|
When Sony introduced the SL-2000 it was immediately recognized by every video publication and technical lab as the finest portable VCR ever made. Everybody who wanted to record video "on the go" had to have one. It was (and still is) a crowning achievement with stellar handling characteristics that surpasses any consumer video tape recorder. Gorgeous and simple it was also totally supported by its maker, Sony. They poured everything that they were famous for into this little jewel. It afforded a new creativity and flexibility previously not available to the consumer, and there was an accessory to accommodate your every creative desire. Portability was its hallmark, but one of the the primary accessories was its equally small and equally impressive tuner/timer. It turned the portable into a full featured, free standing home video recorder. It also charged the removable battery inside the VCR and permitted arm chair control by using the included full function infrared remote, called the Commander. But it didn't stop there (that would have been enough for some VCR manufacturers) no, Sony offered lots of other accessories. For powering the portable VCR there was a 12 volt car adapter, a separate battery charger, a rechargeable battery 4-pack and a rechargeable battery belt. There were also a number of sophisticated cameras that you could use for mobile movie making. To accommodate this new mobility there were several carrying cases, a clamshell sports pack that strapped onto your back, that also supported a camera, and a four wheeled folding cart. There was even an outrageously expensive diving enclosure for underwater videography that held a camera, recorder and two batteries. This plethora of support accessories were advertised by Sony as the "Betamax System" strategy. Sony was very big on coming up with buzzwords that called attention to a feature or benefit the customer would receive from their products. It had work wonders for them with their other products, it should also work with their new Betamax. Another Sony slogan at this same time was the "Betamax, the Sony of VCRs". This put forth the corporate ego that Sony was the best you could get. This bragging was intended to promote Betas quality image but it also had the negative effect of putting the other Beta format makers (Sanyo, NEC,Toshiba, Aiwa and Zenith) in a secondary light in the eyes of consumers. The untouchable excellence of the model SL-2000 didn't help the situation because it has so many great things going for it, one was worthy of a whole new Sony buzzword. A new term that Sony hoped would highlight a smart new feature incorporated into this portable VCR. This newcomer to the list of novel names was "Videola" and when it hit the public it immediately got Sony in trouble. But first what this new feature was and how it was made possible. It was attainable because the reel table assembly inside the SL-2000 was capable of maintaining constant tension at all times, at any speed, at any angle during operation. This allows it to slow scan the tape backwards and forwards in pause while showing a very good, steady picture. This is great for locating editing points when going through different scenes. Even better Sony incorporated this feature into the recording mode when you using a Sony camera. Called "Record Review" it worked this way. When the VCR was in the recording pause mode pressing a button on the camera would cause the tape to travel backwards a short distance and then play back the last few seconds of what you just recorded. After it did this it would then go back into record pause mode. This awesome function was possible because of what Sony called the Videola feature that was built into the SL-2000. (The magnificent SL-2500 home recorder accepts a camera and duplicates this feature.) Sony heavily promoted the SL-2000 and all was going great until a company named Movieola cried foul. Sounds too much like us, they said. Sony was already in one lawsuit over movie rights so they didn't need this. They agreed to change the name of this new super power to "SWING SEARCH" which was pretty clever, really (and sort of accidental). It was a good replacement because you can place your fingers on both of the Swing Search keys on the front of the VCR and press them back and forth during pause, it really was like you were swinging the tape direction back and forth. In the picture above you can see these "VIDEOLA" buttons on the face of the VCRs. Sony only sold a few of the units that had VIDEOLA printed on the front before it was replaced with "SWING SEARCH". Of those early units the very first ones also didn't have the tactile bumps molded into the play, record and videola buttons. The two early designs are shown picture above (Plate 1). Click on the picture and you can see the remotes that came with the companion TT-2000 unit (PLATE 2). The early one has "VIDEOLA" printed beneath the special effects button array, later it changed to "SWING SEARCH". After the name changes and the dust settled the Sony Beta partner, Zenith, decided they wanted this portable to compliment their current home models. Sony had been making their Beta VCRs all along and branding them as Zenith. Of course, they would oblige. It became their model VR9800. Click on the picture (Plate3) and it is shown under the final design SL-2000, which now had Swing Search printed above the control buttons. Below that is the VR9800 and you can see that Zenith called this feature "Video Action". They carried their buzzword over to their other models as well. It's easy to see the similarity in this picture. The VR 9500 was the SL-2000 with just a slightly different button configuration. (Notice there are no tactile bumps on the buttons.) During this time period Zenith was in a good position to reap some great benefits from its Beta association, but things went south pretty quick. Turned out that all the accessories for this awesome new portable had Sony's name on item! Not very many said Zenith on them. Sony was reluctant to duplicate all the accessories for them because of the "Betamax System" strategy. Consumers were wise to the brand swapping, calling it piggybacking. For the small price difference buyers decided having Sony on the front of their VCR was worth more than Zenith. Sales of the VR9800 were good, but not earth shattering like with the Sony version. Zenith didn't take this very well. Also sales of their two home models, both made by Sony to Zenith specifications, were good, but not as stellar as they had hoped. Putting it all together, Zenith abruptly and unexpectedly decided to called it quits for Beta. They were going over to VHS. It was a harsh blow because their association had been close and Zenith was a well respected name in the USA. To make matters worse the desertion wasn't explained very well to the public. Production of the Zenith portables were in full swing at Sony at the time of the collapse. Zenith agreed to accept the inventory of all the remaining completed models. That took care of the home units but Sony had anticipated higher sales of the VR9800. They were now stuck with faceplates that were configured for the Zenith touch pad pattern. So they turned the remaining inventory into a new model with a new color and labelled it the SL-2005. To see it compared to Zenith model it copied click on the picture (PlATE 4). As you can easily see they are the same VCR, only the color and name were different. This new color ended up appealing to an unexpected number of buyers. They liked its darker finish. Sony continued the SL-2005 for a limited period. To see the remotes that came with these two Betas click on the picture (PLATE 5). As you see Swing Search is printed on the Sony SL-2005 remote on the left. Slow motion appears in this location on the Zenith remote on the right. Note also that the remote for the Zenith is named the "Video Action Control". This logo appeared on the remotes of past models as well. There were two other portables that were built at this time that were similar to the SL-2000 and VR 9800 and shared part of their model numbers. They were less sophisticated and cost less, but they still performed well. Their tape transport didn't allow for the Swing Search function. These were the Sony model SL-2001 and the Zenith model VR9500. They too, had their own matching, less expensive, companion tuner/timers, the TT-2001 and the VRT-9500. Most all of the Sony and Zenith accessories were compatible with each other.
©Misterßetamax go to homepage |