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(upbeat lively music)
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(upbeat lively music continues)
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- [Narrator] The compact cassette
or compact audio cassette,
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also commonly known as the cassette tape
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or simply tape or cassette,
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00:01:09,444 --> 00:01:12,406
is an analog magnetic
tape recording format
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for audio recording and playback.
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00:01:15,534 --> 00:01:17,953
It was developed by a company
by the name of Phillips
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in Belgium and released in 1962.
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The compact cassette technology
was originally designed
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for dictation machine, but
improvements in fidelity
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00:01:30,841 --> 00:01:32,843
led the compact cassette to supplant
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00:01:33,135 --> 00:01:35,220
the stereo eight-track cartridge
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and reel-to-reel tape recording
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in most nonprofessional application.
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Its uses range from portable
audio to home recording
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to data storage for early microcomputers.
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00:01:47,316 --> 00:01:49,151
The first cassette players were designed
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for use in car dashboards
and was introduced in 1968.
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Between the early 1970s
and the early 2000s,
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the cassette was one of
the two most common formats
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for recorded music, first
alongside the vinyl LP record
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and later, the compact disc.
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(upbeat lively music continues)
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- [Child] Is there vanilla ice cream?
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I want some, Mommy.
- Oh, yeah. Come down.
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00:02:17,346 --> 00:02:18,639
I'll have to wash your hands.
- Mommy, I know.
30
00:02:18,930 --> 00:02:20,766
- [Child] You already got some.
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00:02:21,058 --> 00:02:24,186
- [Child] I like green
flowers. They're good.
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00:02:24,478 --> 00:02:26,480
- [Child] Can I have
another birthday tomorrow?
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- [Announcer] Capture the moment.
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The Sony portable Cassette-Corder has
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a built-in condenser microphone
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and works on batteries or plug in.
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- [Child] I wanna-
(button clicks)
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00:02:36,698 --> 00:02:37,741
- [Announcer] The Sony Cassette-Corder,
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00:02:38,033 --> 00:02:40,077
one of 42 great Sony tape recorders
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at your Sony Superscope dealer.
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(upbeat lively music)
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00:02:45,499 --> 00:02:46,708
- [Narrator] Many great
memories were recorded
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on compact cassettes from childhood banter
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to late night underground radio shows
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00:02:52,297 --> 00:02:55,676
to all the popular hits
of the 1980s and '90s.
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00:02:55,967 --> 00:02:58,261
Even retro video games
were stored on cassettes.
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The cassette tape as we know it
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was originally released in 1968.
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00:03:04,685 --> 00:03:06,853
It was the perfect
combination of versatility,
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00:03:07,145 --> 00:03:09,690
high quality, and small size.
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00:03:09,981 --> 00:03:12,984
It was the fit-in-your-pocket,
carriable, user friendliness
52
00:03:13,276 --> 00:03:17,155
that drove the miniaturized
compact audio market of today.
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00:03:17,447 --> 00:03:19,825
Your modern day iPhone
is just another Walkman
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00:03:20,117 --> 00:03:21,993
with a phone and camera built into it.
55
00:03:23,036 --> 00:03:26,123
The idea of a pocket-size
portable audio system began
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00:03:26,415 --> 00:03:28,834
with the introduction of
the cassette tape Walkman
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00:03:29,126 --> 00:03:31,795
in 1979 by Sony.
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(upbeat lively music continues)
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00:03:41,346 --> 00:03:44,433
(bright lively music)
60
00:04:10,709 --> 00:04:14,713
(bright lively music continues)
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00:04:27,934 --> 00:04:32,606
(announcer speaking in foreign language)
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00:04:40,947 --> 00:04:44,826
(bright lively music continues)
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00:04:57,714 --> 00:05:02,636
(announcer continues
speaking in foreign language)
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S Walkman J
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(bright lively music)
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00:05:15,607 --> 00:05:17,818
- [Announcer] It's a Sony.
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(gentle upbeat music)
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00:05:20,028 --> 00:05:22,405
- [Narrator] Exactly 40
years after the Sony Walkman
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00:05:22,697 --> 00:05:24,866
was introduced, a whole new generation
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00:05:25,158 --> 00:05:27,953
of portable pocket-sized
audio and video gadgets
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00:05:28,245 --> 00:05:31,706
had popped up to take its
place, such as CD players,
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00:05:31,998 --> 00:05:35,669
mini-disc players, and soon, MP3 players,
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00:05:35,961 --> 00:05:38,129
and now Cloud-based Bluetooth devices
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such as smartphones
and streaming services.
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00:05:41,716 --> 00:05:44,010
The sales of prerecorded cassette tapes
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00:05:44,302 --> 00:05:48,014
dropped off significantly
in the early 1990s,
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00:05:48,306 --> 00:05:51,351
but surprisingly as of
recent, cassette sales
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00:05:51,643 --> 00:05:54,771
of prerecorded music has
actually been increasing.
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00:05:55,063 --> 00:05:59,860
Cassette tape sales
grew 123% in 2018 alone,
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00:06:00,277 --> 00:06:02,362
a rather surprising fact since the format
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is over 50 years old and considered
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an ancient relic to many, but
many underground record labels
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and musicians as well
as some popular artists
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are starting to release new music
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00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:17,794
on limited-edition compact cassette tapes,
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(gentle upbeat music continues)
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00:06:21,089 --> 00:06:23,925
But can cassette tape still go on
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00:06:24,217 --> 00:06:27,470
or will it all come to a definite stop?
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00:06:28,513 --> 00:06:29,264
Rewind.
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00:06:30,765 --> 00:06:31,683
(rewinding tape screeching)
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00:06:31,975 --> 00:06:35,145
No, cassette tapes will go on
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00:06:35,437 --> 00:06:38,273
as new ideas and uses are conceived.
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00:06:38,565 --> 00:06:42,110
(gentle upbeat music)
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00:06:42,402 --> 00:06:45,238
♩ Music lives on TDK ♩
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00:06:46,364 --> 00:06:50,076
(bright lively music)
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00:06:50,368 --> 00:06:53,246
♩ Music lives on TDK ♩
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00:06:54,164 --> 00:06:57,334
(upbeat lively music)
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00:06:58,251 --> 00:07:01,254
♩ Music lives on TDK ♩
99
00:07:02,380 --> 00:07:06,384
(gentle uplifting music)
100
00:07:06,676 --> 00:07:10,221
♩ Music lives on TDK ♩
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00:07:10,513 --> 00:07:11,681
♩ TDK, TDK ♩
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00:07:11,973 --> 00:07:14,601
- [Narrator] It is said that
alternative uses for cassettes
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00:07:14,893 --> 00:07:18,229
can serve as a computer
data backup storage device,
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00:07:18,521 --> 00:07:21,358
and an average 90-minute
cassette can have the capacity
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00:07:21,650 --> 00:07:24,069
to store over 500 gigabytes of data.
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00:07:24,361 --> 00:07:25,403
(gentle upbeat music)
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00:07:25,695 --> 00:07:28,323
Who knew that many tech
companies still use cassettes
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as a means of long term data storage
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00:07:30,825 --> 00:07:34,287
simply because the format
can last over 20 years?
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00:07:34,579 --> 00:07:36,289
Now, can your computer last that long?
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00:07:37,624 --> 00:07:40,460
Hold onto your old decks
because the modern cassette tape
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00:07:40,752 --> 00:07:42,295
could soon be reinvented.
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00:07:44,673 --> 00:07:47,884
In 1935, almost three decades
before the introduction
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00:07:48,176 --> 00:07:51,262
of the earliest
commercially-released cassette tapes,
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00:07:51,554 --> 00:07:55,183
a German company by the name
of AEG developed and released
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00:07:55,475 --> 00:07:57,268
the first reel-to-reel tape recorders
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00:07:57,560 --> 00:07:58,979
by the name of Magnetophon.
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00:08:00,105 --> 00:08:03,108
The Magnetophon was the first
magnetic tape recorder used
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00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:05,610
in professional applications.
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00:08:05,902 --> 00:08:08,697
To go with the recorder,
another German company
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00:08:08,989 --> 00:08:13,118
by the name of IG Farben
produced the magnetic tape reel.
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00:08:14,244 --> 00:08:16,287
The tape reel was based off the invention
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00:08:16,579 --> 00:08:20,125
of the magnetic tape in
1928 by German inventor
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00:08:20,417 --> 00:08:24,295
Fritz Pfleumer which
used similar technology,
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00:08:24,587 --> 00:08:27,215
a long flexible metallic material
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00:08:27,507 --> 00:08:30,885
that could be wound in a
spool to record sound on.
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00:08:32,053 --> 00:08:36,558
The invention of the phonograph
in 1877 by Thomas Edison
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00:08:36,850 --> 00:08:40,103
was the first commercially
released audio recording format.
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00:08:41,229 --> 00:08:43,523
That invention served as the inspiration
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00:08:43,815 --> 00:08:46,234
to many other recording
innovations to come.
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00:08:47,318 --> 00:08:48,987
In Fritz Pfleumer's case,
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00:08:49,279 --> 00:08:52,490
it was a metallic wire
wrapped around a spool.
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00:08:52,782 --> 00:08:55,952
The wire recorder was the
first device to record sound
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00:08:56,244 --> 00:09:00,081
on a substance that could
be wounded around a spool.
135
00:09:00,373 --> 00:09:02,751
Although these wire
recordings were impressive,
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00:09:03,043 --> 00:09:04,794
the invention of magnetic tape
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00:09:05,086 --> 00:09:08,840
or a metal oxide-coated
plastic tape wounded
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00:09:09,132 --> 00:09:13,011
on a spool yielded even higher
quality recording results
139
00:09:13,303 --> 00:09:15,597
and became the standard
in audio production
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00:09:15,889 --> 00:09:19,517
of music and voice and even data.
141
00:09:24,064 --> 00:09:27,150
(upbeat lively music)
142
00:09:28,693 --> 00:09:29,903
(door whirring)
143
00:09:30,195 --> 00:09:31,696
(cassette tape whirring)
144
00:09:31,988 --> 00:09:33,448
- [Announcer] A tape of
this quality deserves
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00:09:33,740 --> 00:09:36,743
to be played in the most
sophisticated of systems
146
00:09:37,035 --> 00:09:37,619
(cassette tape whirring)
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00:09:37,911 --> 00:09:40,580
Because Sony premium tape has more music
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00:09:40,872 --> 00:09:43,041
where other tapes have
distortion and hiss.
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00:09:44,125 --> 00:09:46,669
(cassette tape hissing)
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00:09:46,961 --> 00:09:51,382
Sony Audio Tape. It's the
closest you can get to music.
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00:09:56,554 --> 00:09:59,099
- [Narrator] When the very
first magnetic tape recorder
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00:09:59,390 --> 00:10:01,643
or the Magnetophon came out,
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00:10:01,935 --> 00:10:04,229
they were very difficult to use
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00:10:04,521 --> 00:10:08,233
and were only used by radio
stations and recording studios.
155
00:10:09,526 --> 00:10:10,944
Many developments were made
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00:10:11,236 --> 00:10:13,071
to the magnetic reel recording format
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00:10:13,363 --> 00:10:17,367
after its initial patent
by Fritz Pfleumer in 1928.
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00:10:17,659 --> 00:10:20,870
In the 1930s, another major
breakthrough was added
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00:10:21,162 --> 00:10:23,748
to the open tape reel
format to move it closer
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00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:25,625
to the awesome sound quality
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00:10:25,917 --> 00:10:28,086
which the magnetic tape reels could have.
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00:10:29,921 --> 00:10:33,925
In 1958, following four
years of development,
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00:10:34,217 --> 00:10:36,427
the RCA Victor company introduced
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00:10:36,719 --> 00:10:40,348
the stereo quarter-inch
reversible reel-to-reel RCA
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00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:42,517
cassette tape cartridge.
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00:10:42,809 --> 00:10:44,727
However, it was a lot larger
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00:10:45,019 --> 00:10:47,313
than the standard
cassette of recent years.
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00:10:47,605 --> 00:10:51,442
This initial tape was seven
inches wide by five inches long
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00:10:51,734 --> 00:10:54,821
and offered very few
popular album releases.
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00:10:55,780 --> 00:10:59,033
Despite the multiple attempts
in the commercial market,
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00:10:59,325 --> 00:11:02,120
the initial larger consent format failed.
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00:11:04,497 --> 00:11:07,041
- [Announcer] The new RCA
Victor deluxe models include
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00:11:07,333 --> 00:11:09,711
the completely automatic
features of reversing
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00:11:10,003 --> 00:11:13,047
and shutting off, playing
up to two hours of music
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00:11:13,339 --> 00:11:14,883
at the push of one button,
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00:11:15,175 --> 00:11:18,803
making it unnecessary even
to turn the cartridge over.
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00:11:19,095 --> 00:11:23,016
Presto, tape reversed, sound
head switch to the B track,
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00:11:23,308 --> 00:11:25,476
all without the touch of a hand.
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00:11:25,768 --> 00:11:28,813
(upbeat lively music)
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00:11:32,859 --> 00:11:35,403
- [Narrator] Consumer use
of magnetic tape machines
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00:11:35,695 --> 00:11:38,239
took off in the early 1960s.
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00:11:38,531 --> 00:11:39,824
After playback machines reached
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00:11:40,116 --> 00:11:42,243
a comfortable, user-friendly design,
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00:11:42,535 --> 00:11:45,288
this was aided by the
introduction of transistors
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00:11:45,580 --> 00:11:47,999
within the electronics that
made the machines work,
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00:11:48,291 --> 00:11:50,001
which replaced the large, bulky,
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00:11:50,293 --> 00:11:53,504
and costly vacuum tube
components of earlier years.
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00:11:55,131 --> 00:11:57,592
Reel-to-reel tape then
became more suitable
189
00:11:57,884 --> 00:12:01,638
for household use, but still
remained a rare product.
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00:12:03,973 --> 00:12:07,936
The invention of the transistor
revolutionized the market
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00:12:08,228 --> 00:12:11,856
for portable audio technology
and other electronics.
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00:12:12,148 --> 00:12:15,735
Now, electronic products
could be made smaller
193
00:12:16,027 --> 00:12:18,988
and you could take the music
around with you anywhere:
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00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:22,825
on the boombox, on the
Walkman, or simply on a deck
195
00:12:23,117 --> 00:12:25,453
in your home entertainment system.
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00:12:25,745 --> 00:12:28,581
With the birth of the
transistor came the start
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00:12:28,873 --> 00:12:30,917
of a revolution and smaller,
198
00:12:31,209 --> 00:12:34,128
more manageable home recording technology
199
00:12:34,420 --> 00:12:36,756
like such as the audio cassette tape.
200
00:12:38,591 --> 00:12:41,135
His name was Fritz Pfleumer,
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00:12:42,095 --> 00:12:44,889
an Austrian-German inventor in the 1920s.
202
00:12:47,100 --> 00:12:50,979
Pfleumer had the innovative
idea of coating paper
203
00:12:51,271 --> 00:12:55,358
with iron powder to make a
cheap magnetic audio tape.
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00:12:56,401 --> 00:12:59,570
This paper tape was fragile,
but it would replace
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00:12:59,862 --> 00:13:04,075
the existing expensive
magnetic solid-steel tape,
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00:13:04,367 --> 00:13:07,578
and his new paper tapes could be edited
207
00:13:07,870 --> 00:13:11,207
with a pair of scissors
rather than a soldering iron.
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00:13:12,792 --> 00:13:15,712
First, Pfleumer took
his invention to Berlin,
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00:13:16,004 --> 00:13:18,047
a major industrial city at the time,
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00:13:18,339 --> 00:13:22,302
to the electric companies AEG and BASF,
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00:13:22,593 --> 00:13:24,053
which were the leading manufacturers
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00:13:24,345 --> 00:13:25,763
of electronics at the time.
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00:13:26,681 --> 00:13:28,349
To Mr. Pfleumer's success,
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00:13:28,641 --> 00:13:30,893
the companies purchased the patents.
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00:13:31,185 --> 00:13:35,148
So on from the ideas of
Pfleumer's patents in 1932,
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00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:39,193
four years after Pfleumer
initial invention in 1928,
217
00:13:39,485 --> 00:13:42,780
the companies set up a team
to work on a commercial device
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00:13:43,072 --> 00:13:45,533
that could be used with
this magnetic paper tape.
219
00:13:45,825 --> 00:13:49,495
AEG teamed up with the German
chemical giant, IG Farben,
220
00:13:49,787 --> 00:13:53,207
to produce the world's
first magnetic tape recorder
221
00:13:53,499 --> 00:13:55,585
that would revolutionize sound recording,
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00:13:56,586 --> 00:13:59,839
but disappointingly, when AEG demonstrated
223
00:14:00,131 --> 00:14:04,010
their new invention at the
Berlin Radio Fair in 1935,
224
00:14:04,302 --> 00:14:05,636
it was a complete flop.
225
00:14:07,472 --> 00:14:10,183
(gentle upbeat music)
226
00:14:10,475 --> 00:14:14,771
What you hear is what was
recorded on April 27, 1935,
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00:14:17,315 --> 00:14:20,068
in the Ludwigshafen theater using
228
00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:23,279
one of the earliest AEG Magnetophon
229
00:14:23,571 --> 00:14:25,490
prototype magnetic tape recorders.
230
00:14:26,741 --> 00:14:29,535
Four different Magnetophon
prototypes were built
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00:14:29,827 --> 00:14:34,540
between 1932 and 1935, and one was used
232
00:14:34,832 --> 00:14:38,086
in the 1934 Berlin Radio fair.
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00:14:38,378 --> 00:14:41,672
But these early innovative
devices didn't come
234
00:14:41,964 --> 00:14:44,217
without a fair amount of trouble,
235
00:14:44,509 --> 00:14:48,054
especially a major design issue
where the tape would break
236
00:14:48,346 --> 00:14:50,598
if you did not wait
until the wheel stopped
237
00:14:50,890 --> 00:14:52,850
before playing or rewinding the tape.
238
00:14:54,018 --> 00:14:57,605
There was no fast forward
and the cap stand motor
239
00:14:57,897 --> 00:15:00,400
was not spinning at a constant speed,
240
00:15:00,691 --> 00:15:02,902
and because of the inconsistent speed,
241
00:15:03,194 --> 00:15:05,571
it produced audible pitch variations.
242
00:15:06,572 --> 00:15:08,533
More improvements went into the design
243
00:15:08,825 --> 00:15:11,160
and its improved successor became known
244
00:15:11,452 --> 00:15:13,496
as the Magnetophon KA.
245
00:15:13,788 --> 00:15:16,332
(gentle upbeat music continues)
246
00:15:16,624 --> 00:15:21,421
On the 1935 recording, the
cuts, pitch variations,
247
00:15:21,712 --> 00:15:25,800
and other sound effects
that you hear are authentic,
248
00:15:26,092 --> 00:15:29,220
and that is the original
sound quality of the tape.
249
00:15:31,472 --> 00:15:34,517
The original Magnetophon
magnetic tape recorder
250
00:15:34,809 --> 00:15:37,395
was not quite the
sensation they hoped for.
251
00:15:37,687 --> 00:15:40,857
The machine was heavy,
sound quality was poor,
252
00:15:41,149 --> 00:15:44,360
and it took a real professional
to operate the machine,
253
00:15:44,652 --> 00:15:47,780
but still the radio engineers
didn't give up hope,
254
00:15:48,072 --> 00:15:50,450
and at the time, looked at the Magnetophon
255
00:15:50,741 --> 00:15:52,952
with stars in their eyes and said,
256
00:15:53,244 --> 00:15:56,539
"You know, I think we
still have something here
257
00:15:57,999 --> 00:16:00,042
if perfected more."
258
00:16:00,334 --> 00:16:02,879
This magnetic tape would
be the ideal format
259
00:16:03,171 --> 00:16:04,464
for recording on.
260
00:16:04,755 --> 00:16:07,175
The tape can be snipped
with scissors and tape
261
00:16:07,467 --> 00:16:09,802
or glued back together with ease.
262
00:16:11,095 --> 00:16:14,599
These new capabilities
would be a dream come true,
263
00:16:15,933 --> 00:16:20,771
but one problem, the
original AEG Magnetophon
264
00:16:21,063 --> 00:16:24,942
in 1935 sounded so
terrible that the quality
265
00:16:25,234 --> 00:16:28,070
can only be used for speech and dictation
266
00:16:28,362 --> 00:16:30,948
and not high quality musical performances.
267
00:16:32,492 --> 00:16:35,786
The Nazis used the early
Magnetophon to listen in
268
00:16:36,078 --> 00:16:38,581
and to record telephone conversations,
269
00:16:38,873 --> 00:16:42,251
but its commercial
potential, as AEG recognized,
270
00:16:42,543 --> 00:16:44,253
was extremely limited.
271
00:16:44,545 --> 00:16:47,256
They instantly saw that there
would be no real business
272
00:16:47,548 --> 00:16:49,675
based on dictation purposes alone,
273
00:16:49,967 --> 00:16:52,970
and they had to have the
possibility and the technical means
274
00:16:53,262 --> 00:16:56,724
of recording music because even in 1935,
275
00:16:57,016 --> 00:16:59,060
commercial sales of phonograph recordings
276
00:16:59,352 --> 00:17:01,646
of popular music was in the millions,
277
00:17:01,938 --> 00:17:05,024
and a Magnetophon that
can record music well,
278
00:17:05,316 --> 00:17:07,276
well, that would be good for business.
279
00:17:07,568 --> 00:17:09,195
(bright uplifting music)
280
00:17:09,487 --> 00:17:14,283
In 1936, as the Nazis consolidated
their power in Germany,
281
00:17:14,867 --> 00:17:17,870
the world famous orchestra conductor,
282
00:17:18,162 --> 00:17:21,832
Sir Thomas Beecham, took
his orchestra to Berlin
283
00:17:22,124 --> 00:17:24,085
and made this famous recording
284
00:17:24,377 --> 00:17:26,504
on this new Magnetophon equipment.
285
00:17:29,173 --> 00:17:32,510
(bright sprightly music)
286
00:17:55,741 --> 00:18:00,663
But the recording was a
disaster and sounded terrible.
287
00:18:02,081 --> 00:18:05,501
In fact, Sir Thomas was so
horrified by the quality
288
00:18:05,793 --> 00:18:09,589
of the Magnetophon that he
refused to use the Magnetophon
289
00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:11,757
or magnetic tape technology
290
00:18:12,049 --> 00:18:15,094
on his performances again
for the next 20 years.
291
00:18:17,221 --> 00:18:20,391
Just as World War II
was breaking out in 1939
292
00:18:20,683 --> 00:18:22,101
came an accidental discovery
293
00:18:22,393 --> 00:18:25,605
that changed the career
path of the Magnetophon.
294
00:18:25,896 --> 00:18:28,941
A German radio engineer
named Walter Weber stumbled
295
00:18:29,233 --> 00:18:32,695
on a signal processing
method called AC bias
296
00:18:32,987 --> 00:18:36,741
that enabled the magnetic
tape to record high fidelity.
297
00:18:37,033 --> 00:18:39,869
Weber one day was
experimenting with circuits,
298
00:18:40,161 --> 00:18:43,080
advanced circuits that would
try to get this horrible noise
299
00:18:43,372 --> 00:18:46,834
and distortion to a minimum
and make the tape sound better.
300
00:18:47,126 --> 00:18:49,879
He discovered in the
lab almost by accident
301
00:18:50,171 --> 00:18:53,591
that AC bias can oscillate
a tone that could be used
302
00:18:53,883 --> 00:18:57,053
to superimpose over the
tape's recorded information
303
00:18:57,345 --> 00:18:59,930
that would make the recorded
information stand out
304
00:19:00,222 --> 00:19:02,391
and sound much better.
305
00:19:02,683 --> 00:19:04,393
A second test was carried out on the new
306
00:19:04,685 --> 00:19:06,354
and improved Magnetophon recorder,
307
00:19:06,646 --> 00:19:09,065
and this revolutionary new breakthrough
308
00:19:09,357 --> 00:19:11,609
that German technicians
had been searching for
309
00:19:11,901 --> 00:19:15,821
was the introduction of the
high-frequency bias Magnetophon
310
00:19:16,113 --> 00:19:20,910
to the public, and it took
place in a huge Berlin cinema,
311
00:19:21,410 --> 00:19:24,580
and the audience was amazed.
312
00:19:24,872 --> 00:19:27,208
That was the moment everybody recognized
313
00:19:27,500 --> 00:19:30,169
that magnetic recording is the best method
314
00:19:30,461 --> 00:19:32,963
for recording music, and hence,
315
00:19:33,255 --> 00:19:36,258
the revolution in magnetic tapes began.
316
00:19:36,550 --> 00:19:39,512
(bright upbeat music)
317
00:19:41,514 --> 00:19:44,141
(explosions booming)
318
00:19:44,433 --> 00:19:47,687
By the 1940s, as Germany
launched its assault
319
00:19:47,978 --> 00:19:50,398
on the Soviet Union, the Magnetophon
320
00:19:50,690 --> 00:19:53,776
became a must-have item
for wealthy Germans.
321
00:19:54,735 --> 00:19:58,406
An American report at the time
described how Hitler himself
322
00:19:58,698 --> 00:20:00,825
at the height of the fighting acquired
323
00:20:01,117 --> 00:20:04,704
his own Magnetophon
machines for military use.
324
00:20:04,995 --> 00:20:07,206
Hitler was first introduced
to the Magnetophon
325
00:20:07,498 --> 00:20:11,085
at his headquarters on
the Russian front in 1942,
326
00:20:11,377 --> 00:20:13,337
and immediately he ordered a plane
327
00:20:13,629 --> 00:20:16,882
to bring additional symphony
recordings from Berlin.
328
00:20:17,174 --> 00:20:20,511
The Nazi propaganda machine
knew it was a breakthrough
329
00:20:20,803 --> 00:20:24,557
in recording technology and
exploited the new possibilities
330
00:20:24,849 --> 00:20:26,767
that the Magnetophon had offered.
331
00:20:27,810 --> 00:20:30,646
Hitler ordered six of these
machines and discovered
332
00:20:30,938 --> 00:20:34,066
the Magnetophon could be
used to time shift speeches
333
00:20:34,358 --> 00:20:36,986
with a sophisticated
radio network passed down
334
00:20:37,278 --> 00:20:40,823
by the Nazis from the previous
German democratic regime.
335
00:20:41,991 --> 00:20:44,910
Hitler could now record
a speech on a Magnetophon
336
00:20:45,202 --> 00:20:48,289
in one city for transmission
in another city.
337
00:20:48,581 --> 00:20:51,333
(bright upbeat music continues)
338
00:20:51,625 --> 00:20:54,462
Hitler used a new technology,
339
00:20:54,754 --> 00:20:57,381
as the recording was almost unidentifiable
340
00:20:57,673 --> 00:20:59,425
from a real person's voice
341
00:20:59,717 --> 00:21:03,304
to deceive US allies as to where he was.
342
00:21:03,596 --> 00:21:07,141
This was one of the first examples of,
343
00:21:07,433 --> 00:21:10,644
"Is it live or is it Memorex?"
344
00:21:10,936 --> 00:21:14,273
Which the phrase presumably
came a little later, of course.
345
00:21:18,903 --> 00:21:19,612
(piano note thuds)
346
00:21:19,904 --> 00:21:20,446
- Are you ready?
347
00:21:20,738 --> 00:21:21,614
- We're ready Ella.
348
00:21:21,906 --> 00:21:22,740
- All right, fellas.
349
00:21:23,032 --> 00:21:24,450
- Nelson Riddle, you've been arranging
350
00:21:24,742 --> 00:21:26,786
the Ella Fitzgerald jazz sound for years
351
00:21:27,077 --> 00:21:27,620
- Yes, that's right.
352
00:21:27,912 --> 00:21:30,080
- Can you tell if that's
Ella live or a recording
353
00:21:30,372 --> 00:21:32,875
on Memorex cassette tape with MRX2 Oxide?
354
00:21:35,294 --> 00:21:36,170
- No, I can't.
355
00:21:36,462 --> 00:21:38,297
(Ella scatting)
356
00:21:38,589 --> 00:21:39,298
- [All] It's Memorex.
357
00:21:39,590 --> 00:21:41,217
- That sounds live to me.
358
00:21:41,509 --> 00:21:43,886
- [Announcer] Is it live or is it Memorex?
359
00:21:46,972 --> 00:21:50,518
(explosions booming)
360
00:21:50,810 --> 00:21:51,977
- [Narrator] Hitler's
speeches were tape-delayed,
361
00:21:52,269 --> 00:21:54,980
and sent around different
places in Germany.
362
00:21:55,272 --> 00:21:57,358
The Allied forces
reconnaissance monitoring
363
00:21:57,650 --> 00:21:59,819
of German broadcasting and radio stations
364
00:22:00,110 --> 00:22:02,988
would hear him speak in
one city, but then soon,
365
00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:05,157
he would be in another city.
366
00:22:05,449 --> 00:22:07,326
All of these quick
movements allowed Hitler
367
00:22:07,618 --> 00:22:10,120
to buy more time as Allied forces
368
00:22:10,412 --> 00:22:13,874
couldn't penetrate without
knowing exactly where he was.
369
00:22:14,166 --> 00:22:17,461
And this confusion is why
they really couldn't pin down
370
00:22:17,753 --> 00:22:19,713
his exact location at the time.
371
00:22:20,965 --> 00:22:23,259
As the war drew to an end,
372
00:22:23,551 --> 00:22:26,971
the invasion and looting
of Nazi scientific secrets
373
00:22:27,263 --> 00:22:29,640
by victorious Allies began to incur.
374
00:22:29,932 --> 00:22:31,267
(gentle calm music)
375
00:22:31,559 --> 00:22:34,311
US Army Signals Corps Major Jack Mullin
376
00:22:34,603 --> 00:22:37,314
and his team were given
the job of investigating
377
00:22:37,606 --> 00:22:40,943
and finding out new German
electronical innovations.
378
00:22:43,028 --> 00:22:45,739
Mullin had heard about and been intrigued
379
00:22:46,031 --> 00:22:49,285
by the audio quality of
these German broadcasts.
380
00:22:49,577 --> 00:22:52,371
A few weeks after the German surrender,
381
00:22:52,663 --> 00:22:54,415
Mullin had heard a recording
382
00:22:54,707 --> 00:22:57,835
from one of the newer
Magnetophons at the time,
383
00:22:58,127 --> 00:23:01,630
which had the AC bias signal
implemented in the machine.
384
00:23:02,923 --> 00:23:06,385
The recording was so
great that Jack Mullin
385
00:23:06,677 --> 00:23:09,597
was so greatly impressed
by its clean sound
386
00:23:09,889 --> 00:23:13,559
with no background noise or
distortion that Mullin shipped
387
00:23:13,851 --> 00:23:16,979
a few of these improvised
machines and many rolls
388
00:23:17,271 --> 00:23:21,233
of this German magnetic tape
back to the United States,
389
00:23:21,525 --> 00:23:26,322
and in May of 1946,
Jack Mullin went public
390
00:23:26,614 --> 00:23:29,658
with these tape recorders
and it changed the course
391
00:23:29,950 --> 00:23:33,662
of the broadcast and
music industries forever.
392
00:23:36,999 --> 00:23:40,377
The news and sound was a sensation.
393
00:23:40,669 --> 00:23:44,006
In May of 1946, started the boom
394
00:23:44,298 --> 00:23:47,051
of American tape recording technology.
395
00:23:47,343 --> 00:23:50,262
Singer and actor Bing Crosby
was the first Hollywood star
396
00:23:50,554 --> 00:23:52,848
to widely use this new technology
397
00:23:53,140 --> 00:23:56,101
from the Nazi archives
of electronic innovation.
398
00:23:57,019 --> 00:24:00,564
Bing Crosby was a top performer
at the time, and he found
399
00:24:00,856 --> 00:24:04,443
that live radio performances
were getting harder,
400
00:24:04,735 --> 00:24:06,779
and he didn't like
broadcasting live anymore
401
00:24:07,071 --> 00:24:08,822
because he wanted a way to only deliver
402
00:24:09,114 --> 00:24:12,785
his best performances to
the television audience.
403
00:24:13,077 --> 00:24:15,913
Bing heard about these
amazing new machines
404
00:24:16,205 --> 00:24:18,707
from Jack Mullin, and he hired Jack Mullin
405
00:24:18,999 --> 00:24:22,252
to be his sound recording
engineer for his television show
406
00:24:22,544 --> 00:24:26,799
and to record and edit his
show for later broadcast.
407
00:24:27,091 --> 00:24:30,386
It was the first time
magnetic tape was used
408
00:24:30,678 --> 00:24:33,472
in a professional televised
American broadcast,
409
00:24:34,473 --> 00:24:36,433
and the audience loved it.
410
00:24:36,725 --> 00:24:39,228
♩ It rains pennies from heaven ♩
411
00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:41,438
(bright lively music)
(audience clapping)
412
00:24:41,730 --> 00:24:46,485
♩ Don't you know each cloud
contains pennies from heaven ♩
413
00:24:48,487 --> 00:24:53,409
♩ You'll find your fortune
falling all over town ♩
414
00:24:55,494 --> 00:25:00,416
♪ Be sure that your
umbrella is upside down ♩
415
00:25:02,376 --> 00:25:07,297
♩ Trade them for a package
of sunshine and flowers ♩
416
00:25:09,174 --> 00:25:12,678
♩ If you want you the things you love ♩
417
00:25:12,970 --> 00:25:16,056
♩ You must have showers ♩
418
00:25:19,476 --> 00:25:21,645
- [Narrator] At this
time in Bing's career,
419
00:25:21,937 --> 00:25:25,733
he was suffering from a lack
of viewership for his TV shows,
420
00:25:26,025 --> 00:25:29,153
but when he started recording
on the magnetic tape format,
421
00:25:29,445 --> 00:25:31,739
all of a sudden like a lightning rod,
422
00:25:32,031 --> 00:25:33,991
his ratings shot back up.
423
00:25:34,283 --> 00:25:39,038
Bing's television networks
ABC and NBC were flooded
424
00:25:39,329 --> 00:25:40,497
with calls from customers
425
00:25:40,789 --> 00:25:43,083
that mentioned the good
quality of the shows,
426
00:25:43,375 --> 00:25:46,420
but the television recording
technology didn't change.
427
00:25:46,712 --> 00:25:48,797
It was only just the sound,
428
00:25:49,089 --> 00:25:53,802
lifelike and real, warm and magical.
429
00:25:54,094 --> 00:25:57,598
The benefits of magnetic
tape had become awesome.
430
00:25:57,890 --> 00:25:59,349
(upbeat lively music)
431
00:25:59,641 --> 00:26:01,060
Back to the future,
432
00:26:01,351 --> 00:26:03,395
are cassette tapes making a comeback?
433
00:26:03,687 --> 00:26:04,438
(quirky upbeat music)
434
00:26:04,730 --> 00:26:07,816
Call it nostalgia or call it inspiration,
435
00:26:08,108 --> 00:26:09,401
call it whatever you want,
436
00:26:09,693 --> 00:26:12,529
but there is still a nice-sized
chunk of the population
437
00:26:12,821 --> 00:26:15,240
that still uses compact cassette tapes
438
00:26:15,532 --> 00:26:17,743
as their recording medium of choice
439
00:26:18,035 --> 00:26:20,537
despite all of the digital options
440
00:26:20,829 --> 00:26:22,456
for recording on the marketplace,
441
00:26:23,707 --> 00:26:26,752
but as top musicians like Ariana Grande
442
00:26:27,044 --> 00:26:30,005
and Justin Bieber release
new music on cassette tapes,
443
00:26:30,297 --> 00:26:32,091
the demand continues to climb.
444
00:26:33,133 --> 00:26:36,970
The niche compact cassette
tape revival is spreading fast
445
00:26:37,262 --> 00:26:40,099
and quickly and has forced
global record companies
446
00:26:40,390 --> 00:26:42,768
to rethink the reproduction plans,
447
00:26:43,060 --> 00:26:45,938
not only releasing music
for digital downloading,
448
00:26:46,230 --> 00:26:49,775
but on CD, vinyl, and
even cassette as well
449
00:26:50,067 --> 00:26:53,237
as this is 2019, not 1989.
450
00:26:55,030 --> 00:26:57,866
Who would have thought
that an ageless relic,
451
00:26:58,158 --> 00:27:02,663
a dinosaur of an age past
will still find new usages
452
00:27:02,955 --> 00:27:06,291
and is still on the up and
up and still reigns popular
453
00:27:06,583 --> 00:27:08,544
in the underground and collectors' market.
454
00:27:09,503 --> 00:27:13,423
Now two facilities, one
in the American Midwest
455
00:27:13,715 --> 00:27:15,384
and the other in Western France,
456
00:27:15,676 --> 00:27:17,094
have stepped in to meet the need.
457
00:27:18,220 --> 00:27:21,098
In the year 2000, it is
said that was the year
458
00:27:21,390 --> 00:27:23,267
the cassette tape officially died
459
00:27:23,559 --> 00:27:26,562
and the reign of the compact
disc became apparent,
460
00:27:26,854 --> 00:27:30,649
(quirky upbeat music continues)
461
00:27:33,277 --> 00:27:37,030
But recording books on
tapes remains popular,
462
00:27:43,453 --> 00:27:46,957
but despite the astronomical
rise of streaming,
463
00:27:47,249 --> 00:27:50,961
punk, hip hop, and rock
bands like Pearl Jam
464
00:27:51,253 --> 00:27:54,047
and The Smashing Pumpkins began seeking
465
00:27:54,339 --> 00:27:57,467
to market these recordings
that were released on cassettes
466
00:27:57,759 --> 00:28:01,138
as a tribute to the old
school and classic sound.
467
00:28:02,848 --> 00:28:05,017
This convinced even
more major record labels
468
00:28:05,309 --> 00:28:07,394
that they was still
interest in the cassette
469
00:28:07,686 --> 00:28:09,229
as a commercial music format.
470
00:28:10,355 --> 00:28:13,650
Several years ago, a
company named National Audio
471
00:28:13,942 --> 00:28:17,321
bought 300,000 reels of tape
from a South Korean company
472
00:28:17,613 --> 00:28:19,698
that gave up on cassette tape production.
473
00:28:20,824 --> 00:28:24,036
As sales increase and the
stockpile began to shrink,
474
00:28:24,328 --> 00:28:26,455
National Audio was faced with a challenge:
475
00:28:26,747 --> 00:28:29,291
to either produce their
own original cassettes
476
00:28:29,583 --> 00:28:30,709
or go out of business.
477
00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:35,005
The business invested several
million dollars buying up
478
00:28:35,297 --> 00:28:38,425
old equipment from defunct
cassette manufacturers,
479
00:28:38,717 --> 00:28:42,262
and in 2017, National Audio manufactured
480
00:28:42,554 --> 00:28:44,932
18 million audio cassettes,
481
00:28:45,224 --> 00:28:47,643
mostly being sold to record labels.
482
00:28:48,769 --> 00:28:52,522
Reports of the cassette death
were greatly exaggerated
483
00:28:52,814 --> 00:28:55,943
as even today, many people young and old
484
00:28:56,235 --> 00:28:59,780
still keep a tape recorder
handy for quick transmissions.
485
00:29:00,072 --> 00:29:01,073
(quirky upbeat music)
486
00:29:01,365 --> 00:29:05,160
It's a '90s vibe, a preference thing.
487
00:29:05,452 --> 00:29:07,287
Some like their music clean,
488
00:29:07,579 --> 00:29:09,373
others may preference
a more dirtier sound,
489
00:29:09,665 --> 00:29:10,916
like it or not.
490
00:29:11,208 --> 00:29:12,918
The cassette tape is here to stay,
491
00:29:13,877 --> 00:29:15,712
a much dependable format,
492
00:29:16,004 --> 00:29:18,048
and some wish that it could never go away.
493
00:29:19,591 --> 00:29:22,844
So let's get those graphic
equalizers from out of the garage
494
00:29:23,136 --> 00:29:26,723
and let's pump that bass or
perhaps turn down the treble
495
00:29:27,015 --> 00:29:30,519
for cassette tape recorder,
and no, I am not a rebel.
496
00:29:30,811 --> 00:29:34,606
(quirky upbeat music continues)
497
00:29:35,774 --> 00:29:36,525
- Watches?
498
00:29:38,068 --> 00:29:40,529
(seller speaking in foreign language)
499
00:29:40,821 --> 00:29:43,031
Radio cassette. I see?
500
00:29:44,700 --> 00:29:45,450
(bright upbeat music)
501
00:29:45,742 --> 00:29:47,577
(speaks in foreign language) Paul Newman!
502
00:29:49,246 --> 00:29:52,124
(seller speaking in foreign language)
503
00:29:52,416 --> 00:29:55,127
Automatic shut-off, tape counter.
504
00:29:57,212 --> 00:29:58,630
(speaks in foreign
language) You sell me this?
505
00:29:58,922 --> 00:30:00,173
Sell me?
506
00:30:00,465 --> 00:30:02,592
1,800 rupees? No?
507
00:30:04,386 --> 00:30:09,016
(sighs) 2,000 rupees cash. No?
508
00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:13,437
- This is a very good set,
Bush Baron made in India.
509
00:30:13,729 --> 00:30:15,147
I bought it from there.
510
00:30:15,439 --> 00:30:16,148
- Ooh. Ooh!
511
00:30:18,066 --> 00:30:20,444
- [Announcer] Now available in two models.
512
00:30:20,736 --> 00:30:23,155
Bush, the number one two-in-one.
513
00:30:26,992 --> 00:30:28,785
- There you go. Latest.
514
00:30:29,077 --> 00:30:29,911
(child speaking in foreign language)
515
00:30:30,203 --> 00:30:31,330
(car horn honking)
516
00:30:31,621 --> 00:30:32,831
(seller speaking in foreign language)
517
00:30:33,123 --> 00:30:34,833
- Good day. Welcome sir, welcome.
518
00:30:35,125 --> 00:30:37,336
Psst, one bargain,
519
00:30:37,627 --> 00:30:39,504
very good radio cassette, two-in-one.
520
00:30:39,796 --> 00:30:40,714
- Are you sure?
521
00:30:41,006 --> 00:30:42,174
- Sure.
522
00:30:42,466 --> 00:30:44,301
See the quality, Bush radio cassette.
523
00:30:44,593 --> 00:30:45,177
(buyer speaking in foreign language)
524
00:30:45,469 --> 00:30:49,139
- Very cheap. Only $200 cash.
525
00:30:49,431 --> 00:30:51,808
Eight minute. (grunts)
526
00:30:52,100 --> 00:30:52,642
(boss speaking in foreign language)
527
00:30:52,934 --> 00:30:55,145
- [Announcer] Bush, the
number one two-in-one.
528
00:30:57,939 --> 00:31:00,442
(door creaking)
529
00:31:00,734 --> 00:31:02,110
(father yawning)
530
00:31:02,402 --> 00:31:03,487
(father grunts)
531
00:31:03,779 --> 00:31:05,072
- [Father] Huh?
532
00:31:05,364 --> 00:31:05,947
Hurray!
533
00:31:06,239 --> 00:31:07,699
- Papa!
- Papa! Papal!
534
00:31:08,658 --> 00:31:09,743
(wife speaking in foreign language)
535
00:31:10,035 --> 00:31:11,203
- Papa!
- Papa!
536
00:31:11,495 --> 00:31:12,579
Papa!
- Papa!
537
00:31:12,871 --> 00:31:17,167
- [Father] Huh? (grunting)
538
00:31:17,459 --> 00:31:19,044
(vocalist singing in foreign language)
539
00:31:19,336 --> 00:31:23,882
(wife speaking in foreign language)
540
00:31:24,174 --> 00:31:26,426
- [Announcer] Now available in two models,
541
00:31:26,718 --> 00:31:29,012
Bush, the number one two-in-one.
542
00:31:33,100 --> 00:31:36,269
(upbeat lively music)
543
00:31:37,646 --> 00:31:39,981
- [Narrator] Many would
say there's still a place
544
00:31:40,273 --> 00:31:43,068
for analog sound in today's
digital music world.
545
00:31:44,861 --> 00:31:47,280
If you've ever spent hours
sitting by the radio waiting
546
00:31:47,572 --> 00:31:49,366
for your favorite songs to
come on so you could record
547
00:31:49,658 --> 00:31:51,284
on your cassette recorder,
548
00:31:51,576 --> 00:31:54,788
you should be excited because
through the availability
549
00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:58,250
of new recordable cassette
tapes still on the market,
550
00:31:58,542 --> 00:32:01,378
you can now still relive
those experiences.
551
00:32:01,670 --> 00:32:05,549
(upbeat lively music continues)
552
00:32:06,633 --> 00:32:09,970
Let those '90s vibes stay with you.
553
00:32:11,096 --> 00:32:14,808
It's quite a uniqueness
and as the old saying goes,
554
00:32:15,100 --> 00:32:16,977
"if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
555
00:32:18,145 --> 00:32:21,440
Cassette tapes are still
being used for a reason,
556
00:32:21,731 --> 00:32:25,735
not just in amateur setting,
but for professional use:
557
00:32:26,027 --> 00:32:28,655
the small size, the ease of recording,
558
00:32:28,947 --> 00:32:32,033
and playback without
any programming or fuss.
559
00:32:32,325 --> 00:32:34,953
Despite its many downsides, this is why
560
00:32:35,245 --> 00:32:38,498
the cassette tape still
offers fantastic potential.
561
00:32:40,542 --> 00:32:44,880
Cassette tape album sales in
the US grew by 123% in 2018
562
00:32:46,506 --> 00:32:51,428
according to Nielsen Music,
jumping from 178,000 copies
563
00:32:52,012 --> 00:32:54,973
the year prior to 219,000.
564
00:32:56,016 --> 00:32:58,852
It's nothing compared the 1994 sales
565
00:32:59,144 --> 00:33:03,940
of 246 million cassette albums,
but still very significant
566
00:33:04,816 --> 00:33:06,485
considering the format was all
567
00:33:06,776 --> 00:33:08,361
but dead by the mid-2000s.
568
00:33:08,653 --> 00:33:09,988
(upbeat lively music continues)
569
00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:13,992
But who could imagine
a world without analog?
570
00:33:14,284 --> 00:33:16,703
The world around is analog.
571
00:33:16,995 --> 00:33:19,581
Our ears and eyes are analog.
572
00:33:21,124 --> 00:33:24,628
Digital recordings are
very clean and sharp,
573
00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:26,755
but there are no harmonics.
574
00:33:27,047 --> 00:33:30,300
These are digital pictures of
audio recordings, if you will.
575
00:33:32,511 --> 00:33:36,556
The consumer public is fickle
and trends always change,
576
00:33:36,848 --> 00:33:38,433
but for the foreseeable future,
577
00:33:38,725 --> 00:33:40,685
people will always stay a little crazy
578
00:33:40,977 --> 00:33:42,646
for vinyl records and cassettes.
579
00:33:44,564 --> 00:33:49,194
Last year in 2018, vinyl
LPs saw revenues hit
580
00:33:49,486 --> 00:33:54,241
their highest level since
1988, totaling 419 million,
581
00:33:56,117 --> 00:33:58,495
an 8% jump from the previous year.
582
00:34:00,455 --> 00:34:02,207
Though vinyl sound quality to many
583
00:34:02,499 --> 00:34:05,627
is unquestionably superior
to cassette tapes,
584
00:34:05,919 --> 00:34:09,422
the small size and mostly
lowered costs makes them superior
585
00:34:09,714 --> 00:34:14,052
for vintage music collectors,
but as new inventions come
586
00:34:14,344 --> 00:34:16,888
to fruition in the digital computer age,
587
00:34:17,180 --> 00:34:19,558
can cassette tapes still
thrive in the future?
588
00:34:20,976 --> 00:34:23,645
Analog magnetic tape has always been used
589
00:34:23,937 --> 00:34:26,648
in early computer
technology for data storage,
590
00:34:26,940 --> 00:34:30,026
but how much can a single
compact cassette tape hold
591
00:34:30,318 --> 00:34:32,195
in today's data storage terms?
592
00:34:33,446 --> 00:34:37,951
Well as we found, cassettes
are still in massive use
593
00:34:38,243 --> 00:34:41,746
for long term data storage for
professional computing firms.
594
00:34:42,038 --> 00:34:44,082
Every computing cluster uses them.
595
00:34:45,125 --> 00:34:48,795
They have a very high lifetime,
usually at least between 20
596
00:34:49,087 --> 00:34:52,090
to 50 years compared to
other storage mediums
597
00:34:52,382 --> 00:34:56,094
and are still very dependable
for long term storage of data,
598
00:34:56,386 --> 00:34:58,597
music, images, and even video.
599
00:34:58,888 --> 00:35:00,974
(bright lively music)
600
00:35:01,266 --> 00:35:03,560
Cassette tapes for video
recording has been in use
601
00:35:03,852 --> 00:35:05,937
since the 1980s with the introduction
602
00:35:06,229 --> 00:35:11,026
of the Fisher-Price PAL
2000 video camera in 1987
603
00:35:11,735 --> 00:35:14,571
that used a cassette tape
as its recording format.
604
00:35:15,488 --> 00:35:18,116
Although the modern cassette
recording speed moves
605
00:35:18,408 --> 00:35:21,828
much too slow to capture
high-quality video images,
606
00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:26,333
the PXL 2000 still offered
a low grade, grainy,
607
00:35:26,625 --> 00:35:28,251
black-and-white video image
608
00:35:28,543 --> 00:35:31,129
that could be instantly
played back and enjoyed.
609
00:35:35,175 --> 00:35:36,468
- [Announcer] You've always been heard,
610
00:35:36,760 --> 00:35:38,511
but now you can be seen.
611
00:35:38,803 --> 00:35:41,598
Introducing the PXL 2000 camcorder,
612
00:35:41,890 --> 00:35:45,060
with the same audio cassette
that makes your music.
613
00:35:45,352 --> 00:35:46,686
It makes videos.
614
00:35:47,687 --> 00:35:50,148
Sight and sound that's easy to handle.
615
00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:53,276
(bright lively music)
616
00:35:53,568 --> 00:35:57,030
Just shoot and play
back on the PXL 2000 TV.
617
00:35:58,865 --> 00:36:03,662
The PXL 2000 video system.
Now you can be seen and heard.
618
00:36:05,038 --> 00:36:08,124
(upbeat lively music)
619
00:36:08,416 --> 00:36:10,543
- [Narrator] A standard
audio cassette tape stores
620
00:36:10,835 --> 00:36:12,587
both video and sound.
621
00:36:14,255 --> 00:36:18,176
The PXL 2000 holds 11 minutes of footage
622
00:36:18,468 --> 00:36:20,887
by moving the tape at a high speed,
623
00:36:21,179 --> 00:36:24,599
nearly nine times the normal
percent playback speed.
624
00:36:26,017 --> 00:36:27,977
The PXL 2000 records
625
00:36:28,269 --> 00:36:32,732
at roughly 16.875 inches per second
626
00:36:33,024 --> 00:36:35,110
versus a standard cassette speed
627
00:36:35,402 --> 00:36:38,446
of 1.875 inches per second.
628
00:36:40,448 --> 00:36:44,035
The higher speed is necessary
because video requires
629
00:36:44,327 --> 00:36:47,205
a wider bandwidth than
standard audio recording.
630
00:36:48,623 --> 00:36:52,252
In magnetic tape recording,
the faster the tape speed,
631
00:36:52,544 --> 00:36:55,672
the more data can be read
or written per second,
632
00:36:55,964 --> 00:36:58,675
which equates to a higher bandwidth.
633
00:36:58,967 --> 00:37:02,095
The PXL 2000 recorded
the video information
634
00:37:02,387 --> 00:37:04,723
on the left audio channel of the cassette
635
00:37:05,014 --> 00:37:06,599
and the audio is on the right.
636
00:37:08,935 --> 00:37:12,772
The camera also was marketed
to kids and teenagers.
637
00:37:13,064 --> 00:37:15,024
Amazingly, the pixelated quality
638
00:37:15,316 --> 00:37:17,986
of the PXL 2000 is actually used
639
00:37:18,278 --> 00:37:21,156
as a very abstract video
medium to this day.
640
00:37:21,448 --> 00:37:23,742
(upbeat lively music continues)
641
00:37:24,033 --> 00:37:26,411
Modern cassettes have the ability to hold
642
00:37:26,703 --> 00:37:29,038
as much as 500 gigabytes of data
643
00:37:29,330 --> 00:37:30,749
depending on its application.
644
00:37:31,666 --> 00:37:35,545
Holding 500 gigabytes of
data on a small, lightweight,
645
00:37:35,837 --> 00:37:38,214
and portable medium with
the ability to be stored
646
00:37:38,506 --> 00:37:42,343
for up to 50 years is
still quite a milestone.
647
00:37:43,636 --> 00:37:46,473
This and many other usages
for cassette tapes have come
648
00:37:46,765 --> 00:37:49,976
to pass in recent years
as well as improvements
649
00:37:50,268 --> 00:37:54,105
in tape quality from the
introduction of better metal oxides
650
00:37:54,397 --> 00:37:58,610
being used on the tape like
ferric oxide and chrome dioxide,
651
00:37:58,902 --> 00:38:00,528
also known as metal tape.
652
00:38:01,821 --> 00:38:05,784
So where will the future
lead? Is it analog or digital?
653
00:38:06,743 --> 00:38:09,871
Even though we live in a
mostly digital world now,
654
00:38:10,163 --> 00:38:12,707
at the backbone of that technology lies
655
00:38:12,999 --> 00:38:15,710
a format that's well tried and true,
656
00:38:16,002 --> 00:38:18,838
and its lifespan cannot be doubted.
657
00:38:19,130 --> 00:38:22,342
The modern cassette tape
will forever go down
658
00:38:22,634 --> 00:38:24,928
as one of the most brilliant
human breakthroughs
659
00:38:25,220 --> 00:38:29,974
of our time, and who is to
say that even future residents
660
00:38:30,517 --> 00:38:34,187
will undoubtedly find
much to be thankful for
661
00:38:34,479 --> 00:38:35,939
in the compact cassette tape.
662
00:38:38,650 --> 00:38:41,319
(wind whooshing)
663
00:38:43,363 --> 00:38:44,823
- [Announcer] When it's recorded on a tape
664
00:38:45,114 --> 00:38:47,116
that's built to standard 60% higher
665
00:38:47,408 --> 00:38:48,785
than the industry calls for.
666
00:38:49,077 --> 00:38:50,578
(robots gibbering)
667
00:38:50,870 --> 00:38:53,331
Rock and roll is really here to stay.
668
00:38:54,666 --> 00:38:57,544
♩ You shake my nerves
and you rattle my brain ♩
669
00:38:57,836 --> 00:39:00,630
♩ Too much love drives a man insane ♩
670
00:39:00,922 --> 00:39:02,841
♩ You broke my will, but what ♩
671
00:39:03,132 --> 00:39:04,509
- [Howie] This is Howie Maxell,
672
00:39:04,801 --> 00:39:07,387
employing you to save bonuses spots.
673
00:39:07,679 --> 00:39:10,723
(upbeat lively music)
674
00:39:11,933 --> 00:39:13,643
- [Narrator] "Cassettes Go Hi-Fi,"
675
00:39:14,561 --> 00:39:17,480
written and directed by Dwayne Buckle,
676
00:39:17,772 --> 00:39:19,732
narrated by Myles Wright,
677
00:39:20,859 --> 00:39:23,570
presented by Vision Laboratories,
678
00:39:23,862 --> 00:39:27,115
distributed by 360 Sound And Vision LTD.
679
00:39:36,833 --> 00:39:40,753
(upbeat lively music continues)
680
00:40:06,821 --> 00:40:10,700
(upbeat lively music continues)
681
00:40:36,809 --> 00:40:40,730
(upbeat lively music continues)
682
00:41:06,881 --> 00:41:10,802
(upbeat lively music continues)
683
00:41:36,828 --> 00:41:40,748
(upbeat lively music continues)54559
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