![Playtape1604](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Playtape1604.jpg)
PlayTape is a
audiotape
An audio tape recorder, also known as a tape deck, tape player or tape machine or simply a tape recorder, is a sound recording and reproduction device that records and plays back sounds usually using magnetic tape for storage. In its presen ...
format and mono or stereo playback system introduced in 1966 by
Frank Stanton. It is a two-track system, and was launched to compete with existing
4-track cartridge
The Muntz Stereo-Pak, commonly known as the 4-track cartridge, is a magnetic tape sound recording cartridge technology.
The Stereo-Pak cartridge was inspired by the Fidelipac 3-track tape cartridge system invented by George Eash in 1954 and ...
technology. The cartridges play anywhere from eight to 24 minutes, and are continuous. Because of its portability, PlayTape was an almost instant success, and over 3,000 artists had published in this format by 1968. White cases usually meant about eight songs were on the tape.
Introducing PlayTape
When PlayTape was launched,
vinyl records
A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts near ...
reigned supreme, and
Earl Muntz's
Stereo-Pak
The Muntz Stereo-Pak, commonly known as the 4-track cartridge, is a magnetic tape sound recording cartridge technology.
The Stereo-Pak cartridge was inspired by the Fidelipac 3-track tape cartridge system invented by George Eash in 1954 and ...
, based on the broadcast "
Fidelipac
The Fidelipac, commonly known as a "NAB cartridge" or simply "cart", is a magnetic tape sound recording format, used for radio broadcasting for playback of material over the air such as radio commercials, jingles, station identifications, and mu ...
" cartridge system, was also a popular sound delivery system. His car players were offered with stereo sound. Although in production,
Bill Lear
William Powell Lear (June 26, 1902 – May 14, 1978) was an American inventor and businessman. He is best known for founding Learjet, a manufacturer of business jets. He also invented the battery eliminator for the B battery, and developed the ...
's
8-track tape
The 8-track tape (formally Stereo 8; commonly called eight-track cartridge, eight-track tape, and eight-track) is a magnetic tape sound recording technology that was popular from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, when the compact cassette, wh ...
and
Philips
Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), commonly shortened to Philips, is a Dutch multinational conglomerate corporation that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, it has been mostly headquartered in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarters i ...
'
cassette tape systems had not yet achieved their market potential. Moreover, neither Lear or Muntz was offering a portable player, though Muntz eventually did sell one, while portable cassette players were available from the outset.
While PlayTape found some success in reaching the youth audience, it was not as successful in targeting the business market. Stanton marketed his device as a dictation machine, but he was unable to persuade businesses to adopt his creation. Problems with player quality limited sales and, ultimately, the introduction of home and portable players by the 4-track, 8-track, and cassette manufacturers led to the demise of PlayTape.
Automobile players
Only a handful of small compact players, and a few very rare car players, were sold on the open market. In the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
,
Volkswagen
Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a global brand post-W ...
was the only manufacturer to offer a PlayTape player as optional equipment.
They are collectors' items today.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a global brand post-W ...
saw a market opportunity in the U.S. for automotive audio players in 1968.
Frank Stanton, president of PlayTape, announced that
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. () was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, United States. After having lost $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009, the company split into two independent public companies, Motorol ...
would manufacture an automotive player in
OEM
An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is generally perceived as a company that produces non-aftermarket parts and equipment that may be marketed by another manufacturer. It is a common industry term recognized and used by many professional or ...
and after-market models for Volkswagen. The "Sapphire I" OEM model was designed for in-dash installation, and included an
AM radio
AM broadcasting is radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation (AM) transmissions. It was the first method developed for making audio radio transmissions, and is still used worldwide, primarily for medium wave (also known as "AM band") transmis ...
. The "Sapphire II" after-market version omitted the radio, and was designed to hang from the dashboard. The price for either unit was said to be about US $40, (today US $).
Stanton also claimed that VW dealers would carry about 250 PlayTape titles for sale, and that some Volkswagen dealers would also sell the full line of PlayTape home and portable players. "We feel that Volkswagen salesmen will be able to interest the purchaser of a Sapphire I player in a complementary model for his home," Stanton said.
Mail Call
![Mail Call Letterpack](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Mail_Call_Letterpack.png)
In 1967,
Smith Corona
Smith Corona is an American manufacturer of thermal labels, direct thermal labels, and thermal ribbons used in warehouses for primarily barcode labels. Once a large U.S. typewriter and mechanical calculator manufacturer, it expanded aggressively ...
(SCM) used the PlayTape cartridge format for the ''Mail Call'', a device which contained the PlayTape drive. Its design resembled a telephone and used blank tape PlayTape cartridges, offered with capacities of 3, 6 and 10 minutes of recording time, to be sent as voice letters with inexpensive shipping cost. The ends of the tape loop were fixed by an adhesive tape with a conductive top to prevent overwriting the same recording.
HIPAC
HiPac was a successor of the PlayTape cartridge, with some changes introduced in Japan in 1971 and disappearing soon afterwards. The HiPac had a small comeback in the mid-1970s, in children's toys for education.
[Techmoan]
HiPac - The lost tape : Pioneer's forgotten 1970s cassette rival
YouTube, 29 September 2017
References
External links
Museum Of Obsolete Media*
Techmoan
Matthew "Mat" Taylor, better known by his channel's name Techmoan, is a YouTuber and blogger active since May 2009, featuring consumer tech reviews and retrotech documentaries about technology of historical interest.
Apart from reviews and te ...
Retro Tech – The PlayTape YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
14 January 2016
{{Audio format
Audio storage
Tape recording
Discontinued media formats
1966 in music
1966 in technology
Products introduced in 1966