From Alan H – Mr. Pop – Who came out with the first “replay” recorder for TV and when was it first used?

Mr. Pop History – Instant replay for sports began during the early 1960′s with conventional “quad” video tape recorders – but the process was cumbersome.

Seeing the problem, VTR maker Ampex came to the rescue in 1967 – with a dedicated replay device and that machine was first used by ABC Sports during the U.S. skiing championships.

These were not tape machines. Instead, they used a disc (analog) – a huge advantage when you want to call-up a replay. No rewinding. They came complete with variable speed/reverse plus stop motion. By 1971, some 100 Ampex color instant replay machines were in use by networks and larger TV stations.