Video 2000 - Technological Innovations

Technological Innovations

At the time of its launch Video 2000 offered several innovative features unmatched by the competing formats VHS and Betamax:

• Only half of the magnetic tape is scanned by a helical scanner during each side pass. The cassette can then be flipped over to use the other half of the tape, thus doubling playing time.
• The tape is totally enclosed when not in use. Unlike competing formats that have spaces in the casesette for the tape loading mechanism to be inserted, thus exposing the delicate magnetic tape surface, VCCs had a retractable sheath that covers such space. The sheath is retracted as a tape is inserted into the machine and only then can the tape cover be raised to fully expose the tape.
• Because of its Dynamic Track Following (DTF) technology (involving an advanced, movable video head tip), by design V2000 does not require a video tracking control (however, Grundig's model 1600 lacked DTF).
• All V2000 VCRs sport an auto-rewind function (later matched by VHS and Betamax)
• Dynamic Noise Suppression to reduce tape hiss on the audio track.
• Provision of a data track alongside the video track
• channel selection and timer programming are undertaken by a 0-9 numeric keypad

Thanks to DTF, V2000 is able to play both fields of the image in still frame mode, providing full vertical resolution whereas VHS and Betamax could only reproduce one field, giving only half of the normal vertical resolution. A real advantage of DTF on all but the very first V2000 models is the ability to provide picture search without noise bars across the screen, a feature domestic VHS or Betamax machines were only ever able to approach by introducing complex multi-head drums.

Although Philips and Grundig agreed on a common tape format, they came up with machines that were radically different mechanically. Building on their experience with VCR, Grundig machines feature a Betamax-style loading ring to gently pull the tape around the video heads, while Philips utilises an "M-wrap" similar to that used in VHS machines.

Not long before the end of production Philips introduced a half-speed mode, the V2000 XL or eXtra Long, doubling capacity and making it possible to store 16 hours (eight hours per side) on one single tape. This was featured in Philips VR2840 and Grundig's Video 2x8 machines.

Though linear stereo sound was available on some models, both VHS and Betamax were offering hifi stereo sound with near-CD quality by the mid 1980s.