The BVU-850 incorporates Sony's Superior Performance (SP) technology, to offer higher picture quality and dubbing capability. Dolby C noise reduction and a new audio head block improves audio quality.

Many of these benefits can only be obtained when recording and playback in SP mode using Sony's KSP series tapes. Provision is also made for conventional cassettes.

In this way the BVU-850 embodies the performance characteristics to extend the application range of high band U-matic equipment and make a better companion to the Betacam in the studio environment.