Type B Videotape - Special BCN Units

Special BCN Units

• Ruxton Video in Burbank (1970–1980s) used modified BCNs for 24 Frame playback to TVs used on movie studio sets. Thus the TVs had no flicker when seen on film, due to the film-compatible frame rate. Bill Hogan of Ruxton Ltd received in 1981 a Academy Award for Technical Achievement for his 24frame TV work.

• Image Transform in Universal City, co-founded by Ken Holland, in 1970, used specially modified BCNs to record 24-frame video also, but for their "Image Vision" system. The BCN would record and play back 24-frame video at 10 MHz bandwidth, with twice the standard 525-line NTSC resolution. To record this the headwheel and capstan ran at twice normal speed. Modified 24 frame/s 10 MHz Bosch Fernseh KCK-40 professional video cameras were used on the set. This was a custom pre-HDTV video system. This Image Vision recording could then be recorded to film on a modified 3M Electron Beam film recorder (EBR). Image Transform had modified other gear for this process. At its peak, this system was used to make "Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl" in 1982. This was the first major use of early electronic cinema technology (using wideband high-resolution analog video technology, predating IT-based DI (digital intermediate) post production for film nowadays) using a film recorder for Film out. Electronovision was also a pre-process like Image Vision. Merlin Engineering also worked on the BCN's Wide bandwidth, 10 MHZ, BCN modification.

• Bell and Howell (later Rank Video Services) used special BCNs for mass VHS duplication. These specially-modified BCN VTRs could play back movies at two times the normal speed. In addition, the sync signals were also were at two times speed as well. For proper playback, the headwheel and capstan also ran at twice normal speed. Specially modified VHS recorders could record this video. In doing this, the duplication plant could output twice the product than normal videocassette duplicating systems.

• Bell and Howell's Data Tape division in Pasadena, California modified BCNs to record high speed data for instrumentation purposes. These instrumentation recordings were mostly used by US government agencies, such as for NASA on the Space Shuttle. This unit could record data from up to 800 sensors.

• Because of the small scanner, BCNs could record even at high g-forces. Hand picked BCN20 VTRs could record at low temperatures, down to -40 °C (-40 °F). This was done at the Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid (1980) and in Sarajevo (1984).

• Some users modified BCNs to fit 2-hour reels of tape on the BCN, so complete 2-hour movies could fit on one reel of tape. Bosch later made this a factory option, and was designated as BCN LP.

• Bosch also offered SLP BCN, a "long-play" variant of the format. It moved the tape at 1/3 speed so that up to 6 hours could be recorded on reel. The unit has a special head wheel with azimuth head. This was mostly used for time zone tape delay by television networks. With a head wheel change and switch the unit could be returned to normal play.

• One of the first Digital SDTV VTRs was a non-production prototype BCN deck that could record and play back early type of CCIR 601 digital signals. These three Bosch VTRs paved the way for the later SMPTE D1 VTR standard. In 1985 and 1986 in Rennes experimental digital studio, in France, an experimental all-digital television center was made, it used the two all digital BCN units

• The BCH 1000 is an analog HDTV VTR that records and playbacks HD-MAC at 50 frames per second, each at a resolution of 2048×1152. The BCH 1000 was used in the 1992 Summer Olympics Games in Barcelona and 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville.

• BCN 51 VTR

• BCN 52 VTR

• BCH-1000 HDTV B VTR

• BCN 20 VTR with "L unit" playback with TBC.

• BCN 20 VTR hand held VTR recorder.