Ok, after half a day going through 1980s video magazines, the timeline is like this:
- 1984: 8-mm video is introduced with AFM Mono. Tapes are 60 and 90 minutes for NTSC region, shorter for PAL.
- 1985: By the end of the year PCM stereo audio is introduced as well as 2-hour MP tapes, this allowed for Hollywood movies to be released in 8-mm.
- 1986: No ME tape yet, expected next year. ME tape is supposed to be thinner, hence more play time.
- 1987: Kodak still believes in 8 mm, despite it still offers the same subpar camcorder made by Matsushita, with which it launched 8 mm in January 1984.
- 1989, January: Sony uses more compact FL Mechanism. The CCD-V11 has 2/3-inch sensor with 420K pix, wow! No mention of AFM Stereo.
- 1989, June: Canon A1 Canovision Hi8 camcorder reportedly was the first 8-mm machine to offer AFM Stereo. Canon's website reads: "Canon developed the A1 with the Hi8 video standard after various companies reached agreement upon and announced the high-band recording system for 8mm camcorders in 1988. Targeted at advanced amateurs and pros, the A1 offered high-quality sound adopting a new FM stereo standard as well as extensive manual functions."
- 1990: Sony released CCD-V101, which also has Hi-Fi stereo audio. Is it the second one after the Canon? In the user manual, Sony links Hi-Fi stereo to Hi-band upgrade of 8-mm video.
- 1997: TRV44 is standard 8 camcorder, having Hi-Fi stereo audio, so Hi-Fi stereo is not limited to Hi8.
Question: why PCM was augmented/replaced with Hi-Fi stereo? Was it cheaper to implement? Why the heck Sony haven't designed it in the first place? (Well, I guess they wanted a narrow audio band to maximize video band, since this originally was a camcorder standard?)