2" Helical
AKA
2 inch helical VTR,
VR-1500, VR-660
Era
1961–1970s
Analog/digital
analog
Format
open reel
Developed by
Ampex
(Max) Capacity
5 hours
Size
6.5", 8", 10.5",
12.5" reels
Fun facts
- This format was not suitable for broadcast use and the machine was too large and pricy for consumers, so this format was marketed to industrial and educational sectors
- The VR-660 (the professional version of the 2" helical scan deck) weighed 100 pounds, which was considered light in comparison with other video recorders from the same era
- The 2" tape runs at 3.7 inches per second
- Changing the angle that the 4 heads "the quad" recorded and read information on the tape from a 90° angle to a much longer angle (think diagonal, like the hypoteneuse of a triangle) allowed for more information to be written on the tape in the same amount of space (needing less tape for the same length of content)."(Michael Henry Grant)
- VR-1500 was the consumer VTR model; VR-660 was the professional model
