The MAGNUM Specialist Group and the EBU Approach to the Digital Videotape Recorder

This article outlines the work of the EBU Working Sub Group G2 in standardizing a digital videotape recorder. It provides their definition of a single digital recording format, explains the processes by which the Group arrived at its conclusions, and lists the basic and optional features the Group feels the future digital videotape recorder should have. An analysis of an entire video recording system is given, with an illustration. The standards, when completed and agreed upon, will provide full compatibility among recordings made on machines of different manufacturers and a large commonality between 625 and 525 machines.