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From: thoth@uiuc.edu (Ben Cox)
Subject: Re: The Future of DAT?
Message-ID: <1991Jun28.162332.21772@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Sender: usenet@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (News)
Reply-To: thoth@uiuc.edu (Ben Cox)
Organization: Ancient Illuminated Bavarian Seers
References: <9106222115.AA10855@world.std.com> <jcb.678069786@lupine>
Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1991 16:23:32 GMT
Lines: 52

jcb@NCD.COM (Jim Becker) writes:

>bzs@WORLD.STD.COM (Barry Shein) writes:

>There is also a system that Philips has been working on  that  is  the
>same form factor as audio cassette, but has the underlying workings of
>VCR technology  (tilted  spinning  head..).   It's  all  digital,  and
>includes  the  hardware  for  backwards  compatability to analog audio
>cassettes - a nice design win!

The Philips format is called DCC.  It uses a cassette that is the same
shape and size as the ordinary cassette, but there are some
differences:

   o The tractor holes only open on one side (like a videotape); the
     other side is flat and unbroken.  Record companies like this
     because that gives them maximum label space.

   o There is a shield which moves aside to cover/uncover the tape,
     kind of like a 3 1/2" floppy disk.

   o The head is not tilted, nor does it rotate.  It's a stationary
     head, which is arranged in 18 tracks (9 per direction in the
     same 1/8" width!!!) which read the audio data without moving the
     head.  The tape moves at the same (I believe) cassette speed of
     1+7/8 ips.

   o Philips uses a data compression method which involves varying the
     bit resolution of the audio data depending on the amplitude and
     frequency information in the audio signal.  It's supposed to be
     pretty hot.

   o The specification includes auto-reverse, so you do record on
     both directions, but the tape never flips.  This is done with
     two sets of gaps (I believe it's two sets of 9 gaps, hence the
     18 tracks) rather than by flipping the head like some cassette
     decks.

   o The specification for players also includes another set of
     analog heads with which to play ordinary analog cassettes.

>This is where I would place a bet, if there is anything new that  will
>take a foothold.  There's an article in  one  of  the  recent  Fortune
>magazines on this new contender, with comparisons  against  CD,  audio
>cassette and DAT.

The info above was found in an article by Ken Pohlmann in a recent MIX
magazine.

--
Ben Cox
thoth@uiuc.edu
