Many of the first Betas did not have a remote because they were mostly mechanical. Piano lever-type keys were used to operated levers and slides inside the VCR for most of the functions. This quickly changed when solenoids were incorporated into the design. The first remotes were simple and only controlled a few operations but over time they evolved into command centers for almost total control. But there were still many advanced Beta VCRs and related devices that did not have a remote as standard equipment. For some cases this was done to cut cost but others came this way so they could accept a number of optional controllers for performing specific functions. In this category I have listed units that either couldn't operate using a remote, the remote was optional or another companion device afforded remote control. |