VK is a

helical scan Helical scan is a method of recording high-frequency signals on magnetic tape, used in open-reel video tape recorders, video cassette recorders, digital audio tape recorders, and some computer tape drives. With this technique, magnetic tape he ...

analog recording Analog recording is a category of techniques used for the recording of analog signals. This enables later playback of the recorded analog audio. Analog audio recording began with mechanical systems such as the phonautograph and phonograph. La ...

videocassette format developed by

Akai Akai (, ) is a Japanese brand & former electronics manufacturer, established as Akai Electric Company Ltd in Tokyo in 1929. It was best known outside Japan for its tape recorders during the 1960s and 1970s. The company became bankrupt in 2000 ...

in the late 1970s, that is capable of recording and playing back black & white (and later color) video in either EIA (a.k.a. RS-170, the 525-line

NTSC NTSC (from National Television System Committee) is the first American standard for analog television, published and adopted in 1941. In 1961, it was assigned the designation System M. It is also known as EIA standard 170. In 1953, a second ...

video standard for North America, Canada, Mexico, & Japan) and CCIR (the 625-line

PAL Phase Alternating Line (PAL) is a color encoding system for analog television. It was one of three major analogue colour television standards, the others being NTSC and SECAM. In most countries it was broadcast at 625 lines, 50 fields (25 ...

SECAM SECAM, also written SÉCAM (, ''Séquentiel de couleur à mémoire'', French for ''sequential colour memory''), is an analog color television system that was used in France, Russia and some other countries or territories of Europe and Africa. ...

video standard for Europe and other parts of the world) systems.

Overview

The format employed

magnetic tape Magnetic tape is a medium for magnetic storage made of a thin, magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip of plastic film. It was developed in Germany in 1928, based on the earlier magnetic wire recording from Denmark. Devices that use magnetic ...

loaded into a small cassette, and had two video record heads on the scanner. The units had an optional RF modulator to play back to a TV set as well as a detachable

video monitor A display device is an output device for presentation of information in visual or tactile form (the latter used for example in tactile electronic displays for blind people). When the input information that is supplied has an electrical signa ...

. A professional 12-track audio recorder/mixer model Akai MG1212 was made which utilised the same tape running at 19 cm/s. Akai's plant for the manufacture of VK VCRs was located in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. A VK video cassette could record up to 30 minutes of video.

Early B&W models

*VTS-300 – ½" B&W Video Cassette portable VTR. :It came with a camera, model number VC-300. * VT-350 – ½" B&W Video Cassette portable VTR. :Weighed 24 pounds, without the battery. :It came with a camera also. :A monitor could be added to the side of the VTR.

Color model

* VT-400 *Akai model # VT-400 last VK VTR. It recorded color

composite video Composite video, also known as CVBS (composite video baseband signal or color, video, blanking and sync), is an analog video format that combines image information—such as brightness (luminance), color (chrominance), and synchronization, int ...

on 1/2 30 minute VK-30 cassette of

videotape Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually Sound recording and reproduction, sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog signal, analog or Digital signal (signal processing), digital signal. V ...

. Could record and playback B&W or

color Color (or colour in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) is the visual perception based on the electromagnetic spectrum. Though co ...

. Came with a hand-held VC-400

tube Tube or tubes may refer to: * ''Tube'' (2003 film), a 2003 Korean film * "Tubes" (Peter Dale), performer on the Soccer AM television show * Tube (band), a Japanese rock band * Tube & Berger, the alias of dance/electronica producers Arndt Rör ...

camera with a zoom lens. The system was very small and lightweight for its time. One cable to connect the ENG camera to the VTR for power, video and the

Microphone A microphone, colloquially called a mic (), or mike, is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and publi ...

audio. This model was available in

and

Video cassette

* Both units used the 30 minute VK-30 cassette. * The VK-30 looked similar to a

Betamax Betamax (also known as Beta, and stylized as the Greek letter Beta, β in its logo) is a discontinued consumer analog Videotape, video cassette recording format developed by Sony. It was one of the main competitors in the videotape format war ag ...

cassette. Not many VK VCR systems were sold. The 30-minute record limit of the VK systems and the introduction of new systems on the market ( VHS and Betamax) with longer record time limited VK sales.

External links

Lab Guys World VTS-300

{{DEFAULTSORT:Akai Vk (Videocassette Format) Videotape Composite video formats

Overview

Early B&W models

Color model

Video cassette

See also

External links