# How Ampex Invented Modern Video Recording on Magnetic Tape

> This 1955 invention enabled the recording of high-frequency television signals onto magnetic tape, replacing the expensive and low-quality film recording methods of the era.

- **Patent:** US 2956114
- **Original title:** Broad band magnetic tape system and method
- **Owner:** Ampex Corp
- **Granted:** 1960
- **Status:** Public domain (expired)
- **Times cited:** 11
- **Field:** consumer_electronics, mechanical, telecommunications

## What it does

The system uses a rotating head assembly that spins at high speeds perpendicular to the direction of the moving magnetic tape. By scanning the tape transversely, the system achieves the high relative speeds necessary to capture the massive amount of data required for a television signal. This allows for the storage of high-frequency video information on a relatively slow-moving strip of tape. It effectively solved the problem of how to record a signal that required a bandwidth far beyond what stationary heads could handle at the time.

## What it does NOT cover

- Does not cover digital video recording or compression formats.
- Does not cover helical scan recording, which uses a different tape path geometry.
- Does not cover optical disc storage or solid-state memory.

## The clever bit

By rotating the recording heads across the tape width instead of moving the tape at impossible speeds, the engineers achieved the necessary bandwidth while keeping the physical tape manageable.

## Real-world examples

1. Ampex VR-1000 broadcast video tape recorder
2. Early television studio master recording equipment

## Why it matters

This invention, known as the VR-1000, transformed the television industry by allowing for high-quality delayed broadcasts and editing. It ended the era of 'kinescope' recording, where cameras simply filmed a television monitor, which resulted in poor image quality. It became the industry standard for decades.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does How Ampex Invented Modern Video Recording on Magnetic Tape cover?

This 1955 invention enabled the recording of high-frequency television signals onto magnetic tape, replacing the expensive and low-quality film recording methods of the era.

### Who owns patent US 2956114?

Ampex Corp owns this patent, granted in 1960.

### When does this patent expire?

This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.

### What is patent US 2956114 cited by?

This patent has been cited by 11 later patents that build on its ideas.

### What problem does this patent solve?

This invention, known as the VR-1000, transformed the television industry by allowing for high-quality delayed broadcasts and editing. It ended the era of 'kinescope' recording, where cameras simply filmed a television monitor, which resulted in poor image quality. It became the industry standard for decades.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Does not cover digital video recording or compression formats.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2956114/videotape-recorder-ampex

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US2956114

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._


## Related patents

Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus:

- [How Early Hard Disk Drives Accessed Data Quickly](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3503060/hard-disk-drive) — A 1970 patent detailing a mechanical system for moving read-write heads across magnetic disks to retrieve stored information rapidly.
- [The First Digital Camera's Core Technology](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/4131919/digital-camera-electronic-still) — Kodak's 1978 patent on the fundamental technology for capturing, processing, and storing digital images using a CCD sensor and magnetic tape.
- [How James Russell Invented the Digital Optical Disc](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3501586/optical-digital-recording-russell) — A 1966 invention that replaced physical needles on vinyl records with a laser beam reading digital data from a spinning disc.
- [How the Theremin Makes Music Without Touching Anything](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1661058/theremin-leon-theremin) — Leon Theremin's 1928 patent for an electronic musical instrument that generates sound based on the proximity of a performer's hands to metal antennas.
- [How Early Television Systems Isolated Specific Colors for Special Effects](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3678182/chroma-key-green-screen) — A 1971 circuit design that allowed television equipment to detect a specific color in a video signal, enabling the green-screen effects we see in modern weather forecasts and movies.