Big tape and BIG machines to play them

In the good old days of analog videotape, starting in 1976 we had one-inch videotape "type-c"
This was the broadcast standard and here in this picture is depicted older model Sony 1" Machines from KPBS, San Diego.

These are Sony BVH-1100 model machines. Some similar machines were made under the RCA label. The took up an entire 19" wide rack, as depicted here. These particular machines took reels up to 90 minutes long. In the mid 80's there were "smaller models" that came out, including the BVH-2000 and BHV 3000/3100 series. These still took up a lot of rack space. They played 2 hour reels. The BVH-2180 played 3 hour reels. The tape cost $$$$$, as did the machines. Big $$$$.

To edit a show that anybody makes on a laptop in "broadcast quality" in 2010, you needed a room of these and switchers and audio mixers and.....well you get the idea.

I do not think I need to go through how computer technology has made this format wildly obsolete given the size of the machines and storage of videotape. But the WAS the STATE of the ART. If you put a Dolby (A or SR) box around it's audio ins and outs, you had really clean audio! KPBS did have this technology which helped make for clean audio playbacks in a lot of cases from these machines above their specs.

Circle Limit Digital has preserved 1" Type-C videotape for the 80's band 3 Hits as well as
Caption Perfect (http://www.captionperfect.com/). The machine we use is "smaller" but it was the state of the art....and it's Dolby SR/A capable.

But it's obsolete! And high tech at the same time. What can we preserve for you?