Video Floppy
Encyclopedia
A Video Floppy is a analog recording
storage medium in the form of a 2" magnetic floppy disk
used to store still frames of composite
analog video
. A video floppy, also known as a VF disk, could store up to 25 frames either in the NTSC
or PAL
video standards, with each frame containing 2 field
s of interlaced video. The video floppy also could store 50 frames of video, with each frame of video only containg one field of video information, recorded or played back in a "skip-field" fashion.
Video floppies were first developed by Sony
with name "Mavipack" in 1981 for their Mavica still video camera
(not to be confused with their later line of Mavica digital cameras introduced in the mid-1990s, which stored JPEG
images to standard 3.5" floppy disks readable by computers instead). The video floppy format was later used by Minolta
, Panasonic
, and Canon for their still video cameras introduced in the late 1980s, such as the Canon Xapshot from 1988 (also known as the Canon Ion in Europe and the Canon Q-PIC in Japan).
Besides still video cameras, stand-alone recorders & players were also available for the VF format, that could record from or output a composite video signal, to or from an external source (such as a video camera
, VCR, video capture card, or computer graphics output). Some VF recorders also had the feature of recording a couple of seconds of audio that accompanied each video frame.
and dentistry
video systems, as well as industrial video borescope
s & fiberscope
s, used VF disks for storing video images for later playback and study. Standalone VF recorders & players were also used by television station
s and video production studios as a still-store system for stills & graphics for use in a television production, or for on-air slides used for station identification or during technical difficulties (such as a "Please Stand By" still).
A similar sized disk was also used by the Zenith Minisport
laptop computer from 1989, digitally formatted for data storage. The Minisport could store up to 720k of information on a 2 inch disk format called LT-1. Video floppy and LT-1 are not compatible however, so media can not be interchanged between drives using video floppy or LT-1 standards.
An enhanced version of the VF format called HiVF was introduced in the late 1980s, providing higher resolution per video still than its predecessor. It used higher-bandwidth video recording, much like S-VHS
as compared to VHS
, or Hi8 compared to Video 8.
Analog recording
Analog recording is a technique used for the recording of analog signals which among many possibilities include audio frequency, analog audio and analog video information for later playback.Analog recording methods store signals as a continual wave in or on the media...
storage medium in the form of a 2" magnetic floppy disk
Floppy disk
A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...
used to store still frames of composite
Composite video
Composite video is the format of an analog television signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulated onto an RF carrier. In contrast to component video it contains all required video information, including colors in a single line-level signal...
analog video
Analog video
Analog video is a video signal transferred by an analog signal. An analog color video signal contains luminance, brightness and chrominance of an analog television image...
. A video floppy, also known as a VF disk, could store up to 25 frames either in the NTSC
NTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
or PAL
PAL
PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
video standards, with each frame containing 2 field
Field (video)
In video, a field is one of the many still images which are displayed sequentially to create the impression of motion on the screen. Two fields comprise one video frame...
s of interlaced video. The video floppy also could store 50 frames of video, with each frame of video only containg one field of video information, recorded or played back in a "skip-field" fashion.
Video floppies were first developed by Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
with name "Mavipack" in 1981 for their Mavica still video camera
Still video camera
A still video camera is a type of electronic camera that takes still images and stores them as single frames of video. They peaked in popularity in the late 1980s and can be seen as the predecessor to the digital camera...
(not to be confused with their later line of Mavica digital cameras introduced in the mid-1990s, which stored JPEG
JPEG
In computing, JPEG . The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality....
images to standard 3.5" floppy disks readable by computers instead). The video floppy format was later used by Minolta
Minolta
Minolta Co., Ltd. was a Japanese worldwide manufacturer of cameras, camera accessories, photocopiers, fax machines, and laser printers. Minolta was founded in Osaka, Japan, in 1928 as . It is perhaps best known for making the first integrated autofocus 35mm SLR camera system...
, Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
, and Canon for their still video cameras introduced in the late 1980s, such as the Canon Xapshot from 1988 (also known as the Canon Ion in Europe and the Canon Q-PIC in Japan).
Besides still video cameras, stand-alone recorders & players were also available for the VF format, that could record from or output a composite video signal, to or from an external source (such as a video camera
Video camera
A video camera is a camera used for electronic motion picture acquisition, initially developed by the television industry but now common in other applications as well. The earliest video cameras were those of John Logie Baird, based on the electromechanical Nipkow disk and used by the BBC in...
, VCR, video capture card, or computer graphics output). Some VF recorders also had the feature of recording a couple of seconds of audio that accompanied each video frame.
Uses of the Video Floppy
The video floppy saw a lot of uses during its heyday in the 1980s and 1990s, besides being used for still video cameras. Many medical endoscopyEndoscopy
Endoscopy means looking inside and typically refers to looking inside the body for medical reasons using an endoscope , an instrument used to examine the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the body. Unlike most other medical imaging devices, endoscopes are inserted directly into the organ...
and dentistry
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
video systems, as well as industrial video borescope
Borescope
A borescope is an optical device consisting of a rigid or flexible tube with an eyepiece on one end, an objective lens on the other linked together by a relay optical system in between. The optical system is usually surrounded by optical fibers used for illumination of the remote object...
s & fiberscope
Fiberscope
A fiberscope is a flexible fiber optic bundle with an eyepiece at one end, and a lens at the other. It is used for inspection work, often to examine small components in tightly packed equipment, when the inspector cannot easily access the part requiring inspection.The lens is often a wide-angle...
s, used VF disks for storing video images for later playback and study. Standalone VF recorders & players were also used by television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
s and video production studios as a still-store system for stills & graphics for use in a television production, or for on-air slides used for station identification or during technical difficulties (such as a "Please Stand By" still).
A similar sized disk was also used by the Zenith Minisport
Zenith Minisport
The Zenith MiniSport, introduced in 1989 by Zenith Electronics Corporation, was a small laptop based on a 80C88 CMOS CPU running at 4.77 MHz or 8 MHz, software selectable....
laptop computer from 1989, digitally formatted for data storage. The Minisport could store up to 720k of information on a 2 inch disk format called LT-1. Video floppy and LT-1 are not compatible however, so media can not be interchanged between drives using video floppy or LT-1 standards.
An enhanced version of the VF format called HiVF was introduced in the late 1980s, providing higher resolution per video still than its predecessor. It used higher-bandwidth video recording, much like S-VHS
S-VHS
S-VHS is an improved version of the VHS standard for consumer-level analog recording videocassettes. It was introduced by JVC in Japan in April 1987 with the HR-S7000 VCR and certain overseas markets soon afterwards...
as compared to VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
, or Hi8 compared to Video 8.