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Sanyo V-Cord VCR

VTC-7100: A V-Cord format portapack and camera. Black and white (of course). One of the most compact 1/2" portapacks of it's time. Also featured the best still frame capability. For this reason, they were actually integrated into a cardio-sonogram machine made by Smith-Kline back in the early eighties. Needless to say, they were superseded by Panasonic semi-pro VHS decks. How do I know this? I had to quality control dozens of these VCR's for Smith-Kline which were purchased from Videomedia, where I was working as the service department manager at that time!

The Vcord II was a terrific machine for its time (1970's); it was the first consumer machine to offer two recording speeds, freeze frame and slow motion. It also had a whopping 2-hour recording time on a tape that cost $35! Like all VCRs of this vintage, it is an extremely HEAVY machine (though NOT as heavy as Quasar's VX format "Great Time Machine").
The electronic clock/timer is more sophisticated than the one offered by Sony with the Betamax, but like the Sony it is a separate unit (We are still using ours).
The tape goes into the machine rather like an 8-track (short end first) but the tape door is on the long (left) side. Each tape comes with a protective plastic sleeve, green for the V60 and brown for the V120.
I suspect that someone out there has one of these machines. Chances are that it is hidden under a bunch of other stuff in the garage: they may even think its an old Betamax machine - But check for the distinctive VcordII logo! 

V-Cord Cassette: Very compact, for it's time, these cassettes could hold 30 or 60 minutes of tape in the original version and 120 minutes in V-Cord II format.

More pictures:

VTC - 7100

Video Cassette VT 20C + Viewfinder VC 500

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VHS

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