Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Based on the number on the case, this may be the very first demo tape for Sony's U-Matic format, the first video cassette which was hoped would be adopted by consumers but was a bit too expensive for most. It had more success in the semi-professional field including schools and smaller TV stations, and was used up to the early 2000s. A few other demo tapes were made like this, was surprised that this one indicated Stereo on the cover and actually is in true stereo. Probably about 1% if that many users had a sound system integrated with their TVs then, and at first the 2-channel audio capability of the format was used more to include 2 separate mono tracks or record location sound on one channel with narration and other post-produced sound on the other for playback in mono. YouTube’s copyright system ID’d the music as being by Patrick John O’Hara Scott, also known as John Scott and has done many TV and film music scores as well as library music for Bruton- the tracks on here are from a 1969 album called The Good Word which you can hear on many music services.
I did not bake this tape or do anything else with it; this is edited together from a few different plays for the best results but there's an obvious edit where the tape stopped running and could not even be fast-forwarded past. I had to hand-wind the tape to get the rest to play. If anyone has any advice on how I might make this tape play better feel free to comment. It's currently the oldest video media I have right now, and may be the oldest I ever have unless I ever get into the open-reel formats.
Other than the missing 3 or so seconds where the tape stopped, all of the recorded material is included. The signal stops before the end of the tape and the rest is filled with a minute or so of completely blank tape with no signal, as was common on pre-recorded tapes of all formats for many years.
Based on the number on the case, this may be the very first demo tape for Sony's U-Matic format, the first video cassette which was hoped would be adopted by consumers but was a bit too expensive for most. It had more success in the semi-professional field including schools and smaller TV stations, and was used up to the early 2000s. A few other demo tapes were made like this, was surprised that this one indicated Stereo on the cover and actually is in true stereo. Probably about 1% if that many users had a sound system integrated with their TVs then, and at first the 2-channel audio capability of the format was used more to include 2 separate mono tracks or record location sound on one channel with narration and other post-produced sound on the other for playback in mono. YouTube’s copyright system ID’d the music as being by Patrick John O’Hara Scott, also known as John Scott and has done many TV and film music scores as well as library music for Bruton- the tracks on here are from a 1969 album called The Good Word which you can hear on many music services.
I did not bake this tape or do anything else with it; this is edited together from a few different plays for the best results but there's an obvious edit where the tape stopped running and could not even be fast-forwarded past. I had to hand-wind the tape to get the rest to play. If anyone has any advice on how I might make this tape play better feel free to comment. It's currently the oldest video media I have right now, and may be the oldest I ever have unless I ever get into the open-reel formats.
Other than the missing 3 or so seconds where the tape stopped, all of the recorded material is included. The signal stops before the end of the tape and the rest is filled with a minute or so of completely blank tape with no signal, as was common on pre-recorded tapes of all formats for many years.
