Remember the Sony Walkman - a walk down memory lane.

[HMS_Dave]

It was 8 track I was thinking of.

For some reason I thought you'd already discounted that...

 

[MontyVeda]

No, before then. Google tells me that was introduced in 1992. I'm thinking of the early 80s, my aunt had a Depeche Mode tape she used to play on it!

Edit: got it, courtesy of google - 8 track.

Blimey... that's more 60's isn't it? I think it predates the compact cassette.

my Dad had an 8 track in the family car in the mid 70's and only one cassette. I've got the player somewhere, and the cassette...

and a microcassette (but no player for that).

 

[yello]

For some reason I thought you'd already discounted that...

One of those irritating moments where the name was on the tip of my tongue but just wouldn't fall. I kept thinking Super 8.... and that diverted me down the video route and hence Betamax. I can sleep easy now

 

[yello]

Blimey... that's more 60's isn't it? I think it predates the compact cassette

It does but was still around early 80s. Cassettes finally saw it off I suppose, the reference to "a victim of timing" made me think of it. Ditto Betamax. I was thinking of old formats that haven't stayed the distance.

 

[mistyoptic]

Blimey... that's more 60's isn't it? I think it predates the compact cassette

Certainly early 70s, I remember them well. Think they were only available pre-recorded but happy to be corrected

 

[mistyoptic]

It does but was still around early 80s. Cassettes finally saw it off I suppose, the reference to "a victim of timing" made me think of it. Ditto Betamax. I was thinking of old formats that haven't stayed the distance.

Add V2000 to the collection then. Like a grown up version of the compact cassette for video. Double sided and had a go-to function which was far better than fast forward search.

 

[MontyVeda]

It does but was still around early 80s. Cassettes finally saw it off I suppose, the reference to "a victim of timing" made me think of it. Ditto Betamax. I was thinking of old formats that haven't stayed the distance.

Betamax was a professional format and used for many many years in the industry... far superior to VHS in sound and picture quality.

 

[yello]

far superior to VHS in sound and picture quality.

I was actually thinking about that when you referenced V2000 above; it's not always quality than determines the 'winner' Popularity of a format can be determined by other factors.

Maybe there's a thread in it; something like 'the better alternatives that didn't survive'...

 

[raleighnut]

I was actually thinking about that when you referenced V2000 above; it's not always quality than determines the 'winner' Popularity of a format can be determined by other factors.

Maybe there's a thread in it; something like 'the better alternatives that didn't survive'...

Hence Sony buying up CBS to form Sony Music Corp. so they could restrict which formats music was sold on.

 

[newfhouse]

What was the other cassette tape format that fell by the wayside? My uncle had a player he was very proud of.... I keep thinking of Betamax but that was video.

I know you were thinking of 8 track, but DAT was another format that never took off in the consumer market. It was used until fairly recently in news gathering and similar.

 

[MichaelW2]

I know you were thinking of 8 track, but DAT was another format that never took off in the consumer market. It was used until fairly recently in news gathering and similar.
View attachment 578085

DAT was used as computet backup media as an altwrnative to Exabyte.

 

[MichaelW2]

RIP
Lou Ottens
Inventor of the cassette tape.

 

[MontyVeda]

I was actually thinking about that when you referenced V2000 above; it's not always quality than determines the 'winner' Popularity of a format can be determined by other factors.

Maybe there's a thread in it; something like 'the better alternatives that didn't survive'...

I think V2000 was poorer quality than VHS, double sided so only half the width of tape available. The nail on Betamax's coffin in the home market was the ease of piracy; even 3rd gen copies were good, where as VHS didn't copy well at all... so publishers were far more willing to licence their movies to VHS than Betamax, hence the much bigger choice in rental stores.

 

[yello]

DAT was used as computet backup media as an altwrnative to Exabyte.

I remember DAT well from back in the (backup) day. Prior to that it had been 8" floppy disks.... and patience, LOTS of patience. Just being able to stick a tape in the drive and swan off was a godsend!

 

[Brandane]

RIP
Lou Ottens
Inventor of the cassette tape.

I hope I get to the same ripe old age as he did.
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