videotape recorder

noun

, Television.

1. a device for recording television programs on magnetic tape for delayed transmission or for storage.

Word History and Origins

Origin of videotape recorder¹

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

The Portapak was a video camera with the first battery-operated, portable videotape recorder.

From Salon

“When we were kids, we used to make videos with our neighbors – I think we recreated the show Friends at one point – but this was on an old videotape recorder, and I don’t even think my parents watched them.”

From The Guardian

Video recording technology itself dates to the early 1920s, but the company Ampex is credited with developing the first commercially viable videotape recorder in 1956.

From Washington Post

In 1956, Ampex Electric and Manufacturing Company introduced what its website calls “the first practical videotape recorder.”

From New York Times

The radio's success led to more firsts in transistorized products, such as an 8-in. television and a videotape recorder.

From Time Magazine Archive