Technology Connections
Season 3 Episode 1 - The Impossible Feat inside Your VCR
2015
Documentary, Comedy
These days a VCR seems more quaint than anything else. But in fact, there's a device inside every VCR that solved what seemed to be an unsolvable problem. The video head drum is a fascinating solution to the complex problem of tape speed, and therefore I think it deserves to be remembered. Plus, the video head drum shares some motor technologies with modern hard disk drives. So there's that.
Episodes in Season 3
1
The Impossible Feat inside Your VCR
NOW PLAYING
2
What is Dolby Noise Reduction? Dolby's Humble Beginning
3
Furnaces: Why we still burn fuel to heat our homes
4
Stupid Design--The Needlessly Useless Webcam Activity Light
5
Why Sony's Beta Videotape System Failed--and failed hard (Part 1)
6
Why Sony's Beta Videotape System Failed--Part 2
7
Comparing Beta & VHS on Quality: Was Beta Really Better?
8
Lines of Light: How Analog Television Works
9
Mechanical Television: Incredibly simple, yet entirely bonkers
10
LED bulbs that flicker, and CFLs that almost never did
11
GE's bizarre early attempt at a CFL
12
Philo Farnsworth and the Invention of Electronic Television
13
Digital ICE: The High-Tech Dust Removal Found in Film Scanners
14
How Analog Color TV Works: The Beginnings
15
The Twinkling Light Set: An increasingly rare but delightful type of decorative lighting
16
Compatible Color: The Ultimate Three-For-One Special
17
Analog Color TV Wrap-Up--Some extra info
18