Development of 1/2-in. cassette HDTV VTR incorporating image compression technology

High definition television (HDTV) broadcasting is available 13-14 hours a day in Japan. The need to develop a practical VTR with high picture quality, small size and low cost has become more pressing as a key device indispensable for ENG, editing and broadcasting equipment. Comparing present HDTV VTRs (1-in. digital VTR and UNIHI VTR) with current conventional definition television VTRs used in broadcasting, there is much room for improvement in terms of cost (equipment cost and tape cost), function and performance, mobility (size, weight and power consumption) and maintenance during practical use. To solve these problems at an early stage, we have developed an HDTV VTR using a 1/2-in. tape cassette by making effective use of a current CDTV digital VTR and applying bit rate reduction technology