Re: [AV Media Matters] The late - not so great - M format

[amcc@loc.gov]

Jim,

Wasn't MII the tape format which NBC hung onto so tenaciously ?  My
recollection is that NBC was essentially an MII island for several
years.    Do you recall when they finally dropped it ?

Allan McConnell

Moderators Comment -
I believe that there are a couple of NBC people on the list who might like
to comment.  My recollection is that NBC was a major customer for both M
and M2 formats - and in fact I remember a big SMPTE meeting in the
"Saturday Night Live" studio at 30 Rock where NBC made it's announcement to
go with M format instead of Betacam (no BetacamSP at that point).  Lots of
charts showing why M was a better format.  Indeed there was quite a users
group for M2 that was convinced that it was a better format then BetacamSP
(the group may still exist). I do not know the exact date of the format
changes at NBC, but I do know that it was a gradual process. Despite
vendors claims of a customer using a given format "exclusively" , my
experience is that large broadcasters use a wide variety of equipment and
formats from several vendors in different operational areas as well as
differences  with O&O and affiliates.

jim
 -  http://www.topica.com