The Cassette Tape Turns 50 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Family Ties Forever! · 09-13-2013, 12:37 AM

Wow. I didn't think it was that old.

link

The Cassette Tape Turns 50
Plucky format made its debut in 1963
Author: By Todd Leopold CNN
Posted: Sep 12 2013 5:14 PM CDT Updated: Sep 12 2013 9:11 PM CDT

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(CNN) - The cassette should have died. Instead, it's turning 50 in an atmosphere of celebration. Whether it's Cassette Store Day, new releases or simply nostalgia, the old tape cartridge isn't going gently into a good night that's already swallowed Edison cylinders, 78 rpm discs, Betamaxes and DATs. That doesn't surprise Dale Wiggins, U.S. head of research for Philips, the electronics and technology company that invented the cassette back in 1963. He reminds people that the cassette was created on the heels of reel-to-reel taping, a bulky technology that required a lot of manual effort.

"All of a sudden you get this small form that you just plug into a player and it automatically achieves everything that used to be so hard and so cumbersome," he says. "It really was a precursor to a lot of the innovations that we have today." The cassette actually made its debut a little more than 50 years ago, when the "compact cassette" tape and its player were introduced at a Berlin fair on August 30, 1963. But Philips dates the introduction to two weeks later -- September 13 -- when the format was launched in Amsterdam, the company's headquarters.

In the years since, the player and tape have seen highs and lows, from the 1980s ubiquity of personal players, boomboxes and mix tapes to its decline in the era of digital music and streaming radio. It's only in the past few years, with cassettes being seized upon by hipsters and metal bands, that it's entered a mild revival. Mind you, not everybody is happy about this. "Dear God, no," said commenter Patrick Butler on a Stereophile magazine article about Cassette Store Day. "I lived through cassettes once, and they sucked. But that's all we had. It was high school. Now it's just a bad joke."

Butler has a point. Cassettes were originally invented for dictation, not high-fidelity music. And even with improvements over the years -- better magnetic oxides, Dolby noise reduction, high-quality tape players -- the medium was plagued by audio inconsistences, drop-outs and, for careless users, the dreaded tape snarl. (Get out your pencil and start spinning the spool -- it's going to be a long afternoon.) Even Wiggins, who's 50 himself this year, admits that the cassette has its faults.

"My memory says it wasn't all that great," he chuckles. But cassettes have also proved to be remarkably versatile, he says. You could record off the radio. You could share music with friends. You could make lovingly crafted mix tapes -- aural valentines -- for potential romantic partners. Because Philips licensed the technology widely, it spread worldwide. Today, the medium is prized for its low-fi capabilities and its ease of reproduction.

"It's still a common format for a lot of Middle Eastern, Indian and Asian street or folk music, too, because cassettes are so cheap to reproduce," record store owner Scott Seward told CNN. Cassettes are even a fashion accessory. There are iPhone cases that look like cassettes, and one enterprising designer has woven ties out of old tape.

Philips' Wiggins adds that the ideas that company invested in cassette technology continue to be useful today. It's not just audio, either: One Philips technology, Magnotech, involves a medical diagnostic device that takes a small blood sample and, through magnetic nanoparticles, can determine markers.

"That's all based on the same magnetic principles that were used in that original cassette tape," he says. Is the cassette boomlet peaking? That's anyone's guess. But, next year, there's another technology that's due to celebrate its golden anniversary. Maybe it's time to get ready. Will anyone speak for the 8-track tape?

Copyright 2013 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved.

Furienna · 09-13-2013, 02:14 PM

I used one of my old tapes only yesterday, when I played some children's songs for my little niece (she's ten months old). I still have a soft spot for the old casette tapes and VHS tapes, even though I also use newer formats.

Fleet · 09-13-2013, 05:38 PM

I still have and use them.

I also still have a Sony Walkman (AM-FM radio w/cassette player).

70s show watcher · 09-13-2013, 09:17 PM

i still have 2 or 3 boxes full of them

treky · 09-13-2013, 11:39 PM

I still have a lot of cassettes and a Walkman and I listen to them all the time.

MrCleveland · 09-14-2013, 08:54 AM

I have a case of cassettes...I haven't listened to them lately, but it seems they last longer than 8-tracks.

OH Nuts! · 09-14-2013, 11:19 AM

My machine just mangled another one. It had LITB eps on it from the Antenna marathon. I HATE this medium. I have 6 cassettes left - used to have 100's - many I transferred to DVD, about 20 got mangled in the combo unit (the tapes were about 25 years old). I know some of you still like cassettes, but as for me, good bye and good riddance! For me, DVDs are much better.

Furienna · 09-14-2013, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OH Nuts!

My machine just mangled another one. It had LITB eps on it from the Antenna marathon. I HATE this medium. I have 6 cassettes left - used to have 100's - many I transferred to DVD, about 20 got mangled in the combo unit (the tapes were about 25 years old). I know some of you still like cassettes, but as for me, good bye and good riddance! For me, DVDs are much better.

I've never mangled a casette in my entire life. Okay, maybe a couple then, but that's sure not enough to make me hate the entire medium.

DJM77 · 09-14-2013, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OH Nuts!

My machine just mangled another one. It had LITB eps on it from the Antenna marathon. I HATE this medium. I have 6 cassettes left - used to have 100's - many I transferred to DVD, about 20 got mangled in the combo unit (the tapes were about 25 years old). I know some of you still like cassettes, but as for me, good bye and good riddance! For me, DVDs are much better.

Um, it sounds like you're talking about VHS tapes, not cassette tapes.

treky · 09-14-2013, 05:25 PM

yea, I was gonna say that; we're not talking about VHS.

Coffeecup · 09-14-2013, 05:48 PM

It was interesting to remember, that the cassette was first used as dictation. I vaguely would hear in the business world of the 1960's, secretaries would use them in the office. But I am sure the cassette boomed with the music you could put on them. Yes I am another who recorded music from the radio and now have over 150 cassettes.

OH Nuts! · 09-14-2013, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJM77

Um, it sounds like you're talking about VHS tapes, not cassette tapes.

When I looked at the picture in the first post, and a subsequent post, I thought the thread was about VHS or the audio ones. If I got that wrong I apologize.

treky · 09-15-2013, 12:17 AM

how many here used to record shows off of TV on to cassettes (I don't mean VHS)?

70s show watcher · 09-15-2013, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treky

how many here used to record shows off of TV on to cassettes (I don't mean VHS)?

i used to do that all the time and boy do i wish i had some of those tapes for the audio of the network voiceovers if nothing else

treky · 09-15-2013, 01:19 AM

I also used to do it all the time in the 70s, and I also wish I had some of the tapes ecspecially the one where I was recording THE TONIGHT SHOW and as soon as the opening notes of the opening theme came blasting out my brother threw open his bedroom door and yelled at me to turn the TV off because he was trying to sleep! LOL

09-13-2013, 12:37 AM	#1
Family Ties Forever! Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 16, 2002 Location: Keaton residence Posts: 10,214	The Cassette Tape Turns 50 Wow. I didn't think it was that old. link The Cassette Tape Turns 50 Plucky format made its debut in 1963 Author: By Todd Leopold CNN Posted: Sep 12 2013 5:14 PM CDT Updated: Sep 12 2013 9:11 PM CDT . (CNN) - The cassette should have died. Instead, it's turning 50 in an atmosphere of celebration. Whether it's Cassette Store Day, new releases or simply nostalgia, the old tape cartridge isn't going gently into a good night that's already swallowed Edison cylinders, 78 rpm discs, Betamaxes and DATs. That doesn't surprise Dale Wiggins, U.S. head of research for Philips, the electronics and technology company that invented the cassette back in 1963. He reminds people that the cassette was created on the heels of reel-to-reel taping, a bulky technology that required a lot of manual effort. "All of a sudden you get this small form that you just plug into a player and it automatically achieves everything that used to be so hard and so cumbersome," he says. "It really was a precursor to a lot of the innovations that we have today." The cassette actually made its debut a little more than 50 years ago, when the "compact cassette" tape and its player were introduced at a Berlin fair on August 30, 1963. But Philips dates the introduction to two weeks later -- September 13 -- when the format was launched in Amsterdam, the company's headquarters. In the years since, the player and tape have seen highs and lows, from the 1980s ubiquity of personal players, boomboxes and mix tapes to its decline in the era of digital music and streaming radio. It's only in the past few years, with cassettes being seized upon by hipsters and metal bands, that it's entered a mild revival. Mind you, not everybody is happy about this. "Dear God, no," said commenter Patrick Butler on a Stereophile magazine article about Cassette Store Day. "I lived through cassettes once, and they sucked. But that's all we had. It was high school. Now it's just a bad joke." Butler has a point. Cassettes were originally invented for dictation, not high-fidelity music. And even with improvements over the years -- better magnetic oxides, Dolby noise reduction, high-quality tape players -- the medium was plagued by audio inconsistences, drop-outs and, for careless users, the dreaded tape snarl. (Get out your pencil and start spinning the spool -- it's going to be a long afternoon.) Even Wiggins, who's 50 himself this year, admits that the cassette has its faults. "My memory says it wasn't all that great," he chuckles. But cassettes have also proved to be remarkably versatile, he says. You could record off the radio. You could share music with friends. You could make lovingly crafted mix tapes -- aural valentines -- for potential romantic partners. Because Philips licensed the technology widely, it spread worldwide. Today, the medium is prized for its low-fi capabilities and its ease of reproduction. "It's still a common format for a lot of Middle Eastern, Indian and Asian street or folk music, too, because cassettes are so cheap to reproduce," record store owner Scott Seward told CNN. Cassettes are even a fashion accessory. There are iPhone cases that look like cassettes, and one enterprising designer has woven ties out of old tape. Philips' Wiggins adds that the ideas that company invested in cassette technology continue to be useful today. It's not just audio, either: One Philips technology, Magnotech, involves a medical diagnostic device that takes a small blood sample and, through magnetic nanoparticles, can determine markers. "That's all based on the same magnetic principles that were used in that original cassette tape," he says. Is the cassette boomlet peaking? That's anyone's guess. But, next year, there's another technology that's due to celebrate its golden anniversary. Maybe it's time to get ready. Will anyone speak for the 8-track tape? Copyright 2013 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved.
	__________________ Jenny

09-13-2013, 05:38 PM	#3
Fleet Mansions, limousines & H-ween Forum Star Join Date: Jan 06, 2002 Location: Northridge/Porter Ranch, California Posts: 15,625	I still have and use them. I also still have a Sony Walkman (AM-FM radio w/cassette player).
	__________________ 1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine.

09-13-2013, 11:39 PM	#5
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	I still have a lot of cassettes and a Walkman and I listen to them all the time.
	__________________ the Clampetts are in a fancy Beverly Hills jewelry store. Granny points to a tray of rubies. Granny: "How much fer one o' them red diamonds?" clerk: "Madam, those are rubies." Granny: "OK ask her kin we buy one offa her." clerk: " The ruby I am talking about is not a lady." Granny: "Lissen, how she got them diamonds is her business. I'm just sayin' ask her kin we buy one from her."

09-14-2013, 08:54 AM	#6
MrCleveland Drew Carey from Hell Forum Star Join Date: Nov 10, 2007 Location: The City of Cleveland, in The State of Cleveland, in The United States of Cleveland Posts: 14,222	I have a case of cassettes...I haven't listened to them lately, but it seems they last longer than 8-tracks.
	__________________ Thank God for kids that love Obscure Things. Lee Hazlewood (1929-2007) You ARE Special to God! Rev. Ernest Angely (August 1921-May 2021)

09-13-2013, 02:14 PM	#2
Furienna Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Oct 22, 2006 Location: Örnsköldsvik, Sweden Posts: 6,277	I used one of my old tapes only yesterday, when I played some children's songs for my little niece (she's ten months old). I still have a soft spot for the old casette tapes and VHS tapes, even though I also use newer formats.

09-13-2013, 09:17 PM	#4
70s show watcher Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 20, 2008 Location: between point place and studio 8 h Posts: 4,548	i still have 2 or 3 boxes full of them

09-14-2013, 11:19 AM	#7
OH Nuts! Member Forum King Join Date: Feb 15, 2005 Posts: 133,383	My machine just mangled another one. It had LITB eps on it from the Antenna marathon. I HATE this medium. I have 6 cassettes left - used to have 100's - many I transferred to DVD, about 20 got mangled in the combo unit (the tapes were about 25 years old). I know some of you still like cassettes, but as for me, good bye and good riddance! For me, DVDs are much better.

09-14-2013, 05:25 PM	#10
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	yea, I was gonna say that; we're not talking about VHS.

09-14-2013, 05:48 PM	#11
Coffeecup coffeecup. Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 17, 2003 Location: snoozeville Posts: 3,181	It was interesting to remember, that the cassette was first used as dictation. I vaguely would hear in the business world of the 1960's, secretaries would use them in the office. But I am sure the cassette boomed with the music you could put on them. Yes I am another who recorded music from the radio and now have over 150 cassettes.

09-15-2013, 12:17 AM	#13
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	how many here used to record shows off of TV on to cassettes (I don't mean VHS)?

09-15-2013, 01:19 AM	#15
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	I also used to do it all the time in the 70s, and I also wish I had some of the tapes ecspecially the one where I was recording THE TONIGHT SHOW and as soon as the opening notes of the opening theme came blasting out my brother threw open his bedroom door and yelled at me to turn the TV off because he was trying to sleep! LOL