s!

[@SquareBiscuitProductions]

I was thinking the same thing UwU

[@cobolsaurus]

@@SquareBiscuitProductions Me too...

[@mymarci]

Yeep.. thought the same

[@bayareanewman1566]

I’ll bet his wife still thinks that! He’s relatively young, famous, funny, seems level headed, very successful at his business.. I’ll bet he has a fan club!

[@hazonku]

I was kinda surprised. I expected him young Technmoan to look like a total dork.

[@Petardozord]

I really like aesthetics of early 90's and 80's devices.

[@saucegrgrfin2720]

Boy Do I Have A KZbin Channel For You

[@bigred22685]

Yeah we miss it now, but back then everything was a black monolith with 20 buttons. It got stale, sort of like how most smartphones now look the same.

[@miaugato93]

I really miss when devices looked like 24:02. There's something magical about VFD screens and retroilluminated buttons. Mechanical elements coming to life, whether its just a tray and a barely audible motor and transport mech, or the full on clattery and whirring of, say, a VHS machine. Today everything is overdesigned, with a multicolor LCD ranging fron huge high quality OLEDs down to crappy small CSTN and somesort of UI that look either super elegant but I'd say too complicated for some simple devices, or like it was full assed by some chinese kid for 2.50$. It's sad.

[@qnaman]

@@miaugato93 yes. not to mention . interaction is poor. You are using remote pilot and that's it. Usually device has 5 - minimalistic buttons. While old vhs players had huge set of buttons made out of steel, not plastic. To widstand milions cycles of pushing on and off. And each of them had it's spring and you need actual force to push it with characteriictic "ping" sound. It was not garand m1 sound, but it was just fun, comfortable, great. It had good feeling. Idk. but i believe, there must be direction in designing, where you make things to feel ust right in hand. So customer will came to you aganin and buy another one unit, only because it feels right, comfortable, ergonomical. New stuff is missing it. Looks ok, usually futuristic and simple. but it's just not memorable.

[@DL-kc8fc]

@@miaugato93 These were technologies that worked immediately after switching on (no settings, no signal (energy) checks, no conditions, no password, no credits ...). It is not true, as someone states, that there were many buttons. This concerned "tourist" devices that did not offer comfort and were more likely to check the record. They weren't very popular. The housewife needed to record her favorite part of the series - she put in a cassette and pressed a red button. The man needed to play his movie - he removed a tape from the video library and pressed play. The desktop did not move anywhere - it had its place next to the television. The whole family could handle him. The home camera was about the same thing. The advantage was that no nonsense was recorded, such as on a mobile phone. Of course, current technologies are better, multifunctional, etc. But we ourselves are surrounded by old devices and when I want to turn on the radio, I just turn the knob of my "retro" radio. I don't have to deal with headphones like antenna, application, wifi, battery status, etc. Beta, VHS, V8 I still have functional with a lot of home recording tapes. When you play it on Trinitron, the kids look at it like sci-fi technology and it's very exciting. It just has its charm of the times. Some manufacturers are already inspired by the past and produce vintage devices that do not require addiction and have a pleasant design. You need to feel good at home, not like in a sterile office.

[@RusteyGuy]

I work for a Vacation Charter airline in Canada, and can confirm we were using Hi8 tapes in our IFE (right across most of our fleet at the time) until 2015 when the format was officially retired. At that time they swapped the tape players with a hard drive system that was designed to fit perfectly in the tape player's bay.

[@Techmoan]

Thanks for the info.

[@herminatorschlachter]

+Techmoan I was on short flight inside Germany mid of May 2017 and the security video they showed was on tape, clearly visible by the typical artifacts of worn out tape and also the stewardess fumbling around with very familiar shaped cartridges before it played... By the way some years ago I found an Hi8 video player with a lot of buttons and connectors etc. from an airplane on eBay didn't have enough money to waste neither do I now... But if you are interested I could have look if I find it again or if it's still available.

[@lukeburr5633]

Techmoan My family have several video tapes of the format mentioned above, but I'm pretty sure we cant play them. Any ideas on how towithout breaking the bank account by buying equipment . PS I'm 15yrs old and I find your content (especially the retro tech ones) fascinating.

[@northof4926]

Look for a Digital8 camcorder.

[@KiwiCatherineJemma]

The timeline went 8mm, Hi8 and then Digital8 . Digital8 uses the same cassettes as featured in the above KZbin video, but being Digital it supposedly gives a similar quality of audio and video as the later "miniDV". The video Cameras were all deliberately made to be "backwards compatible". So a Digital8 camera will play both the earlier formats as well, although you will only get full digital quality with Digital8. However cameras for Digital8 are hard to get and more expensive. (I haven't managed to get a Digital8 yet). I bought a range of old camcorders from NZ $5 to about NZ $32. If you have an old family video that is "8mm" then any of the above cameras can play it. If your old family video is "Hi8" then it won't play properly or at all on older 8mm system, but will play fine on Hi8 or Digital8. Digital8 recordings will ONLY play on Digital8 systems. Remember that almost all 8mm cameras can play back a tape inside the camera, so you can play your old family video that way, and use a video lead with the suitable connector (probably a yellow RCA plug) to make a recording, into say a more modern DVD-recorder unit. (and you'll need another lead for audio) If I recall correctly, the earlier 8mm" is always mono, but "Hi8" has stereo capability (maybe in some cameras only) HTH.

[@Browningate]

Putting all those pieces together reminds me of connecting the Sega Genesis, Sega CD, and the 32X.

[@MochaMoonpie]

It's on life support.

[@Eexpers]

nothing has ever encouraged me more to push that lid than a sticker saying "never push this lid"

[@devrim-oguz]

And the "Do not touch this surface" surface.

[@FlightSimXtreem]

I want to press it soooo badly!

[@dylanfinch2951]

I was sitting here staring at that the whole time

[@RIZFERD]

LMAO

[@rxonmymind8362]

I DARE you not to wear a mask.😆

[@Beaula2]

There is little more comforting and bright in my day than hearing Techmoan’s Muppet say “Flippin ‘eck”.

[@AvocadoDiaboli]

Now I'm curious and really want to see vintage 90's Techmoan :D

[@IVR02]

It'd be awesome if he could rip the old tapes and post them on his alternate channel!

[@PolesAreEverywhere]

Leto Atreides II I wouldnt think he was filthy rich even back then :D

[@78deathface]

Sauron is watching you...

[@theolmaestro]

78deathface , that is a nice touch, isn't it?

[@AttilaTheHun333333]

It would be so much cooler if they eye would sometimes move quickly into one position, like it suddenly "sees" something. Would scare the shit out of me.

[@therongperson]

2 Hobbits will show up at his door with a golden ring...

[@r3c0n808]

78deathface haha yes!!!

[@aesculetum]

I must say the Eye of Sauron is looking nice in the background there.

[@garyv83]

Not sure if you check these old comment sections, or if this has been mentioned before, but, as a former US Navy submariner, I can attest to the fact that we were often given newest-released titles on 8mm because all of our large-screen TVs were connected to 8mm players. Not sure why that was, but I saw Euro Trip, Bulletproof Monk, and Ready to Rumble on 8mm before I saw it anywhere else. Keep in mind, I got out of the service in 2006, so that may have changed after the mid 00s, but, back then, all of our movies were in 8mm. Thanks for the great channel, by the way!

[@jetjazz05]

Having so many ports and plugs on one device... such a thing of beauty. This is why for the longest time Sony had such a high reputation for consumer electronics, they LOVED ports. (Well that's my perception anyways, and why I liked them). Also... it just looks cool.

[@NigelMelanisticSmith]

My old Vaio laptop had more ports than my Desktop at the time lol

[@carbon1255]

They were the era of quality = number of different kinds of controls on a product. I can only imagine a sony exclusive smartphone world, with dial volume controls, slide power buttons, deployable antennae and some kind of mechanical slot in alternative format, with the full range of ports. There is steampunk, and dieselpunk, but we have neglected sonypunk, where everything looks like the most expensive radio controller for model aircraft.

[@jetaddict420]

@@carbon1255 sonypunk sounds like my aesthetic

[@Abandoned-VHS]

And yet they only put 2 controller slots in the PS2

[@shkeni]

New Techmoan! Time to put off anything else I was doing :D

[@rationalraven8956]

Time for me to take an extended coffee break from work

[@SwankeyMonkey]

I held in my poop to watch this.

[@magreger]

SwankeyMonkey I released mine whilst watching this!

[@MohammedMuaawia]

Yeah, screw the A level I have tomorrow.

[@OofusTwillip]

Better out than in.

[@jan_harald]

Worldeye of Sauron he caught my eye...

[@protobishi]

I flew on Oman Air this year (2018) and they were still using Video8 or Hi8 on board. Only a couple of years ago I visited Yorkshire Film and TV Solutions, who repair electronic equipment for many of the ITV franchises, and was surprised to see a number of Hi8 players all playing away in a stack. I was told they were all from an airline and were on soak test after having had the heads replaced, which is something they do periodically. I had never seen these decks before. They were made by TEAC.

[@ferencgobor749]

Video Compo, plug and plug and plug and plug and plug and plug and Play! :)

[@juango500]

and plug and plug and plug and play, but then play and plug and plug AND plug and then play before plug.

[@jdbarker32]

MEGA BASS Man. I miss overpowered phrases for something that just adjusts the bass levels slightly.

[@JulianDeBacker]

BLAST. PROCESSING. (Sega)

[@connorkiss2614]

I've been using an old sony boom box in my office and yup, it has MEGA BASS in big gold letters on it

[@bayareanewman1566]

EXTREME EVERYTHING! EXTREME BASS EXTREME SPORTS EXTREME TRUCKS ... MEGA is making a comeback though. Like Mega breakfast Bowls that I saw on the Wolfpit! Check out his channel!! Just type in “what are we eating wolfpit” he’s a great guy who reviews food like stuff from the dollar store

[@Beastgrows]

My Samsung has Gigabass!

[@miaugato93]

My late 90s Sony Walkman had GROOVE on it. It felt as if someone took Mega Bass (and it was there too) and multiplied it threefold.

[@irdial]

You looked so.....YOUNG!

[@U014B]

Irdial The guy aged 35 years in the past 25.

[@tentringer4065]

Time travelling takes it's toll you know.

[@fen4554]

I transfer old tapes for a living, and I am always amazed how well Hi8 holds up compared to VHS. It's much closer to a professional betacam tape it terms of longevity and quality.

[@gayusschwulius8490]

You can make a living from transferring tapes? How so? Nowadays, people can buy really decent analog to digital converters that pick up pretty much all details of tapes for less than 30 dollars on the internet, so how can it still be profitable to offer transferring?

[@haraldhimmel5687]

@@gayusschwulius8490 Lots of conversions look pretty bad even by vhs standards but yes if you know what you are doing 30 bucks in addition to the vcr and certain software sounds about right. I guess some knowledge about editing, post production and maybe also authoring for the target format would he relevant as well though.

[@lucadipaolo1997]

@@gayusschwulius8490 most people's tapes have gone moldy, many don't have VHS decks (let alone Video8/Betamax) anymore, and most if not all just can't be arsed to learn how to do it. You'd be surprised how often the last reason applies to many things in life lol.

[@ConsumerDV]

Why would you compare Hi8 to VHS? You should compare it to SVHS. As for comparison to Betacam, this is laughable: Betacam has about four times higher color resolution and much better S/N, which allows to have at least half a dozen generations without visible deterioration unlike color under formats. Although, as an originating format, Hi8 and SVHS were used by news crews at smaller TV stations.

[@cpmaverick]

I flew United from San Francisco to Sydney in 2010, First Class on a 747. Each seat had a tape player and screen integrated into it. The attendents would come by with a tray of movies on tape and you could pick your favourites to play at your leisure. My first experience with 'on-demand' entertainment! These were very old seats and I think they refurbished these planes shortly after, maybe 2011 or 2012, and got rid of the in-seat tape system. It was only in First Class, business class did not have the tapes, they had screens but you had to watch whatever was playing for the whole plane, a choice of a few channels only. I always thought they were Betamax tapes from memory. But seeing this video I realised they were Super8 tapes.

[@bluedistortions]

In 2010? They were still using tape players? I remember flying to London in 1998 or 1999 on the then new 777, and they had screens on the back of every seat, with GPS nav and music, with menu options for video games, movies, and TV, that weren't functional yet. It all looked very much like what we have today, just not fully functional. I was flying coach btw. But you're telling me, even 10+ years later, they still hadn't gotten it cracked? That's crazy.

[@cpmaverick]

​@@bluedistortionsyep it was 2010, I still have my ticket stub. Those planes were getting very old at that time but still flying

[@rishi989]

you gotta post those old home movies Techmoan

[@samthenerf]

I would love to see them.

[@mgconlan]

It was nice to see you when you had hair!

[@dorskien]

Flying first class in the 90's ment that the stewardess would bring a box of different movies on Hi8 that one would pop into the personal Hi8 player built into one's armrest.. Those were good times, i will never forget how excited i was to see which titles they had onboard on each trip!

[@yarloo]

Lol interesting Never flew 1st class, go figure. I enjoyed flying so i wouldn't give a fuck if it was economy regardless. I'm happy for you dipshit don't get all wombly.

[@lucasvaughn629]

I was bourn in the 90’s. THOSE. WERE THE DAYS!

[@cosmicjenny4508]

+dorskien Now, the beginning of the first Mission: Impossible movie makes a whole lot more sense...

[@ericbazinga]

@@cosmicjenny4508 That's exactly what came to mind when he said the player was in the armrest. Good movie

[@prepperjonpnw6482]

Lucas Vaughn you were “born” not bourn

[@rachelmarieLMT]

I love watching for the different images he puts on the globe thing. The eye of sauron is awesome!

[@ChannelWright]

Unlike the video equipment, you have only improved over time - you’ve really found your niche producing these excellent retro tech videos!

[@harryeddy]

Sony seemed to be good at making technically superior products that failed...

[@EmergencyChannel]

Sony was always more expensive and catered to a high end market. Then they lowered their build quality and alienated their fanbase in the mid 90's and that's why Sony is not the juggernaut they used to be.

[@TheBrokenLife]

Not exactly... Sony operated in a strange middle ground with a lot of things and sold a ton of products based on hype or wiz-bang features that really didn't add much to their products in terms of function. Often times those features resulted in stuff failing prematurely. All of the fancy motorized loading systems on their products being a prime example. I know at least into the PS3 era they were still haunted by that stuff. The tray-less loading and capacitive buttons and such were cool, but didn't really get you anything but decreased reliability. Sony's high end line was the ES series of equipment, and some of that stuff truly is great equipment. Over the years I've had a couple of pieces of ES gear and an absolute boatload of the more up market regular Sony offerings and there is a clear difference. I'm sure that used ES gear costs a small fortune now, but it would be a cool video if Techmoan ever got a hold of any of it.

[@Clay3613]

Oh bullshit, they make some of the best video game consoles and invented the Blu-ray.

[@BlownMacTruck]

This is so true. People still like to talk about how great Sony stuff is, but frankly anything from mid 2000s on is mediocre (aside from a few really high end products). The folks who know their stuff really miss the Sony of the 80s and 90s, though it's understandably hard for Sony: they had a high profile when they catered to the high end but they often mess up things (Betamax, MD, etc), or they go mass market and lose all the tech stuff that made them great. They never seemed to be able to figure out how to get it quite right.

[@tissot233]

+Clay3613 Please, keep it civil here. This is not a gaming site. If you are not old enough, you probably can't comprehend what Sony was in the 80's. They were THE consumer electronic brand. Sony still makes plenty of great products, but they have come down a long way down to what they used to be. In quality and even more so in size. Who would have thought that Samsung Electronics would example grow many times over the size of Sony. From time when there were plenty of people I knew that bought nothing else than Sony and paid premium for it. Similar to what you have seen with Apple for a decade now.

[@CatsMeowPaw]

I remember backing up Amiga floppy disks to my Video8 camcorder using a simple PCB I built myself and some pirated software. From memory, it was possible to record about 50 floppy disks to a 90 minute tape. I thought that was absolutely awesome at the time :-)

[@d_vibe-swe]

CatsMeowPaw What? How is that even possible? 😮

[@dimensiongamer534]

that sounds so kool

[@JeremyLevi]

Basically, it uses a little bit of hardware to input / output data as a video signal. Its the same idea as using audio tapes on the old 8-bit computers, just with higher bandwidth. It was a cheap way to back up your hard drive at the time, because it used the VHS VCR (or Beta, Video-8, etc) that you already owned instead of having to purchase an expensive dedicated computer tape backup system. www.bigbookofamigahardware.com/bboah/product.aspx?id=776

[@fixman88]

LGR did a recent video about a vintage VHS tape-based data backup system for your PC.

[@fungo6631]

That's kinda crap. Ever head of miniDV? That stored many gigabytes.

[@gregx5096]

Every Techmoan video, one must always pause (at some point) and hover the pointer over the end, to see if the preview shows any puppets. Usually I don't remember to check till near the end, but I'm always enthused when the check is successful. Never stop the puppets - they are hilarious and well worth the time! :-D

[@jurjenbos228]

What? Did I miss that all these times? Now I'll have to watch all the other videos to check.

[@MaverickGrabber71]

Love the Eye of Sauron" in the background. Thanks for adding the link to the globe video in the FAQ.

[@An9eL_C]

More 1997 footage with sound please....

[@MonaichFother]

I wonder what the registration number of his MR2 was?

[@MadBiker-vj5qj]

TM 1 probably. ;-)

[@euanroy4673]

MonaichFother could look it up if we knew

[@bombtwenty3867]

Do you think he wants to show himself fully as a young nerd showing off his video collection?

[@Joe_VanCleave]

This brings back memories. Back in the mid-1980s I was factory trained to service these early Sony 8mm video machines. Thanks for the thorough review.

[@fadingbeleifs]

Joe Van Cleave you should get back into it... There's not many people that know anything about how to keep these old machines working properly...

[@starfleet61]

Joe Van Clea ve

[@AWISECROW]

Really? Any advice on where I can get replacement parts for a sony hi8 handicam online?

[@spellxthief]

wow knowing techmoan had an aw11 mr2 makes me love him even more! my favorite car in existence, probably my dream car. i had one around the time of this video but lost it on a accident so i dream of owning one again someday

[@mwbgaming28]

That modular video player has got to be the coolest thing I have seen on one of your videos, I would've killed for that when I was a kid

[@lammy1234567890]

I can confidently click 'like' before even watching this.

[@tanaym.3889]

lammy1234567890 lol I did the same

[@GlasgowGallus]

lammy1234567890 Yep, he's the man!!

[@sanches2]

And i forgot, so after i read your comment i did

[@doncorleon9]

got me there...

[@alexpowers3697]

I totally agree. I love his detailed videos and information.

[@g_e_o_m9369]

Come for the tech, stay for the muppets

[@Sabundy]

SONY could really be wonderfully mad, and innovative when they were at their best. SONY will always be a legendary company imho...

[@rxonmymind8362]

Thing is they can come out with stuff but they leave the best for Japan.

[@gayusschwulius8490]

They are still very innovative when it comes to photography. Their alpha cameras are revolutionary.

[@lostseeker88]

@@gayusschwulius8490 Yeah right now I'm still using my decade old Nikon d700, but when this beast finally dies I will likely be picking up one of Sony's Alpha series.

[@professorvoluck9311]

@Rxonmymind Thank God for EBay and Yahoo auctions, right? There are also small electronic stores in NYC, SF, and LA that carry Japanese models not found elsewhere, but Sony certainly keeps the best for Japan.

[@jimmyguy428]

I always love your videos because they are well made, informative, and very entertaining, but I really love the puppet video shorts at the end. Please keep up the good work.

[@Laundry_Hamper]

NEVER PUSH THIS LID ...push it

[@dissonantdreams]

push it good

[@Crazy_Borg]

Uh...so tempting. I am pretty sure such a device would not survive long around me with a sticker like that.

[@macstar8317]

p-push it real good

[@sarno97]

Rebel

[@markuslundholm]

(Hemresa) = journey home (Utresa) = journey out Svensk text = Swedish subtitle Norsk text = norwegian subtitle

[@nvrndingsmmr]

First off, my goodness that modular Sony system with all of the ports, buttons and switches and combining bits is absolutely amazing! Watching them fit together the way they do is so incredibly satisfying, what a beautifully designed set! Second, holy crap, you used to drive an AW11 Toyota MR2? That's so cool! Those things are beautiful!

[@GP1138]

I am rewatching some of my favorite Techmoan videos and I'm glad I watched this one again because I somehow missed the skit at the end, and laughed long and loud at it. Great job on that one.

[@zevindd]

Can confirm. Had to (try to) watch Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation on a Delta flight from Boston to MSP last year via tape. Quality was awful, kept having tracking problems, was mostly a distraction. Amazing...

[@Techmoan]

Thanks for that, it's the most recent confirmation of 'Tapes on a Plane' I've heard.

[@electronash]

Keenly awaiting the Samuel L film about that. ;)

[@EnQu]

Must have been in use in Germany on my last flight in June 2016 as well but not for IFE but just the safety video (no IFE as it was just a short one hour flight). I recognized the logos on the playback system when entering the cabin. The safety video was in horrible shape as well like the tape had been in continuous use for at least a decade (probably was...).

[@0111pokemon]

Kevin B On tape?! What airline was that?

[@EvertGuzman]

AppleClassicGamer he said Delta

[@JosiahIsWrite]

As a kid I hated Video8 Cameras because I'd have to use an adaptor or plug it directly into the TV, also, I liked having our big bulky VHS Camcorder over my shoulder. I still miss that feeling, it made me feel like I was a real filmmaker.

[@thysonsacclaim]

Video8 didn't use an adapter to VHS though...

[@tonivoul1971]

Video 8 was cool and it was a huge step further for the future cameras You evry hi8 cameras arent big are a bit small as a Walkman and the filters and quality is impressive and i dont need the awkward huge vhs camrecorder Btw i like vhs too but hi8 is my loving

[@SnepperStepTV]

I still have that feeling, that's why i shoot on tape and favor a VHS camcorder but also appreciate the niche usecases the other formats do well.

[@SnepperStepTV]

@@thysonsacclaim They mean plugging in video cables to the Video 8 camcorder and their VHS VCR in order to record onto a VHS tape and/or playback on a television, not a contraption that makes one format work in the other playback unit.

[@adamdean8302]

Thanks for bringing back those great memories. Great video and well done for all effort that has gone into making this video.

[@crazyeye1]

I remember my aunt and uncle visited us from New Jersey and brought along one of those tapes of the family saying hello. It blew my 8 year old mind when she popped it into a VHS body and played it off the VCR. She died of Cancer last year and this reminds me of her. Thank you for the video my friend. Very nostalgic memory I almost forgot until I saw the tape.

[@timg2727]

"Skullduggery was afoot" - god, I love listening to British people talk.

[@AtheistOrphan]

timg2727 - T'was forever thus. 🇬🇧

[@jgroenveld1268]

I think it is the phrase he was referring to.

[@timg2727]

Marc I'm referring to the gentleman who used the expression in the video, which I thought was fairly obvious based on the context. I also didn't use the word "accent."

[@SynMonger]

How's the view from that high horse?

[@jondoglegs7124]

"Who are you referring to exactly" well, british mancunian, if you must..

[@doppelpunktdedede5591]

I like how you put devices from past reviews in the background of your introductions.

[@ericbazinga]

24:38- Damn, the Joker's quote there pretty much sums up my opinion on your channel. All this old tech is really cool!

[@squareinsquare2078]

You do a really ace job on this channel mate, nicely produced, interesting, professionally presented, you could be on the telly. Well done!

[@RetroGeet]

No-one told me you used to be Karl Pilkington 20 years ago! 22:04

[@danielsmith7105]

Thatsit! thats who he was reminded me off lol

[@jessgarcia4100]

Damn it! you beat me to it!!

[@memberberry6177]

Damn, you are right!!

[@matheusrosa94]

beat me to it

[@Underpantsniper]

"head like a fucking orange!"

[@szymonbrygidyn9513]

Since i noticed this "Never push this lid" sticker i have an unstoppable urge to push this lid..

[@The90sGamingGuy]

I knew 8mm tapes existed for amatuer video recording but had no idea actual movies came out on the format. Very interesting video. I always learn something new from your videos.

[@chillaxgamesonly2654]

Your channel is very informative. It is like time travelling while watching. Thanks for sharing. More power to your channel

[@HunterRodrigez]

wow this video had the perfect length for me to make a frozen pizza and eat it

[@Techmoan]

That's what I aimed for.

[@rossm650]

Techmoan How about a video on JVC's Dynamic Drum system?

[@ChrisGhysel]

"Make a frozen pizza and eat it." Hope it wasn't too cold...

[@777jones]

Thought it was just me

[@christopherkozicki9597]

@@ApertureScienceSwing you don't thaw a frozen pizza

[@GlitchyBastard]

What? Two Techmoan videos in one day? AM I DYING?

[@atilliar]

Yes. Go see a doctor and make sure your will is in order.

[@natesharlette]

You looked great back then and you still do. Your KZbin channel is the best channel ever, I love watching your videos man and I hope you keep it up for the rest of your life.

[@Barry-vn6uq]

You are really good on camera. Presented like a true pro. This content wouldn't look out of place on mainstream TV. I love old tech. Thanks Tech moan.

[@7quidstudio]

You in 1997 though!!!

[@kevmack101]

Great Video as usual pure classic

[@reqq47]

No wonder your videos are so awesome and professional, you have been making videos over 20 years! :D I remember when the Sony came up with the Digital 8 cassette and we had a camcorder that used those "brand new" cassettes.

[@my3dviews]

Digital 8 used the same cassettes as Hi8. I have one of those camcorders.

[@KingOrest]

I meant to write this much earlier. I would like to thank you for your video, it really helped. I have some video 8 tapes that needed to be transferred to dvd, your video was a great help in finding the equipment to do that. Thanks again!

[@mikeselectricstuff]

I'm told those 8mm video walkmans were popular with certain intelligence agencies for covert recording

[@Murphistic]

Too bad those are a little bit flammable :( Edit: I thought you were joking and I also didn't understand the word covert. So my comment might not make a sense if you were not referring to the Mission Impossible TV series :D

[@tech4pros1]

i'm pretty sure i saw one of those compo recorders in a short cutscene on an early episode of "rogue traders" on the BBC years ago... also likely used in the early years of NBC's "to catch a predator" pedophile sting show.

[@jort93z]

i am pretty sure hes talking about the NSA.

[@spikeydapikey1483]

They faked the moon landings...

[@MichaelBerthelsen]

Spikey DaPikey *facepalm*

[@ralphnapierii1184]

With all of those switches, buttons and such, it's like the anti-apple device.

[@hakonsoreide]

Flippin' 'eck! Sauron is right behind you watching your every move.

[@JaredJanhsen]

Amazing as always. I love learning about formats that had a niche but never really hit the mainstream.

[@jl721ATcairn]

I can't easily search thru almost 1,000 comments to be certain no one else has brought any of this up, but... There's a documentary on the region 1/A DVD/BluRay of "12 Monkeys" called "The Hamster Factor..." which I believe was shot on Hi8, and at one point shows Terry Gilliam viewing some second unit footage on the same model of video walkman demonstrated in this video. (I don't know if it's included in other regions.) I've seen a rumor that Video 8 and later Hi8 was the format of choice on Michael Jackson's tour bus, and he would get whatever movies he wanted dubbed over (quite often including titles still in cinemas, or even not yet released at the time). Hi8 tapes were also used for digital multitrack recording. The DA-88 system I think was introduced by TASCAM could record 8 tracks in up to 48kHz/24-bit, and the machines could be daisy-chained together up to 96 tracks (12 units). I participated in making an album or two recorded on DA-88 (and its competing format ADAT, which did the same thing on S-VHS tapes); after fast-forwarding or rewinding, the engineer could start playback on the controlling machine, those 8 tracks would start playing right away, then as the other decks resynced they would "pop in". I remember the frustration exhibited by one engineer as he tried to remove a lip smack from the lead vocal during mixdown, and each time he missed it there was nothing to do but go all the way back to the beginning of the song and start over.

[@gregorywoodbury7415]

I believe the Michael Jackson story about him getting the movies early. When I was on a submarine in mid 90’s - we would get new movies on 8 before they were released rent.

[@kriswingert1662]

Ah yes, linear editing. Very painful and I remember it well.

[@schiaucugabriel6202]

I've noticed that you have found a good usage of that sphere projector!

[@life5161]

You in 97. Love it. Can watch your videos all day Sir. U geek out for your stereos and electronics the same way I do mine. The 80's had the sweetest systems in my opinion. Wish they would bring VU meters back.

[@gammonlatrell6248]

I had a HI8 Sony camcorder for a couple of years and then upgraded to a Digital 8 that still plays the HI8 tapes. Luckily it still plays when you use the plug in adapter. I always loved the size of the tapes. I wish I had known you could get movies. Love your channel.

[@pierre_lefevre]

13:05 (HEMRESA) Means trip home, and (UTRESA) means trip away. Novair is a charter airline owned by a Swedish travel agency: Apollo. They actually own three planes and rent one from Thomas cook.

[@kricku]

Funny how one tape says "Norwegian text" in Swedish

[@PBRStreetgang]

LOL @ "MegaBass"...when I was in middle school and the first affordable "Discmen" hit the market (1990 or so), it had to have MegaBass or I would just assume it was crap. I didn't realize until years later that MegaBass was just a cleverly marketed loudness switch. Oh, and to hell with 2x oversampling - if it didn't have MegaBass and 8x oversampling, I would not have it. You know, bigger numbers meant a better product! Great video, I love these Sony niche devices.

[@ColtGColtG]

much like digital camera plebs that think more MP = better picture

[@DoubleMonoLR]

I always assumed 'Mega Bass' was just amplifying the low frequency sounds, which doesn't seem particularly amazing(presumably something like a partial low pass filter) - from memory I think it was fairly common to have bass boosting buttons on other devices but I can't be sure.'MASH' used to be the signifier for nice gear in my memory, on Panasonic/Technics etc CD players, even though I had no idea what it actually meant (but the gear it was on always looked good).

[@JWD1992]

Whereas I saw how much time was left when the end credits began and deliberately stayed around for the puppet sequence. I always enjoy them.

[@jublywubly]

Thanks for making, yet another, great video! We used a Video 8 video camera, in our high school media studies class. I didn't even know there was a Video 8 VCR or movies on Video 8.

[@limerot]

NORSK = Norwegian. Hemresa (swedish) = Traveling home. Utresa (swedish) : Traveling away from home. The 'hemresa' movie got norwegian subtitles and the 'utresa' movie got swedish subtitles.

[@TiggiTheWillful]

Absolutely loved this. Instant like! I adore weird tech so your channel makes this girly happy. I Love Sony stuff, it looks so timeless and I'd love a video Walkman! Your videos send prices on eBay soaring though. For that I do not love tech moan xx (I do really) awesome as always xx

[@MegaTechpc]

UserLMH Yeah, Sony really was the current Apple of the 80's!

[@RDEnduro]

Oh this channel is a gem, hope your having a good day!

[@wiedietie]

Loved and enjoyed the last minutes of this video 💖

[@James-eg3nf]

Awesome, informative, and well-produced video! I remember when my father bought an Video 8 camcorder in 1989 or 1990 and it was the most awesome thing ever. Cost almost $2,000 back then (about $3700 in today's dollars)! I believe the things still works! It had a composite video inputs (a rare feature) so I would sometimes dub rental movies with near perfect quality. Video 8 (and the subsequent Hi8) were bullet-proof formats, and I still have a ton of old tapes that still work and will probably be around and functional for at least another 30 years. By they way, your puppet vignettes are awesome. This one was especially funny.

[@dataman2609]

"Never push this Lid" .......PUSH IT!!!!!

[@AaronOfMpls]

**hovers his fingertip 2mm away from that lid**

[@jpsned]

Thanks for this video--I love dials, buttons and switches! 😀

[@johnonebigscribble]

absolutely fascinating episode! keep up the great work

[@ModMINI]

That's definitely an airline inflight entertainment unit. I remember using them in business class, in the early 2000s, on flights between the U.S. and Asia. The flight attendant would bring the players to people who asked for them. They were brought in a small carrying case for the player, battery and headphones. The flight attended would ask what movies you wanted to watch and bring them to you. They kept very good track to came around before landing to pick everything up. I would have loved to steal one in those days. The picture quality was not bad, at least as good as the washed out projector screen in economy class. One reason we know it's an airline unit is the lack of an external speaker. There is no point in having one on a plane, but wouldn't you want one for watching movies around the house or in a hotel room?

[@phrtao]

"Never push this lid" - not a warning but an unequivocal command !

[@MiguelMakesMusic]

another epic video! living all my childhood techie dreams

[@bazanime]

Wow you were so young looking in 97 and you really looked like a "lad", a lil bit leery. Wouldn't realise our respectable media historian today was a red sports car driving bruiser.History is fun. Thanks for the videos, I've been binging through them during lockdown and your informational tone is enjoyable.

[@jennysbloke]

One of the best Muppet episodes ever. Awesome work, sir 😄

[@godchi1dvonsteuben770]

Super Cool. I love old electronics with PHYSICAL buttons!!! Love admiring the build quality of old Sony...

[@tomdid1]

This has just reminded me, I still have a box of 8mm/Hi8 tapes somewhere, along with my sharp View cam. I'll have to dig them out and see if it all still works, and see if I looked as youthful as you did in the 90s.

[@ChrisGower]

Definitely been thrown a few of these on budget coach journeys and the like before. Also pretty sure I've seen them handed out when certain seat back television monitors fail. Almost like they have five or six in the back just in case.

[@Sco1t19]

I was on a BA flight from Newcastle to London in around 2016 and they were still using video 8 to play the safety announcements. I seen the player when she went back to rewind it.

[@johnrogers9481]

Hey, a great presentation on the Sony 8 and Hi8 video.! This 8mm equipment from Sony paved the way for their amazing MINI DV technology and their DIGITAL FIREWIRE tech. Wow, with mini dv VX1000 firewire camera combined with the Apple G3 computer with Firewire and Final Cut Pro digital editing software, well it was just amazing new stuff. Tremendous to suddenly have down to the frame digital editing equip.! So all that quirky Hi8 tech paved the way for Sony to create the VX camera and their MiniDV deck. This stuff with Firewire was a massive breakthrough into the digital age for the common human. Thank you Sony.!

[@dank_crusad3r]

I’m so glad I found this channel

[@maltreatedpony]

Great video! No mention of Tascam's DA-88 / 38 though! Used in lots of project studios in the late 90s/early 2000s

[@rienpost3145]

Sony was utterly brilliant in the 1990s. They could do just about anything. Thanks for the video, Mat!

[@toku_floyd]

A really lovely piece of tech, when Sony were really creative. I still have my compo and camera and it was very useful as I spent a lot of time travelling. The only bit that has failed is the camera cable. Thanks for the video, reminds me to dust off the unit and see how the batteries are doing.

[@Stjernefodt-]

YES! That Video Compo setup is absolutely ridiculous. Weird, esoteric, electronic Frankensteining, particularly completely mad setups envisioned by the original developer thinking that people would actually do this, are why I love this channel.

[@RCAvhstape]

Before Star Trek: the Next Generation, pronunciation of the word "data" was pretty much up for grabs, then along came Lt. Cmdr. Data and pretty much settled it.

[@ColtGColtG]

Day-Tuh, Dah-tuh, what's the difference? one is his name, the other is not.

[@drymice500]

pmailkeey Don’t forget dats. ;)

[@Zeina107]

Helium Road Facts!

[@DaraGaming42]

I switch between the two every day , every hour and every minuet LOL, I can’t settle on one