Curious British Telly Has Got a Betamax Player

The future's here and it's firmly embedded in the past

They said this day would never come, that Curious British Telly would forever be saddled with VHS, the easiest video format to rummage through for old television recordings. But, thanks to the funds raised by this very Substack’s paid subscribers, I’ve finally been able to justify purchasing a Betamax player. Yes, that’s right, Betamax, one of the most notable ‘failures’ of the modern consumer age. And, to be precise, I’ve splashed out on a Sanyo VTC-5000.

There’s nothing wrong with VHS, and I’ve found some amazing programmes and footage on this format over the years. But the fact that VHS tapes were still on sale well in to the 2000s - I think I bought my final one in 2004 - means you’re less likely to find older, rarer pieces of television on them. That’s not to say people weren’t recording on to Betamax during the 00s, they were, but the chances of finding a tape full of Big Brother 3 is much slimmer than on VHS.

So, yes, this Sanyo VTC-5000 opens up a whole new realm for me to find dusty regional news reports, long forgotten children’s programmes and vintage crisp adverts. And, as long as my research is correct, the Sanyo VTC-5000 is one of the most reliable Betamax players - in terms of domestic units - to help me with this task. Despite first being released in 1982, these machines have a reputation for weathering the decades. I’m not sure when this model was discontinued, or when this one was produced, but it’s reasonable to assume it’s around 35 years old.

Tech of this age, of course, is always a risk. Luckily, this particular machine - in excellent cosmetic condition - has recently been refurbished by a highly reputable seller. Not only has it had new belts and a brand new pinch roller fitted, but, as well as its tracking being fully calibrated, it’s also had a new idler tyre fitted. Granted, I don’t know what most of these things are, but they sound as exciting as an old BBC1 junction emerging out of the static at the end of an ancient video.

As of this time of writing, I have absolutely zero tapes to play through it. This is disappointing, but these are early and exciting days. Best of all, in two week’s time, I’m due to go and pick up a mountain of Betamax tapes from one of my Twitter followers. And that’s when the real fun begins.

So, many thanks to my paid subscribers for making this happen. There will, of course, be plenty of exclusive articles for you as a result. I’ll still be uploading footage to my YouTube channel for everyone to see, but I’ll hold bits back for those who have helped contribute towards the player. And, no doubt, I’ll give some of the tapes away in a competition. You may not be able to play them, but they’ll make an interesting addition to your mantelpiece.

Oh, and if you have any old, old Betamax tapes lying about, please get in touch and we’ll see what we can dig up on them.