This page is a listing of all known IVC VTR's. It is undoubtedly incomplete. If you find an error or an omission, please let me know, that this page may be brought up to date. Pictures of any IVC machine, as well as any additional technical data is very much appreciated. Since IVC had a relatively short history, the machines are listed by ascending model number, rather than chronological order of introduction. All IVC machines use a common tape format, except for the 9000.
Many IVC machines have model number suffixes. These sufixes indicate feature variations between machines with the same model number. They are as follows:
This machine is an IVC 800, packaged with Bell and Howell's name on it. It is one of IVC's earlier machines. General Electric also sold IVC machines for a short while under the GE brand.
Thanks, Richard Diehl and John Sangster for the photo!
The IVC VCR-100 is a cartridge-based version of IVC's 1 inch open reel format. The reel of tape sat in the cartridge, and it's leader was pulled into the machine, something like EIAJ-2 or the European 'VCR' consumer machines. They were apparently not very reliable.
Sorry, there is no picture of an IVC 200.
The IVC 200 was apparently an improved version of the IVC 100. It was apparently only available in Europe. Nothing else is known.
A low cost machine, with basic record/play capability only. Was apparently not a very good machine. The 600 had the same video performance as the 800, but used an entirely mechanically operated transport. As a result, it could not be remote controlled. List price circa 1971 was $1,995. Nothing else is known about it.
Sorry, there is no picture of an IVC 700.
The IVC 700 was a low cost basic record/play machine, introduced later on in the life of this format. It was developed an attempt to compete against the Sony VO-2850. It was a step down from the IVC 800. It's construction was similar to the 800, but cheaper parts were used. Bad machine! Nothing else is known about it.
Sorry, there is no picture of an IVC 760.
The IVC 760 was a low cost basic record/play machine thst also included a simple assemble editor. Nothing else is known about it.
The IVC 800 was a basic record/play machine, and was also the first machine marketed under the IVC brand name. It does not employ a capstan servo, but it did have a solenoid-operated tape transport. It was therefore remote-controllable. It also featured a built-in audio amplifier and speaker. List price circa 1970 was $3,000. The IVC 800A had the following improvements: Connectors on rear instead of bttom; New servo board, improved modulator, power supply, and preamp. There were some other minor differences.
Sorry, there is no picture of an IVC 801.
The IVC 801 was the 625 line version of the 800. Color was standard, but could only be PAL or SECAM. No switchable machines existed.
The IVC 810 was a deck only (No audio amp/speaker) version of the 800. It also did not have color as an option. Color was achevible through an external adaptor. Quadruplex Park has an IVC 810.
Sorry, there is no picture of an IVC 811.
The IVC 811 was a 625 line version of the IVC 810.
Sorry, there is no picture of an IVC XV-815.
Apparently, a medical imaging VTR. Nothing else is known. This machine is not listed in any list of 800 series machines, yet I know someone who has one.
Sorry, there is no picture of an IVC 820.
The IVC 820 is a basic record/play VTR with the addition of confidence heads. In all other respects, it is similar to the IVC 800.
Sorry, there is no picture of an IVC 825.
The IVC 825 is a basic record/play VTR with a capstan servo. It does not have an audio amplifier/speaker.
Sorry, there is no picture of an IVC 850.
The IVC 850 is an IVC 825 with the addition of an electronic editor.
Sorry, there is no picture of an IVC 851.
The IVC 851 is the 625 line version of the IVC 850.
Sorry, there is no picture of an IVC 860.
The IVC 860 is very similar to the IVC 850. The only difference is a more capable editor, that could do both assemble and insert edits.
Sorry, there is no picture of an IVC 870.
The IVC 870 is an IVC 860 with the addition of an audio amplifier and speaker. By the time the 870 was introduced, IVC had worked most of the bugs out of this format, and this was considered the best machine of the 800 series. List price was $7,500.
Sorry, there is no picture of an IVC 871.
The IVC 871 is the 625 line version of the IVC 870.
The IVC 900 is the basic model of the 900 series. These machines were equipped standard with video confidence heads, and could accomodate 12 1/2 inch reels for up to 3 1/2 hour playing time. This machine is a basic record/play deck. All 900 series machines donot have a built-in amplifier and speaker. ^The picture here shows both tabletop and console versions of the machine.
Sorry, there is no picture of an IVC 960.
The IVC 960 is an IVC 900 with an electronic editor. The editor is capable of both insert and assemble editing. This was the finest machine in their 1 inch VTR series. This machine was also capable of accepting a TBC. This TBC, made by Anderson/Microtime, is an analog 2-line device. It is most likely a design similar to the switched-dlay-line design used in the Ampex AVR-1.
Sorry, there is no picture of an IVC 1010.
The IVC 1010 is a wideband VTR developed for medical and scientific purposes. It featured a very wide 10 MHz video bandwidth, which is about the limit for analog FM videotape at reasonable tape speeds.
The IVC 9000 is considered by many to be the best analog VTR ever built. This machine was designed from the ground up to be high performance everything! It's design was borrowed heavily from the Ampex AVR-1. Like it's quad 'cousin', the 9000 featured vaccuum columns, and a vaccuum capstan. The small scanner and the half-wrap of the tape made for a much more forgiving segmented tape format with 57 lines per segment. The control head was also mounted on the scanner for better video tracking accuracy. The timebase stability of this transport design was good enough that an analog timebase corrector was adequate. This format was eventually sqeezed down, and became the basis for SMPTE inch type B! (Another format that is dearly loved by it's proponents. They calim the video is 'warmer' because of the analog TBC!) Other advanced featuresof the 9000 included three channels of audio, super-wide (8 MHz) video bandwidth option, and all modular construction. The wide video bandwidth allowed the machine to be used for the 655 line, 48 frame format developed for motion picture work.
It has been said of the IVC 9000 that you could go down 29 generations and still produce broadcast spec. Even if this is just half true, the machine's performance is on a par with today's digital VTRs.
However, IVC did too good of a job designing this machine. After producing just 65 of these magnificent machines, the leftover R and D costs put them out of business. In addition, IVC partnered with Rank Corp. of England to produce three machines under the Rank-IVC name. The prototype was destroyed, and two machines made it out the door. One of these was recently 'rescued' and is being added to the collection of a technology museum in England.