Speculation as to why KITT had a tape recorder

[Akaihiryuu]

I've been thinking about why such a high-tech car would have a tape recorder instead of a CD player. There's a very valid reason. I think that most of the time when KITT needed to record or play back something, he used some type of internal storage (probably RAM or hard drives for more permanent stuff). However, audio tapes were a very common format between 1982 and 1986. CD's existed, but they were not commonplace at all. I'm pretty sure that whenever KITT played music, he either used radio or satellite or internal storage to play whatever Michael wanted. KITT was supposedly in constant communication with FLAG, either the main headquarters or the mobile unit, so he could probably download whatever he wanted via that radio link. I'm sure FLAG had an internet connection, even in 1982. The internet was a couple decades old by then, it's just that until the early 90's modem connections weren't fast enough for it, and direct lines cost too much for the average person. FLAG was definitely not the average person, they could've afforded anything they wanted, most likely. The tape player would be so KITT would be capable of reading the most common format that was around in that time period. I mean sure, it's great that KITT has all kinds of high tech stuff, but what if someone produces an audio tape and he can't play it because he doesn't have equipment primitive enough? The upside is that anything that KITT could download, have stored internally, or record, he could also put on a tape for someone if he desired (not so much for his own use but for the use of someone that had a tape player). I figure that tape player would've been swapped out later (after the end of the series) with a CD player or whatever when the popular format changed. There wouldn't really have been a need for a CD player when KITT was built...it wasn't a common format, and even though it may have existed in an early form, it would've been useless to give him one as CD's weren't in common use then.

[AtariKnight]

Even though the rest of KITT hinted at the future of dashboard gadgetry, The internet at the time only really handled fairly basic text based communication and certainly wouldn't have handled large music files.
Downloading music wasn't considered as being something that the internet would be used for in the future.

The only two common sources for playing audio, Was either a Turntable (Impractical in a car) or a Tape Deck....So the Deck Won?

[James_kr]

I think KITT would have had a cd player in the future along with a large HDD to store all of Michael's songs like we do with our computers today but if Michael came across a tape he found KITT could play it for him and also play all his music tapes for him he wouldn't have any cd's really.

[Knight2000]

If Airwolf could have a CD-burner, I'm sure KITT would have one eventually. But tapes were mainstream so that's what he had.

[HungarianKnight]

I know it sounds weird, but the USSR had holographic data storage technology during that time, I saw it in a documentary. They had data discs approximately the size of an LP record which could store more data than a double layer DVD of nowdays. Maybe Kitt was using the same kind of technology, although with smaller discs and disc drives which were located maybe under the hood or under the dashboard. With that technology, Kitt could have a huge music database too, possibly the MP3 of those days. As for the tape recorder/player, it was more easy for Michael to fumble with that instead of a CD...

[Major Ursa]

I'm sure that despite the fact that KITT was a futuristic car. The technology for CD players was still in the reseach and development stages at the time the first season was filmed. Even then, the disk would have to be the size of a 33 and a third record (they existed at the time).

[Akaihiryuu]

I'm sure that despite the fact that KITT was a futuristic car. The technology for CD players was still in the reseach and development stages at the time the first season was filmed. Even then, the disk would have to be the size of a 33 and a third record (they existed at the time).

That's my point exactly. Even though CD's existed in an early form, there would've been no point in giving KITT one, because they weren't in common use. I'm sure KITT used his FLAG radio link and internal storage for most of the things he did, and the tape recorder was simply there for "backward compatibility" (so to speak) with the most common format in use at the time.

[Major Ursa]

And at that time, CD players, and the disks themselves, were very expensive.

[FuzzieDice]

So was KITT. And he was supposed to be way ahead of his time.

Also, there's times when KITT used his tape player to play music (Scent of Roses) and KARR as well (KITT vs. KARR).

Just be glad those weren't 8-track tapes!

[MrPayner]

Isn't there an episode on season 3 where KITT activates a button on the dash aptly named "Audio/Visual Recording"?? I seem to recall seeing that in an episode around the middle of the season! Surely those sights and sounds recorded would be stored in a databank somewhere within KITT's circuitry..

[James_kr]

Isn't there an episode on season 3 where KITT activates a button on the dash aptly named "Audio/Visual Recording"?? I seem to recall seeing that in an episode around the middle of the season! Surely those sights and sounds recorded would be stored in a databank somewhere within KITT's circuitry..

A. KITT did have databanks so yeah he could audio visual record that.
B. The episode was Junkyard Dog where he started doing audio visual recording
C. The tape could have been used to give to the foundation to listen to (even if KITT could transmit it to them simply)