IVC videotape format

IVC videotape

IVC-9000 VTR at DC Video
Media type	Magnetic Tape
Encoding	NTSC, PAL
Standard	Interlaced video
Developed by	International Video Corporation
Usage	Video production

IVC 2 inch Helical scan was a high-end broadcast quality helical scan analog recording VTR format developed by International Video Corporation (IVC), and introduced in 1975. Previously, IVC had made a number of 1 inch Helical VTRs. IVC saw a chance to make a VTR that would have the quality of the then-standard 2 inch Quadruplex videotape format but with the advantages of helical scan. They then developed a VTR using this technology, the IVC Model 9000.

The Helical scanner used a tape wrap of 188.57 degrees around a drum of 3.170 inches in diameter, with two play/record heads. In the NTSC version of the format, it had 5 helical tracks (segments) per field and 6 in the PAL version, each with 57 lines per segment. The VTR was equipped with a color video monitor, a waveform monitor scope, and vectorscope.

The 9000 was one of the first analog video recorders utilized for electronic film production using analog high-resolution wideband video standards (such as the 655/48 standard mentioned previously), predating IT-based DI (digital intermediate) film production systems in use today.

The 9000-W-M was, for all intents and purposes, a custom pre-HDTV video system. The 655 line system was also used for 24 frame playback on TVs and monitors used on movie studio sets. Thus the TVs had no flicker when shot on film, due to the different (and thus compatible to motion picture film's) frame rate. The 9000-W-M was used for some "JAWS 3D's" composite special effects.