TR-70C 2" quadruplex video recorder in operation

This is a montage of one of the WGTV TR-70Cs playing back a monochrome low band Army training recording made in 1967. This recording is, technically, one of the worst I've seen in a long time.
I first tried to play this tape on my old reliable TR-70A in my transfer facility, but this recording has so much timebase jitter and quadrature error, that it was out of range for the headwheel servo and ATC in that machine.
I decided to give this recently revived 70C with the digital servo a crack at it, and sure enough, it played it so well that I took my studio DV recorder out to the workshop and dubbed this tape directly from this machine. This video was shot during that actual playback session.
For more information on me and what I do, please check out my website at: www.AnalogRetentive.com

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• TR-70
• quadruplex
• quad
• 2 tape
• videotape
• vintage video
• RCA

[PlaneAndTVtechfan]

Why did it take the television industry so long to find or come up with VTR's that were more modern than, and had advantages over, 2-inch Quad? That said, 30-odd years of recording TV history, including important events in modern history, is nothing to sneeze at. Thanks, RCAQuadruplex, for sharing your TR-70's here.

[RCAquadruplex]

@PlaneAndTVtechfan

When the first quad recorder appeared in 1956, it was viewed almost as a "miracle". I remember reading somewhere that the quad videotape recorder was considered to be the most technologically complex machine ever built by man up to that date in history. The pace of technology in all areas during the reign of quad, mid to late 50's until the early '80s or so, was relatively slow compared to today, and better alternatives seemed out of reach. Similar to computer advances....

[PlaneAndTVtechfan]

I remember seeing somewhere that certain brands of videotape, such as Memorex with Chroma 90, could be problematic..Why?

[RCAquadruplex]

@PlaneAndTVtechfan

much as has been found with certain brands/formulations of audio tape stock, certain types of quad videotape have not fared as well over the years as others. Some of these tapes, particularly the later Mylar backed ones, develop problems, (and Chroma 90 is one of the more problematic ones)...one of which is the well known "sticky shed" syndrome.

Often, this can be dealt with using similar protocols to that used for audio tape, and the content can be recovered.

[wastl700]

Great "video" from a videorecorder :) If I look at my still running S-VHS tape recorder I can "see" what doing at this machines... When I was 13, in1973, our teacher showed us a Philips open reel machine, b&w only. He put the tape to the recorder and we saw an old film ... So over the years I'm very interesting 'bout old analog systems to rec video

[Xerox6085I]

@PlaneAndTVtechfan If you look on television programming which was recorded in 2" quad broadcast viewed through more modern means than a "round tube RCA" television you will see how good the quality actually was.

[HDCAMAN]

Great - really great!

[rty1955]

@RCAquadruplex I have worked on every machine that Ampex ever made..:) The best was the AVR-2. The most complex was the ACR-25, The most finiky was the 3000. My personal favorite was the 2000B. I also worked on the TR-70, but preferred the Ampex machines over RCA. Even NBC people hated RCA machines but because they were owned by RCA, guess what they HAD to use.

[rty1955]

@PlaneAndTVtechfan 3M manufactured the most consistent tape for these machines. Fuji was best for camera masters but don't use it for more than 4 passes. I remember playing back the Merv Griffen show and was shocked to see it on Fuji tape. During playback the oxide actually parted from the backing! Ampex tape was worse than sandpaper on the heads too. Memorex was so-so. The place i worked at used only 3M tape.

[RCAquadruplex]

@cwguk

Although, I have worked with about every RCA quad machine they built over the years, the only one I have zero personal experience with...is a 600.

I have certainly "heard" over the years that perhaps the 600 was not RCA's finest hour. Then again, I think the TR-70 was a very tough act for RCA to follow.