The first Betas didn't come with a statistical display. A separate analog clock showed the time and was used for making a single recording. The first built-in clock/timer appeared as a fluorescent tube located on the front and has remained an integral part of almost every Beta VCR since. Most decks employ the type of display where the characters light up but there is another type of display, shown above, known as the LCD (liquid crystal display). Its main attribute is that it requires very little power to created the characters. These are intended to be read when illuminated externally or from behind. It is employed when conservation of power or the operation environment demands it. This makes them ideal for portable Betas or devices where a lighted characters could be distracting or a power drain. The example above shows the tape speed and the tapes location in hours, minutes and seconds. It shows it to be at the beginning. Very helpful data but some screens were larger and included a lot more information. It could come in the form of special characters like arrows or symbols dedicated to various functions plus providing the numerals for clock time and timer settings. ©Misterßetamax go to homepage