ABSTRACT
Videotape recorders (VTRs) appeared in broadcasting studios in the late 1950s and quickly became quintessential tools for television production. They played a key role in acquisition, they were pivotal engines in postproduction, and they were essential in transmission. But at the beginning of the new millennium, after almost 50 years of undisputed rule, they seem to be at the end of their life cycle. Tape is being replaced more and more by other information carriers as the recorders gradually cede ground to IT-based servers and storage systems. However, that technological cross-fade, that transition from videotape recording to other forms of storing video and audio signals, will take some time. It also seems that despite all new developments, acquisition and long-term archiving will continue to use VTRs or tape-based solutions for years to come.
