Sound and Vision Media is The Boston Video Production Leader. Winner of 5 Davey Awards, 5 Minutes from Downtown Boston! Call 24/7

A Piece of Sound & Vision Media History

A Piece of Sound & Vision Media History

July 19, 2016

Sony Betacam SP

Today Sound & Vision Media is known as one of the most reputable video production and marketing companies in the Boston area.

But one element that truly separates Sound & Vision from the pack is its long standing history: SAV has been in business for nearly forty-five years. Because of this, the company has adapted to just about every change in an industry that has evolved more over the past few decades than nearly any other. While today we are fully equipped with the latest in video production equipment, it’s not uncommon to encounter old pieces of equipment around the office which are reminders of just how far the industry has come in a short time.

One piece is the Sony Betacam SP PVW 2800, the highest quality editing VTR (video tape recorders) of its day.

While it looks older to us now, the PVW 2800 was one of the video tape recorders of choice for professional video when it was released. The expensive technology was worth about $20,000 dollars during its prime.

This VTR was introduced in 1991 as part of the Sony Betacam SP (Superior Performance) line of products. The SP line was a major upgrade to Sony’s original Betacam line, which had already become an industry standard in professional video. But the SP line was able to improve upon this standard by increasing the recording time of its cassettes to 90 minutes and replacing the ferric oxide tape of the original Betacam cassettes with metal formulated tape.
The Betacam and Betacam SP formats were used by major television stations for over twenty years.

By the time the Betacam was released, news broadcasters and on location shooters had become used to the heavier and more unwieldy U-matic cassette format. The new Betacam combined a VCR and camera, making it a far more portable and streamlined option than U-matic. It quickly shot to the top and became the new industry standard.

The Betacam format remained in use into the 21st century. Although video is primarily digital today, Betacam products and PVW 2800 remain an important part of the history of video production and a reminder of how far the industry has come in a short time.

Sound and Vision Media Boston is an Award winning, full service video production company in Boston, MA.

Call us at 781-284-9707

 

Call Now
Directions