Who was that comment directed at, Derleth? If it was me, JVC invented the technology, so I’d think they would know. If not me, then carry on.
Here’s a little anecdote: When IBM was formed, I am told, they chose a name specifically designed to one-up one of the biggest names in the field at that time, National Cash Register.
National -> International
Cash Register -> Business Machines
Bigger scope, broader market. When AT&T bought out NCR’s PC manufacturing arm in the 1990s, they figured turnabout was fair play and named their new division Global Information Systems.
National -> International -> Global
Cash Register -> Business Machines -> Information Systems
IIRC, John Dvorak wondered if the next step was going to be called “Galactic Knowledge Tools” or something like that.
It’s Vertical Hellix Scan. Trust me on this one.
Another acronym anecdote: the technology (and drivers) used to import scanned images into Windows is called TWAIN, which stands for “Technology Without An Interesting Name”.
So, JVC doesn’t know what their own trademark stands for? :dubious:
Damn. That’s where I went. Are you a fellow Gondo?
Haj
I’m sure that JVC does, but I don’t think that Carly O’Neill does. In my experience, “corporate communications” types are the last people you want to ask technical questions.
Some of the tapes “me 'n the boys” used to rent led us to opine that VHS stood for “Voluptuous Hotties Squirming.”
A true example of SPL – Six-Pack Logic.
Thought the answer would be in the patent. I’ve been doing a patent search and have run into two problems.
- I get no results in the Japan patent search for JVC nor VHS.
- US patents prior to '78 (I think) is in image format only and I can’t view the images.
- “Hi Opal” turns up no matches.
Anybody have better luck?
I just searched Google Groups, and the Video Home System vs. Vertical Helical Scan question has been the subject of lengthy debate there. Some people claim that JVC documentation used VHS from the start to mean Video Home System, and that Vertical Helical Scan is meaningless - there’s nothing particularly “vertical” about it, and other types of VCR use similar helical scanning. Also, they say, the reason it’s Video Home Sytem and not Home Video System is simply that JVC’s marketing people weren’t that great at English.
Others swear that early JVC technical manuals used the term Vertical Helical Scan. Then there’s the Victor Home System theory (JVC stands for Japan Victor Company), and even Victor Hails Sony (Japanese deference and all that).
I’m beginning to think that JVC just came up with what they hoped was a sexy sounding acronym, and then various factions imposed their own meanings on it - marketing types coming up with something comprehensible to mere mortals, engineers going for something suitably geeky. Maybe we’ll never know.
What is a VHS signal?
Japanese published unexamined patent application 6-14343 discloses a video recorder which records a VHS signal "
From: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/search-adv.htm&r=3&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&S1=(helix+AND+vhs)&OS=helix+AND+vhs&RS=(helix+AND+vhs)
From the Ampex website
JVC didn’t invent the helical heads, so it would seem unlikely they would use the term “Vertical Helix Scan” to describe their videotape system designed for home use, since the head technology they used was little different from that used in VCRs and VTRs previously manufactured for commercial broadcasting applications. The system was specifically designed and marketed for home use, thus the name “Video Home System” makes more sense to me.
I worked on those AMPEX reel to reel recorders and the heads were horizontal.
Q.E.D., I’ve been looking for SMPTE standards. Unfortunately their site does not list the standards. Standards documents have to be bought, much like IEEE does now.
I think we need to find the first use of VHS in the standards. Other site listings of standards use both helix and home.
I think “vertical” is meant to mean the the orientation of the rotational axis of the head drum, in this case. In any case, the heads aren’t vertical, the drum is.
I agree, AcidKid. But what we really need is the original patent filed by JVC. Unfortunately, I’ve had no luck finding it. I’ll try emailing JVC again, and see if they would be willing to supply a copy.
Good luck with emailing JVC. I’m afraid finding a copy of the patent would be too much work for the corporate email answering person. And wouldn’t the patent be in Japanese?
Having better luck with http://www1.ipdl.jpo.go.jp/PA1/cgi-bin/PA1INIT
The earliest patent I can find using “Japan Victor Company” and “helical” is # 50-134646, 11.11.1975, Inventor : UMEDA HIROYUKI
But there is no information when I bring it up. (Residual patent protection? or pre-Internet database?)
Using “Japan…” and “VHS”, earliest is # 60-191155, 30.08.1985, Inventor : MIHARA MASATO, INOUE OSAMU but no explanation of VHS. Darn, darn, darn.
The one filed on 11-11.1975 is about the right date. However it is important to note that the term VHS applies to the videotape format, not to the machine.
Hmmm… it seems VHS may not have stood for anything originally:
(last message in this newsgroup thread)
I haven’t read this book, apparently written by a former CEO of Panasonic. Great story- I wonder if it’s true.
Q.E.D., the patent may not provide the answer. They may of patented the “VHS” system without explanation. I am going to conclude, if only to stop my immediate obsession with finding the answer this afternoon, that VHS stands for Video Home System.
My reasoning is:
- Sony developed the U-Matic and Beta systems already. These both already used (simplifing here) vertical heads so the vertical part was not a new idea.
- The market emphasis at the time was to develop a home system.
See: http://www.ce.org/publications/hall_of_fame/shiraishi_y_00.asp
and
http://www.tvhandbook.com/History/History_timeline.htm
Ok Q.E.D., I’m sold, and concede. I took the acronymfinder site, and other sites, for granted, and clearly there is much more to it. Thanks all.
Ya catching all this Malaflam??? (the orig. poster). 