Akai VK


VK is a helical scan analog recording videocassette format developed by Akai in the late 1970s, that is capable of recording and playing back black & white video in either EIA and CCIR.
The format employed magnetic tape loaded into a small cassette, and had two video record heads on the scanner. The units had an optional RF modulator to play back to a TV set as well as a detachable video monitor.
A professional 8-track audio recorder/mixer model Akai MG1212 was made which utilised the same tape running at 19cm/s.
Akai's plant for the manufacture of VK VCRs was located in Tokyo, Japan. A VK video cassette could record up to 30 minutes of video.

Early B&W models

Not many VK VCR systems were sold. The 30-minute record limit of the VK systems and the introduction of new systems on the market with longer record time limited VK sales.