LEGACY TAPE TIMELINE

Major Stepping-stones
 
1893      Vladimir Poulsen’s first wire magnetic recorder
 
1900      US patent for steel wire recording
 
1929      Fritz Pfleumer builds paper-based audio tape recorder
 
1934      BASF produces acetate-based audio tape
 
1939      Germans mass-produce plastic-based audio tape
 
1945      Allies seize German Magnetophon in Luxembourg
 
1946      Paper-backed audio tape available on American market
 
1948      3M introduces cellulose acetate-based audio tape in US
 
1951      Crosby Enterprises demonstrates video tape recording
 
1954      Polyester-based audiotape marketed in US
 
1956      2” Quad video tape
 
1964      Philips introduces compact audio cassette
 
1969      1/2” EIAJ portable video recorder
 
1971      Dolby audio noise reduction; 3/4” video tape
 
1976      VHS video tape
 
1977      3M introduces commercially available digital audio tape
 
1978      1” type C video tape
 
1986      Betacam SP video tape; D-1 digital video tape
 
 
NOTE:  On average, at least two new video formats have been introduced yearly between 1986 and 2000.  Virtually all of these have been digital. Some years have seen as many as five new video formats introduced.
 
Excerpted from information supplied by The Library of Congress.