boyajian@akov68.DEC (05/11/85)
From: vortex!root (Lauren Weinstein) > One factor is the fact that (for all practical purposes) most videotape > duplicating is done in realtime. With discs, you just stamp them out. > With audio tapes, you can do high speed duplication. But for helical > video, there are major problems with high speed duplication and most > (if not all) of the manufacturing is done in 1:1 realtime. This > is a slow process, and it is reflected in the costs. That doesn't explain why Warner's, CBS/Fox, MGM/UA, and others insist on keeping their tape prices at $60-80, while Paramount sells there's for $40 or less. Consider the difference between Paramount's STAR TREK (TV episodes) tapes at $15, and whoever's PRISONER tapes at $40, when for each show, it's only one hour/tape. Plus, Sony had developed sometime last year a high speed Beta tape copier, so Beta tapes, at least, don't have to be done in real time. --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Maynard, MA) UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian ARPA: boyajian%akov68.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA